Cardinals Finish Sixth At MAC Championships

Sunday, May 3

Zionsville, Ind.

Ball State University

Mid-American Conference

May 05, 2026 | Men's Golf

MAC Championship Central MAC Championships Live Scoring

ZIONSVILLE, Ind. -- Through 12 holes of the final round at the Mid-American Conference Championship at Holliday Farm Golf Club, the Ball State men's golf team had risen in the standings and was threatening to place two golfers among the tournament's Top 10 individuals. Happy Gilmore had made his way into sixth place and Avery Mahoney was knocking on the doorstep to put two Cardinals among the leaders.

Then, as it has happened through the Cardinals' topsy-turvy spring season with a cast of youngsters and transfers, late-round challenges crept in the way. The rain began to fall, and Gilmore (75-74-74---223) and Mahoney (78-71-74---223) combined for five bogeys over their last six holes, with each of them recording double-bogey. The duo finished tied in 10th place -- still in the Top 10 -- and the Cardinals dropped from fourth to sixth while they finished the back nine holes.

The Gilmore-Mahoney duo was tied at 7-over par, in 12th place, after Monday's second round. Gilmore proceeded to birdie two of his first three holes, and three of his first 10. His 2-under scorecard at that point was, at the time, Ball State's best of the tournament. Mahoney, meanwhile, was steady. He, too, birdied hole #1 on Tuesday, then he shot par on 14 of the next 16. Mahoney ended his trip around the par-71 track with a double-bogey on his final hole. Gilmore had his double on #16.

Samuel Harris (75-76-77---228) finished third on the Cardinals' leaderboard, followed by Carter Smith (80-78-78---236) and Aidan Gutierrez (81-78-78---237).