Ball State University Athletics
Men’s Golf Shines on Final Day of Island Resort Intercollegiate
September 07, 2026 | Men's Golf
BARK RIVER, Mich. - - The Ball State men's golf team turned in four rounds below par and tied for the best team score among the 12-team field Monday during the final round of the Island Resort Intercollegiate hosted by South Dakota State at the Sage Run Golf Club.
The Cardinals shot -12 (276) as a team on its final tour of the 72 par, 7200-yard course to tie event champion Michigan on the day. The next-best round was a -7 (281) by St. Mary's (CA). In addition, the Cardinals' final-round score of 276 ties as the 12th-lowest team round in program history based on stroke total and ties as the eighth-lowest relative to par at -12.
The effort helped Ball State climb two spots up the final leaderboard and into sixth place overall at -7 (857). The Wolverines won the event at -41 (823).
Leading the way was junior Happy Gilmore who carded a collegiate-low -6 (66). Gilmore's mark was the lowest round of the day by two strokes and tied as the second lowest of the entire event. Gilmore's final round included eight birdies and nine pars.
The effort helped Gilmore finish tied for sixth overall among the 80-golfer field at -9 (207). One of 13 golfers to record an eagle in the event, Gilmore also tied for fourth among the field with 16 total birdies.
Senior Cameron Young was not far behind, tying for the second-lowest round of the day at -4 (68). The effort, which also ties his collegiate low based on stroke total, included playing the last 17 holes bogey free with five birdies thrown in the mix. Thanks to the strength of his final round, Young would climb 25 spots up the leaderboard into a tie for 34th at +2 (218).
Senior Avery Mahoney followed with his lowest round of the event, at -3 (69), while freshman Mattingly Upchurch shot his second straight -2 (70). Upchurch would tie for 20th overall at -2 (214), while Mahoney tied for 53rd at +5 (221). Mahoney's final round included five birdies while Upchurch added four more to his total.
While he shot +1 (73) in his final round, sophomore Luke Johnston still recorded a top 15 finish, tying for 15th overall at -3 (213) after shooting -2 (70) in each of his opening two rounds. Johnston collected four more birdies Monday and tied for fourth among the field with 16.
Rounding out Ball State's contributors Monday was sophomore Brody Sorrell who finished the round at +4 (76). He scored three birdies on the day, doubling his tournament to six.
Perhaps the most impressive feat of the final round was all six Cardinals tallying birdies on the par 4, 298-yard eighth. In addition, five of the six birdied the par 4, 450-yard 10th.
As a team, the Cardinals finished the tournament ranked fifth among the field with 55 total birdies and ranked second among the field in par 4 average at +6 (4.04).
After a solid start to the season, the Ball State men's golf team returns to action Sept. 14-15 at the RedHawk Intercollegiate hosted by Miami (OH) at the Pittsburgh Field Club in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Ball State Individual Results
6th - Happy Gilmore: 207 (69-72-66; -9)
T15th - Luke Johnston: 213 (70-70-73; -3)
T20th - Mattingly Upchurch: 214 (74-70-70; -2)
T34th - Cameron Young: 218 (75-75-68; +2)
T53rd - Avery Mahoney: 221 (76-76-69; +5)
77th - Brody Sorrell: 230 (80-74-76; +14)
Ball State Team Results
6th - Ball State: 857 (290-291-276; -7)
The Cardinals shot -12 (276) as a team on its final tour of the 72 par, 7200-yard course to tie event champion Michigan on the day. The next-best round was a -7 (281) by St. Mary's (CA). In addition, the Cardinals' final-round score of 276 ties as the 12th-lowest team round in program history based on stroke total and ties as the eighth-lowest relative to par at -12.
The effort helped Ball State climb two spots up the final leaderboard and into sixth place overall at -7 (857). The Wolverines won the event at -41 (823).
Leading the way was junior Happy Gilmore who carded a collegiate-low -6 (66). Gilmore's mark was the lowest round of the day by two strokes and tied as the second lowest of the entire event. Gilmore's final round included eight birdies and nine pars.
The effort helped Gilmore finish tied for sixth overall among the 80-golfer field at -9 (207). One of 13 golfers to record an eagle in the event, Gilmore also tied for fourth among the field with 16 total birdies.
Senior Cameron Young was not far behind, tying for the second-lowest round of the day at -4 (68). The effort, which also ties his collegiate low based on stroke total, included playing the last 17 holes bogey free with five birdies thrown in the mix. Thanks to the strength of his final round, Young would climb 25 spots up the leaderboard into a tie for 34th at +2 (218).
Senior Avery Mahoney followed with his lowest round of the event, at -3 (69), while freshman Mattingly Upchurch shot his second straight -2 (70). Upchurch would tie for 20th overall at -2 (214), while Mahoney tied for 53rd at +5 (221). Mahoney's final round included five birdies while Upchurch added four more to his total.
While he shot +1 (73) in his final round, sophomore Luke Johnston still recorded a top 15 finish, tying for 15th overall at -3 (213) after shooting -2 (70) in each of his opening two rounds. Johnston collected four more birdies Monday and tied for fourth among the field with 16.
Rounding out Ball State's contributors Monday was sophomore Brody Sorrell who finished the round at +4 (76). He scored three birdies on the day, doubling his tournament to six.
Perhaps the most impressive feat of the final round was all six Cardinals tallying birdies on the par 4, 298-yard eighth. In addition, five of the six birdied the par 4, 450-yard 10th.
As a team, the Cardinals finished the tournament ranked fifth among the field with 55 total birdies and ranked second among the field in par 4 average at +6 (4.04).
After a solid start to the season, the Ball State men's golf team returns to action Sept. 14-15 at the RedHawk Intercollegiate hosted by Miami (OH) at the Pittsburgh Field Club in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Ball State Individual Results
6th - Happy Gilmore: 207 (69-72-66; -9)
T15th - Luke Johnston: 213 (70-70-73; -3)
T20th - Mattingly Upchurch: 214 (74-70-70; -2)
T34th - Cameron Young: 218 (75-75-68; +2)
T53rd - Avery Mahoney: 221 (76-76-69; +5)
77th - Brody Sorrell: 230 (80-74-76; +14)
Ball State Team Results
6th - Ball State: 857 (290-291-276; -7)
Players Mentioned
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Thursday, August 27
Thursday, August 27
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