The IU club golf team took part in the National Collegiate Club Golf Association national championship for the second consecutive season during Thanksgiving break in Orlando, Florida.
The top 30 club teams and 16 individuals competed at the Walt Disney Resort. IU made its way to the Sunshine State after beating Purdue in regionals on a stroke differential tiebreaker.
The Hoosiers came to Orlando off a sixth-place finish at last season’s national championship but had difficulty this year and finished tied for 14th.
Sophomore Kevin McEneany finished with rounds of 84 and 80, 12 and 8 over, respectively, some of the lowest on the team through both rounds of the tournament.
“We didn’t do as well as we wanted to, obviously,” McEneany said. “But I feel like it was a good building block for the national championship in the spring.”
The NCCGA puts on two national championships per year, once during the fall and once during the spring. Although IU wasn’t happy with its outcome this fall, the Hoosiers will have a chance to redeem themselves during the spring season.
Junior Zach Stark also performed well for the Hoosiers. Stark made his way to IU after transferring from Stetson after playing two seasons on its varsity golf team.
Stark finished inside the top 25 of more than 250 individuals in the national championship. He shot a pair of 77s in both rounds of play. While his finish in the national championship was impressive, McEneany said he knew Stark could go lower.
Those 77s were some of the highest McEneany has seen Stark shoot since joining the club.
“He’s definitely our No. 1 player right now,” McEneany said. “He’s played well in the regional tournaments, and I know he didn’t play as well as he wanted to in the national championship, but he’s a pretty consistent low guy for us.”
The club golf team has more than 50 members, and only eight are chosen to play at the national championship.
Sophomore Chris Martin was one Hoosier who failed to qualify for the chance to play at nationals, but not having the opportunity to compete in the final fall tournament didn’t make him feel like he was not a part of the club.
“It’s fun to be a part of the team even though I wasn’t at the national championship,” Martin said. “It gives the average golfer the opportunity to compete on a bright stage without being on the varsity team.”
Stark said the team’s commitment to developing a tight-knit, family feel helps the team consistently perform at a high level. Although the fall season is behind them, it will continue to build that and looks to improve on its 14th-place finish at the national championship tournament in the spring.
“The club is getting more and more competitive,” McEneany said. “Our future is pretty bright.”
