49 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(04/30/12 4:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Entering the Big Ten Men’s Golf Championship, the Hoosiers held high expectations. Fresh off a win at the Boilermaker Invitational, the lineup was set for the squad’s success. After 54 holes of play at the Pete Dye Course of the French Lick Resort in French Lick, Ind., the squad was tied for second with Michigan State.Once in the final round, the Hoosiers jumped to the top of the leaderboard at one point ahead of Illinois, but Illinois prevailed to take its fourth conference title. IU Coach Mike Mayer said the close finish was hard for the team but the squad is continuing to move in the right direction. “We have larger goals and aspirations than just finishing second at the Big Ten,” he said. “It’s tough to win in this conference, but that’s why we wanted do it.” The entire lineup finished in the top 25 and was led by sophomore David Mills, who finished fourth. He started the tournament with a four-over-par 76 but continued to drop strokes from his scorecard. In the final round, Mills recorded a one-under-par 71, earning him status in the All-Championship Team.“There were times this weekend when we played as well as any team I’ve associated with,” Mayer said. “The five players who were representing us were a special mix of kids, and I think we did what we needed to do to win the tournament. It was a hard one for all of us.” Senior co-Captain Chase Wright joined Mills in the top 10, posting 72-74-75-75 to tie for eighth place. Fellow senior co-Captain David Erdy finished two strokes back of Wright to tie for 12th with a 298 tournament total.Competing at the par-72 Pete Dye Course, Mayer said the team handled the adversity of the course well. “We had our ups and downs,” Mayer said. “The course will knock you down, but you have to get yourself back up, and we did that throughout the whole championship.”With the men’s golf program moving in a winning direction, the Hoosiers will continue into the postseason with their fifth consecutive NCAA appearance from May 17-19.“We’ve had a phenomenal run, and we made good efforts to finish it,” Mayer said. “We had a few bad breaks at the end, and that was it. We did everything we thought we could do to win it but just came up a little short.”
(04/30/12 3:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In addition to competing against opponents, golfers are fighting the challenging courses. The Donald Ross course at the French Lick Resort presented a difficult test for the IU women’s golf team at the Big Ten Women’s Golf Championship.The Hoosiers struggled to post three low scores, sticking to their 12th-place spot throughout the 54-hole stroke play event. Michigan State won the conference tournament with an 885 tournament total, and the IU squad posted a 944. After the first round, IU Coach Clint Wallman said the team faced trouble on the golf course due to windy conditions.“But the beauty of golf is one day you can have your worst round of the year and follow it up with your best round of the year,” Wallman said after round one. “Our focus tomorrow is to get out there and take the positives from today and try to get some early momentum. I think that will be the key to us playing better.”From the first to second round, the Hoosiers dropped 23 strokes, with senior Co-Captain Kristtini Cain and junior Pamela Burneski carding the low rounds for the squad. Cain and Burneski posted 77s, but the squad remained in 12th place. “Some positives we can take away are just keep to our game plan and give ourselves multiple opportunities to make birdies,” Wallman said after the second round Saturday.Burneski was able to keep her momentum moving into the final round, tallying three birdies on the day en route to a three-over-par 75. She placed as one of the top finishers for the squad and tied for 40th alongside freshman Elizabeth Tong. Tong also placed 40th with rounds of 81-79-76, leading the Hoosiers in all three rounds of play. Junior Rosie Davies recorded three strokes back of Tong and took her place tied for 53rd. Continuing to drop scores throughout the tournament, junior Co-Captain Kate Coons went from an 83 in the second round to a 73 in the final run. Despite six bogies in the final round, Coons made up for the deficit with five birdies to finish one-over-par and tie for 57th. Rounding out the squad, Cain tied for 59th and freshman Kamryn Klawitter tied for 67th. The squad’s 2011-12 season ended with play at the conference tournament, with the Hoosiers marking two wins on the schedule. As Wallman said before the event, the squad plays as individuals but all work toward the same team goal.“While they’re different people, they are geared toward representing IU the best it can be,” Wallman said.
(04/27/12 3:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU men’s golf team entered the final round of the Boilermaker Invitational eight shots back. Firing a six-under-par 282 helped the squad regain lost ground from the last two rounds. Returning home with a victory, the Hoosiers knew they had to look forward to the next challenge: the Big Ten Men’s Golf Championship. Although a win provides a confidence boost, IU Coach Mike Mayer said the team is starting fresh to build for the event. “In golf, fortunately sometimes and unfortunately sometimes, you can’t carry your results over,” Mayer said. “We’ll take the confidence from the Boilermaker (Invitational) — which you could argue was one of our best tournament wins — to move forward. We’re peaking at the right time.” The Big Ten Men’s Golf Championship is a 72-hole stroke play event at the Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort in French Lick, Ind. Golf Digest named the course America’s Best New Public Course in 2009. Mayer said the challenging golf course would ultimately be the winner at the end of the week. “That golf course is virtually unknown by a lot of teams,” Mayer said. “We do know it’s going to be tough. With 72 holes, we’re going to have to be focused and disciplined. When it knocks us down, we’re going to be have to be able to stand up again and battle it some more.” Sophomore David Mills said he is ready to play in the championship but knows he needs to focus on his game. “I’m looking forward to the competition and the level of play,” Mills said. “It’s important to make putts out there and keeping the ball in play.” Mills has tallied seven top-25 finishes in stroke-play for the 2011-12 season and recently placed 14th at the Boilermaker Invitational. Among the Big Ten teams, IU is the second highest ranked squad at No. 31 in the Golfstat rankings, behind No. 26 Iowa. Mayer said the current Hoosier squad is capable of moving into the hunt and topping the leaderboard. “I’ve had a lot of good teams here, and this is a team that has great support and leadership with (David) Erdy and (Chase) Wright at the top,” Mayer said. “But it’s probably more balanced than anything I’ve had, and we’re hoping that will carry us forward.”Among the IU lineup will be senior co-captains Erdy and Wright, juniors Corey Ziedonis and Brant Peaper, and Mills, a sophomore. Ziedonis fired a three-under-par 69 en route to the Hoosier victory last weekend, which he said will be a boost for competing in the next tournament.“It’s nice to get a good round under my belt,” Ziedonis said. “It felt like it had been awhile, but everything has been feeling good, and it’s nice to have everything come together. At least I know I can do it.” Regardless of the individual success, the end result will depend on the team’s collaborative score. “You try to get everyone on the same page at the same time,” Mayer said. “We need everyone contributing and competing at the same level. Even though they’re individuals, you try to get things accomplished as a team.”
(04/27/12 2:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Scattered across the IU Practice Facility, members of the IU women’s golf team chipped, putted and hit approach shots. Each player was focused and in her private world, fine-tuning the details of her game. “It was a tune-up day, so it was about tweaking and getting comfortable and in the right frame of mind,” IU Coach Clint Wallman said. “Ever since we got out of February, everything has been geared toward practicing for French Lick.”The routines and strategies the team has practiced all season will come to culmination April 27 to 29 at the Big Ten Women’s Golf Championship in French Lick, Ind.Last year’s squad placed seventh at the event, but junior co-captain Kate Coons said this year’s team is determined to finish strong. “I think this year has been better with playing because the things we work on is seen in tournaments,” Coons said. “It’s also a good thing heading into Big Tens. Everyone feels good, and the team chemistry has been good.”Heading into the 54-hole stroke play event, the squad knows the obstacles of the Donald Ross Course at the French Lick Resort. IU has the advantage of having competed at the course in the fall, placing sixth at the Lady Northern Intercollegiate.Junior Rosie Davies said the team focused its practices on overcoming the intimidating course full of elevated and sloped greens. “It will challenge every part of our game but particularly the sloped lies,” Davies said. “We’ve been practicing particular putts that have more break in them so we are mentally prepared for it. Some of the teams haven’t seen it, but we know what to expect so we feel like we have an advantage.” IU will enter the tournament as the No. 9 seed, playing alongside Nebraska and Wisconsin. Michigan State will look to defend its title at the event as the No. 2 seed, while Ohio State enters the field at the No. 1 seed. Coming off a win at the IU Invitational, senior co-captain Kristtini Cain said the team has the confidence to finish well if the golfers keep focus. Cain leads the team in stroke average and earned her first collegiate title with a playoff win at the IU Invitational. She was named Big Ten Golfer of the Week after the win. “We’ve had a really good week of practice and done everything we can to play courses similar to the Donald Ross,” Cain said. “I just need to make birdies, since that’s what’s been holding me back all semester. I’ve been making a lot of putts this week, so that’s what I’m focusing on. If I can just relax and make those birdies, I’ll be fine.” Although this is the last scheduled event for the squad this year, Wallman said he tries to downplay the importance because golf is a game of mentality. “By nature the event is bigger, but it’s another golf course, and we try to stick the routine as best as we can,” Wallman said. “The course is very challenging, so it will get into some people’s heads. If we manage ourselves better, then we will be fine.”
(04/27/12 2:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Scattered across the IU Practice Facility, members of the IU women’s golf team chipped, putted and hit approach shots. Each player was focused and in her private world, fine-tuning the details of her game. “It was a tune-up day, so it was about tweaking and getting comfortable and in the right frame of mind,” IU Coach Clint Wallman said. “Ever since we got out of February, everything has been geared toward practicing for French Lick.”The routines and strategies the team has practiced all season will come to culmination April 27 to 29 at the Big Ten Women’s Golf Championship in French Lick, Ind.Last year’s squad placed seventh at the event, but junior co-captain Kate Coons said this year’s team is determined to finish strong. “I think this year has been better with playing because the things we work on is seen in tournaments,” Coons said. “It’s also a good thing heading into Big Tens. Everyone feels good, and the team chemistry has been good.”Heading into the 54-hole stroke play event, the squad knows the obstacles of the Donald Ross Course at the French Lick Resort. IU has the advantage of having competed at the course in the fall, placing sixth at the Lady Northern Intercollegiate.Junior Rosie Davies said the team focused its practices on overcoming the intimidating course full of elevated and sloped greens. “It will challenge every part of our game but particularly the sloped lies,” Davies said. “We’ve been practicing particular putts that have more break in them so we are mentally prepared for it. Some of the teams haven’t seen it, but we know what to expect so we feel like we have an advantage.” IU will enter the tournament as the No. 9 seed, playing alongside Nebraska and Wisconsin. Michigan State will look to defend its title at the event as the No. 2 seed, while Ohio State enters the field at the No. 1 seed. Coming off a win at the IU Invitational, senior co-captain Kristtini Cain said the team has the confidence to finish well if the golfers keep focus. Cain leads the team in stroke average and earned her first collegiate title with a playoff win at the IU Invitational. She was named Big Ten Golfer of the Week after the win. “We’ve had a really good week of practice and done everything we can to play courses similar to the Donald Ross,” Cain said. “I just need to make birdies, since that’s what’s been holding me back all semester. I’ve been making a lot of putts this week, so that’s what I’m focusing on. If I can just relax and make those birdies, I’ll be fine.” Although this is the last scheduled event for the squad this year, Wallman said he tries to downplay the importance because golf is a game of mentality. “By nature the event is bigger, but it’s another golf course, and we try to stick the routine as best as we can,” Wallman said. “The course is very challenging, so it will get into some people’s heads. If we manage ourselves better, then we will be fine.”
(04/25/12 3:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>They’re no stranger to topping the leaderboard. In the past two stroke-play events, IU played in contention but fell to third place in the end. The frustration has ended for the Hoosiers, who leapt to the top of the leaderboard April 22 at the Boilermaker Invitational. After trailing by eight shots to first-day leaders Kent State and Iowa, the team fired a six-under-par 282 to come back for the title. Purdue’s Kampen Course posed a challenge for the 18-team field in which the Hoosiers posted a 19-over-par 595 through the first two rounds. They dropped 12 strokes from the second round to the final round en route to their two-stroke victory. Senior Co-Captain David Erdy was at the top spot for the IU squad, taking third place with his one-under-par 215. Erdy tallied four birdies on the final day en route to a two-under-par 70.Following Erdy in the lineup was senior Co-Captain Chase Wright, who tied for seventh with a two-over-par 218. The finish was Wright’s fifth appearance in the top 10 for the 2011-12 season.The first round took a toll on junior Corey Ziedonis, who posted an 82, but a three-under-par 69 in the final round surged the team’s final score. “We kind of let a round slip away yesterday late, but we sure didn’t let this one get away,” IU Coach Mike Mayer said. “We got off to a great start. Six-under-par was by far the best round of the day. It’s a testament to what kind of team we have and what we are capable of.”
(04/20/12 2:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Five players from the IU men’s golf team take the fairways at each event. Weekly improvements are not only confined to the numbers on the scorecard. Since returning to stroke-play competition, the Hoosiers have not earned a title, but senior co-captain Chase Wright said the team is improving. “We’re getting caught up in the end result, but we just need to try to keep getting better and practice,” Wright said. “We are putting in the extra time and ready to compete.” At both the NYX Hoosier Invitational and the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate, the squad placed third among 15 teams. The Hoosiers will look to take their first title of the spring season Saturday and Sunday at the Boilermaker Invitational in West Lafayette.With only a few days between these three events, it is difficult to catch up, Wright said, but he and his teammates continue to look forward. “We only have two or three days to practice, so we’re focusing on fine-tuning everything up to this point,” Wright said. “There’s no reason to change anything, no matter what the prior result was.” IU will be among 15 teams competing in the event, including five Big Ten teams and six teams ranked in Golfstat’s top 40. Indiana is currently ranked 37th, according to Golfstat, and Kent State tops the field at 18th. Despite a strong field, Wright said the team’s lineup has played the Kampen Course in the past. Purdue will play at its home course, which was designed by Pete Dye. Dye also designed the Pete Dye Course in French Lick, Ind., where the Hoosiers will play from April 27-29 for the Big Ten Championship. “It helps that each of us has played the course before and are familiar with it,” Wright said. “We will be comfortable out there, and the weather is looking decent, so we just need to focus on playing our game.” The Hoosiers’ most recent encounter with the Kampen Course was at the 2011 Big Ten Championship, during which Wright was the top finisher, tying for fifth. This weekend’s lineup includes Wright, senior co-captain David Erdy, juniors Brant Peaper and Corey Ziedonis, as well as sophomore David Mills. The lineup is determined by the stroke averages among the team. During the last two events, Erdy and Mills have placed among the top-10 spots. Erdy earned back-to-back seventh-place finishes at the NYX Hoosier Invitational and the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate. Meanwhile, Mills led the squad at its home event with a third-place finish and tied with Erdy at the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate. Only a few events remain in the IU schedule, including the Boilermaker Invitational and the Big Ten Championship. With that in mind, Wright said he is trying to enjoy the last few events of his college career and play his game. “I want to play the best I can and do a better job of managing my game,” Wright said. “I feel like I can play the best golf in my life — it just needs to happen. Everybody is capable of shooting low — they just need to feel it.”
(04/16/12 3:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Co-captains senior Kristtini Cain and junior Kate Coons fired one-over-par 73s to move into a play-off for the individual title at the Indiana Invitational. They joined Ball State’s Jenna Hague and IU-Purdue University Indianapolis’ Lauren Kuss. For moral support and guidance in the playoff, IU Coach Clint Wallman walked alongside Coons, while IU Assistant Coach Lauren Harling joined Cain. After the first hole, Coons was eliminated with a bogey. Hague, Kuss and Cain made pars in the first playoff hole, but Kuss was next to fall. “I was really nervous. Jenna was hitting the ball really well,” Cain said. “But her tee shot on our final play-off hole was blocked, and she had to punch it out.” Cain hit her tee shot with grace, landing the golf ball in the middle of the fairway, allowing for a clear visual of the green. She chose her five-wood for the second stroke, which then left her 5 to 10 feet short of the green. “I knew if I could just get it within 3 feet of the cup, I would be pretty confident with my final putt,” Cain said. “I just made a good swing, and it almost went in the hole.” With a chip that was within inches of the hole, Cain went for the tap-in birdie to take her sole individual title in her college career. “Words can’t really describe it. I’ve been playing golf for 10 years and in college for four,” Cain said. “I’ve had a win but never in college, and my family was there this weekend. It was perfect, I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend.” Due to inclement weather Saturday, the Indiana Invitational was cut to an 18-hole event Sunday in which the Hoosiers finished victorious at the IU Golf Course. Cain credited her round to her putting, noting the rain slowed the greens, and the strong wind was difficult to judge. While Cain earned the individual title, the Hoosiers sat atop the leaderboard with all five players placing within the top 25. Freshman Elizabeth Tong tied for seventh with a 75, and juniors Rosie Davies and Pamela Burneski recorded 77s to tie for 16th. “Today was a really challenging day for us,” Wallman said. “We started play yesterday, then stopped play and never really got into any sort of rhythm. I am really proud of the girls for regrouping and getting on the golf course and enduring a rugged start.”With the Big Ten Championship only two weeks away, Cain said the win this weekend served as a confidence booster to move forward. “I think all of us know that if we play like we did this weekend and in Arizona, we have as good of a chance to win,” Cain said. “You can’t focus too much on it, just have to move forward and prepare. It’s just nice to have a win under our belt.”
(04/13/12 3:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Looking back to September, the IU women’s golf team took its sole win on home ground at the IU Fall Kickoff. Since playing at the IU Golf Course, the squad traveled across the country, from Florida to Arizona and back to the Midwest in between. “Everybody is playing well and very confident in their swings and their ability to score right now,” senior co-captain Kristtini Cain said. “After all the traveling, we’re looking forward to playing at home.” The squad will play its second home event of the year, the Indiana Invitational, April 14 and 15 at the IU Golf Course. This will be the last event until the Hoosiers go to French Lick, Ind., for the Big Ten Championship. Among the 15-team field is the 2011 second-place finisher Eastern Michigan, as well as fifth place Kansas State. The Hoosiers took fourth at this past year’s Indiana Invitational, which was played at Otter Creek Golf Club in Columbus, Ind. Cain expressed a sense of relief about returning to Bloomington for an event because the team will have more insight about the course. “We’re comfortable out there, and we know the course, so we know what we can do there,” Cain said. “We usually only have a day or two to get used to a course, so it’s nice to already know the subtle breaks in the green and the best spots to hit it.” IU is coming off a fourth-place finish at the Mountain View Invitational, where junior co-captain Kate Coons led the team by tying for ninth and Cain tied for 13th. Coons said the team will have the same mindset to win but knows the conditions are different in the Midwest compared to other areas of competition this season. “It’s definitely more windy out here than it was in Arizona, but we are used to practicing here and had a lot of preparation for where the pins are located,” Coons said. “We will have the mindset of competition.” Along with Cain and Coons, juniors Rosie Davies and Pamela Burneski and freshman Elizabeth Tong will play in the Hoosier lineup. Sophomore Sophie Hayashi and freshman Kathryn Klawitter will compete as individuals. At the IU Fall Kickoff, Davies won her first collegiate tournament, taking medalist honors with a three-over-par 147. Cain posted a one-under-par 71 in the final round, en route to tying for second. Although the team practices at the course on a regular basis, competition play places more pressure on the home squad to take the win. IU Coach Clint Wallman said the team needs to stick to its routine and stay comfortable on the course to be successful. “The main thing for us to be successful is to treat this event just as we would any other event,” Wallman said. “The natural tendency would be to treat our home event differently because of our familiarity with the course and surroundings. If we keep to our normal routine and treat this weekend as any other, we will be fine.”
(04/13/12 3:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When a team competes more than half of its season on the road, the pressure to win at home is inevitable. Senior Co-Captain Chase Wright said the IU men’s golf team had high expectations to win at the NYX Hoosier Invitational. “We just needed to just enjoy and relax it a little bit more,” Wright said. “We had self-induced pressure on ourselves last week. There was a little bit of panic and doubt.” The Hoosiers sat in third place after three rounds of play at their home course April 8, with an aura of disappointment when Northwestern took the team title. Lessons were learned in the squad’s first stroke-play event of the spring, which will be followed by the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate on Saturday and Sunday. Ohio State will welcome 15 teams to its par-71 golf course in Columbus, Ohio. Eastern Michigan, Ball State and Northwestern will join IU and Ohio State in the 54-hole stroke play event. Junior Corey Ziedonis said a few members of the team have played the course before, but he is looking forward to his first run on the fairways. “I’ve heard a lot of good things,” Ziedonis said. “Sometimes it’s better for us not to have past experiences at a course. But I’ve heard some horror stories as well.” IU Coach Mike Mayer said he would work on loosening up the team after tight play last week. IU began competing in stroke-play later than other teams in the season. “The Ohio State golf course suits us better than this one (IU Golf Course) because it’s tough, and you have to work for pars,” Mayer said. “Our expectation last week was birdie-birdie. We’re going to loosen everyone out a little bit, and I think we’ll be fine.” Playing alongside Wright and Ziedonis is senior Co-Captain David Erdy, junior Brant Peaper and sophomore David Mills. Wright said the team’s lineup is strong, but players will need a strong mindset and confidence to be successful. “A lot of the mistakes you make at this level are just before you hit the shot,” Wright said. “You have to know what you want to do and try to execute to the best of your ability. If it doesn’t happen the first time, you have to move on and hit it again.”IU’s ranking fell from 31 to 36 in Golfstat rankings after last week’s event, but Wright said players cannot worry about that. They needs to focus on their game. “After all, it’s just another tournament,” Wright said. “If we make it more than that, we’ll get disappointed. “One thing I’ve learned from a lot of people is that in college and beyond, you can’t treat a tournament anything more than what it is. It doesn’t matter if it’s PGA Tour or the Kepler Intercollegiate, somebody is going to play good golf, and we are capable of winning.”
(04/09/12 1:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sophomore David Mills lifts his putter, bends down onto his knees and reads the green. He looks for the breaks that will push his golf ball from left to right, while IU Coach Mike Mayer guides him with soft words. As Mills walks around the green, the other two players examine their positions and hit their putts. Mills watches the golf balls fall into the hole, taking note of their strategies. Moving into his stance, Mills eyes the hole one last time and slightly moves his putter in a pendulum-like motion. A small cheer breaks the silence as Mill’s golf ball drops into the hole for a birdie. The birdie helped Mills stay at even par for the final round of the NYX Hoosier Invitational on Sunday, in which he tied for third overall. Mills was the top finisher for the Hoosiers, posting a four-under-par 209 for the tournament.“Coach really helps me with visualizing the golf course,” Mills said. “It’s not always about the mentality, it’s about looking at where I need to be.” Mayer said the team came out tight at its first stroke play event of the season, in which it placed third with a one-over-par 853.Northwestern finished victorious with an 11-under-par 841 at the 54-hole stroke play tournament Saturday and Sunday. The Hoosiers trailed by one stroke to second-place IU-Purdue University Indianapolis. “There was a little added pressure playing at home because you want to play well at home,” Mayer said. “We didn’t play bad, we just didn’t play good, either. Almost every round, we really missed someone shooting a good number, which we’ve had all spring.” At the squad’s prior event, the Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championship, senior co-captain David Erdy took a 4-0 victory and was the only Hoosier to win all four rounds. Erdy carded a two-under-par 69 in the final round to tie for seventh with a 212 tournament total. In the final round, the squad dropped two strokes from its first and second rounds, for which they tallied consecutive scores of 285. Mayer said the team was tight in the first two rounds and that this carried into the final round, despite better play Sunday. “We came out really tight for some reason, and it really restricted our play,” Mayer said. “We’re going to have to loosen them out a little bit this week, and I think we’ll be fine.” Senior co-captain Chase Wright and junior Brant Peaper continued the lineup by tying for 18th, and junior Corey Ziedonis rounded out the squad, tying for 30th. With the strong wind and chilly weather, Ziedonis said he had a tough start in the final round. An eagle on No. 9 turned his game for the better, and he said it was smooth sailing from there. Ziedonis carded a two-over-par 73 in the final round en route to his six-over-par 219 tournament total.“This year has been good, I’ve been getting in the lineup, and I hope it turns around a little bit at the end here and gets a little better,” Ziedonis said. Although the Hoosiers lost their three-time title, Mayer said the team learned from their first stroke play event and will move forward to the Kepler Intercollegiate on April 14 and 15. “We just didn’t get the job done, we didn’t play bad, and we can learn from it,” Mayer said. “We won’t always win at home, but I still think we should have. We’ll take a lot from this tournament and just get better.”
(04/06/12 2:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Among avid golf fans and regular sports enthusiasts alike, the first major of the PGA Tour will grab attention at Augusta National for the coming weekend. Although Bloomington is lacking the azaleas, grand stands and the yellow emblem of the Masters, the men’s IU golf team will be competing on its own grounds Saturday and Sunday. Returning to familiar territory after two events on the road, the squad will be the home team for the NYX Hoosier Invitational at the IU Golf Course. The team will change from its offensive match play mindset of the past two events to the normalcy of stroke play. Senior co-captain Chase Wright said the team is excited to finally compete in a stroke play event because it is their first of the season, and they have four more on the schedule.“Everybody else has been playing stroke play events earlier this year,” Wright said. “We are ready to get going and ready to compete in an environment where we can flourish.”IU is top-ranked among the 15-team field, checking in at 31st in the Golfstat rankings. Joining the Hoosiers in the 54-hole stroke play event are No. 56 Northwestern, Butler, Dayton, Ohio and Wright State. The Hoosiers look to claim their fourth-consecutive team title at the event. Last year, they won by 15 strokes at even-par 852.Aside from IU having the home-course advantage, Wright said the team is prepared to return to Midwest conditions. The squad competed at the Concessions Golf Club for its past two events in Bradenton, Fla.“Obviously, it’s different grasses, which makes a big difference, and the weather is good here,” Wright said. “We always seem to have a little bit of wind and rain everywhere we go. It’s different here than in Florida, but it’s what we are used to.” Senior co-captain David Erdy will join Wright in the lineup this weekend coming off his undefeated run at the Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championship. Erdy’s 4-0 finish at the event earned him his third career Big Ten Golfer of the Week honor, which he received March 21. At the invitational in 2011, Erdy tied for second as the top finisher for the squad, posting a three-under-par 210. Also in the lineup are juniors Brant Peaper and Corey Ziedonis, as well as sophomore David Mills. The Indiana Crimson lineup will include juniors Michael McGee and Kyle Perry, sophomore Hugo Menendez and freshmen Andrew Fogg and Nicholas Grubnich. Junior John Beringer will compete as an individual. Once the NYX Hoosier Invitational is underway, the squad will play three consecutive events in Indiana and Ohio, including the Big Ten Championship at the Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort.For now, Wright said, the team is ready to take advantage of being on its home course. “There’s nobody that’s played this course more than me and David (Erdy),” Wright said. “Anywhere you play on a regular basis gives you an advantage. I think we just need to be comfortable and treat it like any other day we are out there. As long as we’re relaxed, we will have the upper hand, and that’s how it should be.”
(03/26/12 1:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Despite strong play and a few good holes, the win ultimately comes down to the final stroke. After a seventh-place finish last week, junior co-captain Kate Coons said the IU women’s golf team needed to improve putting three solid rounds together. “We need to be in a scoring mindset because we are playing a lot,” Coons said. “We are competitive against the rest of the field, we just need to score better.” The Hoosiers were successful for the first 36 holes at the Mountain View Collegiate on March 23 and 24 in Tucson, Ariz. After posting a 576 two-round total, the squad sat in second place, just six strokes behind first-place Texas Tech.“We played very well today,” IU Coach Clint Wallman said in a release after the first two rounds. “We did a good job of managing ourselves and (were) very patient, and those were two keys for us today. Each of the girls contributed to the success of the team. It was a very good team effort. I like where they are playing.”Remaining close to the lead proved to be harder than it seemed for the squad, which added 12 strokes from the first to final round. The team fell down the leaderboard in the final round after carding a 297, totaling 873 for the tournament and placing fourth.“I think that we’re still getting used to being at the top of the leaderboard,” Coons said. “I think that knowing you have a chance to win or have a really good finish well is something we’re getting used to, as well as the pressures of playing. We might have put on more than we needed to.” Texas Tech was victorious at Mountain View Golf Club, leading with an 858 tournament total. Iowa State took second place at seven strokes back of Texas Tech, with Ohio State rounding out the top three at 871.Coons paved the way for the IU squad with consistency, carding three even-par 72s to take ninth place. The junior said the shorter course suited her well, allowing her to avoid using her driver throughout the rounds. “My irons were really good,” Coons said. “I was hitting a lot of greens and made a few good shots.” Senior co-captain Kristtini Cain and junior Rosie Davies joined Coons in the top-25, finishing 13th and 18th, respectively. Davies started the event strong, tallying 68 and 72, but struggled to stay low in the final round with a 79.Final-round woes struck the rest of the squad, with freshman Elizabeth Tong posting a 75 for a 223 total and junior Pamela Burneski posting a 78 for a 229. The duo rounded out the lineup, placing 32nd and 55th. Looking forward to the next event, the Hoosiers will return home for the IU Invitational on April 14 and 15.“I think that we’ll have a lot of good momentum going into the tournament because we’ve had good showings so far this spring,” Coons said. “We’re pretty familiar with the course, so it will be an advantage.”
(03/23/12 2:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Just returning from its seventh-place finish at the Lady Jaguar Classic in Augusta, Ga., the IU women’s golf team will take the road again for the MountainView Invitational in Tucson, Ariz.The Hoosiers have a strong history with this tournament, in which they have competed six times and won in the 2007-08 season. Within four of the past five runs at MountainView Country Club, IU placed fifth or better. In the 2010-11 season, the squad finished in 15th place, with junior co-captain Kate Coons leading with a tie for 36th. “The spring break trip was good for a variety of reasons,” IU Coach Clint Wallman said. “We worked on our game and played a lot. One of the things that kind of hurt us was Pam (Burneski) having to withdraw in the final round because she was playing well. That was tough for us to handle.” IU will be among 15 teams in the field March 23 and 24 in the 54-hole stroke play event, including Northwestern, Texas Tech and Kansas State. Wallman said this is the strongest field he has seen in his time with the team competing in the event. Ohio State is the top-ranked team in the field, as No. 23 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings, while IU is currently ranked 89th. Junior Rosie Davies leads the Hoosiers in top finishes for the 2011-12 season, placing within the top 10 at three of eight starts. At the Lady Jaguar Classic, Davies tied for 10th with a six-over-par 222. “Leading the way will be Rosie Davies. She had an absolutely fantastic tournament, and if she made a few putts she would’ve been right there,” Wallman said. “She really managed herself well and did a great job in the event.” Earlier in the season, Wallman noted Davies, Coons and freshman Elizabeth Tong as possible contenders throughout the spring. Tong is coming off her fourth top-25 finish in her first year with the Hoosiers, recently placing 25th in Augusta with a 13-over-par 229. “Elizabeth finished a solid event and continues to mature each tournament round and becomes a more solid player,” Wallman said. “I think you’ll see that this week at a course that she’s never seen before that suits her game really well.”Senior co-captain Kristtini Cain and junior Pamela Burneski will join the trio in Tucson, with Burneski returning to the fairways after having to withdraw at this past week’s event due to back issues. Cain posted her top finish for the spring at the Westbrook Invitational, tying for seventh with a two-under-par 214. She competed in the MountainView Invitational in the 2010-11 season, in which she tied for 49th. “Cain composes herself well and has patience. This course suits her eye,” Wallman said. “Pam has the highest golf IQ of the girls on the team. She operates mentally at a high level. She manages herself and her game really well. She’s had success at MountainView and is due for a breakout event.”
(03/21/12 2:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Returning to familiar ground for its second event of the season, the IU men’s golf team finished fifth at the Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla., at the Callaway Collegiate Match Play. The Hoosiers entered the event as the No. 6 seed and faced No. 11 seed Kennesaw State in the opening round March 18. Advancing to the next round after a 3.5–1.5 finish, IU fell to No 3. seed Duke, which won 4–1. With a loss against Duke, the squad moved to the fifth-place bracket Monday and defeated No. 10 seed Tennessee in a 3–2 victory. In the final match, IU topped No. 9 East Carolina 3.5–1.5 points. East Carolina was the Hoosiers’ final opponent Tuesday for the fifth-place spot. Senior Co-Captains Chase Wright and David Erdy, along with junior Brant Peaper, led the squad in its first match against Kennesaw State. Junior Corey Ziedonis earned a half point after finishing all square. Peaper, a Florida native, said past experiences in his home state helped him visualize the course. In the match against Kennesaw State, Peaper tallied three birdies, followed by two while playing Duke and four in the match against Tennessee. “Knowing what to expect off the tee and being a little more comfortable on the greens was huge for me, especially in matchplay,” Peaper said. “I’ll need even more focus tomorrow because it’s so hot out there, and I need to stay in the moment.” Moving forward to the match against Duke, Erdy earned the single point for the squad despite losing the opening hole. Duke is currently ranked No. 17 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings, while IU is No. 34. “Duke was a very, very tough opponent, but we had a good chance of beating them,” IU Coach Mike Mayer said. “The match was a lot closer than the final score indicated. I don’t think we’re afraid of anybody, and I would not have been surprised if we beat them.” Erdy was 3–0 for all his matches so far in the tournament and said playing the same course as the Big Ten Match Play Championship helped prevent intimidation. “The more you see a course, the more playable it becomes,” Erdy said. “Not having that level of fear on some of the tee boxes that some of the players who just came in here gave us an edge.” Mayer said the team needed to continue its game plan in the third and fourth rounds against Tennessee and East Carolina, noting that although the team has played at the course before, it is still a difficult course. Concession Golf Club’s course runs 7,474 yards, and Golf Digest named it the 65th-toughest golf course in America in 2012. “I think we’ve gotten better and better in all aspects of our game,” Mayer said. “We came more determined and aggressive with a better game plan.” Wright, Peaper and Erdy won their matches against Tennessee, leading the team to the final round against East Carolina. The Hoosiers notched three wins against East Carolina in the final match to take fifth place for the tournament. Peaper, Ziedonis and Erdy each made one point for the squad, while sophomore David Mills finished all square against East Carolina’s senior Adam Stephenson to win half a point. The Hoosiers will return to Bloomington as they play the NYX Hoosier Invitational on April 7 and 8 at the IU Golf Course. With three tournaments before the Big Ten Championship and the NCAA post season, Peaper said he hopes to see the team continue its strong run. “I’d like to keep progressing as we are,” Peaper said. “We’d like to win some tournaments, and I think we could’ve pulled out a win against Duke this week, but we’ll continue to play harder.”
(03/19/12 3:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Traveling to the city of the Masters for the PGA Tour, the IU women’s golf team ventured to Augusta, Ga., for the Insperity Lady Jaguar Intercollegiate.The squad placed seventh in the 54-hole stroke play event at Forest Hills Golf Club. University of Texas-San Antonio finished atop the leaderboard with an 880 tournament total, while the Hoosiers tallied a 916 for the event. South Alabama topped IU by three strokes to take sixth place. In the first two rounds, the Hoosiers maintained consistent scores of 303-303, but added more strokes to their total in the final round at 310. Junior Rosie Davies led the team with her consistent play, tallying three consecutive scores of 74 to total 222 and tie for 10th among the entire field.Davies said the greens were the most demanding aspect of the Forest Hills Golf Club, the par-72 course that played at 6,248 yards.“Hitting the ball in the right place on the green for a flat spot was most challenging,” Davies said. “There was also some rain in the final round, making it more difficult to read the speed.” Despite the difficult greens, Davies was able to make five birdies in the first round, two in the second and three in the final round.Freshman Elizabeth Tong finished seven strokes back of Davies to tie for 25th, junior co-captain Kate Coons tied for 30th, senior co-captain Kristtini Cain took 47th place and junior Pamela Burneski finished in 75th.Sophomore Sophie Hayashi and freshman Kamryn Klawitter competed as individuals for the tournament. Hayashi posted a tournament total of 239 to tie for 58th, and Klawitter carded a 251 to finish in 72nd. Klawitter recorded her personal best for her college career in the second round with a three-over-par 75. Coons, who posted a 77-76-77 for the event, said the team played with a scoring mindset but should have scored better. On a personal level, Coons said she needed to put herself into a better position with her drives. “I think all of us had a few rough holes out there,” Coons said. “All around, I played pretty well, but if I can get myself into position, I should be good.” IU Coach Clint Wallman said it was a tough week full of good tournament play and opportunities to score. “It was all about fairways and greens, and the greens were very slick,” Wallman said. Both Coons and Davies noted that they look forward to returning to competition in Indiana, as they will play both the Indiana Invitational and the Big Ten Championship in the Hoosier state.“I’m really looking forward to the postseason,” Coons said. “We have to play really strong, but if we can do that, we could be among at least the top five or top three teams.” As for this week, Coons said that overall, the team needed to score better and will work on it moving forward. “We wanted to go out there and play well,” Coons said. “We had been playing a lot of golf this week and hitting the ball well. We were one of the best teams out there and could have scored better.”
(02/28/12 3:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Improvement boosts confidence, but there are strokes still left out on the golf course, IU Coach Clint Wallman said.After a 14th-place finish in their first event of the season, the Hoosiers looked to refine their game.The squad prevailed at the Westbrook Invitational on Feb. 26 and 27 to make their first top-five finish of the season, posting a tournament-total 879. Sitting in 86th for the GolfWeek/Sagarin Rankings, the Hoosiers tied for fifth with No. 77 Iowa. Illinois was victorious at the event, carding a tournament-total 853.IU was among 12 teams competing at the Westbrook Village Golf Club in Peoria, Ariz.Senior co-captain Kristtini Cain led the team in its first top-five finish since the IU Fall Invitational in October, in which they also finished fifth. Cain fired a three-under-par 69 in the first round with four birdies. She kept the streak going the first day with a 71 and tied for seventh after a final-round 74.“I just wanted to play good golf and to shoot good numbers,” Cain said. “If I did that, I knew I would be in the hunt. After my first two rounds, I can’t be disappointed.” Cain said her strong iron-play carried her through the rounds, but she struggled with putting. In both of her first two rounds, she birdied the second hole, which was a 163-yard par-three.“In the first round, I hit six inches away for a tap-in birdie and made a 15-foot putt in the second round,” Cain said. “It was one of my last holes in the final round, and I didn’t hit a great shot, but a good two-putt.”With a few weeks before the next tournament, Cain said she hopes to work on her 10- to 12-foot putts. Junior Pamela Burneski continued her consistent play from Florida, where she led the Hoosiers in their match against Wisconsin and in competition play at the Central District Invitational. Burneski tied for 16th after posting rounds of 72-74-73, her personal best for a 54-hole event in the 2011-12 season.“I’m becoming more comfortable with my game and what I need to do to get the ball in the hole,” Burneski said. “By playing more and getting out on the golf course, I can figure out my game more in different situations.”Cain and Burneski led the Hoosiers in their last event, the Central District Invitational, in which they both tied for 42nd.Freshman Elizabeth Tong finished three strokes behind Burneski to tie for 27th, while juniors Rosie Davies and Kate Coons tied for 46th and 49th, respectively.The squad will have more than two weeks of practice time until the Lady Jaguar Classic in Augusta, Ga., on March 16 and 17. Wallman said continuously playing and practicing will be key to being comfortable in future tournaments.“For the most part we did really well,” Wallman said. “Certainly, we have stuff to clean up, but it was a positive step for the girls.”
(02/22/12 4:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A certain groove and momentum is necessary to move from the off-season into full play in the spring, IU Coach Clint Wallman said.The Hoosiers struggled to move into contention at the Central District Invitational at River Wilderness Country Club, where they tied for 14th with Michigan. Texas Christian University was victorious with an 882-tournament total at the 54-hole stroke play event. IU finished the two-day event from Feb. 20 to 21 at 929.“I thought we had reasonable play, especially for our first tournament of the spring,” Wallman said in a press release after the first day of competition. “The things we have been working on, our patience and putting, we did really well.” Wallman said the team needs to take advantage of its scoring opportunities and be efficient with its shots.“We gave ourselves a lot of opportunities to score, but didn’t as much as we liked,” Wallman said. “Our lack of playing and competition led to that.”Among the 15-team field, the IU squad finished seven strokes behind Northwestern University, which took 13th. After playing 36 holes the first day, the Hoosiers sat alone in 14th place, with senior co-captain Kristtini Cain leading the team with rounds of 76 and 75. Cain posted a 79 in the final round to tie for 42nd with junior teammate Pam Burneski. Burneski dropped six strokes from her second to third round, recording an 80-78-72 for the event. In the final round, Burneski made three birdies en route to her even-par finish. She said keeping her consistency and thinking about her own game helped her stay calm throughout the rounds. “I was able to keep my patience the whole week,” Burneski said. “I knew what I needed to get done to stay out of trouble.” In the Nassau event on Feb. 18 against Wisconsin University at the same golf course, Burneski also led the way for IU, where she posted all three points for her match. Burneski said she appreciated the competitive experience throughout the three days, which will help IU as it moves forward. “The more we play and have competitive exposure, it’ll only make us better and stronger,” Burneski said. “It was a good experience to play against top teams in the country. The more we play there, the better off we’ll be.” Junior Rosie Davies finished four strokes back with a 234-tournament total to tie for 59th, junior co-captain Kate Coons posted a 236 to place 68th, and freshman Elizabeth Tong took 71st at 239.Coons said that, overall, the team made improvements in the areas it worked on in the off-season, such as putting.The Hoosiers return to action Feb. 26 and 27 at the Westbrook Spring Invitational at the Westbrook Village Golf Club in Peoria, Ariz.“It’s all about getting the golf ball in the hole faster, getting the rust off from the winter months and making some more putts,” Coons said. Pamela BurneskiTied for 42nd with a total score of 230Rosie DaviesTied for 59th with a total score of 234Kate CoonsTied for 68th with a total score of 236Elizabeth TongTied for 71st with a total score of 239Kristtini CainTied for 42nd with a total score of 230
(02/20/12 4:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU women’s golf team could not hold off Wisconsin during its first event of the season Saturday, the IU Spring Challenge, losing the match 10.5 to 7.5. The teams played a Nassau, a competition in which the players collect one point for a win on the front nine, one point for the back nine and one for overall low-scoring in each pair. Going into the event, IU was ranked No. 85 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings. Wisconsin was No. 83 in the standings. Junior Pam Burneski shone for IU and won all three points in her matchup against the Badgers. Burneski credited her strong play to hitting most of the fairways and greens. “I just didn’t want to make any mistakes out there so I wouldn’t get away with anything in the match,” Burneski said. The mindset for the squad in the match was different from when it competes in stroke-play tournaments, Burneski said. “One main objective is to beat the girl you’re playing,” she said. “You have more to think about in stroke play, about what am I doing and how I focus on myself.” Behind Burneski in points was junior Rosie Davies, who tallied 1.5, while senior Kristtini Cain, sophomore Sophie Hayashi and freshman Elizabeth Tong each earned one point. Davies said her number 13 at River Wilderness Country Club was her lucky hole to play Saturday.“It just sets up well for me,” Davies said. “I like the way it looks off the tee, and the approach shot is fun to play.” IU Coach Clint Wallman said he was impressed with the women’s control on the greens, a technique the team practiced in the offseason. “We were much improved, and that is something we had been working on,” Wallman said. “We would have loved to have picked up a win, but this was great preparation for our next event, and we are excited and feeling good.”The Hoosiers will return to River Wilderness Country Club to compete in the Central District Invitational. Before the Nassau on Saturday, Hayashi said, it would be beneficial to see the course conditions before the 54-stroke play event beginning Monday.Moving forward to the invitational, the team has a plan for handling the fairways and greens, Davies said. “It will be the same as always hitting fairways and greens and making sure we’re giving ourselves opportunities to make birdies,” Davies said. “We’re mapping out the areas to hit the ball.“We need to execute our putts and shots, but if everyone sticks to the plan, then we should be successful.”
(02/17/12 5:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU senior co-Captain Kristtini Cain said there were moments of greatness in the fall for the women’s golf team. With a clean slate moving into the spring season, Cain said she hopes these moments will help the team ascend in the rankings. “We have a lot of potential in us,” she said. “There were definitely a lot of moments of greatness and spark. If we can build on the moments we had in the fall, then we should be just fine.”The Hoosiers will make their spring debut with two events in Parrish, Fla., starting Saturday with a Nassau event against Wisconsin at the River Wilderness Country Club. A Nassau is when both teams fight for three points, which are earned for low scoring on the front nine, back nine and total round.The two teams last paired for a Nassau in 2010 when IU took the victory 9.5 to 8.5. Sophomore Sophie Hayashi said she looks forward to having a preview of the course before their official season-opener, the Central District Invitational on Feb. 20 and 21, also at River Wilderness Country Club. “While we play Wisconsin, we’ll mostly see what holes we need to plan out and mark greens,” Hayashi said. “We’ll get a feeling for the course moving into the main event.” IU Coach Clint Wallman said the course has challenging greens and will pose tough shots. “It’s a good golf course and very unique,” Wallman said. “It has everything. It’s not a traditional links course. There are holes that are wide open and others that are short and narrow with trees.” Despite a 13th-place finish at the tournament this past year, Cain said the team is excited to enter the season with new techniques and confidence. “We’ve been working a lot on putting, and we are trying out a new system of understanding the greens this season,” Cain said. “Each of us wants to improve at least one or two shots individually.” Cain tied for 41st at the event this past year, while junior Rosie Davies tied for 72nd. Junior co-Captain Kate Coons, junior Pamela Burneski and freshman Elizabeth Tong will join Cain, Davies and Hayashi in this year’s lineup.Davies led the Hoosiers in the fall with two top-10 finishes, including medalist honors at the IU Fall Kickoff. Cain notched a team-best four top-25 finishes and a 76.42 average in 14 rounds of stroke play, while Davies’s average was a team-best 76. Cain said her main goal this season is to cap off her college career with a win. “I’ve never won an event in college, but I’ve come close,” Cain said. “It’s all about putting those three rounds together to win.” Cain is not the only player who hopes for a personal win this season. Freshman newcomer Tong said she also wants to take a win in her first year with the IU squad. In her first season at the college level, Tong had three top-25 finishes and led the team with a tie for eighth at the Lady Northern Invitational. “I definitely want to take a win in the spring, but my score also affects the team’s score, so it’s not just about me when I have a bad hole,” Tong said. “It’s all about patience.” “She (Tong) definitely has the talent,” Cain said about her teammate. “We all have it in us, we just need the confidence.”