Men's golf, Martin finish 1st in final match of fall season

The IU men’s golf team finished their 2009 fall season in record-breaking fashion Monday by winning The Renaissance Invitational in Naples, Fla.

A three-round team total of 32-under par broke the school record by two shots, which was set at the 2004 Xavier Invitational.

The Hoosiers have been struggling to get off to a good start in their past four tournaments.

A first round 280 followed by an afternoon 271 – which tied the school record for a single round – put the Hoosiers one back of Campbell University heading into Monday’s final round.

A final round 281 gave the Hoosiers a two-shot victory with Penn State taking second. The win gave coach Mike Mayer and the Hoosiers their first victory of the 2009-10 season.

“It was a nice way to end the fall, and we took a little frustration out on this tournament,” Mayer said. “It’s nice to get a victory because these things are hard to get in collegiate golf.”

Senior Alex Martin led the Hoosiers with his second career victory, finishing the tournament at 16-under par.

Martin’s three-round total of 200 is the fourth lowest in the school’s history.
“It felt really good because I didn’t think I had played to my potential at all this fall,” Martin said. “This is the first tournament that I was really happy with how I played, and it’s the best I have putted all year.”

Mayer said the victory was a complete team effort with all five Hoosier golfers contributing to the team score throughout the three-round event.

Florida native and freshman Brant Peaper returned to his home state and delivered three rounds at par or better for a 14th place finish.

“Brant had a really nice tournament after struggling a little bit this fall,” Mayer said.
IU has played the 18th toughest schedule in the nation this season, and wins were scarce.

The Renaissance Invitational concludes the fall season for the Hoosiers. A win was exactly what the Hoosiers needed after finishes of 13th, 15th, 11th and 12th in the past four tournaments.

Mayer said he feels confident that his team has found a core of about seven or eight players, which will lead to a competitive winter of practice.

“We are going to have a much better feeling about ourselves going into the winter,” Mayer said. “It’s going to be easier to work harder, and we will have much more confidence coming out of the winter.”

The Hoosiers will return to competition Feb. 12 when they defend their title at the 2010 Big Ten Match Play Championship in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.