Golf season ends at NCAA regional

The IU men’s golf team’s postseason tournament run came to an end at the NCAA Central Regional tournament Saturday, as the Hoosiers posted a 303 in the final round, 15 shots over par. Competition took place at the Grandover Resort and Conference Center East Course in Greensboro, N.C.

Entering the final round, IU remained in the hunt for a top-five finish. The Hoosiers posted a combined round one and two score of 591, good for eighth place and three strokes out of fourth place. But it was the closest the Hoosiers would get to advancing to the five-team NCAA golf finals.

“We knew in the third round we’d have to get off to a good start,” Head Coach Mike
Mayer said. “We kind of didn’t do it early. We really had our backs against the wall.”

Mayer said the team struggled to make adjustments to the course because the players are better suited to open courses that allow for long tee shots.

“We had too many penalties,” Mayer said. “But at the same time, you have to be able to make adjustments and adjust to the situations you’re in. I thought we did a good job of that in the second round.”

IU’s team of five played a total of 15 rounds during the three-day tournament. Junior Corey Ziedonis posted IU’s lowest score, 71, in the opening round.

“We needed a low round each day and never really got any low rounds except Corey’s opening 71,” Mayer said. “We knew we needed someone in the 60s each round, and we didn’t get it in any round. If we would have had that we would have been right where we wanted to be.”

The Hoosiers were led by juniors Brant Peaper (rounds of 76, 73 and 73) and Ziedonis (rounds of 71, 73 and 78),  who tied each other for 23rd with a six-over 222.

“I did not do that well the first two rounds,” Peaper said. “Making a nine on my fourth hole of the tournament was not very good, but I thought I did a pretty good job hanging in there and battling back throughout the tournament.”

With their solid performances, Peaper and Ziedonis look to lead next year’s team. 

“I think we have a solid group coming back with Corey and myself being seniors, and we have a lot of experience with David Mills being a junior next year,” Peaper said. “I feel that a couple people will have to step up, which they will, and the three of us will have a lot of work to do. But I think we can get it done to make it to nationals next year.”

The end of the tournament marked the end of seniors David Erdy and Chase Wright’s collegiate golf careers. Erdy finished the tournament tied for 61st place with a 16-over 232, while Wright shot an eight-over 224 to tie for 28th.

“I couldn’t have any better student-athletes at Indiana University than David Erdy and Chase Wright,” Mayer said. “Outstanding students, outstanding athletes, Hoosier through and through. It has been my pleasure and honor to be able to coach them for four years.”

Next year, the Hoosiers will return nine members from the team, including three of the five that competed in this year’s NCAA Central Regional tournament.

“We bring back the core of the team, who are very competent, can play very well and are developing into better and better players,” Mayer said. “With the recruits we have coming in next year I don’t think we are going to miss a beat, and I think these kids will be up for the challenge.”