Men's golf begins play at Crooked Stick

After a two-week break in the schedule, the IU men’s golf team will return to play Monday.

The Hoosiers will be host to the Crooked Stick Intercollegiate at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., where they look to continue their steady improvement as a team.
 
“We need to maintain our consistency, and at the same time, ramp it up a little bit,” IU Coach Mike Mayer said.

He said the Hoosiers have made a habit of starting slow, but the team never quits. The team has repeatedly managed to climb its way up the leaderboard after rough first rounds.

In each of the three tournaments this year, the team has closed the tournament ahead of where its stood in the field after the first round.

“We’ve been fighters on the golf course,” Mayer said. “I haven’t see any indication of anybody giving up or letting the situation or circumstance get the best of them.”

During the time off, Mayer said the team was able to get two distinct takeaways. The players were able to get extensive practice and conditioning time, but more importantly, reengage academically.

He said this cannot be overemphasized.

“These guys are student athletes, and when you’re on the road three weeks in a row like that and missing classes, it’s a grind,” Mayer said.

Beyond the schoolwork, senior David Mills said the team also needed some rest after competing three straight weekends.

The Crooked Stick Invitational will occur over two days, with 36 holes Monday and 18 holes Tuesday.

The tournament field will consist of 14 teams. The Hoosiers will dress eight players, with five competing in the team portion and three participating as individuals.

There are no remaining players on the Hoosier roster from the last Crooked Stick Invitational, which occurred in spring 2010. The Hoosiers finished fourth in that tournament.

The Crooked Stick Golf Club has also welcomed several USGA championships over the years, including the 1991 PGA Championship, the 2009 U.S. Senior Open and the 2012 BMW Championship.

Even without experience in this tournament, the team has had recent exposure to the golf course. Sophomore Max Kollin said the course is in great shape and should set up nicely toward the strengths of the team.

He said the focus in practice and heading into this tournament has been on the short game. After struggling to get the ball up and down at Wolf Run, this has been another point of emphasis of late.

“I really think it’s a golf course that affords you the opportunity to hit the ball in a lot of different places, and with that being said, it’s not always easy to recover from those places,” Mayer said.

He said it’s all about picking the right spots to be aggressive. Mills echoed this plan of attack. “My strategy for the course would just be to reduce mistakes as much as possible and try to capitalize on the birdies where I can,” he said.

Follow reporter Mike Nichols on Twitter @Mike_Nichols1.