Mens Golf Claims 14th MAC Championship; Yip, Wiegand Co-Medalists
5/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
WESTERVILLE, Ohio The Kent State University mens golf team completed a clean sweep at the Mid-American Conference Championships here today (May 7), as the Golden Flashes shot a 7-under 281 total to claim their 14th MAC title and 11th in the last 14 years. Junior Ryan Yip (Calgary, Alberta) and redshirt freshman Tommy Wiegand (Avon Lake, Ohio) earned co-medalist honors, tying for first at 11-under 277; head coach Herb Page earned MAC Coach of the Year honors for the 14th time; Yip and senior Peter Laws (Mississauga, Ontario) were named MAC Co-Golfers of the Year; and Wiegand earned MAC Freshman of the Year honors the fourth straight season a KSU golfer has won the honor.
Wiegand shot a career-low 8-under 64 in the final round to tie Yip, who needed birdie at the par-5 18th hole to catch Wiegand at 11-under 277. Yip shot a 1-under 71 today. Wiegand improved in each round, shooting 72-71-70-64, while Yip carded rounds of 63-72-71-71. Yip and Wiegand missed the all-time scoring record of 274, set by KSUs Ben Curtis in 2000, by three shots.
Kent State finished the tournament with a team total of 1,119, breaking the scoring record of 1,125 that KSU first set in 2000. The Golden Flashes pulled away from the pack, finishing 19 shots better than second-place Eastern Michigan. Kent State shot a team total of 271 in the first round, which is the lowest team total in a single round at the MAC Championships since the format was changed to four counting scores in 2000 and is the lowest team total since KSU shot a similar 271 in the opening round of the Big Red Classic in 2003.
Despite his highest round of the tournament, sophomore Marc Bourgeois (Dieppe, New Brunswick) placed fourth and in so doing capped his best individual performance of the season. He finished at 5-under 283 with rounds of 66-71-70-76. Laws was 11th, finishing with a 1-under total of 287 (70-73-71-73). Freshman Tom Ballinger (Mansfield, Ohio) finished 33rd at 296 (78-71-74-73). Ballinger shot a career-best 1-under 71 in the second round, while Bourgeois has shot three consecutive below-par rounds for the first time in his career.
Yip and Laws became the fifth and sixth MAC Golfers of the Year from Kent State, an award that began in 1994 and first since Jon Mills in 2001. Senior Steve Lohmeyer, Yip and Bourgeois were the previous three MAC Freshman of the Year from Kent State. Laws, Yip and Wiegand also earned All-MAC First Team honors.
Yips 9-under 63 in the first round tied the record first set by Marshalls Linden Meade in 1958, and equaled by Brett Fulford of Bowling Green in 1992 and Miamis Jeff Ritchey in 2000. It is the low round of Yips career at Kent State.
The MAC Championships was held at the Medallion Club, a par-72, 6,802-yard layout. With the MAC Championship victory, the Golden Flashes earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Central Regional, May 19-21, at Warren Golf Course in South Bend, Ind.
Individuals Rounds=Total Score
. Ryan Yip 63-72-71-71=277 (-11)
T-1. Tommy Wiegand 72-71-70-64=277 (-11)
4. Marc Bourgeois 66-71-70-76=283 (-5)
11. Peter Laws 70-73-71-73=287 (-1)
33. Tom Ballinger 78-71-74-73=296 (+8)
Team Results Rounds=Total Score
1. KENT STATE 271-285-282-281=1,119 (-33)
2. Eastern Michigan 280-281-291-286=1,138 (-14)
3. Ball State 291-287-286-286=1,150 (-2)
4. Toledo 294-285-288-284=1,151 (-1)
5. Ohio 293-278-294-290=1,155 (+3)
6. Akron 293-293-284-290=1,160 (+8)
7. Northern Illinois 294-287-289-291=1,161 (+9)
8. Bowling Green 293-296-290-290=1,169 (+17)
9. Marshall 287-300-295-290=1,172 (+20)
10. Miami 290-298-292-295=1,175 (+23)
