FINAL RESULTS
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ohio – It took over 700 days, and working through all kinds of challenges relating to the pandemic, but the Otterbein men's golf program finally had the chance to defend its crown atop the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) this weekend.
Despite a unique spring season unlike any in the past, the final conference result was more of the same Sunday afternoon at River Greens Golf Club. The Cardinals used another workmanlike effort to hold on and secure the program's sixth-straight title, and have now won a staggering 19 of the last 23 OAC crowns.
As a result, Otterbein clinches yet another automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Division III Championships (see very bottom for more details). Otterbein settled with a collective team score of 1207 this time out to prevail over runner-up John Carroll (1215). Capital was 20 shots back in third place.
Junior
Coury Rogers (+8) led the four-round tournament from start to finish, earning the individual title with scores of 71-75-72-78. The long bomber carried a four-shot advantage into Sunday, ultimately holding off teammate
Kurt Fortman (runner-up) by three and John Carroll's Ben Gleichauf by four.
Rogers carded four birdies in his opening round, another three over the second 18, and then delivered a steady 13-straight pars in his third round en route to the medalist honors.
Fortman, a graduate student and former 2018 OAC champion, snuck into second place individually after a culminating birdie on the par-5 18th hole. The journeyman lefty walked away with rounds of 76-70-78-75 to notch the fourth all-league honor of his fine career.
His second-round 70 (-2) matched Gleichauf for the tournament-low by any player. That trip featured three birdies and an eagle for Fortman.
Freshman
Ian Johnston admirably corralled the first All-OAC award of his career, going 74-75 across his final two rounds to eventually land in 12th place. The top-14 individual finishers earn the distinction.
Johnston had seven combined birdies over his final two rounds, playing the final seven holes of round three at 1-under par.
Logan Reed narrowly missed the All-OAC cutoff in tying for 16th place, posting bookend rounds of 75 and 76 over the weekend. He was even par through 14 holes on Sunday.
Johnny Peck rounded out Otterbein's lineup in 28th place, including an opening-round 75 that saw 15 pars.
This year's NCAA Championships are being hosted May 11-14 at Oglebay Resort and Conference Center in Wheeling, W. Va. Stay tuned to otterbeincardinals.com and all of our social media outlets for ongoing coverage of the team!
