After completing Mid-American Match Play in Florida to begin the week, the Bobcats will hit the road again to play the links in Hilton Head, S.C.
Dealing with a quick turnaround, Ohio will have to refocus itself to play DePaul on Saturday, before competing in the Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate. The Bobcats finished 1-2 in match play against Eastern Michigan, Toledo and Bowling Green.
“Hopefully we play well,” coach Bob Cooley said. “We’re hoping for a top-10 finish, but it will be a difficult tournament, as there’s going to be a lot of southern teams down there.”
Ohio will play the same par-72 course during the three days of competition, though the ninth-annual tournament will feature three rounds of golf. Francis Marion will host the tournament, at which Ohio finished last out of 18 teams last year, despite being tied for ninth after the first day.
“Normally we’re outside at this time,” Cooley said. “Obviously with the weather being poor, we haven’t been able to go outside too much, but we are going to use this as a learning experience. It’s going to be in the 50s-60s, so we’re going to do the best we can.”
The Bobcats have dealt with numerous time constraints this past week, as the players already missed 2 1/2 of classes to compete and will miss as many next week.
The golfers’ main priority is their schoolwork, as the players have been forced to coordinate with their professors in the previous weeks leading up to the tournaments, Cooley said.
In addition, a new coach will aid Cooley this spring season, as alumnus Michael Lamping has assumed a role as a graduate assistant coach. He has assisted in giving pointers during practice.
“He’s been a big help,” freshman Peyton White said after the Mid-American Match Play Event. “He’s a good guy, he’s played for us and so he walks the course with us and helps out a lot during practices.”
Lamping spent the past three years as a student athlete with the Bobcats and posted a team-best 19th place finish in last season’s MAC Championships.
“It’s good to have two people,” Cooley said. “(Lamping) gives good feedback to the kids and he helps because I can be on par-5 and he can be on par-3 working with someone. Everybody has assistant coaches besides us, including teams in the MAC, so he’s been a help.”
Up next:
- Ohio will face Depaul on Saturday in Hilton Head, S.C.
- The Tournament will be the second of the season for the Bobcats
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