With few matches left before the Mid-American Conference tournament, both the men’s and women’s golf teams look to build on last weekend’s success heading into the stretch-run of the season.
The women’s team is coming off a sixth-place finish at the Lady Colonel Classic, where each MAC team in attendance finished in the top-10.The Bobcats will travel to Bowling Green to participate in their last tournament of the season, the Falcon Invitational, before the MAC Championship.
Ohio coach Kelly Ovington said the strong competition in past competitions would help her team transition well into this tournament, which includes several MAC teams.
“I definitely think we’re going onto this next event with some confidence,” Ovington said. “I think we played well at Eastern Kentucky. I saw some very good things and I’m looking forward to see how everything we’ve worked on this week falls into place.”
The Bobcats have focused especially on the short game recently and Ovington said it is starting to show in the scores. She said this invitational is more critical than others because a good finish would give the team confidence leading up to the MAC Championship.
The men’s team will travel to Columbus to play in the OSU Kepler Invitational on Saturday after an eighth-place finish last weekend.
Ohio coach Bob Cooley said this tournament would be a good marker of progress because of the tough competition.“It will definitely tell us where we’re at because there’s several MAC schools there,” Cooley said. “It’s by far the best field we play in all year.”
Cooley said Ohio State’s Scarlet Course is very challenging and has been the site of previous NCAA championships.
Because of the long holes that the Bobcats will play on, Cooley has had the players use drivers in practice where they might have used a three of four wood on the shorter Athens fairways.
“The kids who have played there kind of know where to hit it, so all you have to do is execute,” Cooley said. “If you’re not hitting well, the course will just demoralize you.”
UP Next:
Men
OSU Kepler Invitational, Columbus
Saturday and Sunday
Women
Falcon Invitational, Bowling Green, Ohio
Saturday and Sunday
This is the women’s last tournament before the MAC Championships
Both teams are coming off top-ten finishes
mk277809@ohiou.edu
