Friday, February 12
Palm Coast, Fla.
8:00 AM
Indiana University
3.5
vs
2.5
Penn State
IU Tops No. 20 Penn State at B1G Match Play
2/12/2016 1:47:00 PM | Men's Golf
PALM COAST, Florida - The Indiana men's golf team opened the 2016 Big Ten Match Play Championship on Friday with a 3.5-2.5 victory over No. 20 Penn State at the Conservatory Course at Hammock Beach Resort on Friday morning.
As has been the case in recent years, a number of the matches came down to the closing holes before the final outcome was determined and today's morning round was no different.
Junior Keegan Vea made a 5-foot par putt on the final hole to preserve a 1-up win in his match while another junior, Andrew Havill, entered his final hole 1-down but would win the last hole to earn a half-point for the Hoosiers.
Also picking up wins for the Hoosiers in the morning session were Brendon Doyle with a 4&3 triumph and Jake Brown followed with a 4&2 victory.
Vea got off to a steady start to his round, carding six straight pars and he was even against Chris Houston. However, bogeys on holes 11 and 13 put Houston in a 2-up position with nine holes left. As the group made it to the 17th hole, Vea began to turn it on and won the 17th and 18th hole to even the match with five holes left. Back-to-back bogeys by Houston on holes 2 and 3 put Vea up two, but he gave one hole back with a bogey on hole number 4. As the group went to the final hole, with Vea holding a 1-up lead, the match – and the team point – rested on Vea's putter as he lined up a 5-foot tester. Vea promptly drained the putt and secured the point for Indiana.
Sophomore Brendon Doyle had an up-and-down beginning to his round, posting three birdies and four bogeys over the first 11 holes but still held a 1-up lead. From there, he carded three birdies over the final four holes to close out the match for a 4&3 win over Geoff Vartelas. Through the 15 holes he played, Doyle was 1-under par.
Redshirt freshman Jake Brown started his round 3-over par though his first six holes, but still managed to have his match at even. Over the next 10 holes, Brown played them at 1-under par while his opponent, Cole Miller, played them in 2-over par and Brown went on to claim the 4&2 win to secure the third point for the Hoosiers.
After Max Kollin dropped his match a 1-down margin after a bogey on his 18th hole and Jack Sparrow played steady – 1-over par through 16 holes – but still lost by a 3&2 score, the Hoosiers needed a half-point from Havill to secure the win.
Havill's match was a roller coaster from the start, as he and JD Dornes matched bogeys through the first six holes before Dornes took a 2-up lead with a birdie and a par. The next two holes saw Havill square the match with a par and a birdie of his own. Dornes took a 1-up lead heading to the final hole of the match, where Havill had to win the hole to halve the match and earn the half point. The fourth hole, a par 5, saw Havill card a par and Dornes struggled to a double bogey, which gave the Hoosiers the 3.2-2.5 win.
Friday Morning Results vs. Penn State
Indiana def. Penn State, 3.5-2.5
Christian Elliot (PSU) def. Max Kollin (IU), 1-up
Brendon Doyle (IU) def. Geoff Vartelas (PSU), 4&3
Keegan Vea (IU) def. Chris Houston, 1-up
Charles Huntzinger (PSU) def. Jack Sparrow (IU), 3&2
Jake Brown (IU) def. Cole Miller (PSU), 4&2
Andrew Havill (IU) vs. JD Dornes (PSU), halved
As has been the case in recent years, a number of the matches came down to the closing holes before the final outcome was determined and today's morning round was no different.
Junior Keegan Vea made a 5-foot par putt on the final hole to preserve a 1-up win in his match while another junior, Andrew Havill, entered his final hole 1-down but would win the last hole to earn a half-point for the Hoosiers.
Also picking up wins for the Hoosiers in the morning session were Brendon Doyle with a 4&3 triumph and Jake Brown followed with a 4&2 victory.
Vea got off to a steady start to his round, carding six straight pars and he was even against Chris Houston. However, bogeys on holes 11 and 13 put Houston in a 2-up position with nine holes left. As the group made it to the 17th hole, Vea began to turn it on and won the 17th and 18th hole to even the match with five holes left. Back-to-back bogeys by Houston on holes 2 and 3 put Vea up two, but he gave one hole back with a bogey on hole number 4. As the group went to the final hole, with Vea holding a 1-up lead, the match – and the team point – rested on Vea's putter as he lined up a 5-foot tester. Vea promptly drained the putt and secured the point for Indiana.
Sophomore Brendon Doyle had an up-and-down beginning to his round, posting three birdies and four bogeys over the first 11 holes but still held a 1-up lead. From there, he carded three birdies over the final four holes to close out the match for a 4&3 win over Geoff Vartelas. Through the 15 holes he played, Doyle was 1-under par.
Redshirt freshman Jake Brown started his round 3-over par though his first six holes, but still managed to have his match at even. Over the next 10 holes, Brown played them at 1-under par while his opponent, Cole Miller, played them in 2-over par and Brown went on to claim the 4&2 win to secure the third point for the Hoosiers.
After Max Kollin dropped his match a 1-down margin after a bogey on his 18th hole and Jack Sparrow played steady – 1-over par through 16 holes – but still lost by a 3&2 score, the Hoosiers needed a half-point from Havill to secure the win.
Havill's match was a roller coaster from the start, as he and JD Dornes matched bogeys through the first six holes before Dornes took a 2-up lead with a birdie and a par. The next two holes saw Havill square the match with a par and a birdie of his own. Dornes took a 1-up lead heading to the final hole of the match, where Havill had to win the hole to halve the match and earn the half point. The fourth hole, a par 5, saw Havill card a par and Dornes struggled to a double bogey, which gave the Hoosiers the 3.2-2.5 win.
Friday Morning Results vs. Penn State
Indiana def. Penn State, 3.5-2.5
Christian Elliot (PSU) def. Max Kollin (IU), 1-up
Brendon Doyle (IU) def. Geoff Vartelas (PSU), 4&3
Keegan Vea (IU) def. Chris Houston, 1-up
Charles Huntzinger (PSU) def. Jack Sparrow (IU), 3&2
Jake Brown (IU) def. Cole Miller (PSU), 4&2
Andrew Havill (IU) vs. JD Dornes (PSU), halved
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
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