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May 8, 2008

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Malone Men’s Golf To Compete At NAIA National Championships

The Malone College men’s golf team, led by veteran head coach Ken Hyland, will compete at the 57^th annual NAIA National Championships at the Indiana National Golf Club in Plymouth , Indiana May 13-16. The Pioneers are ranked 14^th in the latest NAIA national rankings this season and earned an automatic bid to the national event by winning the AMC/NAIA Region IX Championships at the Apple Valley Golf Course in Howard, Ohio April 24-25.

Malone collected its fifth straight AMC/Region IX title among a 10-team field, winning by 19 strokes with a 54-hole score of 873 (304-288-281) over runner-up Ohio Dominican University (892). In addition to their five straight NAIA national tournament appearances, the Pioneers have qualified for 11 of the last 13 NAIA national events and earned an NAIA national championship in 2000. Also, 40 years ago this month, the Malone men’s golf team became the first-ever Malone intercollegiate athletic team to qualify for an NAIA national tournament (the team finished 22^nd at the tournament).

In addition to this year’s AMC/Region team title, Malone sophomore Ben Smith (Carrollton H.S.) captured individual medalist honors at the event for the second straight year. He posted a score of 213 (77-70-66) to earn the Al Turner trophy and league MVP award. Smith’s final round of 66 (36-30), which included six straight birdies (11th through the 16th), tied the school record for lowest round and his back-nine 30 set a new Malone record as the lowest nine holes in the program’s history. Prior to Smith’s round of 66, only three other Pioneers had ever posted a round of 66. Accomplishing the feat (including the year in which they did it) were Ken Hyland (’69), Josh Anderson (’98) and Grant Gates (’06).

Also competing for Malone at the national event this year will be Justin Lower (Fr., Northwest H.S.), Darren Phipps (Sr., Lake H.S. ), Michael Strayer (So., Riverside H.S.) and Matt Strayer (Sr., Riverside H.S.). Ryan Gaughan (Fr., Lake H.S. ) will serve as Malone’s alternate at the event.

At last year’s national event, Malone finished 10^th among a 28-team field. This year’s 72-hole event again has 28 teams with a 54-hole cut after the third of four days in which only the top 17 teams and the top 40 individuals will play on the final day.

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