Eastern Michigan Athletics
Tuesday, February 11
Dade City, Fla.
All Day
Eastern Michigan University
at
MAC Match Play
Photo by: Walt Middleton Photography
Golf Takes Second Place at MAC Match Play Championship
2/11/2014 3:40:00 PM | Men's Golf
No. 1 EMU fell to No. 2 Ball State, 4-2, in the championship match
DADE CITY, Fla. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University men's golf team took second place at the 2014 Mid-American Match Play Championship Tuesday, Feb. 11, at Lake Jovita South Course in Florida. The Eagles beat eighth-seeded Ohio University and fourth-ranked Eastern Kentucky University on Monday, before falling to second-seeded Ball State University by a score of 4-2 in the championship.
EMU has now finished as the championship runner-up twice to BSU, also taking second at the 2012 event.
Senior Brian Churchill-Smith (Oakville, Ontario, Canada-Oakville Trafalgar) cruised to a 4-up victory over Keegan McKinney, but BSU bounced back when McCormick Clouser downed junior Michael Blair (Ancaster, Ontario, Canada-Nelson-Pfeiffer), 2-up.
The Cardinals would roll off three more victories to salt away the tournament title as sophomore Brett White (Caledonia, Mich.-East Kentwood), sophomore Josh Heinze (Canton, Mich.-Plymouth) and freshman Kyle Rodes (Plymouth, Mich.-Plymouth) each fell in their respective matches.
Freshman Joey Kremer (Toronto, Ontario, Canada-Senator O'Connor) was able to sneak out a final point for the Green and White when he upended Albert Jennings, 2 up.
In other action, Xavier finished in third place with a 4-2 victory over Eastern Kentucky. Miami knocked off Toledo, 4-2, for fifth place and Ohio edged Bowling Green, 4-2, in the seventh place match.
Schools competed in teams of six with the seeds determined by their current GolfStat rankings. Each of the six matches was worth one point to the winner. If the competitors end up all-square after 18 holes, each school received ½ point. The school with the most points after the six matches won.
Unlike stroke play, in which the unit of scoring is the total number of strokes taken over one or more rounds of golf, match play scoring consists of individual holes won, halved or lost. On each hole, the most that can be gained is one point. Golfers play as normal, counting the strokes taken on a given hole. The golfer with the lowest score on a given hole receives one point. If the golfers tie, then the hole is halved. Also, once a player is "up" more holes than there are holes remaining to play the match is over.
The Eagles return to tournament play Sunday, March 2, when they begin action at the three-day USF Invitational also at the Lake Jovita Course.
2014 MAC Match Play Championship
Round 1:
#1 Eastern Michigan def. #8 Ohio, 4-2
Brian Churchill-Smith (EMU) halved with Peyton White (Ohio)
Michael Blair (EMU) def. Andrew Mlynarski, (Ohio), 2 up
Brett White (EMU) def. Phil Gieseker (Ohio), 3 up
Ty Herriott (Ohio) def. Josh Heinze (EMU), 2 up
Kyle Rodes (EMU) halved with Brad Lucas (Ohio)
Joseph Kremer (EMU) def. Brad Burgess (Ohio), 3 up
Round 2:
#1 Eastern Michigan def. #4 Eastern Kentucky, 4.5-1.5
Brian Churchill-Smith (EMU) def. Garrett Hinton (EKU), 1 up
Michael Blair (EMU) def. Stuart Witt (EKU), 1 up
Brett White (EMU) def. Taylor Riggs (EKU), 3 up
Josh Heinze (EMU) halved with Patric Sundlof (EKU)
Kyle Rodes (EMU) def. Travis Rose (EKU), 3 up
Danial Deluca (EKU) def. Joseph Kremer (EMU) , 1 up
Championship Match:
#2 Ball State def. #1 Eastern Michigan, 4-2
Brian Churchill-Smith (EMU) def. Keegan McKinney (BSU), 4 up
McCormick Clouser (BSU) def. Michael Blair (EMU), 2 up
Tyler Merkel (BSU) def. Brett White (EMU), 3 up
James Blackwell (BSU) def. Josh Heinze (EMU), 6 up
Zach Yinger (BSU) def. Kyle Rodes (EMU), 4 up
Joseph Kremer (EMU) def. Albert Jennings (BSU), 2 up
Third-Place Match:
#6 Xavier def. #4 Eastern Kentucky, 4-2
Fifth-Place Match:
#3 Miami def. #5 Toledo, 4-2
Seventh-Place Match:
#8 Ohio def. #7 Bowling Green, 4-2
Tiebreaker System:
Team Matches Tied: Team matches that are tied will be decided by using the following procedure:
If a team match is tied after the completion of the six singles matches, the tie will be broken by comparing the margin of victory of each individual match won for their team.
If a team tie still exists, the team winner will be determined by comparing the number of holes remaining in each match won:
If a team tie still exists, the team winner will be determined by comparing the halved match or matches. These results will be determined by a "scorecard playoff" (sores will be compared by the #1 handicap hole) provided all tied matches have played that hole. Handicap holes will be used until the tie is broken with total scores.
EMU has now finished as the championship runner-up twice to BSU, also taking second at the 2012 event.
Senior Brian Churchill-Smith (Oakville, Ontario, Canada-Oakville Trafalgar) cruised to a 4-up victory over Keegan McKinney, but BSU bounced back when McCormick Clouser downed junior Michael Blair (Ancaster, Ontario, Canada-Nelson-Pfeiffer), 2-up.
The Cardinals would roll off three more victories to salt away the tournament title as sophomore Brett White (Caledonia, Mich.-East Kentwood), sophomore Josh Heinze (Canton, Mich.-Plymouth) and freshman Kyle Rodes (Plymouth, Mich.-Plymouth) each fell in their respective matches.
Freshman Joey Kremer (Toronto, Ontario, Canada-Senator O'Connor) was able to sneak out a final point for the Green and White when he upended Albert Jennings, 2 up.
In other action, Xavier finished in third place with a 4-2 victory over Eastern Kentucky. Miami knocked off Toledo, 4-2, for fifth place and Ohio edged Bowling Green, 4-2, in the seventh place match.
Schools competed in teams of six with the seeds determined by their current GolfStat rankings. Each of the six matches was worth one point to the winner. If the competitors end up all-square after 18 holes, each school received ½ point. The school with the most points after the six matches won.
Unlike stroke play, in which the unit of scoring is the total number of strokes taken over one or more rounds of golf, match play scoring consists of individual holes won, halved or lost. On each hole, the most that can be gained is one point. Golfers play as normal, counting the strokes taken on a given hole. The golfer with the lowest score on a given hole receives one point. If the golfers tie, then the hole is halved. Also, once a player is "up" more holes than there are holes remaining to play the match is over.
The Eagles return to tournament play Sunday, March 2, when they begin action at the three-day USF Invitational also at the Lake Jovita Course.
2014 MAC Match Play Championship
Round 1:
#1 Eastern Michigan def. #8 Ohio, 4-2
Brian Churchill-Smith (EMU) halved with Peyton White (Ohio)
Michael Blair (EMU) def. Andrew Mlynarski, (Ohio), 2 up
Brett White (EMU) def. Phil Gieseker (Ohio), 3 up
Ty Herriott (Ohio) def. Josh Heinze (EMU), 2 up
Kyle Rodes (EMU) halved with Brad Lucas (Ohio)
Joseph Kremer (EMU) def. Brad Burgess (Ohio), 3 up
Round 2:
#1 Eastern Michigan def. #4 Eastern Kentucky, 4.5-1.5
Brian Churchill-Smith (EMU) def. Garrett Hinton (EKU), 1 up
Michael Blair (EMU) def. Stuart Witt (EKU), 1 up
Brett White (EMU) def. Taylor Riggs (EKU), 3 up
Josh Heinze (EMU) halved with Patric Sundlof (EKU)
Kyle Rodes (EMU) def. Travis Rose (EKU), 3 up
Danial Deluca (EKU) def. Joseph Kremer (EMU) , 1 up
Championship Match:
#2 Ball State def. #1 Eastern Michigan, 4-2
Brian Churchill-Smith (EMU) def. Keegan McKinney (BSU), 4 up
McCormick Clouser (BSU) def. Michael Blair (EMU), 2 up
Tyler Merkel (BSU) def. Brett White (EMU), 3 up
James Blackwell (BSU) def. Josh Heinze (EMU), 6 up
Zach Yinger (BSU) def. Kyle Rodes (EMU), 4 up
Joseph Kremer (EMU) def. Albert Jennings (BSU), 2 up
Third-Place Match:
#6 Xavier def. #4 Eastern Kentucky, 4-2
Fifth-Place Match:
#3 Miami def. #5 Toledo, 4-2
Seventh-Place Match:
#8 Ohio def. #7 Bowling Green, 4-2
Tiebreaker System:
Team Matches Tied: Team matches that are tied will be decided by using the following procedure:
If a team match is tied after the completion of the six singles matches, the tie will be broken by comparing the margin of victory of each individual match won for their team.
If a team tie still exists, the team winner will be determined by comparing the number of holes remaining in each match won:
If a team tie still exists, the team winner will be determined by comparing the halved match or matches. These results will be determined by a "scorecard playoff" (sores will be compared by the #1 handicap hole) provided all tied matches have played that hole. Handicap holes will be used until the tie is broken with total scores.
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