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DADE CITY, Fla. – The Ohio men's golf team kicked off their spring season at the Mid-American Conference/Atlantic 10 Challenge at Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club over the past two days (Feb. 5 & 6).
The format of the tournament was a match play bracket with six golfers representing each school. Four teams from the MAC and four from the A10 participated with the eight teams receiving seeding prior to the opening round. The host Ball State was selected as the first seed, while Richmond, Eastern Michigan, George Washington, Dayton, Loyola Chicago, Central Michigan, and Ohio were seeding in corresponding order.
In the opening round, Ohio faced off with the top-seeded Cardinals. Ball State won four of the six matches against the Bobcats to advance to the event's semifinals.
Senior Jack Neville (Terrace Park, Ohio) and junior Sam Hogan (Burlington, Canada) picked up the two wins for Ohio. Hogan used five birdies en route to a 2 & 0 win over his opponent. Neville won his match 1 & 0 and included the Bobcats' best shot of the day; a 125-yard shot that found the bottom of the cup for eagle.
After falling to Ball State, Ohio battled with Dayton in the consolation bracket. Ohio could not capitalize on the success of Hogan and Neville's opening rounds, ultimately losing four of the six matches and tying the other two. Senior Jared DeVille (Loveland, Ohio) and junior Matt Daulton (Lebanon, Ohio) recorded the two ties for the Bobcats, while Neville recorded his second eagle on the day in the loss.
Ohio would look to bounce back after two tough matches with a final round against Loyola Chicago. The Ramblers entered the seventh-place match after back-to-back losses against Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan.
The Bobcats found themselves in control with wins by Hogan, DeVille, Neville, and Daulton. Hogan had a strong performance in his final round, defeating his opponent 4 & 2. Hogan's three birdies carried him to his second individual victory of the tournament.
DeVille used the momentum from his match against Dayton to overcome an early deficit in the final round. DeVille's two birdies on the day were just enough to guide him to 2 & 1 win.
Neville won his second match of the tournament with a 2 & 0 win. Neville was extremely consistent on the day, recording two birdies and just one bogey. Daulton won his first match of the tournament in dominant fashion. A second-hole eagle provided Daulton with the momentum to his win 5 & 3 over his Loyola Chicago opponent. Neville and Daulton's victories clinched the Bobcats win over Ramblers and earned the team seventh place at the tournament.
Ohio men's golf will return to the course on March 11th for the opening two rounds at the Ross Collegiate Classic hosted by George Mason. The final round will take place the following day on March 12th. The tournament will be held at Mid Pines Inn & Golf Course in Southern Pines, N.C.
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