Significant Improvement Over Second 18 Moves Scots into Sixth at Own Tourney

Matt Mellott was Wooster's top finisher, placing 12th at the Nye Intercollegiate.

The College of Wooster shaved 18 strokes off its opening round score to break out of a three-way tie for eight-place and take sixth at this weekend’s 16-team Nye Intercollegiate, held at the Wooster Country Club in Wooster, Ohio. Otterbein College made an even bigger jump in the standings Saturday, shooting a 302 as a team during the second 18 holes following a 328 to win Wooster’s annual tourney for a remarkable eighth time in nine seasons.

The No. 21 ranked Cardinals posted a 54-over par total (630), six shots ahead of runner-up Olivet College (636), while DePauw University (645), Baldwin-Wallace College (646), Heidelberg College (647), and Wooster (648) finished in a tight pack behind them. Just a few more back were Denison University (654) and Muskingum College (656), rounding out the top half of the field.

Individual medalist honors went to an Otterbein player, as Andy Miller covered the par-72, 6545-yard course in a two-under 70 Saturday. That coupled with Friday’s 79 was just enough to give him a one-stroke victory over Olivet’s Joe Kiss, who ended up six-over overall (78-72).

The Scots’ top finisher was Matt Mellott, coming in 12th among a field of 84 golfers. He turned in a team-best 80 Friday and then delivered a 78 for a 14-over 158. Mellott was joined in the 70s Saturday by teammates Erik Shoger and Pat Lynch, who ended up in ties for 21st (88-76) and 25th (86-79), respectively.

Despite an uncharacteristic tie for 35th-place showing, Andy Van Horn’s scores counted each day (86-82) and Wooster’s other starter, Sean Glaser, tied for 31st (81-85).

Also noteworthy, the Scots had four others participate as individuals, and one of them, Jason Greenwald, posted a squad-low 74 Saturday to tie for 15th overall (86-74) while playing his first tournament of the season. Tim Sullivan, Jim Ipema, and John Williams tied for 41st (84-86), 61st (86-90), and 75th (100-86), respectively.

Wooster has one more tune-up prior to the North Coast Athletic Conference Championships, as the Scots are scheduled to appear in next weekend’s Ohio Wesleyan University Strimer Invitational before hosting the NCAC’s May 5-6 at The Legends of Massillon course in Massillon, Ohio.