Ohio did not make any significant leaps in the final round of the Pinehurst Invitational, finishing in 11th place. Freshman Brad Burgess and junior Connor Coldwater both shot a one-over 71, Ohio finished with a third-round score of 295, and 924 overall.
Teams returned to No. 6 Pinehurst for the final day of play after playing No. 2, which will play host to the men and women’s U.S. Open next year. The former played overall easier for the field, especially for Ohio, which tied for 8th on the day, beating its first day total by 11 strokes.
Coldwater’s two birdies on his front nine erased the damage of a double-bogey on the par-5 15th, and his four birdies on the day helped him to his lowest round of the week. He finished in a tie for 36th.
Burgess, on the other hand, started his first nine holes at two-over par, but shot a one-under 35 on the last nine, including an eagle on the par-5 6th, to help secure his low round and a tie for 65th.
Senior Byron Firestone started the day in 6th, but fell out of the top-10 after a final-round 76, five strokes over par. He finished in 16th.
To round out the Bobcats, senior Michael Lamping finished with a four-over 75, which included five bogies and one birdie. Lamping’s score was not counted during the second round Tuesday.
Ball State won the tournament with a total score of 885, three strokes better than Virginia Commonwealth and Richmond. Individual play mirrored team play, as Ball State’s Tyler Merkel finished two-over across three days, and VCU’s Adam Ball came in one stroke behind at three-over.
ch1155710@ohiou.edu
