Ohio opened its spring season at Bentwater Country Club in Montgomery, Texas, for Sam Houston State’s Bentwater Intercollegiate.
Ohio opened the first round finishing six over par. Leading the way was senior Nathaniel Gray Lamont at two under par with two birdies on the front nine and three birdies on the back to go with 10 pars. Senior Jack O’Donnell followed at even par. He opened with a great front nine at one under with birdies on holes five, seven and nine. On the back, a double bogey on the 11th was the difference from a one under back nine.
Senior Will Kates struggled on the front nine after opening with a birdie and three pars on holes 1-4 before a double bogey on the fifth and back-to-back bogeys on eight and nine. He would dominate the back nine, starting with six straight pars and then a birdie on the 15th, but he picked up a double bogey on the 16th. He would finish even par on the back with a birdie on the 18th to cancel out the double bogey.
Senior Carson Trafford struggled on the front nine with four bogeys before settling down with two birdies and four pars on the back to finish five over par. Rounding out the group was freshman Jack Flores at +10, with three birdies, three double bogeys, six bogeys and six pars.
In the second round, Ohio continued to play well, tying for fourth at four over par. Gray Lamont had a fantastic round after finishing the front nine three over with three birdies and a double bogey on the fourth.
He shot a jaw-dropping six under on the back nine with back-to-back pars on 10-11 and 14-15, while consecutive birdies on 12-13 and finishing with an eagle on the 16th 502-yard par five and two straight birdies.
Flores bounced back with an even par round. He had a solid front with a birdie and with a birdie and four pars before finishing one under on the back nine with three seven pars and two birdies. O’Donnell opened the round with a one-under front nine before finishing with seven pars and two bogeys on the back.
Kates struggled at six over with five bogeys and a double bogey. While rounding out the group came Trafford at eight over with two double bogeys, four bogeys, eleven pars and a birdie.
The Bobcats struggled in the final round, finishing in seventh place at +12 and tallying a total score of +22 over. Kates dropped nine strokes in the final round at three under, shooting even par on the front with seven pars, a birdie and a bogey. Heading the final nine, he added two more birdies, a bogey, an eagle and five pars.
O’Donnell followed not too far behind at +3, with two birdies and four pars on the first nine, before struggling with four bogeys on the back. Two stroke backs came Gray Lamont at +5, who finished with a double bogey, five bogeys, ten pars and two birdies. The final eligible score was +7 from Trafford with a 44 (+9) that included two costly double bogeys on holes one and nine, and four bogeys cost him a great final round. Where he dominated the back nine with a one-under round, including two birdies, an eagle, and four pars. Rounding out the group came Flores at +11, with three double bogeys and four bogeys.
Gray Lamont led the way for the Bobcats, finishing tied for fourth at even par, including a tournament-leading nine under on par 5s, and sitting tied for second in birdies at 13. At four over, O’Donnell tied for 18th, followed close behind by Kates, who tied in 27th at six over.
The Bobcats will look to bring this consistency into next month’s Donald Ross Collegiate next month in Southern Pines, North Carolina.
