Mid-American Conference Men's Golf Championships

Last updated
Mid-American Conference Men's golf championships
Conference golf championship
SportMen's golf
Conference Mid-American Conference
Number of teams8
Played1947–present
Last contest2025
Current champion Kent State
Most championshipsKent State (29)
Official website mac-sports.com/index.aspx?path=mgolf

The Mid-American Conference men's golf championships is the conference championship tournament for men's golf in the Mid-American Conference, a Division I member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). All eight conference members qualify for the championship meet, which is played in stroke play format and held in three rounds over a three-day period in late April or early May. The winning team receives a regional berth to the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships. The tournament began in 1947 and is rotated to different courses each year, with the various conference members acting as host. Through the 2022 championship, Kent State has won the most conference titles with 29, followed by Ohio with 18.

Contents

History and format

The championship was organized in 1947, the first season of play for the conference after it had formed in late 1946. The initial championship, held in Detroit and won by the Wayne Tartans, had the original four conference members. For many years, the men's golf championship, along with the men's track and field championship and tennis championship, were rotated together amongst conference members as part of a two-day MAC "sports carnival" in late May. [1] Beginning in 1973, the championship was held at two sites, with the opening rounds in one location and the concluding rounds at another. [2] The location of the final rounds in one year would serve as the host for the opening rounds the following year. This format continued through 1978 and then returned to a single-site host in 1979. [3]

The number of participating schools stood at nine in 2006 and was as high as 10 between 1977 and 1985 and again from 1998 through 2005. It was reduced to eight following the announcement in May 2020 that Akron was eliminating its men's golf team. [4] Although the championship is no longer held in conjunction with the tennis and track and field championships, until 1993, the conference rotated the tournament to the home courses of each conference member. Since the 1994 championship, held at the Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, the championship has rotated to neutral-site courses in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. After three years at Firestone, the tournament was held for two years at Quail Hollow Country Club in Concord, Ohio, and then began a four-year run at The Medallion Club in Westerville, Ohio from 1999 through 2002. After the 2003 championship was held at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois, the tournament returned to The Medallion Club for two more years in 2004 and 2005. Since 2006, the tournament has been held at a different course each year in Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana. The Medallion Club hosted again in 2007 and Rich Harvest Farms in 2012, while courses such as Virtues Golf Club in Nashport, Ohio, and Brickyard Crossing in Indianapolis have also hosted multiple times. Virtues Golf Club, previously known as Longaberger Golf Club, hosted for the fourth time in 2017, followed by Sycamore Hills Golf Club in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 2018, and Club Walden in Aurora, Ohio, in 2019. [3]

The tournament has always used stroke play as its competition format, and was initially a two-round tournament through 1967, with a third round added in 1968. Since 1973 the tournament has been played over four rounds with few exceptions. The last tournament to include only three rounds was the 2012 championship, after the final round was canceled due to rain. [5] The 2019 tournament was only two rounds after rain forced cancellation of the final two rounds. An individual conference champion is also determined by the tournament. If two or more golfers finish tied for medalist honors, they are all awarded. The exception for this was the 1980 and 1982 MAC Medalists where a playoff was held to break the tie. At the conclusion of the tournament, the MAC season awards are given out, including Coach of the Year, Golfer of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and the naming of All-MAC teams. [3]

By year

YearVenueLocationTeam championMedalist (school)
1947 Detroit, Michigan Wayne Clyde McEntyre (Butler)
Gordon Verville (Wayne)
1948Athens Country Club Athens, Ohio Miami Bob Ludlow (Butler)
1949 Kalamazoo, Michigan Western Michigan Clyde McEntyre (Butler)
1950Oxford Country Club Oxford, Ohio MiamiClyde McEntyre (Butler)
1951Athens Country ClubAthens, Ohio Ohio Dave Rambo (Ohio)
1952Meadowview Golf Course Kent, Ohio OhioRoger Pedigo (Ohio)
1953 Kalamazoo, Michigan OhioDon Kelly (Western Michigan)
1954Oxford Country Club Oxford, Ohio Kent State
Ohio
Danny Forlani (Kent State)
Dick Smail (Ohio)
1955Athens Country Club Athens, Ohio OhioDave Moore (Ohio)
Dick Smail (Ohio)
1956Bowling Green Country Club Bowling Green, Ohio Bowling Green Ray Bovee (Western Michigan)
1957Meadowview Golf CourseKent, OhioOhioJack Freeman (Marshall)
1958Kalamazoo, MichiganOhioLinden Meade (Marshall)
1959Oxford Country ClubOxford, OhioOhioCharles Vandlik (Ohio)
1960Athens Country ClubAthens, OhioOhioBill Santor (Ohio)
1961Bowling Green, OhioOhioPete Byer (Marshall)
1962Meadowview Golf CourseKent, Ohio Marshall Jim Ward (Marshall)
Pete Byer (Marshall)
1963Kalamazoo, MichiganOhioNick Karl (Ohio)
1964Oxford Country ClubOxford, OhioOhioStu Hughes (Bowling Green)
1965Athens Country ClubAthens, OhioOhioDick Shepard (Marshall)
1966Toledo Country Club Toledo, Ohio MarshallJon Feaganes (Marshall)
1967Bowling Green, OhioOhioTome Bohardt (Bowling Green)
Terry Beard (Ohio)
1968Meadowview Golf CourseKent, OhioKent StateHerm Kaiser (Marshall)
1969Kalamazoo, MichiganOhioChris Roderick (Miami)
1970Hueston WoodsOxford, OhioMiamiChris Roberick (Miami)
Bill Schumaker (Miami)
1971Athens Country ClubAthens, OhioOhioDan Strimple (Kent State)
1972Belmont Country ClubToledo, OhioBowling GreenSteve Blowers (Bowling Green)
1973Belmont Country Club
Bowling Green State University Golf Course
Toledo, Ohio [2]
Bowling Green, Ohio
Bowling GreenMike Morrow (Kent State)
1974Bowling Green State University Golf Course
Meadowview Golf Course
Bowling Green, Ohio
Kent, Ohio [6]
MiamiKent Walters (Bowling Green) [6]
1975Meadowview Golf Course
Lake Dostral Country Club
Kent, Ohio
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Ball State Mike Soli (Northern Illinois)
1976Lake Dostral Country Club
Hueston Woods
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Oxford, Ohio
Northern Illinois Mike Soli (Northern Illinois)
1977Hueston Woods
Athens Country Club
Oxford, Ohio
Athens, Ohio
Kent StateNed Weaver (Kent State)
1978Ohio University Country Club
Central Michigan University Golf Course
Athens, Ohio
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
Bowling GreenGreg Dick (Northern Illinois)
1979 Ypsilanti, Michigan OhioTim Hirt (Toledo)
1980 DeKalb, Illinois OhioTim Hirt (Toledo)
1981 Muncie, Indiana MiamiTim Hirt (Toledo)
1982Toledo, OhioBall StateMark Chapleski (Miami)
1983Bowling Green, OhioBowling GreenKirk Schooley (Ball State)
1984Windmill Lakes Golf Club Ravenna, Ohio Kent StateJim Muething (Miami)
1985Kishwaukee Country ClubDeKalb, IllinoisNorthern IllinoisKarl Zoller (Kent State)
1986Moors Golf Club Portage, Michigan Ball StateMark Brewer (Miami)
1987Hueston Woods Golf CourseOxford, OhioMiamiMark Brewer (Miami)
1988Athens Country ClubAthens, OhioMiamiRob Moss (Kent State)
1989Delaware Country ClubMuncie, IndianaMiamiSean Gorgone (Miami)
1990Huron Golf ClubYpsilanti, MichiganMiamiSean Gorgone (Miami)
1991Toledo Country ClubToledo, OhioMiamiDave Moreland (Kent State)
1992Forrest Creason Golf CourseBowling Green, OhioKent State
Miami
Mike Stone (Toledo)
1993Windmill LakesRavenna, OhioKent StateEric Frishette (Kent State)
1994 Firestone Country Club Akron, Ohio Kent StateMaarten van den Berg (Miami)
1995Kent State Bryan DeCorso (Kent State)
1996MiamiMaarten van den Berg (Miami)
1997Quail Hollow Country Club Concord, Ohio Kent StateJamie Broce (Ball State)
Tim Rice (Toledo)
1998Kent StateKyle Voska (Miami)
1999Medallion ClubWesterville, OhioKent StateDanny Sahl (Kent State)
2000Kent State Ben Curtis (Kent State)
2001Kent State Jon Mills (Kent State)
2002 Toledo Eric Phippps (Miami)
2003 Rich Harvest Farms Sugar Grove, Illinois Kent StateMark Weghorst (Miami)
2004Medallion ClubWesterville, OhioToledoBrad Heaven (Toledo)
2005Kent State Ryan Yip (Kent State)
Tommy Wiegand (Kent State)
2006Brickyard Crossing Indianapolis, Indiana Kent StateMarc Bourgeois (Kent State)
Tommy Wiegand (Kent State)
2007Medallion ClubWesterville, Ohio Eastern Michigan Graham Hill (Eastern Michigan)
2008Longaberger Golf Club Nashport, Ohio Eastern MichiganCiaran McAleavey (Toledo)
2009Brickyard CrossingIndianapolis, IndianaKent State John Hahn (Kent State)
2010Longaberger Golf ClubNashport, OhioKent StateBrett Cairns (Kent State)
John Hawn (Kent State)
2011 TPC River's Bend Maineville, Ohio Kent State Mackenzie Hughes (Kent State)
2012Rich Harvest FarmsSugar Grove, IllinoisKent State Corey Conners (Kent State)
2013Longaberger Golf ClubNashport, OhioKent State Taylor Pendrith (Kent State)
2014Prairie View Golf Club Carmel, Indiana Kent State Corey Conners (Kent State)
2015The Mayfield Sand Ridge Club Chardon, Ohio MiamiJohnny Watts (Ball State)
2016Highland Meadows Golf Club Sylvania, Ohio Kent StateGeorge Baylis (Akron)
2017Virtues Golf ClubNashport, OhioKent StateGisli Sveinbergsson (Kent State)
2018Sycamore Hills Golf Club Fort Wayne, Indiana Kent StateIan Holt (Kent State)
2019Club Walden Aurora, Ohio Eastern Michigan
Kent State [7]
Duncan McNeill (Toledo)
2020Sycamore Hills Golf Club Fort Wayne, Indiana Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic
2021Sycamore Hills Golf ClubFort Wayne, IndianaKent StateChris Vandette (Kent State)
2022White Eagle Golf Club Naperville, Illinois Kent StateJosh Gilkison (Kent State)
2023Canebrake Golf Club Athens, Alabama Northern IllinoisBarend Botha (Toledo)
2024The Club at Chatham Hills Westfield, Indiana Ball StateBarend Botha (Toledo)
2025Pinnacle Golf Club Grove City, Ohio Kent StateJordan Gilkison (Kent State)

By school

Of the 12 full-time members of the MAC, eight schools compete in men's golf as of 2020. Central Michigan dropped men's golf after the 1985 season followed by Western Michigan in 1988 and Akron in 2020. Northern Illinois was the most recent addition to the championship, beginning play in 1998 after having previously competed in the MAC from 1975 through 1986. [3]

ProgramTenureTitlesYears won
Kent State 1952–present291954, 1968, 1977, 1984, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2025
Ohio 1947–present181951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1979, 1980
Miami 1948–present131948, 1950, 1970, 1974, 1981, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1996, 2015
Bowling Green 1953–present51956, 1972, 1973, 1978, 1983
Ball State 1975–present41975, 1982, 1986, 2024
Eastern Michigan 1973–present32007, 2008, 2019
Northern Illinois 1975–1986
1998–present
31976, 1985, 2023
Toledo 1951–present22002, 2004
Marshall 1953–1969
1998–2005
21962, 1966
Western Michigan 1948–198811949
Wayne 194711947
Akron 1993–20200
Butler 1947–19500
Central Michigan 1973–19850
Cincinnati 1948–19520
Western Reserve 1947–19550

Former conference members shaded in ██ silver
– shared title

References

  1. Miller, Chuck (May 23, 1952). "Carnival Offers Varied Sports". Kent Stater. Vol. XXVIII, no. 108. p. 2.
  2. 1 2 Baptist, Bob (May 11, 1973). "Golfers shoot for MAC title". Daily Kent Stater. Vol. XVII, no. 105. p. 22.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Mid-American Conference Men's Golf Record Book (PDF). Mid-American Conference. 2016. p. 20. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  4. Pignolet, Jennifer; Thomas, George M. (May 14, 2020). "University of Akron to eliminate men's golf and cross country, women's tennis". Akron Beacon Journal . Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  5. "No. 18 Kent State Runs Away With Fourth MAC Championship". Kent State University. May 6, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  6. 1 2 Seuffert, Ron (May 21, 1974). "Golfers' comeback falls short". Daily Kent Stater. Vol. XVIII, no. 109. p. 12. Records for the Mid-American Conference do not list winners or competitors for 1974
  7. "Eastern Michigan, Kent State share title in rain-shortened championship". Mid-American Conference. April 28, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2019. The Golden Flashes earned the league's automatic NCAA Regional qualifying spot on a tiebreaker -- cumulative total of non-counting scores (151-154).