The Valparaiso University men's golf team enjoyed a unique day of competition on Monday, defeating DePaul 12-7 in the Dunes Club Invitational, a head-to-head match play event that used a 27-hole Ryder Cup style format on a sunny, comfortable day. The event was played at The Dunes Club, a gorgeous nine-hole hidden gem of a course in New Buffalo, Mich. that is known as one of the best nine-hole courses in the country. There are multiple tee boxes on every hole, and the winning player or pair was permitted to dictate the tee box location and length of the next hole.
How It Happened
- The morning started with four-ball matches, where each member of a two-man team played his own ball, so four balls were played on every hole. Each team counted the lowest of its two scores on each hole.
- The back half of the lineup had success in the morning nine, as sophomores Adam Melliere (Zionsville, Ind. / Zionsville) and Elliot Lee (Tillamook, Ore. / Tillamook) won 3&2 (three holes ahead with two to play), as did freshman Rob Politza (Lemont, Ill. / Lemont Township) and junior Owen Sander (Carmel, Ind. / Carmel). Sander and senior Grant Norman (Fort Wayne, Ind. / Blackhawk) won 2&1 in their match.
- At the top of the lineup, Valpo's No. 2 pairing lost 1 down, and the top tandem of seniors Sam Booth (Carmel, Ind. / Carmel) and Anthony Delisanti (Sanborn, N.Y. / Niagara Wheatfield) halved their match. Valpo finished the first nine holes leading 3.5-1.5.
- The middle nine holes featured foursome matches as each two-man team played one ball per hole with the players taking turns until each hole was complete. The depth of the Beacons once again played a big role as the bottom three pairs in the lineup all came away victorious while the No. 1 pair halved and the No. 2 pair lost 1 down. Melliere and Lee won 1 up, Politza/Sander won 2 up and Norman/Sander won 2&1. The Beacons entered the final nine holes with a 7-3 lead in the match.
- The third nine holes featured nine singles matches. Valpo picked up wins in five singles matches, including Delisanti prevailing 4&3 over Ryder Henares. Melliere polished off a 3-0 day by besting Billy Gnieser 2 up, while Politza (1 up), Sander (4&3) and Norman (5&3) all finished off perfect days with singles wins as well.
Thoughts from Head Coach Dave Gring
"We did not have a player on our team who had seen this golf course prior to yesterday, so I'm proud of the guys learning the golf course quickly and managing it very well. We played each one of the formats solidly, winning 3.5 of the five points in the four-ball and the foursome matches, along with five of the nine points in the singles matches. Each one of the guys played well and played hard for us today, but
Owen Sander carried the most weight. He basically played in five matches and won all five of them.
Anthony Delisanti,
Adam Melliere,
Rob Politza,
Owen Sander and
Grant Norman either won or halved each one of their matches for us today."
"We really enjoyed competing with DePaul on this historic nine-hole golf course for the past two days. Coach Schiene and I created a unique tournament format, using the Ryder Cup structure and the nine-hole layout for three different sets of match-play rounds. It was a terrific competition with five coaches and 17 players on the course for the entire day, enjoying some perfect fall weather on one of the most beautiful golf courses in the country. We're very grateful to Mr. Keiser and his entire staff for giving us the opportunity to hold our competition on his golf course."
Up Next
Valpo will close out the fall season by participating in the Monterrey Collegiate Classic at Club Campestre Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico beginning on Friday, Oct. 25. A link to live scoring will be available on ValpoAthletics.com.
