Scots Make Four-Spot Move on Day Two of Intercollegiate

Andy Van Horn eyes one of his drives during Friday's round. He tied for fifth-place overall (75-74).

The College of Wooster shaved 10 strokes off of its first round score and moved up four spots in the team standings to take eighth-place at its own Nye Intercollegiate, which included a field of 18, four of which were ranked among the top-25 nationally in the latest NCAA Div. III coaches’ poll, this weekend (April 14-15). Otterbein College tied a tournament-record with an 18-hole team score of 294 Saturday, paving the way for the Cardinals seventh win at Wooster’s annual event in the past eight seasons.

Overall, No. 5 Otterbein posted a 20-over par 596 at the Wooster Country Club’s par-72, 6545-yard course, 14 strokes better than both No. 15 Allegheny College (610) and No. 19 Ohio Wesleyan University (610). The other ranked team was No. 22 DePauw University, which finished fifth (624), as Hope College (616) snuck into fourth-place.

Also slightly ahead of the Scots were Mt. Union College (629) and Manchester College (630), while they’re score of 638 (324-314) beat out John Carroll University (640) and Baldwin-Wallace College (648), which rounded out the top-10.

The Cardinals were also the story individually, as junior Matt Collins tied the tourney record with a one-under 143 (74-69) for medalist honors. Former Wooster great Scott Nye also shot 143 in 1984. Collins beat out teammate and defending champion Andy Miller, who was the runner-up this year with a one-over 145 (74-71).

Only two players shot under 150 at last spring’s Nye Intercollegiate, however, seven did this season, including the Scots’ Andy Van Horn, who finished in a three-way tie for fifth-place with a five-over 149 (75-74).

Also for Wooster, Brandon Tylka tied for 37th in the field of 96 golfers with a two-day total of 160 (78-82), while rounding out the starting lineup were Erik Shoger, Mike Becker, and Pat Lynch. Shoger bounced back from an 88 on Friday for a 76 and 51st-place showing (164), Becker scored for the team Friday (83) and tied for 57th overall (167), and Lynch turned in an 82 Saturday after an 88 for 65th-place (170).

The Scots also had four others participate as individuals in the field and Matt Mellott may have earned himself a spot back in the regular lineup after carding back-to-back 70s (78-76), good for a tie for 16th-place. Also under 80 were Sean Glaser (78-84) and Jim Ipema (79-98).

Wooster has one more tune-up prior to the North Coast Athletic Conference Championships, as it will compete at next weekend’s annual Ohio Wesleyan University Strimer Invitational.