Records Fall As Tigers Take Second At GolfWeek Classic

Miramar Beach, FL - Wittenberg Men's Golf made a trip to Florida to take on their toughest competition of the season at the GolfWeek October Classic, a 24-team field that included eight teams ranked in the latest NCAA Division III Top 25 poll and five more that received votes, in addition to two top North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) opponents in John Carroll and DePauw. The Tigers made a tremendous run at the team title, ending up in second place after multiple players posted record-breaking scores over the three-day event.

After the first round at Raven Golf Club, the Tigers were second in the field of 24, with Mitch Bolte (Newark, OH / Newark) leading the team with a four under-par 67, while Mikey Schutte (Cincinnati, OH / Elder) also shot an even-par 71. In the second round, the Tigers continued to play well but fell out of the top three and were tied for fourth heading into the final round on Tuesday. With multiple stellar third rounds, including a school-record 7-under-par 64 from Schutte, a blistering 4-under-par 67 from Mark Sulek (Delaware, OH / Hayes) and a stellar 2-under-par 69 from Bolte, the Tigers leaped two spots to take second place overall. Along with the second place finish, Bolte took first place individual out of 120 competitors, while Schutte tied for second.

Wittenberg finished with a three-round team score of 851 to finish 1-under-par on the par-71, 6,606-yard course after posting rounds of 286 (+2), 292 (+8), and 273 (-11), tied for the lowest team round of the competition and the lowest round in program history as well. The only team to place above Wittenberg was Mary-Hardin Baylor, the 16th-ranked team in the nation, which shot a three-round total of 5-under-par 847 to win the GolfWeek October Classic.

En route to the top of the standings, Bolte started off with a first round 67 (-4), then shot a second round 70 (-1), followed by a third round 69 (-2) for a total of 206 (-7). Schutte, tied for second, carded a first-round 71 (E) and a second-round 72 (+1), before turning in an incredible 64 (-7) to finish at 207 (-6), one stroke off the pace set by his teammate.

In third for the Tigers and tied for 19th overall, Sulek shot a first round 74 (+2) and a second round score of 75 (+4) before catching fire in the third round with a 67 (-4) for a total of 216 (+3) over the three rounds. The fourth finisher for the Tigers was Alex Rath (Dublin, OH / Scioto), who tied for 51st with a total of 222 (+9) as he carded a first-round 74 (+3), second-round 75 (+4) and third-round 73 (+2). The final Tiger golfer, who tied for 108th, was Griffin Turner (Enon, OH / Greenon) with a first-round 80 (+9), second-round 76 (+5) and third-round 82 (+11) for a total of 238 (+25).

Quote from Head Coach David Wetterich

"The guys all stayed composed and poised throughout the week and battled to the end. It was great to see a final round charge from the team on a national stage, as well as great performances from Mikey and Mitch. We're looking forward to the final two events of the Fall."

Records Broken

• Schutte now holds the record for lowest one round score with his 64, besting the previous record by two strokes.
• With his 67, Bolte now holds a spot in the top 25 for one-round scores.
• Schutte's rounds of 72 and 64 move him into a tie for 5th in the lowest score in two consecutive rounds.
• Bolte's rounds of 67 and 70 puts him in a tie for 8th for lowest total score is two consecutive rounds.
• Bolte's score of 206 makes him third all-time for lowest three round score.
• Schutte's three-round score of 207 puts him in a tie for fourth in school history.
• The team broke the record for lowest score in a round by one stroke with their third-round 273.
• Their second and third rounds of 292 and 273, for a total of 565, are tied for second place for lowest score in two consecutive rounds in school history.
• The team's total score of 851 over three rounds ties the school record for lowest score of three consecutive rounds at one event.

Written By: Grant Martin