Youngstown State University
Butler Spring Invitational
Keller Leads Penguins to Sixth-Place Finish at Butler Spring Invitational
3/29/2022 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Senior Ken Keller finished tied for eighth to lead the Youngstown State men's golf team to a sixth-place finish in the Butler Spring Invitational on Tuesday at Highland Golf & Country Club in Indianapolis, Ind.
The Penguins finished with a two-round team total of 584, which ranks tied for the fifth-lowest 36-hole score in program history. YSU fired a 290 in the opening round on Monday before posting a 294 in the second and final session on Tuesday. The Guins were tied for third place following Monday's first round.
Keller finished with a two-round score of 142 (71-71) to earn his third top-10 finish of the season. The senior's one-over-par 71 in the first round featured 11 pars and three birdies as he made par or better on nine of his final 10 holes. The Youngstown, Ohio, native fired an even-par 35 on the front nine and a one-over-par 36 on the back nine during the opening round. Keller's second-round 71 included 13 pars and two birdies as he made par or better on 14 of his final 16 holes. He carded a one-under-par 34 on the front nine during the second session.
Zack Ford tied for 22nd with a two-round total of 146 (74-72) to earn his best individual finish of the season. The senior's first-round 74 featured nine pars and three birdies as he made par or better on nine of his first 11 holes. Ford's second-round 72 included 12 pars and two birdies as he made par or better on 10 of his final 11 holes. The Cochranton, Pa., native fired an even-par 35 on the back nine during the final round.
Bryan Kordupel finished tied for 34th with a two-round 148 (73-75). The senior's first-round 73 featured 15 pars and three bogeys as he made par on 12 of his first 13 holes including a stretch of eight straight. Kordupel's second-round 75 included 10 pars and a pair of birdies.
Kevin Scherr finished tied for 43rd with a two-round 149 (73-76). The senior's opening-round 73 featured 11 pars and two birdies as he made par or better on 12 of his final 14 holes. Scherr carded a two-under-par 33 on the back nine during the first round. Scherr's final-round 76 included 10 pars and a birdie on the par-five No. 12 as he made par or better on 10 of his first 13 holes.
Cole Christman concluded the tournament with a two-round 153 (73-80) to finish in a tie for 66th. The junior's first-round 73 featured 13 pars and a birdie on the par-four No. 6 as he made par or better on 11 of his final 13 holes. The Boardman, Ohio, native fired an even-par 35 on the front nine during the opening round. Christman's second-round 80 included 10 pars and a birdie on the par-four No. 1.
Playing as an individual, Jacob Sylak finished with a two-round score of 154 (75-79). The freshman's first-round 75 featured 10 pars and a pair of birdies as he shot a one-over-par 36 on the back nine. Sylak's second-round 79 included 10 pars and a birdie on the par-four No. 16.
Valparaiso won the tournament title by six strokes over Butler with a two-round team total of 569 (279-290). Morehead State finished third with a 576 while Detroit Mercy (581) and Bellarmine (582) rounded out the top five. The Penguins finished four strokes ahead of seventh-place Purdue Fort Wayne and five strokes in front of eighth-place Green Bay.
Detroit Mercy's James Hill, Valparaiso's Anthony Delisanti and Illinois' Luke Armbrust each recorded a two-round 139 to finish tied atop the individual leaderboard. Hill was named tournament medalist after a scorecard playoff.
Youngstown State will continue its spring schedule on April 10-11 with the Northern Kentucky Spring Invitational at Elks Run Golf Club in Batavia, Ohio.
For news and updates throughout the spring season, follow @YSUMensGolf on Twitter.
