Youngstown State University
Horizon League Championships
Men’s Golf to Begin Play at Horizon League Championships on Sunday
4/21/2023 11:30:00 AM | Men's Golf
The Youngstown State men's golf team will begin play in the 2023 Horizon League Championships on Sunday at Mission Inn Resort in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla.
The three-day, 54-hole event will take place at Mission Inn Resort's El Campeon course as the teams will play 18 holes on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday to determine the conference champion. The course will play approximately 6,751 yards and par is 72. Live scoring will be available at Golfstat.com.
Youngstown State finished in second place at the Horizon League Championships last season. YSU posted a three-round team total of 861 to finish 10 strokes behind pre-tournament favorite Wright State. The second-place finish tied for the best performance at the league meet in school history, which came back in 2006. YSU's 861 is the lowest three-round performance at the Horizon League Championships in program history, surpassing the previous mark of 863 that was set in 2006.
The men's field will feature nine other teams including Cleveland State, Detroit Mercy, Green Bay, IUPUI, Northern Kentucky, Oakland, Purdue Fort Wayne, Robert Morris and Wright State.
The Penguins, who are seeded eighth, will tee off on No. 10 beginning at 8:40 a.m. on Sunday. Head Coach Tony Joy has announced that YSU's lineup will feature Bryan Kordupel, Cade Kreps, Cole Christman, Dean Austalosh and Ryan Sam. In addition, Jacob Sylak will be available as a possible substitute.
YSU's Sunday Tee Times:
- Sam – 8:40 a.m.
- Austalosh – 8:50 a.m.
- Christman – 9:00 a.m.
- Kreps – 9:10 a.m.
- Kordupel – 9:20 a.m.
Kordupel has competed in all 10 tournaments and 29 rounds for the Penguins this season. The fifth-year senior is averaging a team and career-best 72.9 strokes per round with a career-low round of 64. The Boardman, Ohio native has earned four top-five finishes and six top-10 finishes while being YSU's top finisher in nine of 10 events this season. He was named Horizon League Golfer of the Week on March 23. Kordupel will be competing at the Horizon League Championships for the third time in his career. He tied for 38th at the league meet in 2021 with a three-round score of 239 (78-76-85). Kordupel tied for 17th at the league championships last season with a three-round 222 (79-71-72).
Kreps has competed in all 10 tournaments and 29 rounds this season. The Boardman, Ohio, native is averaging a career-best 75.1 strokes per round with a career-low round of 70. The redshirt senior's best finish of the season came when he tied for 23rd at the Don Benbow Butler Spring Invitational with a career-best three-round score of 214 (71-73-70). Kreps will be competing at the Horizon League Championships for the first time in his career.
Christman will be competing at the league meet for the third time in his career. The junior placed fourth last season with a three-round score of 212 (72-69-71) to earn a spot on the Horizon League All-Tournament Team. He also finished tied for 40th at the event in 2021 with a three-round 240 (79-78-83). The Boardman, Ohio, native has competed in seven tournaments and 20 rounds this season with a 77.2 strokes-per-round average and a low round of 69. Christman's best finish of the season came when tied for 28th at the Valpo Fall Invitational with a three-round 226 (76-80-70).
Austalosh has competed in eight tournaments and 23 rounds this season. The Campbell, Ohio, native is averaging a career-best 75.7 strokes per round with a career-low round of 71. The redshirt junior's best finish of the season came when he tied for fifth at the Wright State Invitational with a three-round score of 224 (75-75-74). Austalosh will be competing at the Horizon League Championships for the first time in his career.
Sam will be also be making his Horizon League Championships debut for the Penguins. The true freshman has competed in all 10 tournaments and 29 rounds this season. The Canfield, Ohio, native is averaging 75.6 strokes per round while carding a low round of 70 on two occasions. Sam's best finish of the campaign came when tied for 24th at NKU's The Jewell with a three-round total of 219 (70-71-78).
Sylak has competed in five tournaments and 14 rounds this season. He is averaging 77.6 strokes per round while firing a low round of 73 on three occasions. The sophomore's best finish of the season came when he tied for 31st at the Carpetbagger Classic with a two-round score of 152 (78-74).
Youngstown State matched its best finish at the Horizon League Championships with a second-place finish last season. The Penguins also finished as the runner-up in 2006. YSU also placed third in 2019, 2014, 2011, 2010 and 2008. Wright State is the defending champion and top seed after winning the 2022 championship.
The NCAA Regionals are May 15-17 at six different sites. Host cities for the regionals include Auburn, Ala., Bath, Mich., Las Vegas, Nev., Morgan Hill, Calif., Norman, Okla., and Salem, S.C.
For news and updates throughout the Horizon League Championships, follow @YSUMensGolf on Twitter.
