Team Sharber scores 12.5 points to grab early lead after first weekend of Polar Bear Cup Challenge

September 14, 2020

By Tim Glon

ADA — Team Sharber scored 12.5 points to grab an early lead in the inaugural Polar Bear Cup Challenge on Saturday at Colonial Golfers Club.

The Ohio Northern men's and women's golf teams divided themselves up into four 10-player teams for the Polar Bear Cup Challenge, a Ryder Cup-style tournament that will be contested over eight consecutive weekends.

Teams earn points by winning head-to-head, Ryder Cup-style competitions and by succeeding in individual skills challenges each week.

Saturday's competition featured three alternate shot competitions between each team: one men's, one women's and one mixed with one point awarded to the front 9, back 9 and total 18-hole winners.

Players not involved in the alternate shot competition had chances to earn team points by making a 5-foot putt, lagging to within 3 feet of the cup on a 40-foot putt, chipping from 15 yards out to within 2 feet of the cup and from getting within 20 feet on a 50-yard approach shot.

Teams are named in honor of past coaches that have made a positive impact on the Ohio Northern golf programs.

Team Jacque Sharber tied Team Clyde Lamb 4.5-4.5, but earned eight points in the skills competition to take the first round lead.

Team Stacey Hairston downed Team Helen Ludwig 6-3 in the other alternate-shot match.

Team Hairston and Team Ludwig added four points each in the skills competition while Team Lamb did not score any skils points.

Jacque Sharber was one of the first women's golf coaches and transitioned the team into a full-fledged varsity program.

Stacey Hairston led the Polar Bear women's team to the Ohio Athletic Conference title and the NCAA III Tournament in 2007 and is the women's program's all-time winningest coach with a 436-165-3 record in seven seasons.

Helen Ludwig is considered one of the developers and guardians of women's athletics at Ohio Northern University. She was critical in the formation of women's athletic teams before and during the implementation of Title IX. From 1963-84, she served as an assistant athletic director, the academic director of the Department of Physical Education and a head or assistant coach for nearly all of ONU's female athletic teams before she retired from ONU.

Clyde Lamb was the first men's golf coach at Ohio Northern in 1937 and led the Polar Bears to five consecutive Mid-Ohio League championships from 1950-54. He coached football, baseball, golf and tennis and served as athletics director at ONU from 1932-1969.

Check back to ONUSports.com each Monday for more updates.

Standings After Round 1

   Team Sharber - 12.5 Pts.
   Team Hairston - 8.5 Pts.
   Team Ludwig - 7 Pts.
   Team Lamb - 6 Pts.

Round 1 Results - Alternate Shot

Sharber tied Hairston, 4.5-4.5

   Sam Straker-Josh Steyer (Hairston) def. Mason Roush-Jared Hernandez (Sharber), 3-0
   Grace Honigford-Olivia Galigher (Sharber) def. Rylie Smith-Bella Orofino (Hairston), 3-0
   Jessica Tubbs-Garrett McCarthy (Hairston) tied Karlee Staugler-Matt Russo (Sharber), 1.5-1.5

Lamb def. Ludwig, 6-3

   Garrett Allen-Luke Gilliland (Lamb) def. Andrew Lyon-Ellie Miller (Ludwig), 2-1
   Austin White-Ethan Smith (Lamb) def. Dylan Morris-Jacob Brooks (Ludwig), 2.5-.5
   Lydia Cranmer-Meghan Utterdyke (Lamb) tied Annika Neumann-Torrie Smith (Ludwig), 1.5-1.5

Round 1 Skills Competition Results

   Team Sharber - 8 Pts.
   Team Hairston - 4 Pts.
   Team Ludwig - 4 Pts.
   Team Lamb - 0 Pts.