Team Ludwig takes lead after second weekend of Polar Bear Cup

September 21, 2020

By Tim Glon

ADA — Team Ludwig scored 19.5 points in two rounds over the weekend to take the third round lead in the Polar Bear Cup Challenge on Saturday and Sunday at Colonial Golfers Club.

Ludwig moved up from third place and leads the team competition with 26.5 points. Team Sharber is second with 24.5 points, Team Lamb is third with 23 points and Team Hairston is fourth with 20.5 points.

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 rounds.

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

Each weekend'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.

The teams played two rounds over the weekend, playing a alternate shot on Saturday and a better ball/alternate shot on Sunday.

Team Ludwig scored nine points in the second round on Saturday and followed with a 10.5-point total in the third round on Sunday.

Ludwig defeated team Sharber 6-3 on Saturday and added three skills points for a 9-point day. On Sunday, Ludwig defeated Team Hairston 6.5-2.5, then added four skill points to score 10.5 points to grab a 2.5-point lead.

On Saturday, Team Lamb swept Team Hairston 7.5-1.5 by winning all three matches. Sharber and Lamb tied at 4.5-4.5 on Sunday to wrap up the weekend's competition.

Team Ludwig is led by freshman Torrie Smith (Russiaville, Ind./Western), who is undefeated at 2-0-1 for the competition.

Two players, Team Sharber freshman Grace Honigford (Mason/Lakota East) and Team Lamb sophomore Austin White (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township) are each a perfect 3-0 over the first three rounds.

Freshman Meghan Utterdyke (Franklin/Fenwick) of Team Lamb is also undefeated at 2-0-1.

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

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 3

   Team Ludwig - 26.5 Pts.
   Team Sharber - 24 Pts.
   Team Lamb - 23 Pts.
   Team Hairston - 20.5 Pts.

Round 2 Results - Alternate Shot

Lamb def. Hairston, 7.5-1.5

   Meghan Utterdyke / Allison Rountree (Lamb) def. Allison Logue / Bella Orofino (Hairston), 2.5-.5
   Austin White & Lydia Cranmer (Lamb) def. Sam Straker / Shelby Starkey (Hairston), 3-0
   Bradon Wooldridge / Luke Gilliland (Lamb) def. Garrett McCarthy / Jeff Baker (Hairston), 2-1

Ludwig def. Sharber, 6-3

   Julia Gutchall / Grace Honigford (Sharber) def. Annika Neumann / Ellie Miller (Ludwig) 2.5-.5
   Jacob Brooks / Torrie Smith (Ludwig) def. Matt Russo / Olivia Galigher (Sharber), 3-0
   Dylan Morris / Ethan Hartman (Ludwig) def. Mason Roush / Jared Hernandez (Sharber), 2.5-.5

Round 2 Skills Competition Results

   Team Hairston - 5 Pts.
   Team Sharber - 4 Pts.
   Team Ludwig - 3 Pts.
   Team Lamb - 2 Pts.

Round 3 Results - Better Ball Scramble / Alternate Shot

Lamb tied Sharber, 4.5-4.5

   Grace Honigford / Karlee Staugler (Sharber) def. Allison Rountree / Lydia Cranmer (Lamb), 2.5-0.5
   Garrett Allen / Meghan Utterdyke (Lamb) def. Olivia Galigher / Julia Gutchall (Sharber), 2-1
   Austin White / Bradon Wooldridge (Lamb) def. Sutton Bucci / Matt Russo (Sharber) 2-1

Ludwig def. Hairston, 6.5-2.5

   Torrie Smith / Ellie Miller (Ludwig) def. Jessica Tubbs / Shelby Starkey (Hairston), 2.5-0.5
   Angela Miller / Nolan Kimberly (Ludwig) def. Allison Logue / Garrett McCarthy (Hairston), 3-0
   Josh Steyer / Jeff Baker (Hairston) def. Andrew Lyon / Jacob Brooks (Ludwig), 2-1

Round 3 Skills Competition Results

   Team Ludwig - 4 Pts.
   Team Lamb - 3 Pts.
   Team Hairston - 3 Pts.
   Team Sharber - 0 Pts.