Team Lamb explodes for 17 points, grabs lead after sixth round of Polar Bear Cup golf challenge

October 12, 2020

By Tim Glon

ADA — Team Lamb exploded for a record-breaking 17-point day to move into the lead after the sixth round in the Polar Bear Cup Challenge on Saturday at Colonial Golfers Club.

Lamb topped Team Sharber 7-2 in the team competition, then added 10 skill points to move from third place into the lead with 51 points.

Team Sharber fell to second with 48.5 points, Team Ludwig is third with 45.5 points and Team Hairston is fourth with 42 points.

Team Ludwig defeated Team Hairston 5.5-3.5 on Saturday.

Hairston grabbed seven points in the skills competition, Ludwig added four points and Sharber scored three points.

The race is tightened heading into the final two rounds, which will feature head-to-head battles between all 10 members of each team.

The first of the final two rounds slated for Sunday at 2:30 pm and the second round will be Oct. 25 at 8 am. Both rounds will be 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 rounds.

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

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.

Individually, Lamb's sophomore Austin White (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township) remained undefeated with a perfect 6-0 record after combining with senior Ethan Smith (Chillicothe / Southeastern) for a 3-0 victory.

Freshman Grace Honigford (Mason/Lakota East) of Team Sharber is also undefeated at 5-0-1 after winning 2-1 with freshman teammate Julia Gutchall (Mansfield/Shelby).

Freshman Meghan Utterdyke (Franklin/Fenwick) of Team Lamb improved to 4-0-1 with a 3-0 win with freshman teammate Bradon Wooldridge (Piketon).

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 6

   Team Lamb - 51 Pts.
   Team Sharber - 48.5 Pts.
   Team Ludwig - 45.5 Pts.
   Team Hairston - 42 Pts.

Round 6 Results - Scramble - Better Ball - Alternate Shot

Ludwig def. Hairston, 5.5-3.5

   Annika Neumann / Angela Miller (Ludwig) def. Allison Logue / Rylie Smith (Hairston), 3-0
   Josh Steyer / Sam Straker (Hairston) def. Nolan Kimberly / Jacob Brooks (Ludwig), 3-0
   Dylan Morris / Torrie Smith (Ludwig) def. Garrett McCarthy / Shelby Starkey (Hairston), 2.5-.5

Lamb def. Sharber, 7-2

   Ethan Smith / Austin White (Lamb) def. Jared Hernandez / Andrew Slusher (Sharber), 3-0
   Meghan Utterdyke / Bradon Wooldridge (Lamb) def. Karlee Staugler / Matt Russo (Sharber), 3-0
   Grace Honigford / Julia Gutchall (Sharber) def. Allison Rountree / Erika Brooks (Lamb), 2-1

Round 6 Skills Competition Results

   Team Lamb - 10 Pts.
   Team Hairston - 7 Pts.
   Team Ludwig - 4 Pts.
   Team Sharber - 3 Pts.