NIACC men fall to Iowa Lakes in Quad Cup II
LIVERMORE - The NIACC men's golf team dropped a 2 1/2 to 1 1/2 decision to Iowa Lakes in the opening round of the Quad Cup II at the Spring Valley Golf Course on Sunday.
The Trojans' second match against Iowa Central was called because of darkness.
John Patterson and former NIACC golfer Mitchell Scholl picked up the Trojans' point by winning 4 and 2.
NIACC's Ben Boerjan and Jackson Hamlin tied their match to gain a half point.
"John Patterson was amazing on the putting surface (Sunday)," NIACC coach Chris Frenz said. "He continually nailed big putt after big putt as he and Mitchell Scholl put away a solid pairing from Iowa Lakes.
"Ben Boerjan and Jackson Hamlin battled back from being down 4 at one point to get a half point for the team when Jackson rolled in about a 30 foot birdie putt on the 18th hole."
NIACC's Austin Eckenrod and Zach Martin lost their match 1 down. An Iowa Lakes golfer called a rules infraction against NIACC for touching the green with the putter in the line of where the Trojans were going to hit the putt forcing the Trojans to lose the hole and the match.
"It is the rule," Frenz said, "however, it wasn't called on us until after we had made the putt.
"It was a disheartening way to lose the match after it being such a great battle the entire day, but the rules are the rules."
The Ryder Cup-style format tournament was the final tournament of the fall season for the Trojans.
"This is becoming a great way for us to end the fall season," Frenz said. "The opening match was an outstanding match between two evenly matched teams.
"It came down to the very end in all the matches except one and really it was anybody's to win."
Iowa Lakes 2 ½, NIACC 1 ½
(IL) Rahn-Jacobson 1 up (NI) Eckenrod-Martin
(IL) James-Murphy AS (NI) Boerjan-Hamlin
(IL) Maxwell-Baher 1 up (NI) Heinemann-Koob
(NI) Patterson-Scholl 4 and 2 (IL) Revering-Edwards