TicketsCINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati men's golf team is off its first true break of the season and headed deep in the heart of Texas for its inaugural Big 12 Match Play event, Monday-Wednesday.
The first two days are pool play against Texas, Kansas State and Houston in its three matches. Wednesday features final rounds in the morning and afternoon to determine final standings. It is the Bearcats' first match-play event since opening the 2011 spring in Florida.
This match play event has been held each year since 2019, all at the Club at Houston Oaks (par-71 and 7,007 yards), with Texas Tech winning the last one.
"I am excited to take this team to The Big 12 Match Play Championship," head coach Doug Martin said. "Houston Oaks is a tremendous venue for this Championship. We have worked really hard this week to prepare for Match Play. It's a different mindset than stroke play and we have emphasized the mentality needed to be successful."
Cincinnati will have its first lineup change of the season as well with Cole Imig making his lineup debut alongside Connor McNeeley, Rylan Wotherspoon, Ryan Ford and William McDonald. Ty Gingerich is traveling as a sub.
Imig was 5-over at the Bearcat Invitational, his only action thus far after transferring from UAB. McNeely holds the team lead with a 70.78 stroke average, including matching his career-low with a 65 to open the home tournament, one stroke off the lowest in program history. He was 8-under at Coldstream to finish second.
The Bearcats have finished fifth, eighth and fourth over their first three tournaments, all challenging fields stretching from Wisconsin to Tennessee and Cincinnati. UC also improved its score over each round of the first two events but saw those fortunes reverse in the home one, and it now looks to right the ship after these few weeks off.
The first two days are pool play against Texas, Kansas State and Houston in its three matches. Wednesday features final rounds in the morning and afternoon to determine final standings. It is the Bearcats' first match-play event since opening the 2011 spring in Florida.
This match play event has been held each year since 2019, all at the Club at Houston Oaks (par-71 and 7,007 yards), with Texas Tech winning the last one.
"I am excited to take this team to The Big 12 Match Play Championship," head coach Doug Martin said. "Houston Oaks is a tremendous venue for this Championship. We have worked really hard this week to prepare for Match Play. It's a different mindset than stroke play and we have emphasized the mentality needed to be successful."
Cincinnati will have its first lineup change of the season as well with Cole Imig making his lineup debut alongside Connor McNeeley, Rylan Wotherspoon, Ryan Ford and William McDonald. Ty Gingerich is traveling as a sub.
Imig was 5-over at the Bearcat Invitational, his only action thus far after transferring from UAB. McNeely holds the team lead with a 70.78 stroke average, including matching his career-low with a 65 to open the home tournament, one stroke off the lowest in program history. He was 8-under at Coldstream to finish second.
The Bearcats have finished fifth, eighth and fourth over their first three tournaments, all challenging fields stretching from Wisconsin to Tennessee and Cincinnati. UC also improved its score over each round of the first two events but saw those fortunes reverse in the home one, and it now looks to right the ship after these few weeks off.