TicketsCINCINNATI – The Cincinnati men’s golf team hits the road for the Oregon Duck Invitational starting Monday at Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Ore. Play begins with 36 holes starting at 8:30 a.m. PT Monday before the final round at 8:30 a.m. PT Tuesday.
Cincinnati’s lineup will consist of Ryan Ford, Leo Wessel, Brayden Miller, Connor McNeely and Connor Cassano with Rylan Wotherspoon participating as an individual.
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The tournament is the third of five spring tournaments for the Bearcats before the Big 12 Championship April 27-29 at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan. Cincinnati, which was receiving votes in the final Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches Poll of the fall, placed in the top five in four of its five fall tournaments, including a victory at the Bearcat Invitational Sept. 16, before a tie for eighth March 2 at the Colleton River Collegiate and a tie for seventh March 10 at The Johnnie-O.
NOTEWORTHY
Tournament History: This week will mark the 27th edition of the Duck Invitational, which dates back to 1998. Cincinnati has never participated in the event, which host Oregon won last year at 8-under-par.
The Course: The 6,997-yard, par-71 Eugene Country Club originally was established in 1899 as the second-oldest country club in Oregon. Designed by H.C. Egan and renovated in 1965 by Robert Trent Jones and again in in 2021 by Tim Jackson and David Kahn, the course is beset with towering Douglas fir trees that frame each hole and influence strategy from tee to green.
The Field: Along with Cincinnati, the 15-team field includes host Oregon, Boise State, Cal State Fullerton, Grand Canyon, Gonzaga, Hawaii-Hilo, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Oregon State, San Jose State, Saint Mary’s and UTEP.
BEARCATS IN 2025-26
Through seven tournaments, senior Ryan Ford leads the Bearcats with a 69.75 scoring average and four top-10 finishes, while sophomore Leo Wessel sits second with a 70.95 average and a pair of top-10s. Seniors Connor McNeely and Rylan Wotherspoon also have participated in all seven events in the Bearcat lineup, with McNeely averaging 72.40 and Wotherspoon tallying a 72.45 scoring average. Freshman Brayden Miller has played in all but one event, notching a 72.06 scoring average.
Ford has played 13 of his 20 rounds under par, while Wessel has played nine of 20 under par.
FORD CLIMBING UP PGA TOUR U RANKINGS
Ryan Ford has moved to 45th in the latest PGA TOUR University rankings released March 18.
In partnership with the World Amateur Golf Ranking, PGA TOUR University ranks players based on the last two years of their collegiate careers. Eligible Tournaments include NCAA Division I men’s team competitions, official PGA TOUR tournaments and select DP World Tour events. The ranking period for the Class of 2026 began Week 23/2024 and concludes June 1, 2026, following the final round of stroke play at the NCAA D-I Men’s National Championship. At the conclusion of stroke play at the NCAA D-I Men’s National Championship, the top 25 eligible players in the final PGA TOUR University Ranking will earn status on the PGA TOUR, Korn Ferry Tour, or PGA TOUR Americas.
CINCINNATI RUNS AWAY WITH BEARCAT INVITATIONAL
Three Bearcats finished in the top 10 and Cincinnati tallied three-consecutive rounds at 6-under par en route to an 11-stroke victory over an 18-team field at the Bearcat Invitational at Coldstream Country Club Sept. 16.
The host Bearcats, who won the event for the second time in four years, were paced by McNeely and Wessel, who tied for sixth at 4-under, and Ford, who finished a stroke back in a tie for ninth. All five Bearcats finished in the top 14 of the event.