Yellow Jackets bounce back at Belterra Classic

By Evan Martens

The Yellow Jackets took a short trip down to Florence, Indiana, to play at the Belterra Classic, where they finished fourth, shooting +35.

 For the first time in a couple of tournaments, the first 18 holes did not hurt the Yellow Jackets. It had been a recurring theme for the team to get off to a poor start, but after round one, they sat in third place, just three shots behind second.

 Ian Reed led the charge for the Jackets, shooting 67 (-4), his best score of the year.

“It felt very easy for 90% of the round,” Reed said. “I felt like I was swinging it good so that gave me a lot of confidence.”

Luckily, others followed closely behind, where D.J. Norman shot a 2-over, 73. 

Norman, however, was not the most pleased with his round.

“Kind of hung around and made a couple birdies to get back to +1 going into the par 5 18,” Norman said. “Definitely wasn’t great, but I at least managed to hang around and keep myself in it, if I put together two solid final rounds.” 

Aiden Hibbard also shot 73, a 2-over. Finally, Daniel Bailey closed out round one for the jackets with an 8-over, 79. 

With round two upon them, the Jackets knew they were in contention, and once again, the top three came out firing.

This time it was Norman with a score of 70 (-1).

“After the poor finish to the first round, I was really irritated,” Normal said. “I was proud that I was able to control that anger and at least find a score under par.” 

Hibbard got back on track, shooting an even round of 71.

“My short game saved me a bunch,” Hibbard said.

Reed followed behind with a 4-over, 75. Once again, Bailey wrapped up round two for the Jackets with an 11-over, 82.

Going into the final round, the Jackets had only fallen one spot, as they sat now in fourth, two shots behind third.

Anything can happen in those last 18, so the Jackets stayed confident and aggressive as they tried to fight back. The last round can sometimes be more of a mental battle, thinking about how you might have to bounce back after day one.

Alexander Ritter experienced this, as rounds one and two did not go the way he wanted.  

“The mindset was really just staying patient and trusting the hard work that I have put in,” Ritter said. “Coach and I were talking about how my game is trending, there was proof of that last week, and there were some signs in rounds one and two, but we discussed that it’s still improving. And whether that showed up in round three or not, I have to go into the round with confidence.”

While no individual shot under par this round, the team as a whole showed up. Norman shot a 2-over, 73.

He finished the tournament tied for sixth place at 3 over, which he was pleased with, saying, “It was nice to see myself bounce back after last week’s tournament.” 

Daniel Bailey shot a 3-over, 74, bouncing back from his first two rounds. 

“The main thing that helped me was having my mom out there and making sure she actually saw me play somewhat decent golf,” Bailey said. “I also felt like I let the team down the first day and really wanted to prove why I belong in the lineup moving forward.”  

Hibbard and Ritter both shot a 4-over, 75.

“Round three was a grind throughout, and I steadied the ship after a rough patch,” Ritter said. “It was reassuring to see those two birdies to finish the tournament and gives me momentum going into next week.”

The Jackets will play this course again in three weeks for the G-MAC championship, which they have mixed ideas about. 

“Playing at this course in two tournaments now has definitely helped me to learn the course and come up with strategies that I can use for G-MAC,” Hibbard said. “I know where I have to hit it and what I have to do, so now it’s just a matter of getting my swing down these next few weeks and doing it.”

 But Norman had other thoughts.

“It was nice that I was able to see the course, I guess,” Norman said. “But that’s weeks down the road. Weather could be different; golf course could be in a different shape. A lot of things can change in three weeks.”

The Jackets will play one last tournament, Hampton Farms Intercollegiate in Ahoskie, North Carolina, on April 6 and 7, before heading back to Belterra for the G-MAC championship.

Evan Martens is a freshman broadcasting journalism major with a minor in business marketing. He loves playing any and all sports and going to the gym.