Fifth-year golfer Patrick Schmucking putts the ball at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate Tournament Sept. 8-10. Credit: Ohio State Athletics

The Ohio State men’s golf team finished its fall season with an average place of fourth across three tournaments, improving on last fall season’s average place of 4.5 across four tournaments. 

The season kicked off for the Buckeyes with a fourth-place finish out of 15 teams at the Maui Jim  Intercollegiate in Scottsdale, Arizona, Sept. 8 through 10. The team then traveled to East Hampton, New York between Oct. 2 and 3 for the Hamptons Invitational, finishing in second place against 10 teams. Ohio State ended its fall season in sixth place out of 15 teams at the Cal Poly Collegiate in Carmel, California, Oct. 30 and 31.

“We are not satisfied with our results, but by no stretch is it considered a disappointment,” head coach Jay Moseley said. “We are definitely in a great spot in terms of our head-to-head record and having a couple of really strong finishes.” 

At the Maui Jim Intercollegiate tournament and the Hamptons Invitational, the Buckeyes shot 9-under 275 and 9-under 279, respectively, during the first day of rounds.  

Throughout both tournaments, the Buckeyes came back with low-scoring rounds on the second day,  producing 37-under 815 for all three rounds and a second round of 9-under 275 at the Maui Jim  Intercollegiate tournament, both program-record scores. The Buckeyes carded 11-under 277 during the second day at the Hamptons Invitational.  

“The way that we quickly rebounded in the second rounds were the Buckeyes’ best moments this fall season,” Moseley said.  

Ohio State led the Cal Poly Collegiate during the first day of rounds but ended the tournament at 66- under par. 

“You look at what worked out, what didn’t work out. You look at your stats from every shot category, and then you try to get better,” fifth-year Patrick Schmucking said 

During the 2022 fall season, the Buckeyes won the Cal Poly Collegiate tournament and hoped to do the same this year, Moseley said.  

“We just weren’t quite as sharp as we wanted to be,” Moseley said. “The difference between Monday and Tuesday was just a lack of executing our game plan.” 

The Buckeyes plan on taking a winter break to sharpen the areas they saw need improvement during the fall season, Schmucking said.

“Like everyone, like we find these points that we got to work on,” Schmucking said. ”Maybe it’s technique, maybe it’s specific areas of the game. You address it over winter break, and you get better. That’s what  I’m going to do, and that’s what everyone is going to do, too.” 

The men’s golf team fell in rank as it finished its fall season ranked 27th, 12 spots behind its preseason rank of 15th, according to the Division I NCAA collegiate golf rankings.  

The Buckeyes will kick off their spring season on Jan. 29, 2024, at the Southwestern Invitation in Thousand Oaks, California. RA