Andrus, Chippewas Top Leaderboard After First Round at MAC Championship

Sunday, April 30

Athens, Ala. (Canebrake Golf Club)

9 a.m.

Central Michigan University

Mid-American Conference Championship

CMU freshman Jeffrey Andrus tied the program record with a 3-under 69 on Sunday during the first round of the MAC Championship at Canebrake Golf Club in Athens, Ala.

Photo by: Taylor Strnad

Andrus, Chippewas Top Leaderboard After First Round at MAC Championship

4/30/2023 9:06:00 PM | Men's Golf

Team Standings Team-by-Team Player Scores Leaderboard

By: Andy Sneddon

ATHENS, Ala. – Yeah, there's a ways to go.

But for starters, it could not have been much better for the Central Michigan men's golf team.

Jeffrey Andrus shot a career-best 3-under par 69 and the Chippewas posted a 291 team score – tying for their best round of the season – on Sunday during the opening round of the Mid-American Conference Championship at Canebrake Golf Club.

CMU, which entered the tournament as the ninth seed in the nine-team field, are tied for first with Bowling Green. Miami (Ohio) is third, two shots back, while six-time defending champion Kent State and Ohio are tied for fourth at 294.

Andrus leads the tournament by two shots.

"I've said many times that how we've played or how we've finished is not indicative of how we feel about what we're doing," said CMU coach Kevin Jennings, who is leading the program which is in its first year of varsity competition since 1985 and features a lineup comprising four freshman and one junior.

"It validates the things we've gotten glimpses of throughout the year, and it allows them to see that hey, we do belong here, and we need to keep pushing and continue to elevate."

The second round is scheduled for Monday and the final round of the 54-hole event is slated for Tuesday. Both begin at 9 a.m. (ET).

CMU's Arie Jackman shot a 1-over 73 on Sunday and is among a group tied for ninth in the 45-player field. The Chippewas' Ethan Jaehn (74) is tied for 16^th, Easton Phillips (75) is tied for 27^th, and Philippe Yturralde (76) is tied for 30^th.

Andrus' 69 ties Jackman for the low round of the season. Jackman, a junior who transferred to CMU from Grand Rapids CC, shot 69 at the Sam Houston State Bearkat Invitational in Montgomery, Texas in early April.

CMU's best finish (ninth) of the 2022-23 season came at the season-opening Ball State Earl Yestingmeier Invitational, a 15-team event, in September.

The Chippewas closed that tournament with a 291, which they matched on Sunday. Each of the players in the lineup have shown, at times, the ability to go low, and the goal has been consistency.

On Sunday at Canebrake, it came together as CMU led the field with 59 pars under windy conditions. The Chippewas, combined, carded nothing worse than a double bogey and they had just three of those.

"What I've been speaking about all year is that these guys are very skilled and they're a very intelligent group and we believe in each other," Jennings said. "We kept the numbers down. Par is a strong score. I've told them, 'I'll take par and run.' I remind them of that all the time."

And, almost to a man, they started fast. Jackman eagled the second hole, while Yturralde, Andrus and Phillips were each at 1-under through two holes. Jaehn and Andrus turned at even par, while Jackman was 1-over and Yturralde was at 2-over.

Andrus fell back to even par with a bogey on the par-3 eighth hole, but he responded with an eagle on the 589-yard par-5 12^th, and then closed his round by sandwiching two birdies around one bogey.

"I talk to the guys about being resilient and competing," Jennings said. "Just because you (double bogey a hole), that doesn't define your round.

"You just have to go out there and compete and don't give up and don't give in and I think that's what (Andrus) was able to do today. He competed despite the challenges that were out there.

"That's indicative of all the guys. They competed and they were resilient. I tell them, 'Forget about who you're playing; your opponent is par. Beat that.'"