Kent State Golfing Success......

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On the Tour With Kent State: Curtis and Mills Contend At The Travelers
Former Golden Flashes earn top 20 finishes on the PGA Tour

Courtesy: Kent State Athletic Communications
Release: 06/24/2008


It was a successful weekend for a pair of former Kent State golfers as Ben Curtis and Jon Mills each finished in the top 20 at the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn.

Curtis bounced back from a missed cut at the U.S. Open to shoot four sub-70 rounds. Standing tied for 31st after round three, the 2000 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year shot a final round 66 to gain 18 spots on the field and earn a tied for 13th. The 13th place finish was his second highest of the season while the $106,000 purse put him over $1 Million in earnings this season, moving him to 55th on the 2008 money list. Curtis ended the tournament with an 11-under 269 (68-66-69-66) leaving him seven shots back of champion Stewart Cink.

After opening the event with a 70 on Thursday, Mills fired a PGA Tour personal best 64 on Friday followed by a 65 on Saturday. The noteworthy performance moved him right up the leaderboard and placed him just four stokes back in a tie for eighth heading into Sunday. A one-over 71 on Sunday left the former MAC Sportsman of the Year at with a 10-under 270 (70-64-65-71), one stroke back of Curtis and in a tie for 19th overall. For Mills it was him second highest showing of the year and earned him $65,250 in prize money.


ADD THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO KSU'S 3 NFL PRO BOWL STARTERS (Antonio Gates, SD, James Harrison, PGH, and Josh Cribbs, Cle) AND THE BASKETBALL TEAM'S MAC CHAMPIONSHIP AND 10TH STRAIGHT 20+ WIN SEASON.....it's gotta rub off on the football team, doesn't it?!

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Kent State Finishes Sixth At NCAA Championship
Golden Flashes earn highest finish in school history
Courtesy: Kent State Athletic Communications
Release: 05/31/2008

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Validation. That is how Kent State Head Men’s Golf Coach Herb Page described his team’s performance this week at the 111th NCAA Championship. The Golden Flashes finished alone in sixth place to earn the highest finish in a program’s storied history. With a four round score of 52-over 1204 (301-297-302-304), KSU ended the tournament just 10 strokes back of national champion UCLA.

“This is something pretty special,” said Page, “It really validates what Kent State golf is all about. This is about as good as it can get.”

Freshman Brett Cairns (Courtland, Ontario) led the team to a 304 on Saturday after making five birdies in his two-over round of 74. With KSU starting off hole 10 today, Cairns had a rough start making bogey on three of his first four holes before rolling in a birdie on the par four 15th. The Second Team All-MAC honoree would bogey two more holes on the back nine before finishing off with a par on No. 18. He then made his move after the turn with two straight birdies on No. 1 and 2. Standing at two-over on the day, Cairns recorded a double-bogey on No.3, but played the last six holes in two-under as he birdied No. 4 and No. 7. He moved up 18 spots on the field to finish tied for 43rd with a 19-over 307 (78-75-80-74).

“Hole No. 1 really got it started for me and then I fed off the momentum,” said Cairns, “I was just trying to hang in there and grind it out for the team.”

Shooting a team low nine-over 297 (80-76-76-73) senior David Markle (Shelbourne, Ontario / Centre Dufferin), finished tied for 10th overall giving him KSU second lowest individual performance in school history. Markle closed out his fantastic week and Golden Flash career with a three-over 75 this afternoon making 13 pars, including nine of the first 11 holes. After a bogey on No. 3 put him at three-over he gained a stroke back with his only birdie of the day on the par five fifth. Earning the highest finishing since current PGA Tour member Jon Mills took sixth in 2001, Markle would close out the day with pars on four of the final five holes.

"We were determined and focused all week and believed in ourselves,” said Markle, “It really hasn’t set in yet (on the team’s finish), it’s something we’ll have together forever.”

Sophomore David Ludlow (Burton, Ohio / Berkshire), and freshman John Hahn (Hudson, Ohio / Hudson), capped off the scoring for KSU with rounds of 77 and 78 respectively, while senior Tom Ballinger (Mansfield, Ohio / Mansfield) shot 81.

Ludlow became just the sixth KSU individual to finish in the top 25 as he finished tied for 23rd with a 15-over 303 (78-75-73-77). A First Team All-MAC selection, he had birdies on 13 and 1 and stood at just one over through 10 holes of play. Following a bogey on 2 and a double-bogey on four when the ball hit his club twice on a chip, he closed out the day with pars on four of the final five holes.

Hahn was plus-two after the first nine holes with his only miscue coming in the form of a double bogey on No. 14. He would run into trouble on the front nine with two straight bogeys following the turn before earning a stroke back by recording birdie on four. With the course playing tough all week, the MAC Golfer of the Year then posted three straight bogeys before back-to-back pars ended his round. Overall he tied for 33rd with a 17-over 305 (83-71-73-78).

Playing the final tournament of his collegiate career, Ballinger had 11 pars and a birdied No. 15, but was done in by a pair of triple bogeys on No 13 and No. 5. He placed tied for 73rd overall with a 29-over 317 (75-80-81-81).

“I’ve coached a long time and we’ve always had high expectations,” said Page, “This is a true testament to Kent State’s ‘Excellence In Action’. I’m thankful for (KSU Athletic Director Laing Kennedy) and the administration for allowing us to compete at this level and for our guys showing that we belong here.”

Kevin Chappell of UCLA shot a two-under 286 and claimed individual medalist honors by three stokes over Indiana’s Jorge Campillo and Washington’s Nick Taylor

Kent State Par Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Rd4 total
T 9 David Markle +9 70 76 76 75 297
T 23 David Ludlow +15 78 75 73 77 303
T 33 John Hahn +17 83 71 73 78 305
T 43 Brett Cairns +19 78 75 80 74 307
T 73 Tom Ballinger +29 75 80 81 81 317


rank team Par Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Rd4 total
1 UCLA +42 297 293 298 306 1194
2 Stanford +43 309 288 296 302 1195
3 USC +44 297 294 300 305 1196
4 Oklahoma State +48 298 296 301 305 1200
5 Clemson +49 301 288 302 310 1201
6 Kent State +52 301 297 302 304 1204
7 Washington +56 305 290 307 306 1208
T-8 Charlotte +58 306 295 306 303 1210
T-8 Georgia +58 303 293 305 309 1210
10 Louisville +61 311 296 300 306 1213
11 Florida +62 302 291 306 315 1214
12 Texas A&M +64 309 294 306 307 1216
13 Alabama +66 309 297 297 315 1218
14 San Diego State +70 310 303 294 315 1222
15 Middle Tenn. St +73 309 293 311 312 1225
Missed Cut
14 Auburn +50 306 304 304 914
22 Arizona State +52 311 293 312 916
36 Illinois +52 302 302 312 916
38 Texas +53 311 309 297 917
34 UC Irvine +55 320 297 302 919
20 Indiana +56 313 310 297 920
17 UAB +59 311 297 315 923
12 Wake Forest +59 314 304 305 923
16 East Tenn. State +59 313 300 310 923
33 Penn State +62 315 298 313 926
Virginia +67 312 307 312 931
31 Mississippi State +71 326 297 312 935
29 Oregon +61 315 304 316 935
40 Augusta State +72 326 308 302 936
Saint Mary’s +85 333 309 307 949