Dutch erase Prairie Wolves lead at Iowa Conference men’s golf tournament, tied at the top

Central Dutch Athletics

WAVERLY — It’s shaping up to be a showdown Saturday afternoon after the Central College men’s golf team erased a four-stroke, two-round deficit to Iowa Conference tournament leader Nebraska Wesleyan Friday afternoon.

The Dutch (303-303-299—905) and the Prairie Wolves (297-305-303—905) are tied atop the nine-team tournament with Luther College (311-306-306—923) in third place.

“I’m extremely happy for our guys,” said coach Jon Olson. “We’ve put in a ton of work and they’ve earned to be in the position they are in.”

Central showed its consistency again during the third round of the league tournament, counting four scores in the 70s, including a team-low from sophomore Kobe Rhodes (Glenwood).

Rhodes (80-84-72—236) got off to a steady start, posting a front-nine, one-over par 37 and then capitalized on a five-foot eagle putt on the 14th to get to one-under par. Rhodes had a small hiccup on the 15th before finishing with three consecutive pars.

“We knew Kobe was going to rebound after last weekend and he did that today,” said Olson. “He putted it well today and then hit one tight on 14 to get a couple strokes back.”

Junior Jeremy Schwab (Beach Park, Ill., Zion Benton HS) (76-74-74—224) started his third round fast, making an opening birdie on the 369-yard, par-4 first at Prairie Links Golf Course. Schwab rattled in four birdies on the day.

“Jeremy has been one of our hardest workers all year and the results are showing it,” said Olson. “Jeremy never gets too high or too low in his round and he knows that he can rely on all the practice he’s put in.”

Sophomore Nick Walker (Naperville, Ill., Neuqua Velley HS) (74-74-76—224) had one birdie on his round, securing a four on the 515-yard third. Walker led the team with 13 pars in round three.

“Nick has been playing some great golf lately and he did it again today,” said Olson. “He hit one of the longest 7-irons I’ve ever seen today and it ended up costing him a couple of shots but he was able to stay composed and post a good number.”

Junior Nash Bucher (Huxley, Ballard HS) (74-76-77—227) got off to a rough start (five-over through five holes) before draining two birdies in his last four holes on the front nine. Bucher continued his solid play, parring eight of the final nine holes with his only misstep on the par-4 16th.

“Nash made a mistake early in his round and it cost him,” said Olson. “It took him a bit to get over the mistake but once he did he played well. I’m very proud of him being able to bounce back and grind his way to the clubhouse.”

Sophomore Dillon Peters (Des Moines, Valley HS) (79-79-77—235) played the par-5s three-under par, capitalizing on three birdie opportunities, including a 15-footer on the third hole.

“Dillon has been great for us the past few weeks,” said Olson. “He’s been someone we’ve been able to count on and his teammates know he’s going to put forth a solid round and that gives them all confidence.”

Tournament play continues Saturday morning with the Dutch teeing off at 10:40. The winner earns the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Championship tournament. The national tournament is held May 15-18 in Greensboro, N.C. at the Grandover Resort.

“I’m excited to get back out there tomorrow,” said Olson. “Having a chance at a conference title is special and I know our guys are going to relish in the opportunity. I like how we’re playing right now and I think tomorrow is going to be a lot of fun.”

Live results are available at athletics.central.edu.