University of Cincinnati men's golf to tee off in 1st-ever NCAA team tournament

The University of Cincinnati celebrated its first non-football NCAA athletic tournament appearance in four years Wednesday afternoon.

Fifth Third Arena houses men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball. Yet, in the Champion's Club on this day, it was an NCAA tournament watch party for men's golf.

Around 1:30 p.m. via the Golf Channel, coach Doug Martin's Bearcats were announced as the No. 7 seed in the NCAA Regional in Las Vegas May 15-17. The course is Bear's Best a par-72, 7,194-yard layout in the northwest portion of town. UC will be joined by Arizona State, Stanford, Virginia, Oklahoma State, Northwestern, East Tennessee State, San Francisco, UNC-Greensboro, Long Beach State, Oregon State, Davidson, Kansas City and Lehigh.

"The vibe is great!" Martin said after the announcement. "Any time this time of year, like basketball season or when the final four in football is unveiled, it's one of those days where all your hard work for that season is rewarded. We're going to compete and we expect to qualify and play at the finals."

Six 54-hole tournaments whittle the competition down to 30 teams and eventually just five will remain for the NCAA Finals May 26-31 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Other than 2021's football appearance in the College Football Playoff Semifinal, UC's last NCAA team tournament trips came in the winter of 2019 with Mick Cronin's last Bearcat team, the spring of 2019 when the baseball team made it to the NCAA Regional in Corvallis, Oregon and UC women's volleyball appearing in the NCAA Sweet 16 that same year.

As a team, the Bearcats have never had their name called. UC has had seven individual appearances in the postseason, including fifth-year senior Sam Jean last May in Columbus. The Bearcats this season reached 25th in the polls, their highest in program history while winning three tournaments, their most since the 1997-98 campaign.

How good are they?

The Bearcats are currently ranked No. 40, according to Golfstat.

Doug Martin, in his 14th year leading the Bearcats was named AAC Coach of the Year in UC's final season in the league while Ryan Ford earned Freshman of the Year and joined teammates Sam Jean and Ty Gingerich on the All-Conference team. It's the most conference honors UC has had since 1993 in the Great Midwest.

UC won the Bearcat Invitational at their home course at Coldstream Country Club in September, beating 12 other schools. They won the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate in October over 14 other schools and took the Dorado Beach Collegiate in late February over 13 other schools. They finished second in the AAC championships April 21-23.

"We won in different ways," Martin said. "We won from coming back. We won within the league. Anytime you can win in different ways it's a great experience for the guys. Our ability to close and our ability to hold a lead has been great."

Martin says he felt this team was a winner going back to their first qualifying matches in August. With seven new players, it's basically a new team and they're young. UC has just one senior, a redshirt junior, two juniors with the rest all freshmen.

Who are the Bearcat golfers?

Ford (Westfield, Ind.) is UC's first Freshman of the Year in its AAC tenure, as well as its first recipient since Austin Squires was the 2017 player of the year. His stroke average was 72 as he's been at 70.33 during the spring, far better than his 75.18 in the fall. His best round came in the Mossy Oak Collegiate in Mississippi, a program record 8-under 64 which was one stroke off the title and better than 15 top-100 golfers.

Jean (Greenwood, Ind.) is enjoying a three-peat on the All-AAC team, this time leading UC with a 69.97 stroke average and ranking 98th in Golfstat. He won the Bearcat Invitational at Coldstream Country Club in September and was 48-under over the first seven tournaments. The fifth-year senior boasts a 72.35 stroke average, and last May he became Cincinnati's seventh NCAA individual participant when he took part in Columbus.

Gingerich (Russiaville, Ind.) joins Jean as a unanimous selection and is making his first appearance on the postseason honor roll. He was the AAC Golfer of the Month in October for a pair of top-10 finishes and carding an overall 24-under par. His 70.91 stroke average is second to Jean, and he has improved that score each season since first teeing off in 2020-21.

Other low scorers are redshirt junior William McDonald at 71.72, freshman Rylan Wotherspoon from Cooper High in Florence at 71.75 and freshman Wyatt Plattner at 73.19.

Adapting to the Las Vegas desert

"Desert golf is going to be a huge challenge," Martin said. "We don't have anybody on our team that's ever played desert golf. We can't play the tournament course until the official practice round. We'll get out there probably next Thursday. We'll have two or three days. Really, more than anything, it's getting used to the elevation. The golf ball's going to go a different distance as the temperature increases or decreases."

Said senior Jean, "It will be a first for several guys. We're going out several days early to get used to it. The ball flies out there. It's similar grass to what we play at Coldstream. We'll get prepared and be ready to go."

Coach Doug Martin should know the Big 12 well

After gaining a No. 1 ranking in 1984 as an American Junior Golf All-American, Martin played in the conference for the Oklahoma Sooners when it was the Big 8. He won five titles for Oklahoma and was a three-time All-American. Included in that run was a 1989 second-place finish to Phil Mickelson in the NCAA Championship.

He looks forward to taking this group to the Big 12.

"It's going to be an unbelievable challenge across the board for all the sports," Martin said. "I think we've got great coaches that are willing to accept this challenge. I'm really excited to take my young team and go compete in the Big 12. The Big 12's the second-best golf conference in the country right behind the SEC. We've got our hands full but we're ready for the challenge."

Martin went on to play eight seasons on the PGA tour with a couple of wins and a five-hole playoff second-place finish to Vijay Singh in the Buick Classic.

He joined the coaching staff in 2006-07 as an assistant, becoming head coach three years later.

It's Kentucky Derby week and Doug Martin has a special friend

Among the well-wishers to UC's golf team was Hall of Fame jockey Steve Cauthen, who 45 years ago rode Affirmed to the 1978 Triple Crown. Cauthen and Martin are friends and golfing buddies. Should you need a tip for Saturday's Derby, here's the word from a man who rode one of the 13 Triple Crown winners to glory.

"I think the favorite Forte, you can't count him out," Cauthen said. "I also like the horse that won the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway, Two Phil's. A lot of it depends on how they get to that first turn. It's the one race all year where they have 20 runners. It's a cavalry charge getting to that first turn. I see Forte being right around there at the end. Two Phil's as well. And, the Japanese horse (Derma Sotogake), I know his jockey and he likes his chances. The Japanese horses are just getting better and better. Those are the big three horses I would say."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: UC Bearcat men's golf team off to NCAA tournament for 1st time