Bowling Green State University Athletics
Oakland Captures 3rd Annual John Piper Intercollegiate
September 16, 2003 | Men's Golf
Sept. 16, 2003
Bowling Green, Ohio - Oakland University led from start to finish to capture the 3rd Annual John Piper Intercollegiate, hosted by Bowling Green State University at Stone Ridge Golf Club. The Grizzlies finished the 54-hole tournament this afternoon with a team score of 870 (292, 282, 296), defeating 11 other teams.
Butler's Colin Christie was the individual medalist, winning the tournament by one stroke over Oakland's Brian Stuard with a three-round score of 213. Christie shot a 70-72-71 for the title.
The host Falcons moved all the way from fourth place after day one to second place on the final day, finishing with a team score of 884 (295, 297, 292). Redshirt-sophomore Tommy Lopez shot a career-low 69 in the final round on Tuesday to finish tied for third place with teammate Adam Balls. Both finished with a 54-hole score of 217, four strokes back of Christie. Lopez carded a 72-76-69 in his three rounds while Balls shot 74-71-72. They shared the third-place finish with Oakland's Rob Tate.
"I was proud of Tommy today," said BGSU coach Garry Winger. "His final round of 69 was the difference in us beating out Butler for second place.
"Adam just could not get anything going," Winger continued about senior Adam Balls. "He had a lot of putts that he missed that he could have just as easily made."
Other Falcons placing included redshirt-junior Craig Pickerel (T-23rd, 227), sophomore Heath Ziglar (T-25th, 228), and sophomore Christopher Leake (T-32nd, 230).
The 54-hole tournament is named after former Falcon coach John Piper, who led the Falcons to three MAC Championships from 1970-82. Piper still resides in Bowling Green.
