Men’s Golf (11:30 Class)

For the Sport Centennial Project our group researched the Men’s Golf program. We chose this sport partly because we had the last pick in the draft and our choices were very limited and also because two of our group members knew members of the team. Men’s Golf has a long history at BGSU, however there is not very much information about the teams throughout the years. The best resource we found was the BGSU Men’s Golf Media Guide from 2008-09 which was the most recent one printed. Some information could also be found in The Key however for many of the earlier years there is no mention of the team at all.

The program went into and out of existence several times in its early years. It began in 1930 and was first coached by Paul Landis. There was no team for the next four years but then it returned in 1935 and 1936. The team then disappeared once again, played a single season in 1941 under new coach Don Cunningham, disappeared again and then returned for good in 1947.

The Men’s Golf team has recorded five MAC Titles throughout its history. They won back-to-back championships in 1972 and 1973. Their other title seasons were 1956, 1978 and 1983. As MAC Tournament Champions the team competed in the NCAA Tournament in these years. The team’s best finish in the NCAA Tournament came in 1973 when they finished twenty-third.

There have been many notable golfers throughout the program’s history. Mike McCullough, John Spengler and Ken Walters (Below) have been inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
Spengler (’82) was a letterman in both golf and football, serving as the team’s kicker. During his Junior year he was a First Team All-MAC selection in both sports. He was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989.

McCullough (’68), pictured below, has had more success in professional golf than any other Falcon. He turned pro in 1970 and joined the PGA Tour in 1972. He has played in over 400 events on the tour. He joined the Senior PGA Tour in 1996 and has recorded two wins on this circuit. He has earned over $6 million during his professional career. He was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990.

Members of this group include: Spencer Bechstein, Brett Perz, and Jeff Rowan