The fall men’s golf season comes to a close in Kettering this week, as the University of Dayton hosts the Dayton Flyer Invitational on Monday and Tuesday, October 19 and 20, at NCR Country Club. Thirteen teams will tee it up in the two-day event, which gives the field one final competitive test before the fall schedule ends and programs turn their attention toward the spring championship season.
The men’s field will play NCR’s South Course, a par-71 layout measuring 7,055 yards. Designed by Dick Wilson, the South Course is ranked No. 68 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Classic list and has served as a championship host for almost 70 years. Its length, classic design and tournament history figure to provide a demanding but fair examination for a field made up largely of Midwest programs familiar with Ohio golf.
Host Dayton will be joined by Ball State, Belmont, Butler, Cleveland State, DePaul, Illinois State, Marshall, Miami (Ohio), Oakland, Ohio, St. Thomas and Wright State. Play begins with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. ET on Monday for the first 36 holes, with the final 18 holes scheduled for Tuesday. DePaul lists an 8 a.m. CT tee time for Monday, reflecting the early start awaiting every team in the field.
Several returning storylines follow the field to Kettering. Illinois State tied for first at this event last season, posting rounds of 285, 290 and 292 for an 867 total. Oakland returns for a second straight year after finishing 10th last season, when senior Robert Burns tied for 16th at 218, five over par. The Golden Grizzlies arrive off a ninth-place finish at last week’s Purdue Fall Invitational, where redshirt senior Jack Zubkus tied for 14th at 217.
Dayton carries its own momentum into its home event. Sophomore T.J. Kreusch finished second last week at Miami’s Moraine Intercollegiate, and Dayton’s coach said Kreusch will be in a competitive mindset at NCR. Playing a familiar course should help the Flyers, but a deep field of regional rivals, including Wright State, Miami (Ohio), Ohio and Cleveland State, means local knowledge alone will not decide the top of the leaderboard.
The invitational is not only a men’s event. Women’s teams will also compete at NCR, playing the North Course, a par-70 layout measuring 5,880 yards. Xavier’s women’s field includes Ohio State, Toledo, Ohio and Dayton among 13 teams, adding another Ohio-heavy storyline to the two days in Kettering and giving area fans a chance to see several of the state’s programs on the same grounds.
Spectators are welcome at NCR Country Club, according to Dayton, and fans who cannot attend can follow live scoring on Clippd through SCOREBOARD. With 54 holes scheduled across two days, a classic championship course under the field and the fall season on the line, the Flyer Invitational promises a fitting finish — and a useful measuring stick for every program heading into the winter break.