Cleveland State plays its fifth and last tournament of the fall this week, and the Vikings arrive in Kettering with their best individual finish of the season. Senior Dillon Pendergast tied for second at the Tom Tontimonia Invitational on Oct. 6. He closed with a 66, five under par. After this event, the team breaks from competition until the spring season.
Quick Answer: Cleveland State men’s golf closes its fall season Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 19-20, at the Dayton Flyer Invitational. The Vikings play NCR Country Club in Kettering, Ohio, a par 71 of 7,048 yards, against 12 other teams. Dillon Pendergast leads a five-man lineup after finishing T-2 at the Tom Tontimonia Invitational.
When and where Cleveland State plays its final fall event
The Dayton Flyer Invitational runs Monday, Oct. 19, and Tuesday, Oct. 20, at NCR Country Club in Kettering, Ohio. Teams play 54 holes, with 36 on Monday and the last 18 on Tuesday. Thirteen teams are in the field, including host Dayton and Horizon League opponents Wright State and Oakland. Check the event’s page on Clippd Scoreboard for live scores.
Who is in the Cleveland State lineup
Pendergast, Ryan Dinan, Dominik Cosic, Troy Chapman and Gavin Leen make up the five-man team. Freshman Jackson Sommer plays as an individual. Cameron Stafford, who played as an individual at the last two events, doesn’t appear in this week’s lineup. Most college events count the best four of five scores each round, so one bad card doesn’t sink a team.
Here’s how each player finished at the last two events.
| Player | Class | Ball State Invite | Tom Tontimonia Invitational | Lowest round of the two events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dillon Pendergast | Senior | 94th, +22 | T-2, -4 | 66 |
| Ryan Dinan | Junior | T-61, +12 | T-27, +7 | 68 |
| Dominik Cosic | Senior | T-84, +17 | T-72, +20 | 73 |
| Troy Chapman | Sophomore | T-34, +6 | T-43, +10 | 70 |
| Gavin Leen | Redshirt sophomore | T-56, +11 | 69th, +18 | 70 |
| Jackson Sommer (individual) | Freshman | Not listed | 85th, +31 | 81 |
The two courses play to different pars, 70 at Ball State and 71 at Lakewood, so compare finishes in the field and not raw scores.
How Pendergast went from 94th to second in nine days
At the Ball State Invite on Sept. 27, Pendergast finished 94th, 22 over par, after rounds of 78, 78 and 76. Nine days later he finished T-2 at Lakewood Country Club in Westlake with 74, 69 and 66, four under par. That’s 23 fewer strokes over 54 holes, 232 down to 209.
Four birdies on the back nine in that last round put him in the hunt for the individual title with a few holes left. Pendergast is the player to watch this week, and it isn’t close. Nobody else in this lineup has posted a round lower than 68 across the last two events.
NCR Country Club plays 7,048 yards at par 71
The par-71 layout for this event measures 7,048 yards. That’s 44 yards longer than the 7,004 yards players saw at last year’s Dayton Flyer Invitational and 54 yards shorter than the 7,102-yard Lakewood layout Cleveland State just played. Length isn’t the new variable for this group.
NCR has hosted four major championships: the 1969 PGA Championship, the 1986 U.S. Women’s Open, the 2005 U.S. Senior Open and the 2022 U.S. Senior Women’s Open.
Last year’s 11th place is the bar
Cleveland State finished 11th of 12 teams at this event last year, sitting 10th after Monday. That came after two top-five team finishes in the first four fall events of the 2025 season. Host Dayton won this fall’s Tom Tontimonia Invitational as a team, so the Vikings face the team that beat them two weeks ago, now on its home course.
Anything better than last year’s 11th is progress, and a top-five finish would be a statement. A preview like this isn’t for readers who want round-by-round scoring. It covers lineups and recent form, and the live scoreboard handles the rest.
Dayton Flyer Invitational questions
When does Cleveland State play at the Dayton Flyer Invitational?
Monday, Oct. 19, and Tuesday, Oct. 20. Teams play 36 holes on Monday and 18 on Tuesday.
Where does the Dayton Flyer Invitational take place?
NCR Country Club in Kettering, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton. The course plays as a par 71 at 7,048 yards for this event.
Who plays for Cleveland State at the Dayton Flyer Invitational?
Pendergast, Dinan, Cosic, Chapman and Leen are the five team players. Sommer competes as an individual.
How many teams play in the Dayton Flyer Invitational?
Thirteen, including Cleveland State, host Dayton, Wright State and Oakland.
What happens after Tuesday
Monday’s 36 holes show where Cleveland State stands, and Tuesday’s 18 settle it. Pendergast brings a 66 from the last two events, Dinan a 68, and Chapman and Leen each a 70. The Vikings don’t need a hero round, just four scores a day that hold up. Follow the spring schedule in our college golf coverage.