When Michael VanDeventer played in his first Indiana Open Championship in 2014 at Otter Creek Golf Course, he had just graduated from high school and helped lead Columbus North to the state high school title.
Next week, the Indiana Open returns to Otter Creek, and VanDeventer is now a professional golfer. He will be among the favorites in this year’s 54-hole event, which begins at 8 a.m. Monday.
"I hope to be right there Wednesday afternoon when we’re finishing up," VanDeventer said. "Obviously, I know the course about as well as anybody. I’ve played it for years and have played a lot of tournaments out there. I had a good round in the qualifier, and hopefully, I can have a good finish."
VanDeventer, a Ball State graduate, turned pro last summer. He lives in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, and won two tournaments on the West Florida Tour during this year’s winter season.
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VanDeventer, who won am Indiana Open qualifier with a 67 at The Legends, is one of six local golfers entered in this year’s field. He is joined by fellow North graduates Jake Coffey, Ian Coffey and Bryce Turner; Columbus East graduate Konnor Kimmel and Hauser graduate Jon Hoover, who is the pro at Otter Creek.
Hoover, who plays in the Indiana Open most years, said Otter Creek is in good shape. The course hosted the American Junior Golf Association Circle K Championship July 2-4.
"I thought the conditions of the golf course coming off the AJGA was the best I’ve seen in the last 15 years, and I think we can hope for a repeat of that at the state open," Hoover said. "It’s been warm and dry, which will lead to firm, fast conditions, which is what we’re looking for. It’s healthy. I’d like to have a little more rough, but I don’t think we’re going to get any more rain."
Hoover pointed to three pairings for Monday and Tuesday that will feature top-quality golfers. Teeing off at 8:18 a.m. Monday and 2:30 p.m. Tuesday will be Thomas Lewis of Westfield, who plays for Purdue; Brian Maurer of Richmond, who won the 2017 Indiana Open and has played on pro golf’s mini-tours; and Scott Pieri of Fort Wayne, who is trying to make it on the Senior PGA Tour.
At 8:54 a.m. Monday and 1:54 p.m. Tuesday will be Joe Weiler of Bloomington, who plays for Purdue and is this year’s Indiana Amateur champion; Chris Smith of Peru who won the state amateur at Otter Creek before played on the PGA Tour and is now trying to make it on senior tour; and Seth Fair of Brownsburg, a past Indiana Open champion who now is playing on the Web.com Tour.
VanDeventer will tee off at 9:21 a.m. Monday and 1:27 p.m. Tuesday, along with amateur Keith Blythe of Fort Wayne and Michael Davan of Zionsville, who plays on the Web.com Tour.
"There are some pretty good pairings," Hoover said. "We have a pretty good field this year."
One player who won’t be playing this week is Craig Bowden, who won the Indiana Open in 2014 at Otter Creek. VanDeventer finished seventh that year.
VanDeventer, whose best Indiana Open finish was a tie for fifth in 2017 at Purdue’s Ackerman-Allen and Kampen courses, isn’t sure how low he’ll have to go to win this year’s event.
"It all depends on the weather and how the course plays," VanDeventer said. "Usually, you have to shoot pretty low. If I had to guess, I would say something around 10-under might be good, but it depends on the weather."
