Jayhawks Finish Fall Season In Sixth Place

Final Results

LAHINA, Hawaii ­– With an improvement in the standings after every round, the Kansas men’s golf team concluded the fall season with a sixth-place finish at the Ka’anapali Collegiate Classic Sunday.  The Ka’anapali Golf Course presented its challenges, with tough playing conditions but that did not stop the Jayhawks from building on their performance in each of the three rounds.

“We got off to a hot start today but just couldn’t get it finished off,” KU head coach Jamie Bermel said.  “It was still a solid round of golf and I’m of proud how the team fought today.”
 
Kansas finished the event shooting 293-289-285–867 (+15), as KU ended three strokes behind fifth-place South Carolina 864 (+12). The Jayhawks ended the fall with a top-five finish in all but one of its tournaments. 
 
KU team’s score of 285 (+1) in the third round was tied for the second lowest score of the day, behind only tournament winner Oklahoma, who won with a total score of 837 (-15).  Zach Healy won the individual title, with a three-round total of 205 (-8).
 
KU senior Ben Welle led the Jayhawks for the fourth time this year, after finishing the tournament with scores of 74-69-70–213 (E), which tied for 11^th place.  Welle’s 70 (-1) on Sunday also extended his team-high lead to 10 rounds under par for 2015-16.
 
Also atop of the individual leaderboard was Kansas sophomore Daniel Hudson, who played consistently well throughout the weekend.  His three-round score of 214 (+1) is his lowest score of the season and allowed him to finish tied for 15^th place. 
 
Behind him on the Kansas leaderboard was Welle’s senior classmate, Connor Peck.  After a rough start to the tournament on the first day, Peck bounced back by improving his score in every round, completing the event with a three-day total of 75-73-72–220 (+7) and finishing tied for 36^th place.
 
Junior Chase Hanna also had a bounce-back performance on day three, after struggling in round two.  His 73 (+2) on Sunday was a four-stroke improvement from Saturday, as he finished the tournament tied for 49^th, by posting scores of 72-77-73—222 (+9).
 
Completing the players who represented Kansas was freshman Charlie Hillier, who was another Jayhawk that made an improvement in the third round.  Heading into the final day, Hillier had previously recorded back-to-back rounds of 76, however he fired a 72 (+1) in the third round and finished the event tied for 56^th place with a total score of 224 (+11).
 
Participating in his first event of the year as an individual player, redshirt sophomore Brock Drogosch, moved up seven spots on the third day, after posting a 75 (+4).  He finished the tournament tied for 71^st place with a total score of 228 (+15).
 
“Overall, it was solid fall season. We need a break and re-charge the batteries for a run in the spring,” Bermel said.
 
Kansas will begin to prepare for the spring season, which will kick off on February 19 at the Desert Intercollegiate.  
 
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