Men's Golf Advances to NCAA Championships
5/22/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Its been three years since the Kent State University mens golf team last advanced out of the NCAA Central Regional into the NCAA Championships, so a few extra hours wait wouldnt have mattered, right? "Absolutely, the wait was well worth it," head coach Herb Page said.
The Golden Flashes went out in difficult, windy conditions and shot a team-score of 304 today to finish at 910 (+46), posting the 10th-best clubhouse score in the morning, putting the Flashes squarely on the bubble. "We were the bubble," Page said.
Kent State then had to sweat for more than six hours and a rain delay, as the opposition slowly fell out of contention, before the Golden Flashes finally sewed up their 12th trip the NCAA Championships.
"It was a draining day on the golf course and having to sit and wait made it worse," Page said. "But we beat a lot of great teams to get the the NCAA Championships. It will be a very elite field and Im very proud of these young men for what they accomplished today."
Kent State is making its first NCAA Championships appearance since 2001, advancing out of the NCAA Central Regional for the ninth time. The NCAA Championships run June 1-4 at Cascades Golf Course in Hot Springs, Va.
The Golden Flashes were led today by an outstanding round from sophomore Ryan Yip (Calgary, Alberta/Bishop Carroll) who shot the low round of the tournament, firing a 3-under 69. finishing seventh. He had rounds of 74-77-69=220 (+4) in the tournament, carding five birdies and 11 pars on his round today.
"I cant tell you how great Ryan Yips 69 was today," Page said. "We needed something spectacular like that to get us over the hump. It was a truly phenomenal effort in these conditions with the wind just howling and the rough so difficult.
"Steve Lohmeyer also played excellent," Page continued. "The course is so difficult, Steve had a triple and double bogey, but played courageously to shoot 75."
Lohmeyer (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood), a junior, was KSUs second-best finisher in the regional, carding an 11-over 227. He had a 75 today, making five birdies, including three in a four-hole stretch as he made the turn. He closed with rounds of 78-74-75=227.
"A lot of great golf programs arent advancing to the NCAAs," Page said, "and its because of the effort of our group all tournament that we are fortunate enough to advance. Today, Ryan and Steve each birdied the eighth hole (the 17th for the team), and that proved to be the difference." Kent State edged the University of Minnesota by a shot for the 10th and final team spot in the NCAA Championships.
"We finished this tournament off pretty well today," Page explained. "It was gut-wrenching, especially coming down to the last three of four holes when half a dozen teams still had a chance to get into the top 10. Its a testament to this teams heart and character."
Junior Peter Laws (Mississauga, Ontario/Our Lady of Mount Carmel) tied for 51st following rounds of 72-76-83=231 (+15), while senior Chris Miller (New Philadelphia, Ohio/New Philadelphia), who shot a key 78 today that included a 37 on the back nine, tied for 103rd after 83-79-78=240 (+24). Freshman Marc Bourgeois (Dieppe, New Brunswick/Mathieu-Martin) rounded out the Kent State five with a 77-78-82=237 (+21).
Yips 69 was his lowest-ever round at the NCAA Central Regional, and bettered by two stokes any other golfer in the tournament today.
The University of Kentucky was the NCAA Central Regional champion with a team score of 882, 18-over par. The Wildcats John Holmes won the regional after rounds of 73-70-71=214 for a 2-under 214.
Kampen Course at the Birick Boilermaker Golf Complex is a par-72, 7,261-yard, Pete Dye-designed layout on the Purdue campus. Team and individual scores follow.
Individuals Rounds=Total Score
1. John Holmes (Kentucky) 73-70-71=214 (-2)
7. Ryan Yip 74-77-69=220 (+4)
T-30. Steve Lohmeyer 78-74-75=227 (+11)
T-51. Peter Laws 72-76-83=231 (+15)
T-91. Marc Bourgeois 77-78-82=237 (+21)
T-103. Chris Miller 83-79-78=240 (+24)
Team Results Rounds=Total Score
1. Kentucky 298-285-299=882 (+18)
2. Oklahoma State 287-298-308=893 (+29)
3. Oklahoma 305-294-297=896 (+32)
4. Texas A&M 292-303-304=899 (+35)
T-5. Texas 298-296-307=901 (+37)
T-5. TCU 305-297-299=901 (+37)
7. Purdue 295-302-308=905 (+41)
8. Wichita State 302-300-306=908 (+44)
9. SMU 302-299-308=909 (+45)
10. Kent State 301-305-304=910 (+46)
