Another Strong Finish Nets Kent State To Sixth Place At The Aggie Invitational
4/17/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
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Golden Flashes' final round 370 gains them three places on the leader board
BRYAN, Tex. — For the second straight tournament No. 37 Kent State closed with a strong final round to move up the leader board. This weekend it was a final round 370 that gained the Golden Flashes three spots on the field as the team netted a sixth place finish at the Aggie Invitational hosted by Texas A&M at the par 72, 7146-yard Traditions Golf Club.
Just two weeks ago at the Morris Williams Intercollegiate in Austin Texas, Kent State went from 10th to fifth in the final round. Up against a high caliber field that featured five teams ranked in the top 30 this week, the Golden Flashes made another move in a rare play six, count five tournament ending the event with a 1134 (388-376-370) team score.
"The count five format is a great opportunity for us to get our team ready for the conference tournament," said Director of Golf/Head Coach Herb Page. "It gives us a chance to play an extra guy and see how they perform against some top level competition."
Having not played in a tournament all year, sophomore Nathan Tarter (Mogadore, Ohio / Mogadore) may have been the Golden Flashes' biggest benefactor of the extra man this week. He delivered with two counters including a final round 73 on Sunday that helped spark Kent State's move up the leader board.
Tarter, who shot 234 (78-83-73) for the tournament, started his final round on the back nine shooting a two-over for his first nine holes following back-to-back bogeys on 17 and 18. Another bogey on No. 3 moved him to three-over, but the man affectionately known as the 'Flying Mogadorian' by his teammates finished strong with birdies on No. 5 and No. 7 for a one-under 35 on his second nine and a one-over 73 for the day.
"Nathan has played really well in the last two qualifiers for us and made the most of his opportunity today," said Page.
Another sophomore, Kevin Miller (Dover, Ohio/Sugarcreek Garaway) also turned in a 73 for Kent State on Sunday. Miller posted a one-over score card for the second consecutive round after opening play with an 81 (+9) on Saturday morning. His final round 73 included two birdies against 14 pars, one bogey and one double bogey. Miller would finish tied for 34th overall with a 227 (81-73-73) for the tournament.
The lowest round by a Golden Flashes this weekend belong to junior Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, Ontario / Highland Secondary) who posted an even par 72 on Sunday after making three birdies and 12 pars against three bogeys. His 226 (80-74-72) total was the second lowest on the team and tied him for 31st. Senior John Hahn (Las Vegas, Nev. / Hudson [Ohio]) bested Hughes by one shot for Kent State's top honors this weekend. Hahn, who tied for 24th, wrapped up his 225 (74-76-75) with a final round 75. Sitting at five under through his first 13 holes on Sunday, he strung together three consecutive birdies on holes Nos. 5-6-7 to get back to two-over for the round. A par on No. 8 and a bogey on No. 9 then left him with the three-over 75.
The Golden Flashes club house leader after the first two rounds on Saturday, senior Brett Cairns (Courtland, Ontario/Holy Trinity) closed out the tournament with a 79 on Sunday. Cairns was just one over through his first nine holes, but ran into trouble on the front nine where he made a pair of double bogeys and a pair of bogeys. He ended the tournament with a 228 (76-73-79). With Cairns struggling, freshman Corey Conners (Listowel, Ontario) provided Kent State with its final counter on Sunday posting a 77 that included birdies on Nos. 13-14 and 1.
For the second straight year No. 9 Texas A&M (1085) won its own tournament going away posting an 18-stroke victory over No. 1 Oklahoma State (1103). The Cowboys Peter Uihlein, who won the 2010 U.S. Amateur last summer, claimed individual medalist honors with a six-under 210 (72-67-71).
Kent State heads to Columbus, Ohio for the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate next weekend in the Golden Flashes final tune-up before the 2011 Mid-American Conference Championship April 29-May 1.
Kent State Rd1-Rd2-Rd3=total
T24 John Hahn 74 - 76 - 75 = 225
T31 Mackenzie Hughes 80 - 74 - 72 = 226
T34 Kevin Miller 81 - 73 - 73 = 227
T36 Brett Cairns 76 - 73 - 79 = 228
T51 Nathan Tarter 78 - 83 - 73 = 234
T57 Corey Conners 80 - 80 - 77 = 237
Rk* team Rd1-Rd2-Rd3=total
1 9 Texas A&M 370 - 359 - 356 = 1085
2 1 Oklahoma State 371 - 366 - 367 = 1104
3 17 Texas Tech 371 - 377 - 366 = 1114
4 46 Baylor 376 - 377 - 368 = 1121
5 12 Texas 388 - 371 - 363 = 1122
6 37 Kent State 388 - 376 - 370 = 1134
7 SMU 378 - 376 - 382 = 1136
T8 Tulsa 381 - 373 - 384 = 1138
T8 28 Oklahoma 379 - 377 - 382 = 1138
10 New Mexico 390 - 388 - 375 = 1153
11 UTSA 390 - 405 - 397 = 1192
*Rankings by www.golfstat.com
