Kent State Men's Golf Returns to National Stage at 2013 NCAA Championships
5/26/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
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Complete NCAA Championship Notes (.PDF)
A top 20 finisher each of the past three seasons, No. 23 Kent State heads to the 2013 NCAA Championships held at the Capital City Club's Crabapple Course in Atlanta, Ga. from May 28- June 2 looking to continue its run of postseason successes. Making the 17th finals appearance in school history, the Golden Flashes hold the distinction of being one of only eight schools that have reached the NCAA Championships each of the last four years and are one of only four schools with three straight top-20 finishes.
Kent State enters as the 22nd seed in the 30-team field and owns a national ranking of 23 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings and 24 by GolfStat.com.
Hole-by-hole live scoring will be provided by golfstat.com throughout the week.
Beginning on the final day of stroke play (Thursday, May 30), and live web streaming of the tournament will be offered on NCAA.com. Live streaming will continue through the conclusion of the NCAA Championships with the finals of match play on Sunday (June 2).
Golden Flashes Line-Up
Representing the Golden Flashes at the NCAA Championships are senior Kevin Miller (75.4), juniors Taylor Pendrith (72.9), Corey Conners (72.1), and Kyle Kmiecik (75.5), and sophomore Nick Scott (76.1).
Quick Flashes
• The Golden Flashes are one of only four teams (Kent State, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC) to have finished in the top 20 at the NCAA Championships in each of the last three years
• Kent State's string of four straight finals appearances is tied for the 7th-longest current streak in the nation and matches the longest streak in school history (1992-95)
• Senior Kevin Miller will be the first four-time NCAA Championships participant in Kent State history; Miller placed T-140th (233/+20) in 2012, T-38th (223/+7) in 2011, and T-72nd (221/+5)
• Four players in the Golden Flashes' lineup competed at the 2012 NCAA Championships, helping the Flashes advance to match-play and tie for 5th, the best finish in program history
• Junior Corey Conners finished tied for 4th in the individual standings in 2012, setting a record for the highest NCAA finish in school history
• Director of Golf/Head Coach Herb Page is the longest-tenured coach with a team at the 2013 NCAA Championships, having led the Golden Flashes for the past 35 years
• Coach Page is also the second-winningest coach, having led Kent State to 80 team titles
• Kent State has three team wins this season (Jack Nicklaus Invitational, General Hackler Championships, Mid-American Conference Championships), which is the 15th time the Golden Flashes have had at least three victories under Page
• Kent State has two golfers who are in the top 50 of the Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings — Corey Conners is 30th and Taylor Pendrith is 43rd
• Conners and Pendrith are just the second pair of Kent State teammates that have both MAC Golfer of the Year and MAC Championships medalist accolades (John Hahn and Brett Cairns, 2010-11); Conners garnered both a year ago for the 2012 season, while Pendrith claimed both of the honors this year
Format
Hosted by Georgia Tech, the 2013 NCAA Championships consists of 54-holes of stroke play over three days at the par 70, 7,248-yard Capital City Club's Crabapple Course. First round play will begin on Tuesday, May 28. The Golden Flashes start at 7:50 a.m. off the first tee. After the completion of three rounds, an individual medalist will be crowned and the top eight teams will advance to single-elimination match play. Teams will be placed in a bracket and seeded in the order of their stroke play finish.
In team match play, each of the five players on a team plays a match against a counterpart on the opposing team. Each individual match is worth a point, and the team with the most points after the five matches are completed advances to the next round. Quarterfinal matches are set for Friday, May 31, with semifinals on Saturday, June 1, and the championship match Sunday, June 2.
The Forecast
- Tuesday: Sunny; highs in upper 80s
- Wednesday: Partly sunny; highs in upper 80s
- Thursday: Partly sunny, chance of showers; highs in mid 80s
- Friday: Partly sunny; highs in upper 80s
- Saturday: Afternoon thunderstorm; highs in upper 70s
- Sunday: Mixed showers; highs in mid 80s
The Course
The Capital City Club, which opened in 1883, is among the oldest social organizations in the South. The Crabapple Course was added in 2001. The 7,248-yard course will play to a par of 70, as it did for the 2010 NCAA Southeast Regional and for this past fall's PING/Golfweek Preview. Kent State competed at the PING/Golfweek Preview near the end of September, placing in a tie with Arkansas for 11th in the 15-team field that included 13 schools who have qualified for the NCAA Championships. Conners led the way for the Golden Flashes with a 212 (+2) and tied for 12th. Pendrith was one stroke back (213) and tied for 16th.
Longest current streak of NCAA finals
1. Florida 13 straight
2. UCLA 11 straight
3. USC 7 straight
Texas 7 straight
5. Texas A&M 6 straight
Illinois 6 straight
7. Kent State 4 straight
California 4 straight
Three Straight Top 20 NCAA Finishes
Kent State is among an elite group of only four schools that have finished top 20 at the NCAA Championships each of the past three seasons. The Golden Flashes have improved each year, and turned in the best finish in program history in 2012, advancing to match play to finish tied for fifth.
Schools With A Top 20 NCAA Finishes
2010* 2011* 2012*
Kent State 20th T-19th T-8th
Texas A&M 13th 9th 14th
UCLA T-16th 1st 2nd
USC 15th T-12th T-15th
*stroke play finishes
Page Among Winningest and Longest-Tenured Coaches At NCAAs
Now in his 35th year at the helm, Kent State Director of Golf/Head Coach Herb Page is the longest-tenured coach with a team competing at the 2013 NCAA Championships. His success goes beyond his years coached, as he also has led Kent State to the 2nd-most team titles (80) among any other coach in the field. Florida's Bubby Alexander is first with 85.
In addition, Page's 15 appearances with Kent State are the 3rd-most by any coach in the field with their current team.
Longest-Tenured Coaches at the 2013 NCAA Championships
1. 35 years Kent State – Herb Page
2. 34 years Cal – Steve Desimone
3. 26 years Florida – Buddy Alexander
26 years TCU - Bill Montigel
5. 25 years UNLV – Dwaine Knight
(with current school)
Most NCAA Finals
1. 25 appearances Florida – Buddy Alexander
2. 15 appearances Kent State – Herb Page
15 appearances Georgia - Chris Haack
4. 14 appearances TCU - Bill Montigel
(with current school)
Playing the field
Kent State heads to the NCAA Championships having gone up against 25 of the 29 teams in the field. at some point during the 2012-13 season The Golden Flashes have a combined 15-29-3 record against its competition in Atlanta.
Kent State NCAA Championships History
The 2013 season marks the 26th time Kent State has qualified for NCAA play. The Golden Flashes are making their 17th appearance at the NCAA Championships, fourth consecutive, and fifth in the last six years.
The Golden Flashes are coming off their best ever finish at the championships, tying for fifth at the NCAA Championships a year ago. The Golden Flashes outlasted No. 19 Florida State in a one-hole sudden death playoff to earn a spot in match play for the first time since the NCAA adopted the current format in 2009. In the quarterfinals, the Flashes dropped a 3-1-1 decision to No. 2 Alabama, which went on to finish as the national runner-up. Corey Conners shot a 1-over, 212 (68-75-69) and finished tied for fourth in the individual standings to set a Kent State record for the highest individual showing at the NCAA Championships. Conners also led the way in match play, tallying the lone Kent State point with a 4 & 2 victory over the Crimson Tide's Bobby Wyatt.
In the 2008 visit, David Markle led the team a sixth-place finish at Purdue University's Kampen Course, which was the program's best showing prior to last year. With a 1204 team score over 72-holes, Kent State placed just 10 strokes back of national champion UCLA. Now a pro on the Golf Professional Tour, Markle tied for ninth on his way to earning All-American honors.
Current PGA Tour member Ben Curtis and Nationwide Tour member Jon Mills, along with Danny Sahl, Brian Miller and Jonah Karzmer, led the Kent State program to a ninth-place finish at the 2000 Championships held at Grand National Lake Course in Opelika, Okla. Sahl tied for 24th with a 4-under 284 to pace the team.
The Golden Flashes finished 13th at the 1994 Championships held at Stonebridge Country Club in McKinney, Tex. behind the play of All-American Eric Frishette and current Ohio State head coach Donnie Darr, who each tied for 25th overall at even-par 288. Also representing Kent State were current Nationwide Tour members Brian DeCorso and Kevin Kraft, along with Boo Blakeman.
Prior to Conners' performance last year, John Hahn and Mills shared the top individual finish for Kent State. Hahn tied for sixth in 2010 by shooting a 5-under, 211 at The Honors Course in Oolewah, Tenn., while Mills shot a 6-under, 282 and placed sixth in 2001 at the Duke University Golf Club in Durham, N.C. Mills' final round 65 that year is the lowest round ever at NCAAs by a Kent State golfer.
In 1990, Brian Bridges won the Ben Hogan Award and tied for 17th after shooting a 2-over, 290 at Innisbrook Resort in Tarpon Springs, Fla.
A complete history of Kent State's postseason success can be found here.
Balanced Line-up For Kent State
Four different individuals have been the top finisher for Kent State at least once so far this season. Juniors Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith lead the way, having led the team in five tournaments each.
Top Finishers for Kent State in 2012-13
1. Corey Conners 5 times
Taylor Pendrith 5 times
3. Kyle Kmiecik 2 times
Kevin Miller 1 time
NCAA Experience
Despite having only one senior on the roster, the Golden Flashes' lineup is still full of NCAA experience combining for 67 rounds of postseason play.
Rounds In NCAA Postseason
Kevin Miller 22
Taylor Pendrith 16
Corey Conners 13
Kyle Kmiecik 13*
Nick Scott 3___
Total 67
*includes three rounds with Mississippi
O Canada!
The Golden Flashes' lineup features two of the top three Canadian amateur golfers as rated by the World Golf Rankings (as of May 21). Coupled with 2012 Kent State graduate Mackenzie Hughes and Albin Choi of North Carolina State, Corey Conners led Canada to a sixth-place finish at the World Amateur Team Championship this past fall. Hughes carded a 210 to finish tied for 19th and Conners tied for 33rd with a 213.
Top Canadian Amateurs
1. Albin Choi, N.C. State
2. Corey Conners, Kent State
3. Taylor Pendrith, Kent State
4. Justin Shin, New Mexico State
5. Adam Svensson, Barry University
World Golf Rankings (as of May 21)
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Kevin MillerSeniorDover, OhioGolfweek/Sagarin ranking: 316 2012-13 Stroke Average: 75.4 Lowest round in 2012-13: 66, Inverness Intercollegiate (1st round) Lowest tournament round in 2012-13: 215 (66-75-74), Inverness Intercollegiate Notes: Named First Team All-MAC in 2011 & 2012, Second Team in 2013 • First Kent State golfer to play at four NCAA Championships • Had top-20 NCAA Regional finishes in 2010, 2011, & 2012 • Finished runner-up at the 2012 MAC Championships and 6th at the 2013 MAC Championships • Has four top-10 finishes in 12 events on the year • Carded a 215 at the Inverness Intercollegiate for first victory of collegiate career • Fired the team's low round of the season with a 66 in the final round of the Inverness Intercollegiate • Has carded six rounds at par or better and two rounds in the 60s on the season • Lone senior on this year's team |
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Corey ConnersJuniorListowel, OntarioGolfweek/Sagarin ranking: 30 2012-13 Stroke Average: 72.1 Lowest round in 2012-13: 67, Western Refining College All-American Classic (1st & 2nd round); NCAA Fayetteville Regional (1st round) Lowest tournament round in 2012-13: 203 (67-67-69), Western Refining College All-American Classic Notes: PING Honorable Mention All-American, All-Midwest Region, MAC Golfer of the Year, and MAC Championships medalist in 2012 • First Team All-MAC in 2012 and 2013 • Posted the best NCAA Championships finish in Kent State history in 2012, tying for fourth with a 1-under, 212 • Leads the team with eight top-10s and 11 top-15s in 13 events on the year • Has been named the MAC Golfer of the Week three times this season • Finished T-5th at the 2013 MAC Championships • Won the season-opening Gopher Invitational (75-70-68=213) • Fourth golfer in school history to shoot in the 60s for an entire tournament, carding a 203 (67-67-69) at the prestigious Western Refining Collegiate All-America Classic • Ranks 4th in school history with a 72.99 career stroke average |
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Taylor PendrithJuniorRichmond Hill, OntarioGolfweek/Sagarin ranking: 43 2012-13 Stroke Average: 72.9 Lowest round in 2012-13: 68, MAC Championships (2nd Round) Lowest tournament round in 2012-13: 213 (71-71-71), PING/Golfweek Preview Notes: 2013 MAC Golfer of the Year and MAC Championships medalist • First Team All-MAC in 2012 and 2013 • Tied record for largest margin of victory, winning by eight strokes at the MAC Championships • Also captured medalist honors by tying for first at the General Hackler Championships • Placed third at the Inverness Intercollegiate and Boilermaker Invitational • Has seven top-10s and 10 top-20s in 13 events on the year • Has been named the MAC Golfer of the Week twice this season (Mar. 18, April 25) • Has carded 12 rounds at par or better and three rounds in the 60s on the year • Ranks fifth in school history with a 73.50 career stroke average • Has 15 career top-10 finishes, which is tied for 10th in school history |
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Kyle KmiecikJuniorAvon, OhioGolfweek/Sagarin ranking: 318 2012-13 Stroke Average: 75.5 Lowest round in 2012-13: 67, Aggie Invitational (3rd Round) Lowest tournament round in 2012-13: 216 (72-1-73), Morris Williams Intercollegiate Notes: Second Team All-MAC in 2012 and 2013 • Has two top-10 finishes in 11 events this season (Seahawk Intercollegiate, MAC Championships) • Turned in the team's second-best performance at 2012 NCAA Championships (T-37th) with a 5-over, 218 • Had two rounds count in the team score at NCAA Fayetteville Regional • Has carded six rounds at par or better this year • Matched career-low round with a 67 in final round at the Aggie Invitational • Transferred to Kent State from Ole Miss following his freshman year |
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Nick ScottSophomore Union, Ohio Golfweek/Sagarin ranking: 519 2012-13 Stroke Average: 76.2 Lowest round in 2012-13: 67, Morris Williams Intercollegiate (1st Round) Lowest tournament round in 2012-13: 217 (67-76-74), Morris Williams Intercollegiate Notes: Has three top-20 finishes in nine events this season (Seahawk Intercollegiate, Morris Williams Intercollegiate, MAC Championships), including two of his last four • Had two rounds count in the team score at NCAA Fayetteville Regional • Fired Has carded four rounds at par or better on the year • Fired a career-low of 67 in the first round of the Morris Williams Intercollegiate |
