Kent State University
Robert Kepler Intercollegiate
Flashes hope to defend 2012 title at Kepler Intercollegiate
4/11/2014 11:20:00 AM | Men's Golf
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Kent State's men's golf team returns to The Ohio State University Golf Club's Scarlet Course on April 12-13 with the hope of defending the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate Tournament it won back in 2012.
While the Kepler Intercollegiate was not on the college golf schedule in 2013, the Golden Flashes won the event for the fifth time in 2012 when it was last contested. The Flashes also won the event in 2011, sharing the championship with Illinois after both schools set the tournament scoring record at 898. Only tournament host Ohio State has claimed more Kepler titles than Kent State since the inaugural event in 1969, winning 23 times.
"The Robert Kepler Intercollegiate is a great event, and we have been fortunate to have some success there in the past," said Kent State head coach Herb Page. "But this is a new year. We've been working very hard this week to improve on our performance last week at Texas A&M."
Kent State is coming off of a seventh-place tie at the Aggie Invitational in College Station, Tex. last week.
The 31st-ranked Flashes return to Ohio State as part of a 15-team field this year that includes the host Buckeyes, Ball State, Cleveland State, Eastern Michigan, Georgia Tech, Liberty, Miami University, Missouri, Northwestern, Oregon State, Penn State, UAB, UNC Charlotte and UNLV.
Georgia Tech is the highest-ranked team in the field, according to Golfstat, at No. 5 in the nation. Joining Kent State as top-50 teams participating in the event are No. 18 UAB, No. 34 UNLV, and No. 36 Liberty and No. 47, Northwestern. Top-100 teams in the field include No. 57 Missouri, No. 60 Oregon State, No. 67 UNC Charlotte and No. 69 Ohio State.
The 54-hole event will begin with 36 holes on Saturday and an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start. Sunday's final round will also begin at 8:30 a.m. with tee times from the No. 1 and 10 tees.
Kent State's travel squad this weekend includes seniors Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith and Kyle Kmiecik, sophomores Sebastian Bendsen and Jake Troyer and freshman Josh Whalen.
Live scoring will be provided all weekend on Golfstat.com.
