Kent State University
Boilermaker Invitational
Flashes Head to Purdue for Boilermaker Invitational
4/14/2016 11:16:00 PM | Men's Golf
In its final preparation for the Mid-American Conference Championships, Kent State will compete in the 13th annual Boilermaker Invitational this weekend (April 16-17) at Kampen Golf Course in West Lafayette, Ind. The three-round tournament features 15 teams, including four MAC members and seven Big Ten squads. Shotgun starts on the par-72 course are scheduled for 8:45 a.m., on both Saturday and Sunday.
Live scoring is available on https://www.birdiefire.com/tournament/20411/
Extreme Weather Change
Sunny skies and temperatures reaching the 70s are expected this weekend. Just this past weekend in Columbus, the Golden Flashes trudged through snow, heavy winds and low temperatures. Head Coach Herb Page considered it among the worst weather conditions he's experienced in over 40 years with the golf program.
The Competition
The 15-team field features seven teams in the Top 80 according to Golfstat. The field includes: No. 33 Purdue, No. 63 Northwestern, Wisconsin, Toledo, No. 2 Illinois, Northern Illinois, No. 51 Louisville, No. 72 Ohio State, Indiana, No. 38 Michigan State, No. 49 Kent State, UCF, Cincinnati, Miami and Southern Illinois.
Last Season & Tournament History
The Boilermaker Invitational began in 2004. Kent State claimed a tournament title in 2008 with a 22-under 842. That stood as the lowest three-round total in the history of the tournament until last year, when Illinois combined for a 35-under 829. A pair of Illini golfers tied for medalist honors at 10-under.
Last year, Kent State finished in a tie for 12th place, shooting a 26-over 890. Ian Holt (Stow, Ohio) was the Flashes' top finisher in 22nd place with a 3-over. Josh Whalen (Napanee, Ontario) finished in 29th place with a 5-over 221.
Young But Experienced
Holt, Whalen and Chase Johnson (Barberton, Ohio) are making return trips to Kampen Golf Course. Holt and Johnson are both sophomores, but have seen significant time in the lineup over the past two seasons. This weekend they are joined by a pair of freshmen from Iceland in Gisli Sveinbergsson and Bjarki Petursson. Sveinbergsson has been a regular in the lineup, while Petursson has competed in two of the last four events.
Perfecting Par Fives
Kent State has led the field on par five holes in three of its last five tournaments. In two rounds at the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate, the Flashes were 8-under. One week earlier, Kent State went 22-under on par fives at the Aggie Invitational. The next best score on par fives was 14-under. The Flashes also had the top team score on par fives at the General Hackler Championship, going 19-under.
Johnson On the Brink of Top Honors
Chase Johnson has finished within a stroke of a tournament title in each of the last two weekends. Johnson had a 3-over 145 in rough weather at the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate and a 3-under 213 at the Aggie Invitational.
Up Next
The Golden Flashes will take a brief break from competition prior to the Mid-American Conference Championships. The three-day tournament goes from April 28-30 at Highland Meadows in Sylvania, Ohio.
Players Mentioned
