NCAA Regional Play Begins Monday for Flashes
5/14/2016 3:27:00 PM | Men's Golf
Complete Notes NCAA Kohler Region Central
Kent State will be among 13 teams competing at the 2016 NCAA Regional in Kohler, Wis., beginning Monday at the Meadow Valleys Course at Blackwolf Run. The top five teams from the three-day event (May 16-18) will advance to the NCAA Championships.
Among the Top 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses in America according to Golf Digest, the Meadow Valleys Course is 7,123 yards long with a par 72. Each day will feature one round. Monday and Tuesday's rounds begin at 9 a.m. Eastern (8 Central) with the Flashes teeing off at 9:55 Eastern on Monday. Live scoring can be followed on Golfstat.com.
No. 45 in the latest Golfstat rankings, the Golden Flashes earned the No. 8 seed. The top seed went to Illinois, who is No. 4 according to Golfstat.
"We played great at the MAC Championships," Head Coach Herb Page said. "And this week is just about maintaining and touching up a few things. I think our confidence and mental health is really high right now. It doesn't matter where you're seeded. Everybody starts even."
A Staple at Regionals
Since the NCAA began its Regional format in 1989, Kent State has made 24 appearances. The Golden Flashes are making their eighth Regional trip in the last nine years. Kent State won an outright Regional title in 1993 and tied for Regional crowns in 2001 and 2010.
The Next Step
Kent State has turned 14 of its Regional appearances into spots at the NCAA Championships. In a recent appearance in 2012, the Flashes earned one of the top eight spots, advancing to match play. Kent State finished sixth among the nation's best in 2008 and ninth in 2000. Since 1954, the Flashes have totaled 17 appearances at the NCAA Championships.
Cleaning Up MAC Awards
After putting together the most productive regular season of any Mid-American Conference team, Kent State won the MAC Championship by 20 strokes April 28-30. The Flashes then raked in a number of individual honors following the tournament.
Golfer of the Year: Chase Johnson
Freshman of the Year: Gisli Sveinbergsson
Coach of the Year: Herb Page
All-MAC First Team: Chase Johnson
All-MAC First Team: Ian Holt
All-MAC Second Team: Gisli Sveinbergsson
All-Tournament Team: Chase Johnson
All-Tournament Team: Ian Holt
Setting the MAC Standard
Kent State has won 23 Mid-American Conference titles. Nineteen of those titles have come since 1992, including seven of the last eight years. Individual medalist honors have gone to Golden Flash golfers 23 times.
Young, But Tested
Kent State's five-man lineup features two freshmen, two sophomores and one junior. Each of the five has seen significant time in the lineup since joining the Flashes. Kent State has also competed at a number of tournaments that rival the type of competition the Flashes will see in Wisconsin.
And the Rankings Prove It
The Golfweek/Sagarin rankings, which factors in competition elements, had four Golden Flashes among the top eight Mid-American Conference golfers in its individual rankings.
Perfecting Par Fives
Kent State has led the field on par five holes in four of its last seven tournaments. Most recently, the Flashes went 12-under on par fives at the MAC Championships. The only other conference opponent to go under par was Toledo at 5-under.
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.
Peaking at the Right Time
Sophomore Ian Holt and freshman Bjarki Petursson have both played some of their best golf of the year in each of their last two tournaments.
• Holt was named MAC Golfer of the Week after finishing fourth at the Boilermaker Invitational. He followed that with a second place finish at the MAC Championships.
• Kent State had some inconsistent play from its No. 5 spot for a two-month stretch. But, Petursson changed that at the Boilermaker Invitational, which included a 1-over final day with just two bogeys. He took his momentum into the MAC Championships, where he finished tied for seventh, highlighted by a 2-under 69 in the opening round.
A Team Effort
The Flashes' success has come in many different forms this season. Kent State has not had an individual medalist all year, but have had three different players earn MAC Golfer of the Week. Since March, all five players in the lineup have recorded a low round among teammates.
The low individual not on the top five teams will also earn a spot at the NCAA Championships May 27 – June 1 in Eugene, Ore.
Players Mentioned
