Jayhawks Make History in Iowa, Wins Fourth Title of Season

Hawkeye Invitational
Finkbine Golf Course | Iowa City, Iowa
Par-72 | 7,239 yards
Senior Connor Peck led all players with 16 birdies recorded on the weekend.
Final Results
Place Team Score
1 KANSAS 849 (-15)
T2 Iowa State 858 (-6)
T2 Iowa 858 (-6)
4 SMU 864 (E)
5 Kansas State 865 (+1)
6 UMKC 866 (+2)
7 Idaho 874 (+10)
8 Wichita State 883 (+19)
T9 DePaul 885 (+21)
T9 Nebraska 885 (+21)
11 Denver 892 (+28)
T12 South Alabama 893 (+29)
T12 Minnesota 893 (+29)
14 South Dakota State 901 (+37)
Individual Leaderboard (Top 5)
Place Name Team Score
1 Ruben Sondjaja ISU 206 (-10)
2 Francois Lagraulet UMKC 209 (-7)
3 Nate Yankovinch IOWA 210 (-6)
4 Daniel Hudson KU 211 (-5)
T5 Three Players 212 (-4)
Kansas Leaderboard
Place Name Score
4 Daniel Hudson 211 (-5)
T5 Connor Peck 212 (-4)
8 Charlie Hillier 213 (-3)
9 Chase Hanna 214 (-2)
T45 Zach Kirby 225 (+9)
T49 Ben Welle 226 (+10)

Final Results

IOWA CITY, Iowa – In what has been one of the best seasons in recent memory, the Kansas men’s golf team set a new standard of success on Sunday, winning its fourth tournament title of the 2015-16 campaign at the the Hawkeye Invitational.  With scores of 282-291-276–849 (-15) Kansas beat out second-place finishers Iowa State and Iowa by a nine-stroke margin, the second largest margin of victory of the season.

“I’m really happy for the guys,” Kansas head coach Jamie Bermel said. “They keep getting better each week and it’s been a lot of fun watching them progress.”
 
Four different Jayhawks finished the 54-hole event in the top-10, marking the second time this season such a feat has been accomplished, with the first coming when the team won the Badger Invitational (Sept. 27-29). By recording 57 birdies throughout the Hawkeye Invitational, the second-most birdies amongst the 14-team field, Kansas also saw four golfers finish under par for the third time this season.
 
“Four of the five guys have played here before, with Chase Hanna, Connor Peck and Ben Welle playing three years, so I think they feel comfortable here because of that experience they’ve gained,” Bermel said.
 
Leading the way for Kansas was sophomore Daniel Hudson, who led the Jayhawks in scoring for the second time in his career and also set a new career-low on Sunday by carding a 66 (-6). His bogeyless back-nine in the third round included an eagle on the par-5 11th hole, helping him set pace for his 211 (-4) total score and his fourth-place finish, which is also his third top-five placing of the season. Hudson finished five stokes behind individual winner Ruben Sondjaja of Iowa State, who won the individual title with a score of 206 (-10).
 
Competing at Finkbine Golf Course for the third time and final time of his career was Peck. After struggling in the opening round on Saturday morning, shooting a 2-over, 74, Peck was able to bounce back and improve his scoring in every round. The five birdies he recorded on Sunday, helped him lead the 75-player field with 16 total birdies carded, as Peck’s 68 (-4) on the final 18 holes marked his eighth round this season where he has shot in the 60’s, which guided him to a three-round score of 212 (-4) and a fifth-place tie.
 
Behind Peck on the Kansas leaderboard was freshman Charlie Hillier, who has been on an absolute tear of late, finishing the past five events under par and placing in the top-10 four times during that span. He completed the tournament with an eighth-place finish, as he walked off the course scoring a three round 213 (-3).
 
Following Hillier on the individual leaderboard was the junior Hanna, where his finished in ninth in his third appearance at the Hawkeye Invitational. This weekend marked the best performance of his career at this tournament, where he scored a 214 (-2) throughout the three rounds.
 
For Welle, the senior started Sunday off on a strong note, knocking down eight straight pars to begin the day, giving him a total of 30 pars throughout the event. He finished his final regular season tournament with a three-day total of 226 (+10), placing tied for 49th.
 
Donning the Crimson and Blue for the first time was junior Zach Kirby. In his three rounds of play, Kirby counted a score of 225 (+9), including an eagle in his opening round, putting him in a four-way tie for 45th-place.
 
Up next for the Jayhawks, Kansas will compete for the Big 12 Championship taking place in Trinity, Texas. The three-day event will be held at Whispering Pines Golf Club April 29-May 1.
 
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