Jayhawks Set to Open Season at Fairway Club Invitational

Sept. 6, 2008

LAWRENCE, KAN. –

The Kansas men’s golf team opens its second campaign under head coach Kit Grove at the Fairway Club Invitational in Nebraska City, Neb., Sept. 8-9. The tournament is hosted by the University of Nebraska.

The Jayhawks open at an event they have had much success at in the past with a lineup that is a mix of youth and experience.

“We are very excited to get going on a very good golf course,” Grove said. “I have never played ArborLinks myself, but some of our guys have and they really like the course.”

The Jayhawks won the inaugural Fairway Club Invitational in 1999 with a record three-round score of 853. Former Jayhawk Ryan Vermeer won the individual event in 1999 and holds the tournament record with a score of 202.

The Jayhawks will be led by senior Walt Koelbel and sophomore Nate Barbee as they open play in 2008. Barbee (74.42) and Koelbel (75.29) are the top returners in scoring average from last season.

Redshirt freshman Blake Giroux and true freshman Ian Anson, from Surrey, England, will be making their Jayhawk debuts in the event. Senior Andrew Storm will round out the lineup for the Jayhawks. Junior Patrick Roth will compete in the event as an individual.

ArborLinks Golf Course (par-72, 7,158 yards) will be hosting the event for the first time. This will mark the first time the event has been played since 2005.

The 54-hole event will consist of 36 holes played on Sept. 8, followed by the final round being conducted on Sept. 9. Check back to kuathletics.com for a complete recap and results upon the conclusion of both days of the event.