Jayhawks Seek Another Strong Finish at Bill Ross Intercollegiate

Oct. 16, 2009

KANSAS CITY, Mo. –

Kansas men’s golf will attempt to attain its fourth-straight top-three finish to start the 2009-10 season when they head to Kansas City, Mo. to compete in the Bill Ross Intercollegiate Oct. 19-20 at Blue Hills Country Club.

The team’s strong start, according to head coach Kit Grove, can be attributed to the strong play of junior Nate Barbee and an altered practice plan.

“Nate (Barbee) has obviously been great for us this year and I was very happy to see him get his first win, but I think we have changed things up at practice to help create a more competitive environment for the guys,” said Grove.

Grove says that he and assistant coach John Handrigan have focused on the players’ short games and they have created games that have pitted the players against each other.

The altered practice plan has helped Barbee record a scoring average of 70.75 and three top-10 finishes, including an individual win at the Kansas Invitational.

Joining Barbee in this week’s event are senior Bryan Hackenberg and three newcomers in junior Jeff Bell and freshmen Chris Gilbert and Alex Gutesha.

Hackenberg has developed into a steadying force for the young KU team with a scoring average of 73.63, ranking second on the team.

“I have really liked how solid and consistent Bryan (Hackenberg) has been for us this year and he has made a big difference in our early success,” said Grove.

Gutesha and Gilbert have played in the first three events of the year as true freshmen, and Bell will make his third-straight start after being cleared to play as a walk-on in early September.

Gilbert and Gutesha rank third and fourth on the team in scoring average, respectively and have combined for four top-20 finishes on the young season.

The 14-team field will play 36 holes on Oct. 19, followed by the final round on Oct. 20. It will be the first time the event has not been conducted at Oakwood Country Club in Kansas City, Mo.

Check back to kuathletics.com for a complete recap and results of the 2009 Bill Ross Intercollegiate.

Complete Field

Central Arkansas

Creighton

Kansas

UMKC

Nebraska

North Dakota

North Dakota State

Northern Colorado

Northern Iowa

Oral Roberts

South Dakota

South Dakota State

Wichita State