Kansas Men’s Golf 2016-17 Schedule Packs a Punch
LAWRENCE, Kan. – With the success Kansas men’s golf has experienced the past few seasons under fifth-year coach Jamie Bermel, the KU 2016-17 schedule has beefed up. KU will defend two tournament titles this upcoming season and will play in five new events on its 12 in-season tourneys.
Kansas is coming off a season where it won four tournaments and advanced to an NCAA Regional as a team for the first time since 2007. In Bermel’s first four seasons at Kansas, the Jayhawks won six tournament titles, including five in the past two years. Additionally, KU has 22 top-five finishes, with 16 of those in the past two campaigns.
“We’ve added some new tournaments to our schedule,” Bermel said. “Those were invites because of our play from the last couple of years. I believe several of the events will have a NCAA Regional-type field.”
In 2016-17, the Jayhawks will defend their tourney titles at the Desert Intercollegiate, Feb. 17-19, at Classic Club in Palm Desert, California, and at the Great River Entertainment Invitational, April 15-16, at Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City, Iowa.
KU will open the season at the Rod Myers Invitational played at the Duke University Golf Course in Durham, North Carolina. Last year, KU opened the season finishing fifth at the Rod Myers Invitational. The Jayhawks will then play in two new events. First they head to Scottsdale, Arizona, Sept. 23-25, for the Maui Jim Intercollegiate at Mirabel Golf Club. The following week KU will head north to compete at the Golfweek Conference Challenge, Sept. 30-Oct. 2, at Spirit Hollow Golf Course in Burlington, Iowa.
Last year Kansas finished third at the Bayou City Collegiate Championship in Pearland, Texas. Golfcrest Country Club in Houston will again host this year’s tournament Oct. 10-11. KU will then play its third new tourney in the Bermel era when it travels to Vero Beach, Florida, Oct. 24-25, for the Quail Valley Collegiate Invitational at Quail Valley Golf Club.
For the third-straight year, Kansas will close out the fall portion of the schedule at the Ka’anapali Collegiate Classic in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii. Last year, KU placed sixth in the event and the Jayhawks were fourth in Maui in 2014.
After defending its title at the Desert Intercollegiate, Feb. 17-19, KU will then head back to Scottsdale, Arizona and compete in the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate, March 4-5, played at the Outlaw at Desert Mountain. KU will conclude the March portion of the slate by making a return trip to the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate, March 26-28, at Bulls Bay Golf Club in Awendaw, South Carolina. Last year, KU finished eighth at the event.
KU will then head to Phoenix, Arizona for the Cowboy Classic, April 10-11, at the Whirlwind Golf Club. Under Bermel, Kansas has played the Great River Entertainment Invitational, formerly known as the Hawkeye Invitational, every year with the Jayhawks winning the 2013 and 2016 titles. They return to defend their title April 15-16.
Kansas Athletics will play host at the 2017 Big 12 Championship at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kansas, April 24-26. Prairie Dunes has hosted 11 previous Big 12 Championships with the last in 2013. KU’s 1999 Big 12 Championship title was won at Prairie Dunes.
Last year, KU finished tied for sixth at the Big 12 Championship at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity, Texas. It was KU’s highest Big 12 placing since 2005 when it also finished sixth.
Kansas returns three regulars from last season’s NCAA team which was ranked as high as No. 37. Senior Chase Hanna and sophomore Charlie Hillier played in all 13 events for KU last year, while junior Daniel Hudson played in 12. Hillier is KU’s leading returning scorer at 73.08 strokes per round, including seven top-20 finishes. Hanna averaged 73.28 with six top-20 placings and Hudson, 73.68, had three top-five finishes his sophomore year.
2016-17 Kansas Men’s Golf Schedule
Sept. 10-11 – Rod Myers Invitational, Durham, N.C. (Duke University Golf Course)
Sept. – Maui Jim Intercollegiate. Scottsdale, Ariz. (Mirabel Golf Club)
Sept. 30-Oct . 2 – Golfweek Conference Challenge, Burlington, Iowa (Spirit Hollow Golf Course)
Oct. 10-11 – Bayou City Collegiate Championship, Pearland, Texas (Golfcrest Country Club)
Oct. 24-25 – Quail Valley Collegiate Invitational, Vero Beach, Fla. (Quail Valley Golf Club)
Nov. 4-6 – Ka’anapali Collegiate Classic, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii (Royal Ka’anapali)
Feb. 17-19 – Desert Intercollegiate, Palm Desert, Calif. (Classic Club)
March 4-5 – Desert Mountain Intercollegiate, Scottsdale, Ariz. (The Outlaw at Desert Mountain)
March 26-28 – Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate, Awendaw, S.C. (Bulls Bay Golf Club)
April 10-11 – Cowboy Classic, Phoenix, Ariz. (Whirlwind Golf Club)
April 15-16 – Great River Entertainment Invitational, Iowa City, Iowa (Finkbine Golf Course)
April 24-26 – Big 12 Championship, Hutchinson, Kan. (Prairie Dunes Country Club)
May 15-17 – NCAA Regionals (TBD)
May 26-31 – NCAA National Championship, Sugar Grove, Ill. (Rich Harvest Farms)
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