Comeback effort propels KU to sixth top-5 of season

Lone Star Invitational
Briggs Ranch Golf Course | San Antonio, Texas
Par-72 | 7,247 yards
senior Daniel Hudson tracking a putt
Final Results

Place Team Score
1 #11 Oklahoma 849 (-15)
2 Arkansas State 866 (+2)
3 Texas El Paso 871 (+7)
4 #36 Kansas 872 (+8)
5 New Mexico State 877 (+13)
6 ULM 878 (+14)
7 Little Rock 881 (+17)
8 UTSA 882 (+18)
9 New Mexico 885 (+21)
10 Rice 886 (+22)
T11 Texas State 887 (+23)
T11 McNeese State 887 (+23)
13 Louisiana Tech 922 (+58)
14 Southern Mississippi 925 (+61)
15 Louisiana 934 (+70)
Individual Leaderboard (Top 5)
Place Name Team Score
1 Brad Dalke OU 208 (-8)
2 Jakub Barnes ASU 209 (-7)
3 Grant Hirschman OU 210 (-6)
4 Charles Corner UTEP 211 (-5)
5 Zan Luka Stirn ASU 212 (-4)
Kansas Leaderboard
Place Name Score
T13 Daniel Hudson 217 (+1)
T24 Daniel Sutton 220 (+4)
T24 Harry Hillier 220 (+4)
T24 Jake Scarrow (I) 220 (+4)
T31 Charlie Hillier 221 (+5)
T46 Andy Spencer 226 (+10)

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Junior Charlie Hillier’s 4-under 68 led a team-wide, third-round rally that resulted in a fourth-place finish for the Kansas men’s golf team. The team’s 23 birdies on the day led to a 2-under finish for the Jayhawks, making them one of only two teams to shoot under par on the day.

“We got off to a better start despite the windy and cold conditions,” said head coach Jamie Bermel. “The guys really fed off each other and played solid all day.”

Senior Daniel Hudson had the best overall finish for the team, ending tied for 13th place with a 1-over 217. The top-20 finish was the third of his season and 18th of his career. Hudson’s third-round, 2-under 70 was his lowest round of the tournament, and the second-best score posted by a Jayhawk at the event.

Behind Hudson was fellow senior Daniel Sutton, who tied for 24th place with a 4-over 220 for the event. Coming into the day at 1-under, Sutton surrendered a string of four-consecutive bogeys early on that knocked him out of the top-20.

Also ending at a tie for 24th place at 4-over was freshman Harry Hillier. The freshman recorded his third-career under-par finish during Tuesday’s third round, as he ended with a 1-under 71. Hillier recorded 33 pars on the event, putting him in the top-25 for pars in the tournament.

Junior Jake Scarrow also tied for 24th place, though making an individual appearance. Scarrow recorded 10 birdies through the three rounds, making him one of only 24 golfers in the event to tally double-digit birdies.

Coming into the day, Charlie Hillier was tied for 62nd place after he posted the highest score of his season during Monday’s second round. Despite the weight of Monday’s 9-over 81 on his shoulders, Charlie Hillier bounced back in an emphatic fashion, tying his season-best round with a 4-under 68. The eldest Hillier birdied five holes on the day, upping his tournament-total to 12, which was third most in the event. Along with the birdie brigade, he managed to sink an eagle by holing out of a 345-yard, par 5 in just two shots.

“Charlie really played well,” said Bermel. “He had a few miscues, but coming in with a 68 is a good score. He putted fairly well and put himself on the correct side of the hole where he could be fairly aggressive.”

Sophomore Andy Spencer struggled in the third round, ending the day with a 5-over 77, bumping his score up to a 10-over 226. Even with a challenging event, Spencer first-round 73 improved his rounds-counted total to 20.5 on the season, the most on the team.

The fourth-place finish marks the team’s sixth top-5 finish on the season. To Bermel, Tuesday’s efforts to reach the top-5 was special.

“I’m proud of the comeback after (Monday’s) performance,” said Bermel. “I thought they responded with some toughness and resilience, and hopefully we can continue that.”

The team has a quick turnaround, as it will tee off this upcoming Friday at 10 a.m. CT, for round one of the Bighorn Invitational. The two-day event will feature 12 teams and will be hosted at the Bighorn Golf Club in Palm Desert, Calif.

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