Jayhawks finish fall campaign in Hawaii
LAWRENCE, Kan. – With its fall season coming to an end, Kansas men’s golf will look to the experience of senior Chase Hanna, sophomore Charlie, and junior Dan Hudson, as it heads to Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii to compete in the Ka’anapali Collegiate Classic at Royal Ka’anapali Golf Club.
Already playing in a variety of different locations this season, Hawaii will provide its own unique golf conditions, including ocean views (and the accompanying winds) and an 18th hole that Arnold Palmer once called the toughest finishing hole he’s played.
“I assume the wind will blow each day so the course should play like it was designed,” head coach Jamie Bermel said of the course, which suits big hitters with several long holes. “There are some birdie holes out here, but into the wind, some of the holes will play fairly difficult.”
Bermel will take the same lineup that has played in the last two events, including freshman Andy Spencer who will play as an individual. Hanna, Hudson, and Hillier all competed in the Ka’anapali Collegiate Classic in the 2015-2016 season where Kansas placed sixth.
Coming off of struggles at Quail Valley, Hanna will continue his streak of playing in every tournament while in a Kansas uniform as the first half of his final season comes to a close. Leading the team in scoring, Hanna has averaged more than one-under-par with 70.67 in his 15 rounds. Hanna also leads the team with four, top-15 finishes, including his first collegiate win.
Also running into trouble at the Quail Valley, Hillier will look to bounce back to help lead Kansas to its third win of the season. Hillier has an impressive season under his belt this far, finishing in the top-20 in four out of five events. Kansas has looked to Hillier’s score 14 times out of his 15 rounds played, leading the team in rounds counted.
Hudson broke the top-20 for his second time this season at Quail Valley and will look to bring this momentum with him to Hawaii. Hudson has been a consistent asset for Kansas, recording 8-of-15 rounds at even par or better.
Junior Daniel Sutton and sophomore Jake Scarrow will round out the lineup for KU. Sutton is one of only three Jayhawks to record an average under par with a 71.75. Both players have recorded best finishes of fourth place. Scarrow has been reliable for Kansas as his score has been counted eight out of nine rounds, second only to Hillier.
“Same lineup as last week,” Bermel said. “Andy Spencer is playing as an individual. Charlie, Chase and Dan Hudson played here last year so they are familiar with the course. Just like any other event, we need to count four good scores each round.”
Andy Spencer will play for the third time this season, competing as an individual. Spencer has not competed since the Maui Jim Classic in late September.
Kansas, who has recently received votes for the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) rankings, will compete in its biggest tournament yet with a 24-team field. No. 6 Clemson, No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 14 Georgia and No. 16 Clemson will lead the field followed by South Carolina and North Florida who both received votes. Ball State, Boise State, Bowling Green State, CSU-Fullerton, CSU-Northridge, Georgia State, Gonzaga, Hawaii, Hawaii-Hilo, Houston, Long Beach State, Loyola Marymount, Minnesota, UNCW, Sacramento State, UTSA and UC Santa Barbara will round out the competition.
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