RCW: Sport Spotlight 4.30 (Men's Golf)

Good amount of Crimson and Blue sightings towards the top of the Irish Creek leaderboard ????

Sutton finishes in third at even-par, Hillier ties for 12th at 4-over and Spencer ends at a tie for 20th at 6-over. Rock chalk! pic.twitter.com/HR4zwPYen0

— Kansas Men’s Golf (@KUMensGolf) April 8, 2018

 

pittcraft 

During a cold and windy weekend at the Irish Creek Invitational, Kansas men’s golf senior Daniel Sutton was one of only three golfers out of the 88-man field to walk away shooting even or under-par. The consistent performance during inclement weather allowed Sutton to finish in third place at the event, marking the best finish of his two-year career at Kansas.
 
“My putting was a big factor this week,” said Sutton. “I holed a lot of putts for par that I have missed at previous tournaments. I tried to stay in the moment, hitting one shot at a time and not thinking about what holes or conditions I would have for the next shot.”
 
The success on the green carried throughout the three-round event, as he ended with a 1-under 70 on the first round, followed by a 1-over 72 on the second and even-par 71 on the third. His confidence in his putter resulted in 11 birdies on the event, which tied for the fourth-most birdies out of the field. 
 
“Sutton played steady all three rounds,” said Kansas head coach Jamie Bermel. “I thought his par-3 scoring was very nice, and he deserved his third-place finish. He has been close (to winning) a couple of times and if he can get a few more putts to drop then he could definitely win an event.”
 
Sutton’s performance at the Irish Creek Invitational may have been his best finish during his two years at Kansas, but it also helped earn Bermel an accomplishment. With the team finishing in fourth place, the Jayhawks have ended in the top-5 in six-consecutive events, a mark that is now the longest stretch in Bermel’s time at Kansas.
 
Sutton’s team-leading performance gave the Birmingham, England native his 10th-career appearance in the top-20, which has him joining fellow senior Daniel Hudson and junior Charlie Hillier as the only Jayhawk golfers with double-digit showings in the top-20. On the season, Sutton now has a 72.27 round-average, and is one of only three Jayhawks with at least 15 rounds of even or under-par golf.
 
With postseason play coming after this weekend’s regular-season finale at the Hawkeye Invitational in Iowa City, Iowa, Sutton knows that his recent success was a much-needed performance.
 
“I have gained a lot of confidence in my putting and my ability to score in tough conditions,” said Sutton. “My mental game has improved and hopefully I can carry this into the few tournaments that we have left.”
 
The two-day Hawkeye Invitational event begins Friday, April 13, while the Big 12 Championship begins Monday, April 23. With momentum going for the No. 35 Jayhawks, Bermel will be looking for more success and consistency out of Sutton to help carry the team to high finishes.