By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
MAYETTA, Kan. – The Fort Hays State men’s golf team secured fifth place on Tuesday (April 9) at the Firekeeper Open. The Tiger golfers had an exhilarating weekend, triumphing over three nationally ranked teams in the tournament. The competition unfolded at the Firekeeper Golf Course, a par-72 course spanning 7,030 yards.
The Tigers finished 3-over par with a total of 867 strokes over three rounds. Fort Hays State demonstrated exceptional prowess in the final round, clinching the best round score of the day at 277. This remarkable score stands as the lowest in modern team history. The team amassed 45 birdies and 165 pars, ranking third in the tournament for pars. They also boasted the best stroke average on par 3’s, at 3.08.
The Tigers closed with three golfers in the top 20, including Cooper Scheck (T17th), Jackson Rader(T19th), and Tanner Copeland (T19th). Scheck’s standout performance came in the third round, finishing 1-under par with six birdies. He posted rounds of 73, 74, and 68, tying for second with 38 pars during the tournament. Scheck and Copeland boasted a par 3 stroke average of 2.83, ranking them third in the tournament.
Senior Copeland marked his 100th round as a Tiger golfer, culminating with a career-low round of 69. Copeland shot rounds of 75, 72, and 69, leading the team with 11 birdies. Jackson Rader also delivered a top-20 performance, tied with Copeland. Rader posted scores of 73 and 76 before shooting a 67 in round three. His round three score of 67 marks the best since Maddux Miles in 2010. Rader birdied six times during the round, ending the tournament with 11 birdies, equaling Copeland’s count. Rader boasted the best par 4 score on the team at 3.97, trailing the leader by just 0.20.
Cole Streck tied for 31st place, recording rounds of 74, 73, and 73. Streck excelled in the second and third rounds, securing six birdies and going 2-over par in those two rounds. Streck concluded with eight birdies and 36 pars, going 4-over par in the two-day tournament. His 36 pars tie for the seventh most in the tournament and the second most on the team.
Jacob George tied for 76th place, finishing 19-over par. George posted rounds of 79, 74, and 82, concluding the tournament with five birdies. Copeland shone in the third round, going just 5-over par while securing a pair of birdies. Parker Krob tied for 81st, shooting 10-over par. Krob exhibited a commendable performance in the last round, achieving an even score on the back nine and finishing 6-over par for the round. Krob recorded round scores of 79, 82, and 78.
Alex Gentry of Central Missouri clinched the individual title after shooting 13-under par, four strokes ahead of the next spot on the leaderboard. Gentry commenced the tournament with a stellar round of 66, followed by scores of 68 and 69 to finish strong. Central Missouri secured the team victory, with two Mules finishing in the top five. The Mules concluded the tournament at 19-under par, with rounds of 281, 278, and 286.
The team will look to the MIAA Championships in Kansas City, Mo. Action is set to begin Monday (April 15) and conclude Wednesday (April 17).