FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
AXTELL, Neb. – The Fort Hays State University men’s golf team competed for the first time of the year this week at the UNK Invitational. The tournament was held at Awarii Dunes Country Club, an Irish-inspired links course in the sandy, rolling hills of southern Nebraska. The event, the first of four MIAA designated events that will decide the conference champion, concluded after 36 holes due to potential weather concerns.
The field fought through a wide variety of conditions on Monday (Sept. 12), ranging from clear and calm wind in the morning, to intermittant showers in the afternoon and ultimately cold with gale-force winds over the last few hours. The competition concluded with the final five holes of the second round on a windy and chilly Tuesday morning (Sept. 13).
The Tigers recorded a team score of 650 (328-322) to finish 20th overall and 11th in the MIAA standings. Dalton Ayres led FHSU with a two-round total of nine-over 153 (79-74), finishing in a tie for 49th. The junior transfer jumped 29 spots between rounds with his second round two-over 74, the sixth-largest jump in the 105 individual field.
Freshmen Marcus Willey (83-81) and Colton Bobek (82-82) both finished with a score of plus-20 164. Isaiah Grover (84-85-169) and Jake Weller (84-88-172) rounded out the scoring for FHSU.
The team will return to action in two weeks when it heads to Monkey, Island, Okla. for the MSSU Fall Invitational at Shangri-La Country Club. The first two rounds are scheduled for Monday, Sept. 26 before the final round takes off Tuesday.