By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
PUEBLO, Colo. – Fort Hays State Men’s Golf opened its 2019-20 season on Monday and Tuesday (Sept. 16-17) at the Farmers Insurance Samuel Proal Invitational, hosted by Colorado State-Pueblo. The Tigers finished 12th overall in the tournament, contested at Walking Stick Golf Course, a par-72, 7,243-yard layout. Cole Gritton led the Tigers in his first tournament as a Tiger.
Gritton, a senior transfer from Colorado Christian University, improved 10 places on the leaderboard in the final round, finishing in a tie for 13th at 3-over par overall. Seven players finished under par overall, led by an 11-under par effort from CSU-Pueblo’s Andrew Ni. Liam Duncan of New Mexico Junior College was right on his heels with a 10-under par finish. Gritton was a steady performer for the Tigers throughout the tournament, posting scores of 74 (+2), 73 (+1), and 72 (E).
The Tigers as a team tied for seventh after the first round, firing a 296, their best collective effort of the three rounds. FHSU followed that with rounds of 306 and 304.
Pete Carney led the Tigers in the first round with an even-par 72. He followed that with rounds of 79 and 78. He tied teammate Bryce Cowan for 44th overall at 13-over par. Cowan carded rounds of 74, 80, and 75. Chandler Roberts shot rounds of 76, 76, and 79, tying for 49th at 15-over par, and owned the second-best round of the Tigers in the second round. Isaiah Grover tied for 54th at 17-over par with rounds of 76, 78, and 79.
New Mexico Junior College claimed the tournament with a team score of 865, just 1-over par overall. CSU-Pueblo and Colorado School of Mines tied for second at 869, each 5-over par as a team.
Fort Hays State heads back on the road next week to the MSSU Fall Invitational, a mandatory MIAA event, held at Shangri-La Country Club in Monkey Island, Oklahoma.