By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Fort Hays State men’s golf team placed sixth at this week’s (Sept. 20-21) Hardrocker Invitational, hosted by South Dakota School of Mines at The Golf Club at Red Rock. The Tigers posted a three-round total of 64-over 928 after rounds of 318, 304 and 306 at the par-72, 6,896-yard course.
Maddux Mills earned a top-10 finish, placing 10th with a total score of 11-over 227. He opened the week with a 5-over 77 before adding a 2-over 74 in the second round. The redshirt-freshman wrapped up the event with a 4-over 76 on Tuesday. He tied for third in the tournament with 11 birdies, including birdies on the par-5 16th hole in all three rounds.
Bryce Cowan finished three shots back at 14-over 230, good for a tie for 14th place. Cowan improved in each round, recording a 6-over 78 in the opening round, a 5-over 77 in round two and a 4-over 76 over the final 18. He tied for 12th in the field with seven birdies and was second overall in par-three scoring. The junior played the four short holes in even par for the tournament, while the field average was more than 5.5 strokes over par on those holes across three rounds.
Dustin Nichols and Parker Krob tied for 21st place with a total score of 19-over 235. Nichols bounced back from an opening-round 11-over 83 with scores of 4-over 76 in both the second and third rounds. He also tied for 12th with seven birdies in the event while adding the first eagle for the Tigers this season, a chip-in from just off the green on the ninth hole in the opening round.
Krob began the event with an 8-over 80 before improving to 5-over 77 in the second round. The freshman capped off the week with a 6-over 78 in Tuesday’s final round. He matched Cowan and Nichols with seven birdies on the week while tying for seventh in the field with a par-three scoring average of 3.17, just two-over par for the week.
Jackson Rader finished 43rd overall with three-consecutive rounds of 11-over 83, good for a tournament-total of 33-over 249. The freshman carded four birdies in the event, including two in the final round and one on his 54th and final hole of the tournament.
Competing as an individual, Tanner Copeland finished in a tie for 18th at 17-over 233. He opened the tournament at 8-over 80 before posting a 4-over 76 in round two. Copeland wrapped up the event with a 5-over 77 on Tuesday, including three birdies and a chip-in eagle in the final round. He totaled six birdies in the event and the one eagle while matching Cowan with a team-high 30 pars over the 54 holes.
Fort Hays State ranked second in the field with 36 birdies, two behind Westminster College. The Tigers moved up one spot after they sat in seventh at the conclusion of both the first and second rounds.
Westminster College took the team title with a score of 25-over, while Minnesota State-Mankato’s Ben Laffen captured first individually with a 1-under 215.
The Tigers are slated to return to the course next week (Sept. 27-28) when they travel south for the MSSU Fall Invitational, hosted at Shangri La Golf Club & Resort in Monkey Island, Okla.
Full FHSU Results
6th – Fort Hays State = +64 – 318 – 304 – 306 — 928
10th – Maddux Mills – +11 – 77 – 74 – 76 — 227
T14th – Bryce Cowan – +14 – 78 – 77 – 76 — 230
T21st – Dustin Nichols – +19 – 83 – 76 – 76 — 235
T21st – Parker Krob – +19 – 80 – 77 – 78 — 235
46th – Jackson Rader – +33 – 83 – 83 – 83 — 249
T18th – Tanner Copeland* – +17 – 80 – 76 – 77 – 233
*-competed as an individual