By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Fort Hays State men’s golf team placed 10th out of 16 teams at the Holiday Inn Express Classic this week (Oct. 11-12) at soggy St. Joseph Country Club. Originally slated for 54 holes, the tournament was cut down to just 36 holes after a 4.5-hour delay on Monday due to rain and lightning in the area.
The Tigers fought through wet, windy conditions to post a first-round score of 301 on Monday, 17-over par at the par-71, 6,564-yard course. After sitting in a tie for ninth following day one, FHSU fired a 19-over 303 in round two, falling one spot to finish 10th overall.
Caleb Humble made his Tiger debut with an even-par 71 on day one, carding four birdies to sit in 10th out of 86 golfers after the first 18 holes. He finished the event with an 8-over 79 on Tuesday, placing in a tie for 28th at 8-over 150 while recording a team-best six birdies.
Maddux Mills matched Humble’s overall score of 8-over 150 with rounds of 5-over 76 and 3-over 74. Mills recorded five birdies in the event and played the final 33 holes in 2-over after a slow start to day one. Mills and Humble both played the par-3s in 1-over, tied for 10th-best in the field, while Mills led the team in par-5 scoring at 2-under.
Parker Krob posted consecutive rounds of 5-over 76 to finish in a tie for 39th at 10-over 152. The freshman carded three birdies in the opening round and placed second on the team with 22 pars.
Jackson Rader and Tanner Copeland tied for 54th-place with a cumulative score of 13-over 155. Copeland opened the tournament with a 7-over 78 on Monday and added a 6-over 77 on Tuesday, while Rader fired an 8-over 79 in the opening round and closed things out with a round of 5-over 76.
Rader finished the tournament with back-to-back birdies on holes nine and ten, rolling in lengthy birdie putts on each hole to help the Tigers edge out Concordia-St. Paul by one stroke. The freshman posted five birdies on the week, while Copeland carded three birdies and also had the lone eagle of the week for the Tigers, one of just nine out of the entire field.
Central Oklahoma captured the team title with a two-round total of 1-over 569, while Washburn’s Dawson Wills took medalist honors with a score of 5-under 137 (71-66).
Fort Hays State will return to the course next week when the Tigers host the FHSU Tiger Classic at Smoky Hill Country Club on Monday and Tuesday (Oct. 18-19). It’s just the third time the men’s team has hosted an event since 2009. A shotgun start is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on both days, with the field of 15 schools and 84 golfers playing 36 holes on Monday and 18 on Tuesday.
Full FHSU Results
10th – Fort Hays State – +36 – 301 – 303 — 604
T28th – Caleb Humble – +8 – 71 – 79 — 150
T28th – Maddux Mills – +8 – 76 – 74 — 150
T39th – Parker Krob – +10 – 76 – 76 – 152
T54th – Tanner Copeland – +13 – 78 – 77 — 155
T54th – Jackson Rader – +13 – 79 – 76 — 155