By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
The Fort Hays State men’s golf team placed eighth out of 15 teams at the FHSU Tiger Classic this week at Smoky Hill Country Club (Oct. 18-19). The par-70, 6,105-yard course played to a field stroke average of 75.5 on Tuesday thanks to sustained winds in excess of 20 mph.
Dustin Nichols was the top Tiger for the week, finishing in a tie for 13th at 11-over (74, 73, 74). He opened his third round with a birdie and added two more in back-to-back fashion on holes 12 and 13, finishing the week with the team lead and tied for eighth in the field with nine birdies.
Jackson Rader posted another strong finish for the Tigers, playing his final eight holes in 1-under to post a 5-over 75 in the final round. He finished in a tie for 30th out of 84 players at 16-over (75-76-75). He tied for the team lead with 31 pars on the week while adding five birdies through the three rounds.
Parker Krob fired a 6-over 76 in the third round to finish the week at 17-over (73-78-76). He matched Rader with a team-high 31 pars and was the only player on the team without a score worse than bogey on any hole.
Bryce Cowan finished at 10-over 80 to place 48th with a total score of 22-over (79-73-80). Maddux Mills finished in a tie for 73rd after a final-round 13-over 83. Caleb Humble and Tanner Copeland tied for 57th while competing as individuals at 26-over. Humble matched the low round of the day for the Tigers at 4-over 74, with Copeland one shot back at 5-over 75. Austin Perez rounded out the Tiger lineup with a score of 87 on Tuesday.
The Tigers placed seventh out of the 10 MIAA programs, earning four league points in the conference designated event. FHSU currently sits in eighth overall through two events with seven points. Nichols placed 11th among MIAA competition, earning five conference points to sit in 18th place after the fall portion of the league schedule.
Rogers State climbed two spots to win the team title thanks to a 2-under 278 in Tuesday’s final round, finishing the tournament at 26-over 866. The Hillcats played their final nine holes in 8-under to come from behind and beat No. 9 Central Missouri by one stroke. Central Oklahoma’s Kyle Hickey took home individual medalist honors after a third-round 1-under 69, one of just six under-par rounds for the entire tournament.
Fort Hays State will wrap up its busy fall next week when the Tigers travel south to compete in The Tulsa Cup hosted by Rogers State. Play at The Golf Club at Indian Springs is set to open on Monday before wrapping up on Tuesday (Oct. 25-26).
Full FHSU Results
8th – Fort Hays State – +61 – 296 – 300 – 305 — 901
T13th – Dustin Nichols – +11 – 74 – 73 – 74 — 221
T30th – Jackson Rader – +16 – 75 – 76 – 75 — 226
T35th – Parker Krob – +17 – 73 – 78 – 76 — 227
T48th – Bryce Cowan – +22 – 79 – 73 – 80 — 232
T57th – Caleb Humble* – +26 – 78 – 84 – 74 — 236
T57th – Tanner Copeland* – +26 – 82 – 79 – 75 — 236
T73rd – Maddux Mills – +32 – 74 – 85 – 83 — 242
81st – Austin Perez* – +42 – 82 – 83 – 87 — 252
* – competed as an individual