By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
FORT SMITH, Ark. -Fort Hays State Men’s Golf opened their 2023 spring season at the Hardscrabble Invitational, hosted by Arkansas-Fort Smith, at the Hardscrabble Country (Mar. 6-7). The course was a par-70 layout with a total yardage of 6,783 yards. The Tigers finished the tournament in seventh place with Jacob George and Jackson Rader both finishing in the top 30.
George finished the opening round of the tournament tied for 15th after shooting a 73. George went on to shoot 77 and 81 in his final two rounds for a total of 231. The Winfield, Kansas native carded 26 pars and five birdies for the tournament. Rader finished just a few slots behind George on the leaderboard in a tie for 29th. Rader shot rounds of 76, 82, and 75, also with five birdies to go with 25 pars.
The highlight of the tournament for Rader came on the 15th hole in the final round. After pars on four straight holes to open his round, the sophomore aced the 173-yard par 3 to put himself at 2-under par in the round before eventually finishing at 5-over for the day. Out of the entire field, only four players recorded an eagle, Rader being the only golfer to record a hole-in-one. The shot also served to be the first-ever ace in his playing career.
Bryce Cowan finished in a tie for 35th after shooting a total of 237 (77-82-78). He had four birdies throughout the tournament. August Nilsson competed as an individual in the tournament and finished in 40th. He shot rounds of 80, 77, and 85 for a 242 total, while recording six birdies. Parker Krob finished 41st at 244 (81-81-82), sinking four birdies in the tournament. Tanner Copeland was 46th at 246 (82-78-86), also with four birdies in the tournament.
Henderson State finished at the top of the team leaderboard, followed by Midwestern State and Central Oklahoma. As a team, Henderson State finished one stroke ahead of Midwestern State by posting a 27-over par. The Reddies had four players finish within the top-15 of the 49-man field. Henderson State is ranked No. 17 in the latest Golfstat rankings, while Midwestern State is No. 14.
Miller Harris of Henderson State claimed the Hardscrabble Invitational individual title by shooting 2-under par through his three rounds. He was the only golfer in the field to finish under par, winning by four strokes.
The Tigers will play in their second tournament of the spring on March 20-21 in Edmond, Oklahoma at the Broncho Invitational. The event will be at the Rose Creek Country Club.