Alan Hoskins, Supervisor of Public Information
Friday, April 23, 2010
College Advancement
Putting will be the order of the day as Kansas City Kansas Community College’s young golf team takes aim on a berth in the National Tournament next Monday and Tuesday at Gothenburg, Neb.
Led by all-conference selection Ben Moser, a sophomore from Washburn Rural in Topeka, the Blue Devils finished fourth in the Jayhawk Conference final standings and also fourth in the conference championship tournament played at Sand Creek Station in Newton. Hutchinson was a runaway winner in the tournament with an 887 total followed by Dodge City (307), Johnson County (327) and KCKCC (330).
“We most do better at regional and we can,” said Blue Devil Coach Gary Shrader. In addition to the three teams that finished ahead of KCKCC in the conference and conference tournament, the nine-team district field will include two Iowa powerhouses, Indian Hills and Iowa Western. The top five teams will advance to the national.
Shrader expects the battle for the fifth and final berth will be between KCKCC and Johnson County. “We won’t make it if we don’t beat Johnson County,” said Shrader. “They beat us by just three shots in the tournament and we didn’t play well. And we beat them a couple of times during the season.”
Putting was the big problem in the conference tourney. “I’ll bet we had four or five rounds with 35 or 36 putts,” said Shrader. “We had one freshman with an out of bounds penalty and 38 putts and he still shot 74; another had two double bogeys, a triple and 39 putts. So all we’re doing this week is working on putting. We’re capable. Our ball-striking is okay. I’m convinced we have our best golf ahead us.”
Fifth in the Jayhawk medalist completion, Moser also finished fifth in the conference tournament with a 224 total. “He was real consistent and played well all season,” said Shrader.
Freshmen took the other four spots for KCKCC as Jerry Chase of Sabetha was 12th with a 230 followed by Luke Gordon of Marion and Cole Murrin of Fort Scott, both at 239; and Trace McDiffett of Rossville, 246. All will compete in the district along Deghand, Logan Rotha of Goddard and Daniel Trout of St. Thomas Aquinas, also all freshmen.