Kansas State University
Big 12 Match Play Tournament
Wildcats Take Third at Big 12 Match Play Tournament
Oct 13, 2019 | Men's Golf
HOCKLEY, Texas – The Kansas State men's golf team played some of its best golf of the season against some of the best teams in the country while earning a third-place finish at the Big 12 Match Play Championship on Sunday.
The 10th-seeded Wildcats dropped an early match to Oklahoma State, falling just short of the title match, before tying Texas in the afternoon at the 7,007-yard, par-71 Club at Houston Oaks for the team's best finish in the event's second year.
"I can't say enough of how proud I am of these guys," head coach Grant Robbins said. "They went toe-to-toe with the best teams in the country and didn't back down. Every one of them gave it everything they had and, in the end, we were one putt away from going unbeaten for the entire week."
K-State was outlasted by perennial Big 12 and national power, the sixth-seeded Cowboys in the morning session Sunday, 3-2-1. Both junior Kyle Vance and senior Jacob Eklund continued their strong play, winning their head to head matchups. Vance jumped out to a lead on his second hole of the day on No. 16, and never looked back, winning 3&2, while Eklund dominated, finishing with a five-hole advantage, including winning holes 8-12 to put him over the edge.
During the afternoon session, K-State tied with 4th seeded Texas, but won the overall tiebreaker, putting them in third for the event. Freshman Tim Tillmanns picked up right where he left off and secured a 4&2 victory to lead the 'Cats. Eklund and sophomore Will Hopkins both won their head to heads, 1Up. Eklund took the lead on his second to last hole, while Hopkins took the lead won his head to head on the last hole, both critical head to head wins for K-State.
K-State's third-place finish this weekend is its best of the season, and much like last year, could be used as a catalyst and motivation for the rest of the fall season and into the spring season.
"We have a very young group and we learned a lot about ourselves this week knowing we have the ability to compete with anyone," Robbins said. "We just have to build on it and continue to get better. I'm really excited to see this team come together and play with the confidence and toughness we will need the rest of the season."
The Wildcats have one more event of the fall, next week's Royal Oaks Intercollegiate hosted by Baylor in Dallas next Monday and Tuesday.
