Kansas State University Athletics
Kansas State University
Mobile Bay Intercollegiate
Cats Claim Top Five-Finish in Spring Debut
Feb 15, 2022 | Men's Golf
MOBILE, Ala. – The Kansas State men's golf team began the 2022 spring season on a high note, as the Wildcats carded a 5-under par 859 to finish in fourth place at the Mobile Bay Intercollegiate on Tuesday.
The Magnolia Grove Crossings Golf Course saw K-State close out round two with a 2-over par 290 before the Cats were able to rally and cement the top-five finish by tallying a 4-under par 284 in the third round.
K-State finished just one stroke back of No. 20 Illinois, while the Wildcats recorded a victory over No. 28 Kent State, which finished in ninth place. This marked the 13th top-five finish for the Wildcats in the last four seasons and the third of the 2021-22 season.Â
"Overall it was a good finish for us," head coach Grant Robbins said. "I thought we were very solid off the tee and into the greens. We just weren't sharp enough with the short game.
"We have a pretty young team, and we need to keep working on being comfortable under par and learning how to finish off those rounds," Robbins said. "That will come with experience, and I know we will continue to get better."Â
Tim Tillmanns led the way for K-State, finishing in a tie for seventh place at 4-under par 212. Despite falling to a tie for 15th place by the end of round two, the experienced Tillmanns was able to battle back with a 3-under par 69 final round to move back into the top-10. This was his sixth career top-10 finish and third of the season.
"I was really proud of Tim," Robbins said. "He started the day with a triple bogey on his first hole and showed a lot of mental toughness bouncing back."
Tillmanns is no stranger to championship season as he was the 14th Wildcat to qualify for an NCAA Regional when he did so last year. This performance should be a sign of another strong spring for the junior out of Cologne, Germany.
Next on the leaderboard for K-State, in a tie for 13th place at 2-under par 214, was freshman Nicklaus Mason, who captured his second career top-15 finish in just his fourth-career appearance. Mason finished off his second round with a 2-under par 70 before putting the finishing touches on his performance with a 1-under par 71 in the final round.Â
Another freshman, Laurenz Schiergen, who made his Wildcat debut after joining the team at semester, finished in a tie for 23rd place at even par 216. Schiergen carded a 1-under par 71 third round to move up six spots and into the top-25.Â
Will Hopkins, a senior, recorded a 3-over par 75 in the final 18 as he tied for 37th at 3-over par 219. Behind him was Luke O'Neill, a sophomore, in a tie for 45th place at 5-over par 221 after a 1-over par 73 in the third round.Â
Cooper Schultz, a redshirt freshman that was competing as an individual, tied for 28th at 1-over par 217 after carding a 2-over par 74 final round. Schultz's performance at the Mobile Bay Intercollegiate was highlighted by the sensational 3-under par 69 opening round that he put together on Monday.Â
Florida State claimed the team victory with a dramatic comeback to top No. 49 UAB. The Seminoles were 17 strokes off the lead heading into the third round before reeling off a 15-under par 273 in the final 18 to finish in first place at 16-under par 848. Nick Robillard, a senior from UAB, was the individual champion at 11-under par 205.Â
Kansas State will look to build on this outing in training as the Wildcats head into a three-week break before returning to the south, March 7-8, for the Colleton River Intercollegiate in Bluffton, South Carolina.Â
"This is a very talented group," Robbins said. "We just have to keep getting better."
Players Mentioned
