Monday, October 9
Houston, Texas
Kansas State University
vs
Big 12 Match Play Tournament
K-State Tops Iowa State in Playoff to Conclude Big 12 Match Play
Oct 11, 2023 | Men's Golf
HOCKLEY, Texas – The Kansas State men's golf team earned victories from Nicklaus Mason and Cooper Schultz in addition to a tie from Luke O'Neill before winning a playoff on the first hole to defeat Iowa State on Wednesday during the final round of the Big 12 Match Play Tournament held at Houston Oaks GC.
The Wildcats and Cyclones were tied, 2-2-1, at the end of the match to send it to a 5-count-5 playoff. The match did not extend beyond the par-4 first hole as Schultz and Alex Lindstrom each birdied to help K-State claim its first victory of the week and finish in 11th place.
"I'm proud of the way the guys competed today," head coach Grant Robbins said. "We got off to a poor start, but they kept at it and hit a lot of quality shots down the stretch. It was an exciting finish and a great experience for us.
"There are lots of positives we can take from this entire week," Robbins continued. "Match play is so different from what we normally do, but it's a great opportunity to see how our team performs under different pressure situations. In match play, there is pressure pretty much on every hole, and when you are up against teams of this caliber, your weaknesses can be exposed pretty easily. There are a lot of areas that we need to get better at, but it was a tremendous learning experience and one that will make us stronger as the year goes on."
Mason carded his first individual win of the event with a dominating 6&5 victory over Dianchao Wu. Starting on No. 14, the junior was tied through five holes going to No. 1 before winning six of the next eight to end the match.
Schultz never trailed against Iowa State's Luke Gutschewski, the reigning Big 12 Golfer of the Month, en route to a 3&2 victory. A product of Andover, Kansas, Schultz finished the week with an individual record of 4-1 as the junior won four-straight matches to finish the event.
A native of Connemara, Ireland, O'Neill trailed Iowa State's Owen Sawyer by two holes at the halfway mark, but O'Neill won Nos. 5, 6 and 11 to take a one-hole lead into the final four. However, Sawyer connected on a 40-foot birdie putt on No. 14 – the final hole of the match – for a tie.
Lindstrom lost his match to Paul Beavuy, 1Up, while junior JP Roller suffered a 5&4 loss to Zach May.
Kansas State returns to stroke-play action for its final event of the fall, the Steelwood Intercollegiate, October 28-29, at Steelwood Country Club in Loxley, Alabama.
The Wildcats and Cyclones were tied, 2-2-1, at the end of the match to send it to a 5-count-5 playoff. The match did not extend beyond the par-4 first hole as Schultz and Alex Lindstrom each birdied to help K-State claim its first victory of the week and finish in 11th place.
"I'm proud of the way the guys competed today," head coach Grant Robbins said. "We got off to a poor start, but they kept at it and hit a lot of quality shots down the stretch. It was an exciting finish and a great experience for us.
"There are lots of positives we can take from this entire week," Robbins continued. "Match play is so different from what we normally do, but it's a great opportunity to see how our team performs under different pressure situations. In match play, there is pressure pretty much on every hole, and when you are up against teams of this caliber, your weaknesses can be exposed pretty easily. There are a lot of areas that we need to get better at, but it was a tremendous learning experience and one that will make us stronger as the year goes on."
Mason carded his first individual win of the event with a dominating 6&5 victory over Dianchao Wu. Starting on No. 14, the junior was tied through five holes going to No. 1 before winning six of the next eight to end the match.
Schultz never trailed against Iowa State's Luke Gutschewski, the reigning Big 12 Golfer of the Month, en route to a 3&2 victory. A product of Andover, Kansas, Schultz finished the week with an individual record of 4-1 as the junior won four-straight matches to finish the event.
A native of Connemara, Ireland, O'Neill trailed Iowa State's Owen Sawyer by two holes at the halfway mark, but O'Neill won Nos. 5, 6 and 11 to take a one-hole lead into the final four. However, Sawyer connected on a 40-foot birdie putt on No. 14 – the final hole of the match – for a tie.
Lindstrom lost his match to Paul Beavuy, 1Up, while junior JP Roller suffered a 5&4 loss to Zach May.
Kansas State returns to stroke-play action for its final event of the fall, the Steelwood Intercollegiate, October 28-29, at Steelwood Country Club in Loxley, Alabama.
Players Mentioned
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