Monday, April 24
Hutchinson, Kan.
Kansas State University
vs
Big 12 Championship
K-State Stays in State for Big 12 Championship
Apr 23, 2023 | Men's Golf
MANHATTAN, Kan. - The Kansas State men's golf team - ranked 24th in the latest Golfstat Top 25 - will stay within the confines of the state of Kansas for the 2023 Big 12 Championship, Monday through Wednesday, at the par-70, 7,025-yard Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson.
It is the 14th time the Big 12 Men's Golf Championship will be held at Prairie Dunes and the second in the last three years. The championship consists of 72 holes with two rounds being contested on Monday and one round on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
Not only will the Wildcats compete in their first four-round event of the season, but they will do so against some of the best competition in the country. Kansas State is one of five teams ranked in the Golfstat Top 25, while two other teams are ranked in the top 50. Joining K-State in the top 25 is No. 5 Texas Tech, No. 11 Oklahoma, No. 14 Texas and No. 20 Oklahoma State.
"We are excited to be getting back to Prairie Dunes for the Big 12 Championship," head coach Grant Robbins said. "I've always said the Big 12 is the best conference championship in all of college golf. Being able to compete for 72 holes against some of the best teams in the country on one of the best courses in the country is very special."
The Wildcats will be represented in Hutchinson by seniors Will Hopkins and Tim Tillmanns, sophomores Cooper Schultz and Nicklaus Mason, as well as junior Luke O'Neill. Sophomore Laurenz Schiergen will serve as the Wildcats' alternate. The Big 12 Championship will be the fourth time this five-man lineup will be used this season with two of those times being top-five finishes, including a victory at The Johnnie-O in March.
Tillmanns and Hopkins are the top two stroke average leaders for the Wildcats as they both sit under 70.00 thanks to 22 rounds apiece of even or under par. A native of Cologne, Germany, Tillmanns holds a 69.74 stroke average with five top-10 finishes in his nine events this season. One of those was a victory at The Johnnie-O.
Hopkins, who hails from Lincolnshire, England, comes into the Big 12 Championship with a 69.93 stroke average and seven top-20 finishes, including five in the top 10.
Both Tillmanns' and Hopkins' stroke averages this season are better than the current school record of 71.33 held by Roland Massimino in 2018-19.
Schultz, a native of Andover, Kansas, comes into the conference championship with a 70.85 stroke average and five top-20 showings, while Mason holds a 71.52 stroke average and O'Neill is at 71.67.
The battled-tested Wildcats, who are tied for fourth in the country with four victories this season, are ready to take on a challenging course alongside some of the best teams in the country, which sets up to be a great test prior to NCAA Regionals in three weeks.
"Prairie Dunes is such a fantastic course, and with the conditions that are predicted, it will test every aspect of your game," Robbins said. "To be successful there, you will have to strike the ball well and play smartly by keeping the ball on the correct side of the hole, and you're going to have to be mentally tough. It's just a great test of golf, and we are looking forward to the challenge."
Kansas State tees off for the first 36 holes of the Big 12 Championship on hole No. 10 beginning at 8:22 a.m. on Monday as the Wildcats are paired with Baylor. Tee times will also be held on Tuesday and Wednesday for single rounds beginning at 8 a.m. with the final round shown live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Live results for the entire 72-hole championship can be followed at Golfstat.com.
It is the 14th time the Big 12 Men's Golf Championship will be held at Prairie Dunes and the second in the last three years. The championship consists of 72 holes with two rounds being contested on Monday and one round on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
Not only will the Wildcats compete in their first four-round event of the season, but they will do so against some of the best competition in the country. Kansas State is one of five teams ranked in the Golfstat Top 25, while two other teams are ranked in the top 50. Joining K-State in the top 25 is No. 5 Texas Tech, No. 11 Oklahoma, No. 14 Texas and No. 20 Oklahoma State.
"We are excited to be getting back to Prairie Dunes for the Big 12 Championship," head coach Grant Robbins said. "I've always said the Big 12 is the best conference championship in all of college golf. Being able to compete for 72 holes against some of the best teams in the country on one of the best courses in the country is very special."
The Wildcats will be represented in Hutchinson by seniors Will Hopkins and Tim Tillmanns, sophomores Cooper Schultz and Nicklaus Mason, as well as junior Luke O'Neill. Sophomore Laurenz Schiergen will serve as the Wildcats' alternate. The Big 12 Championship will be the fourth time this five-man lineup will be used this season with two of those times being top-five finishes, including a victory at The Johnnie-O in March.
Tillmanns and Hopkins are the top two stroke average leaders for the Wildcats as they both sit under 70.00 thanks to 22 rounds apiece of even or under par. A native of Cologne, Germany, Tillmanns holds a 69.74 stroke average with five top-10 finishes in his nine events this season. One of those was a victory at The Johnnie-O.
Hopkins, who hails from Lincolnshire, England, comes into the Big 12 Championship with a 69.93 stroke average and seven top-20 finishes, including five in the top 10.
Both Tillmanns' and Hopkins' stroke averages this season are better than the current school record of 71.33 held by Roland Massimino in 2018-19.
Schultz, a native of Andover, Kansas, comes into the conference championship with a 70.85 stroke average and five top-20 showings, while Mason holds a 71.52 stroke average and O'Neill is at 71.67.
The battled-tested Wildcats, who are tied for fourth in the country with four victories this season, are ready to take on a challenging course alongside some of the best teams in the country, which sets up to be a great test prior to NCAA Regionals in three weeks.
"Prairie Dunes is such a fantastic course, and with the conditions that are predicted, it will test every aspect of your game," Robbins said. "To be successful there, you will have to strike the ball well and play smartly by keeping the ball on the correct side of the hole, and you're going to have to be mentally tough. It's just a great test of golf, and we are looking forward to the challenge."
Kansas State tees off for the first 36 holes of the Big 12 Championship on hole No. 10 beginning at 8:22 a.m. on Monday as the Wildcats are paired with Baylor. Tee times will also be held on Tuesday and Wednesday for single rounds beginning at 8 a.m. with the final round shown live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Live results for the entire 72-hole championship can be followed at Golfstat.com.
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