K-State Prepped for Fall Finale

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Kansas State men's golf team will look to finish out the fall season on a high note this weekend as the Wildcats compete in the Steelwood Collegiate Invitational, Saturday and Sunday, at Steelwood Country Club in Loxley, Alabama.

This is the fourth time in program history the Wildcats will compete in the Steelwood, including the second-straight year. K-State finished in ninth place in 2018, fifth 2021, sixth a year ago.

"The Steelwood Collegiate Invitational is a great event and one I know the guys are really looking forward to," head coach Grant Robbins said. "The biggest challenge at this course is the greens. They are usually firm and fast, and they feature a ton of undulations that require precise shot making in order to have a good chance at birdie."

The Wildcats will be joined in Loxley by Chattanooga, Clemson, East Carolina, Illinois, Kennesaw State, Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, Memphis, Nebraska, Rice, host-school South Alabama, Troy and Virginia Tech.

K-State will use the scoring lineup of seniors Nicklaus Mason, Kobe Valociek and Cooper Schultz in addition to freshmen Fionn Dobbin and Erik Sabelström Holmberg.

"I feel good about our lineup going in," Robbins said. "Obviously Kobe has had success there, having won this event a year ago. Nick and Cooper have also played this course well in the past. We also saw lots of good things from Fionn and Erik at the Big 12 Match Play Tournament, and I know they are looking forward to continuing that momentum. I am excited to watch us compete this week."

Valociek, a transfer from Virginia Tech, won this event last year while playing for the Hokies with a score of 11-under par 205, which included a final-round total of 6-under par 66. A product of Peoria, Arizona, Valociek enters the fall finale holding a 72.33 scoring average this season with three top-20 finishes, including two in the top 10.

Mason holds a 72.33 scoring average this season with a pair of top-20 finishes, which includes a victory at the Wildcat Invitational. Last year at Steelwood Country Club, the Shawnee, Kansas, native tied for 13th place at even-par 216. He also played in the 2021 edition as a freshman when he tied for 22nd place at 1-under par 215.

Schultz finished last year's event at Steelwood in a tie for fourth place at 4-under par 212. The Andover, Kansas, native is looking to end the fall on a high note as he enters the event with a 73.89 scoring average thanks in part to a 3-under par 213 to tie for second place at the Wildcat Invitational.

Dobbin and Sabelström Holmberg have had great starts to their collegiate careers as Dobbin leads the Wildcats with a 71.00 scoring average over five rounds, while Sabelström Holmberg has tallied a 73.50 average. Dobbin, a native of Lisburn, Northern Ireland, is coming off the Big 12 Match Play Tournament in which he tallied a 3-1-1 record, while Sabelström Holmberg went 3-2 in the event.

The Steelwood Collegiate Invitational begins on Saturday with an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start to the first two rounds, while Sunday's final round will begin at 7:40 a.m. Live results can be viewed on SCOREBOARD Powered by Clippd.

– k-statesports.com –

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Players Mentioned

Fionn Dobbin

Nicklaus Mason

Cooper Schultz

Kobe Valociek

Kansas State University Athletics