Valociek Tied for First Through 18 Holes

LA QUINTA, Calif. – Kansas State senior men's golfer Kobe Valociek recorded a career-low tying round of 66 and is tied for first place following the first round of The Prestige on Monday at the par-71, 7,129-yard Greg Norman Course of PGA WEST.

Valociek is one of three players in the 120-man field who shot 5-under par over the first 18 holes. Senior Nicklaus Mason is tied for 14th place after turning in a score of 2-under par 69.

As a team, the Wildcats concluded the first day in a three-way tie for 10th place on the bunched-up leaderboard after producing a score of even par 284. K-State is one shot behind a three-way tie for seventh place and two shots back of a three-way tied for fourth place.

"Kobe and Nick both played some really good golf today," head coach Grant Robbins said. "They did a great job of keeping the ball in play and took advantage of the birdie opportunities when they had them. As a team, we are in a good spot. There is a lot of golf left, and this is a course where we have to stay patient and keep being disciplined with our game plan."

Valociek, a transfer from Virginia Tech, began his day on the back 9 as he went 1-under par with two birdies. The Peoria, Arizona, native then played the front 9 bogey-free and 4-under par to rise up the leaderboard throughout the afternoon. He tied his career-low round as a collegiate golfer that he produced three other times, most recently in the third round of the Steelwood Collegiate last year en route to his first collegiate victory.

A native of Shawnee, Kansas, Mason recorded his eighth round this season in the 60s thanks to six birdies on the day, including four over his first 9 holes.

Senior Ian McCrary is tied for 78th place at 3-over par 74, one shot ahead of freshman Fionn Dobbin, who is tied for 88th place. Senior Cooper Schultz is tied for 115th place at 9-over par 80.

A pair of freshmen, Erik Sabelström Holmberg and Tyler Strong, are playing in a separate 41-man individual tournament held at The Golf Club at Terra Lago. Both players are tied for 17th place at 3-over par 75, as Strong's day featured a bogey-free, 2-under par front 9.

Kansas State continues play at The Prestige on Tuesday as the Wildcats, who will be paired with Loyola Marymount and Nevada, begin on the first tee at 9:40 a.m. (PT). Live results can be viewed on SCOREBOARD Powered by Clippd.

– k-statesports.com –

How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Men's Golf, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.

Kansas State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Fionn Dobbin

Nicklaus Mason

Ian McCrary

Cooper Schultz

Tyler Strong

Kobe Valociek

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