Monday, October 12
Salt Lake City, Utah
Kansas State University
vs
Big 12 Match Play Championship
Cats Kick Off Big 12 Match Play on Monday
Oct 11, 2026 | Men's Golf
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – After a fifth-place finish in the Blessings Collegiate Invitational, the Kansas State men's golf team takes a pause on stroke-place events with the Big 12 Match Play Tournament, Monday through Wednesday, at The Country Club, a par-72, 7,018-yard course, in Salt Lake City, Utah.Â
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The tournament is played on a team-versus-team basis where each hole is its own battle within the entire round. The first three rounds will consist of pool play to determine seedings for the final two tournament rounds.Â
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"We are really excited for the Big 12 Match Play event," said head coach Grant Robbins. "This is definitely a tournament our players really look forward to and enjoy. The match play format is one we don't play very often but one that can be incredibly fun especially when you are playing for your team. It's a different mindset where every hole matters, and your strategy can vary based on the situation. We don't know much about the golf course, but probably the biggest thing for us is getting adjusted to the altitude there and figuring out our distances. It's going to be a fun week."Â
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Starting off the scoring lineup in Salt Lake City is Espoo, Finland, product Ville Virkkala. The sophomore has been in the top spot in the scoring lineup for the Cats through the first two events of the season, finishing in fourth place at the second-opening Wildcat Invitational and 13th place in the Blessings Collegiate Invitational.Â
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Oliver Toyer also joins the lineup for the third time this season and has become a constant for the team with all six of his rounds counting towards the final team scoring. Toyer already has two top-10 finishes through just two events, finishing third at the Wildcat Invitational and tying for 10th at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational.Â
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Holding down the third spot in the lineup is junior Erik Sabelström Holmberg. The Stockholm, Sweden, native joined the scoring lineup for the first time in Arkansas and finished within the top four for K-State in all three rounds, landing him in 32nd place.Â
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Freshman Oscar Stendahl makes his debut in the Cats' lineup after a strong individual performance in the SIUE Dolenc Invitational where he tied for 17th place. Â
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Junior Fionn Dobbin and sophomore Octavio Laurent finish out the K-State players making the trip to Salt Lake City. Dobbin, out of Lisburn, Northern Ireland, looks to bounce back after a tie for 37th place in the Blessings Collegiate Invitational. Laurent is looking to rebound from a tie for 35th place at the Blessing Collegiate Invitational, which had followed an eighth-place finish in the Wildcat Invitational.Â
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K-State, the No. 10 seed in the event, will compete in Pool B, which consists of No. 2 seed Texas Tech, seventh-seeded Colorado and No.15 seed Houston. The Cats will play two pool play rounds on Monday and one more on Tuesday morning. Round 4 on Tuesday afternoon and Round 5 on Wednesday morning will determine final placings in the event.Â
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The Cats open Big 12 Match Play against Colorado on Monday morning at 9 a.m. (CT) with a shotgun start. Live results can be followed on SCOREBOARD Powered by Clippd.Â
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The tournament is played on a team-versus-team basis where each hole is its own battle within the entire round. The first three rounds will consist of pool play to determine seedings for the final two tournament rounds.Â
Â
"We are really excited for the Big 12 Match Play event," said head coach Grant Robbins. "This is definitely a tournament our players really look forward to and enjoy. The match play format is one we don't play very often but one that can be incredibly fun especially when you are playing for your team. It's a different mindset where every hole matters, and your strategy can vary based on the situation. We don't know much about the golf course, but probably the biggest thing for us is getting adjusted to the altitude there and figuring out our distances. It's going to be a fun week."Â
Â
Starting off the scoring lineup in Salt Lake City is Espoo, Finland, product Ville Virkkala. The sophomore has been in the top spot in the scoring lineup for the Cats through the first two events of the season, finishing in fourth place at the second-opening Wildcat Invitational and 13th place in the Blessings Collegiate Invitational.Â
Â
Oliver Toyer also joins the lineup for the third time this season and has become a constant for the team with all six of his rounds counting towards the final team scoring. Toyer already has two top-10 finishes through just two events, finishing third at the Wildcat Invitational and tying for 10th at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational.Â
Â
Holding down the third spot in the lineup is junior Erik Sabelström Holmberg. The Stockholm, Sweden, native joined the scoring lineup for the first time in Arkansas and finished within the top four for K-State in all three rounds, landing him in 32nd place.Â
Â
Freshman Oscar Stendahl makes his debut in the Cats' lineup after a strong individual performance in the SIUE Dolenc Invitational where he tied for 17th place. Â
Â
Junior Fionn Dobbin and sophomore Octavio Laurent finish out the K-State players making the trip to Salt Lake City. Dobbin, out of Lisburn, Northern Ireland, looks to bounce back after a tie for 37th place in the Blessings Collegiate Invitational. Laurent is looking to rebound from a tie for 35th place at the Blessing Collegiate Invitational, which had followed an eighth-place finish in the Wildcat Invitational.Â
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K-State, the No. 10 seed in the event, will compete in Pool B, which consists of No. 2 seed Texas Tech, seventh-seeded Colorado and No.15 seed Houston. The Cats will play two pool play rounds on Monday and one more on Tuesday morning. Round 4 on Tuesday afternoon and Round 5 on Wednesday morning will determine final placings in the event.Â
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The Cats open Big 12 Match Play against Colorado on Monday morning at 9 a.m. (CT) with a shotgun start. Live results can be followed on SCOREBOARD Powered by Clippd.Â
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– k-statesports.com – Â
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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.Â
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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.Â
Players Mentioned
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