Hutchinson, KS ? Kansas University’s defense of its Big 12 Conference golf title on Monday started shakily, but a strong second round kept the Jayhawks within striking distance of red-hot Oklahoma State.
In the first round, the Cowboys shot a 287 and followed it in the afternoon with a 272 their lowest team total ever for a league tournament round.
OSU’s 36-hole score of 559 gave the Cowboys a 10-stroke lead over second-place Kansas.
The final round begins at 8 a.m. today at Prairie Dunes Country Club.
“It’s possible,” said Kansas senior Ryan Vermeer, who shot rounds of 2-over par 72 and 2-under 68 for an even-par total of 140. “It’ll be tough to make that ground up, but it can be done.”
There is a chance for rain today, and weather could make things interesting over the final 18 holes.
The Cowboys put up their impressive numbers under ideal conditions Monday.
“We all saw a different Prairie Dunes today,” KU coach Ross Randall said. “It was defenseless today.”
The nationally-ranked course, which will play host to the Women’s U.S. Open in 2002, is notorious for its high rough and narrow fairways. But the Dunes’ grounds crew recently burned off much of the rough, and an extreme rarity for central Kansas virtually no wind made fairways seem more inviting and made key holes play shorter than usual.
“It was perfect out there,” OSU coach Mike Holder said of the calm, warm day. “That’s the only way you ever shoot a low score like that at Prairie Dunes. I’ll take that score we shot today anywhere.”
Randall said he wasn’t surprised by OSU’s 272, but was surprised no other team came close to it.
“It’s never this easy,” Randall said.
After the first round, five teams were within three strokes of the lead with Texas A&M on top at 284. Colorado was at 285, Texas at 286 and KU and OSU were tied at 287.
Casey Harbour was the only Jayhawk to make par in the morning round.
“We shouldn’t be any closer than we are,” Randall said. “We didn’t play well.”
Third-ranked Oklahoma State did.
Junior Charles Howell carded a pair of 66s for an OSU league tournament record 132 and a five-stroke lead over Texas A&M sophomore Sean Gilliland.
“Today I was able to stay focused for 36 holes,” said Howell, who placed 14th here last year and was third as a freshman.
Howell wasn’t the only Cowboy putting on a show. Senior Edward Lolar shot a 68 in the afternoon and was in the group tied for third at 140. Sophomore Anders Hultman was in a group of players tied at 143.
But just when it looked like the Cowboys would run away with the title, Kansas rallied late in the afternoon. The Jayhawks played the last four holes 6-under par.
Vermeer, who was 2-over in the first round, birdied 17 and 18 for a second-round 68.
“It was a nice way to finish,” he said. “It was much needed. We shot a good round this afternoon, and that got us back into contention. We’ll have to play well tomorrow.”
Andy Stewart matched his first-round 71 with another 71 in the second round, including birdies on 13 and 17.
Conrad Roberts, who shot a 74 in the first round, birdied 15 and 17 in the second round for a 71 and two-round total of 145.
Jake Istnick bounced back from a first-round 75 with a 73 in the second round.
“In the middle nine holes, we were lifeless. They got fired up at the end,” said Randall, whose team won its first league title since 1950 last spring. “They hung in there and made good shots when they had to. They could feel it slipping away. They wanted to be close enough to have a chance tomorrow.”
Harbour was the only Jayhawk who didn’t improve on his first-round score, but his early 70 matched his best round of the season. He was even-par through 28 holes and finished two-over at 142, tied for eighth with Stewart and Matt Brost of Texas.
“That was big,” Randall said of Harbour. “He really helped us today.”
