A premium will be placed on putting during the 2000 NCAA men’s golf championships today through Saturday at Lake Course Grand National in Opelika, Ala.
“The greens are fast and severely sloped,” KU coach Ross Randall said.
The bermuda grass greens of Grand National have confounded many a golfer in the past.
“If the greens are as goofy as everybody says they are, it will take a lot of patience,” KU senior Ryan Vermeer said.
“It’s trickier to putt on bermuda. The ball may not roll quite as true,” Vermeer added, noting he has enjoyed playing bermuda courses in the Carolinas.
The Jayhawks enter the tournament as the 21st ranked team in the country. The top 10 teams in the U.S. have all advanced: Georgia Tech, Clemson, Oklahoma State, Georgia, Arizona State, BYU, UNLV, Houston, Northwestern and Fresno State. Other teams in the field: Auburn, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, North Florida, Kent, Washington, Georgia State, California, East Tennessee State, Minnesota, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pepperdine, USC, TCU, Virginia and Wake Forest.
Fifteen of the 30 teams will survive the cut after 36 holes 18 today and Thursday. “One of our stated goals this year was to have our best finish ever at NCAAs,” Randall said, noting KU placed 11th in 1950. “First we want to make the cut. To be 15 or better out of 30, that’s not easy.
“I think we know what to expect. Every one of our players has NCAA competition. Four of our five played in the finals last year,” Randall added.
Vermeer, a senior, leads KU’s lineup squad with a school-record 71.31 stroke average. Junior Andy Stewart, the only entrant to not compete at NCAAs last year, is right behind at 73.59. Junior Conrad Roberts has a 73.72 stroke average, soph Casey Harbour 73.89 and senior Jake Istnick 74.28.
NOTES: Georgia is defending national champion. … Georgia Tech’s Bryce Molder is the country’s No. 1-ranked golfer, while teammate Matt Kuchar, the 1997 United States Amateur Champion, is ranked fifth nationally. Defending NCAA champion Luke Donald of Northwestern is ranked fourth. Texas’ David Gossett is the 1999 U.S. Amateur champ.
