FHSU Athletics
NEWTON, Kan. – Cooper Scheck of Fort Hays State tied for first place with a total of 3-under par at the Newman Invitational, hosted at Sand Creek Station Golf Course which played as a par-72. Scheck lost the head-to-head playoff with Marc Bofarull of Minnesota Crookston, but led the Tigers to a third-place finish as a team with a three-round total of 882.
Scheck gradually climbed his way up the leaderboard after a first round 2-over par 74. He backed that with a 3-under par 69 and then a 2-under par 70 in the final round. He had 13 birdies throughout the tournament, including six in the final round. He birdied four of his final eight holes to get into the individual medalist playoff. He nearly holed out his 95-yard approach shot on the 18th hole before the playoff, which could have won him the tournament outright.
Colby Hays also turned in a top-10 finish for the Tigers at 4-over par overall, tying for eighth. He improved throughout the tournament, shooting rounds of 77 (+5), 73 (+1), and 70 (-2). He carded 11 birdies throughout the tournament, including five in the second round.
The Tigers had five players inside the top 25. Chutithep Rungpajchim shot rounds of 72 (E), 77 (+5), and 74 (+2) to finish at 7-over par in 18th place. He also had 11 birdies in the tournament. Grant McAtee and Isaak Bowman both shot 10-over par overall. McAtee shot 76, 71, and 79, while Bowman shot 75, 75, 76. McAtee had six birdies, while Bowman had four birdies and an eagle.
Jordan McCaslin tied for 28th with rounds of 79, 73, 78. JD Dintino was 31st with rounds of 75, 77, and 80. Ben Deges was 34th with rounds of 74, 79, and 81. Jason Brokaw placed 42nd with rounds of 81, 81, 77.
Minnesota Crookston won the team title at even par as a team, shooting 864 over the three rounds. Newman was second at 5-over par (869), while FHSU was 18 shots back of the lead at 18-over par (882). FHSU backed an opening round 298 with 292 in the second and third rounds.