Kent State’s men’s golf team completed the U.S. Collegiate this weekend, ending with a final score of 34-over-par and finishing in 16th place. After finishing the U.S. Collegiate Championship, the Flashes begin their winter break. The team will next play in the Louisiana Classics Feb.29-Mar.1.     

First Round

The Kent State men’s golf team ended their first round at the U.S. Collegiate with a seven-over par round to end in 12th place.

Freshman Bjarki Petursson led the Flashes and ended with a one-under 71 score to finish tied for 17th place.  

Sophomore Ian Holt finished with an even par 72 round to end tied for 25th place. Sophomores Chase Johnson and Spencer Dobbs ended their rounds with a four-over 76 score, tied for 59th place. Freshman Gisli Sveinbergsson ended his round with a nine-over 81 score and is tied for 87th place.

“We played the par fives poorly and the par threes really well,” said head coach Herb Page. “So other than playing the par fives poorly, we had a good opening round that put us in a good spot.”

Second Round

Kent State finished their second round of play at the U.S. Collegiate in 14th place (+16) and shot 9-over-par on the day.

“We played well all day and just played the last three holes bad. It was very frustrating for both coaches and players,” said Page. “We have to play them all. It was not a good way to end the round.”

Holt led the Flashes with a 2-over-par 74 score and is tied for 27th place at 2-over par.   

Petursson ended his second round with a 5-over-par 77 and is tied for 42nd place at 4-over-par. Dobbs and Johnson ended their rounds with a 3-over-par 75 score and tied for 64th place at 7-over-par.

Sveinbergsson ended with a 1-over-par 73 and tied for 80th place.  

Final Round

The men’s golf team ended the final round of the U.S. Collegiate Championship in 16th place with a team score of 34-over par with a third round 18-over-par 898 score.

“It’s just disappointing. You can’t be happy when you finish where we finished,” Page said. “We played really good on the front nine (earlier). We had about 10 or 12 birdies. But, overall, you cannot be pleased finishing where we finished.”

Sveinbergsson led the Flashes in the third round with a 2-over-par 74 score. He ended the tournament tied for 69th place at 12-over par.

“He just had the one terrible round.  He actually came back(Saturday) and shot 1-over and shot 2-over (Sunday),” Page said on Sveinbergsson. “Two out of his three rounds were very acceptable. He’s a freshman and he’s learning.  It’s nice to seem him just keep hanging in there for the last two rounds.”

Dobbs ended the third round with a 4-over-par 76 score and finished the tournament tied for 65th place at 11-over-par. Holt ended his third round with a 7-over-par 79 score and ended tied for 55th place at 9-over par. Johnson and Petursson joined Sveinbersson tied for 69th place at 12-over-par to end the tournament. Johnson shot a 5-over-par 77 in his third round and Petursson ended with a 8-over-par 80 performance.

“This was like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for us. You know, playing so good at Cleveland State, and when you shoot 17-under-par that’s pretty good. I’m trying to be optimistic too,” Page said. “We have a lot of things to work on. It’s physical, it’s mental and it’s nothing that can’t be accomplished. We are just going to have to work hard.”

Chris Yamnitsky is a sports reporter for The Kent Stater. Contact him at [email protected].