Courtesy HutchCC Sports Information
WICHITA – Trailing by six strokes entering Tuesday’s final round of Jayhawk No. 2, the fifth-ranked Hutchinson Community College men’s golf team rallied to earn its second KJCCC league win of the season at Crestview Country Club’s North Course.
With four scores of 73 or lower, the Blue Dragons surged past Dodge City and defeated the Conquistadors by eight strokes after shooting a 54-hole total of 2-over 866.
The Blue Dragons now lead Dodge City by two points in the Jayhawk Conference season standings (18-16) with the Jayhawk Conference championship next Monday and Tuesday at Sand Creek Station in Newton.
Freshman Charlie Box was the tournament’s individual champion on Tuesday, shooting an even-par 72 to close out a two-stroke victory with a 54-hole total of 6-under 210. Box takes over first place in the KJCCC individual season standings with 19 points.
The Blue Dragons had four golfers finish in the Top 10 Tuesday in high wind conditions.
The Blue Dragons shot a 290 in the final round on Tuesday with 72s from Box and Keaton Thissen and 73s from David Razinskas and Marco Anderson.
Dodge City, after shooting 6-under in the first two rounds, carded a 16-over 304 on Tuesday to finish at 874. Garden City was third at 904.
Box was one only two golfers in the field to shoot even par or lower in each of the three rounds. He had back-to-back rounds of 69 on Monday to lead the event at 6-under par and took a two-stroke lead into Tuesday’s final round. Box and Dodge City’s Arthit Kruaprayong both had 72s on Tuesday as Box earned his first individual collegiate victory.
Razinskas placed third individually for the second-straight conference-designated tournament at 1-under 215. Razinskas had rounds of 70 and 72 on Monday. Razinskas is second in the league season standings with 16 points.
Louis Ross finished seventh overall at 6-over 222. Ross had Monday rounds of 72 and 74 and closed Tuesday with a 76.
Anderson tied for eighth at 7-over 223. Anderson started slow on Monday with an opening-round 78, but shot even-par 72 in the second round.
Thissen’s 72 in the final round was a season-low round for the Blue Dragon freshman. He finished tied for 14th on Tuesday with rounds of79, 75 and 72.
Blue Dragon individual player Brooks Sauder tied for 25th at 232 after rounds of 77, 77 and 78.