NCAA Regional Play Starts On Thursday For No. 18 Kent State
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Complete NCAA Regional Notes (.PDF)
Already with five team titles under its belt this season, No. 18 Kent State now turns its focus to NCAA Regional play. Seeded third in the Central Regional hosted by Michigan, the Golden Flashes are seeking to advance to the NCAA finals for the third consecutive year and 16th time in school history. The Golden Flashes secured the Mid-American Conference automatic postseason bid by winning their fourth straight and 20th overall MAC title. Live scoring is available on www.golfstat.com
Golden Flashes Line-Up
Representing the Golden Flashes this week are senior Mackenzie Hughes (72.9) junior Kevin Miller (73.4), sophomores Taylor Pendrith (75.3), Corey Conners (72.0) & Kyle Kmiecik (74.3)
Quick Flashes
• Kent State has five team wins this season tying the team for the fourth most in the nation
• The Golden Flashes have won three of their last four team events
• The 40-shot victory at the MAC Championship by Kent State was the widest margin of victory by any conference champion in 2012
• Kent State’s line-up consists of three of the top six men’s amateur players in Canada according to the World Golf Amateur rankings (No. 2 Corey Conners, No. 5 Mackenzie Hughes, No. 6 Taylor Pendrith)
• Now in his 34th year, Head Coach Herb Page has led Kent State to 78 team titles
• Kent State men’s golf earned a 3.344 GPA for the spring semester marking the third highest semester team GPA in program history
• The third seed is the highest Kent State has been since the NCAA went to six regional sites in 2009. The Golden Flashes were 7th in 2009 9th in 2010, & 6th in 2011
Format
Hosted by Michigan, the NCAA Central Regional consists of 54-holes over three days at the par 71, 6,723-yard University of Michigan Golf Course. First round play for the Golden Flashes begins on Thursday, May 17 at 8:00 a.m. The low five teams and the low individual not on those teams from each of the six regional sites will advance to the finals.
The Forcast
Thursday: Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the upper 60s
Friday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 70s
Saturday: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 80s.
The Course
The University of Michigan Golf Course was designed in the late 1920s by Alister MacKenzie and officially opened in the spring of 1931.
Kent State has played in one other NCAA regional at the course in 1996 when the Golden Flashes finished 14th of 21 teams. Kent State last played the course in spring of 1998 finishing second of 18 teams in the Wolverine Invitational.
Up Next
The NCAA Championship is hosted by USC at Riverera County Club May 29-June 3 in Pacific Palisades, Calif.. The low five teams and the low individual not on those teams from each of the six regional sites will advance. Kent State finished T-19th at the NCAA Championship last year and is one of only 10 teams in the country to have finished top 20 at the NCAA Championship in each of the past 2 years.
The Golden Flashes are aiming for a third consecutive NCAA Championship appearance for the first time since qualifying for four straight from 1992-1995.
Participating Teams
Kent State is seeded third in the 13-team region that includes No. 6 USC, No. 7 Oregon, No. 19 Virginia, Baylor and Oklahoma State. Other teams include Kennesaw State, TCU, Purdue, NC State Notre Dame, Ohio State and Navy.
Hey I Know Those Guys
Of the 12 other teams Kent State will be competing against this week, the Golden Flashes have faced nine of them compiling a 13-4 record. Two of the four losses have come to No. 6 USC which is the top seed in the Central Regional. Oregon, Kennesaw State & Navy are the only three teams Kent State has not gone up against this year.
Kent State NCAA Regional History
The 2011 season marks the 24th time Kent State has qualified for NCAA play. The Golden Flashes have advanced out of regional play to the NCAA Championship, 15 times including a program best sixth place in 2008.
Kent State has won three NCAA Regional events with its most recent win coming at the 2010 East Regional at The Course at Yale. The Golden Flashes have also finished first at Ohio State's Scarlet Course in 1993 and at the Karsten Creek Golf Club in Oklahoma in 2001. Additionally the program owns four other top four finishes (1990, 1994, 1995, 2000).
Individually, current PGA Tour member Jon Mills won the 2000 regional at Victoria County Club in Texas and finished fourth in 2001. Current Ohio State head coach, Donnie Darr was second in 1995 and in 1993 when he tied with teammate Kevin Kraft. In 2010, then freshman Kevin Miller tied for fourth and gave Kent State a share of the team title with Texas when he chipped in for a birdie on No. 18.
Kent State Tied For the 4th Most Team Wins in 2011-12
Having been the Golden Flashes Head Coach for the past 33 years, Herb Page is tied for the second longest tenured coach at the 2011 NCAA Championship. In addition Page's 13 appearances with Kent State are tied for the fifth most by any coach in the field with their current team.
Teams with the Most wins in 2012
1. Texas 7 wins
Oregon 7 wins
3. Arkansas 6 wins
4. Kent State 5 wins
California 5 wins
UNLV 5 wins
North Florida 5 wins
San Diego St 5 wins
Balanced Line-up For Kent State
Four different individuals have been the top finisher at least three times each for Kent State in 12 events this year
Top Finishers for Kent State in 2012
1. Taylor Pendrith 4 times
2. Mackenzie Hughes 3 times
Corey Conners 3 times
Kevin Miller 3 times
Young Team Still Has plenty of NCAA Experience
Despite having only one senior on the roster, the Golden Flashes line-up is still full of NCAA experience combining for 39 rounds of postseason play
Rounds In NCAA Postseason
Mackenzie Hughes 15
Kevin Miller 12
Taylor Pendrith 6
Corey Conners 3
Kyle Kmiecik 3 (with Ole Miss)
Total 39
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee
The Golden Flashes line-up features three of the top six Canadian Amateur golfers as rated by the World Golf Rankings (as of May 6). Coupled with Eugene Wong of Oregon and Albin Choi of NC State the Michigan Regional will feature five of the top six Canadian Amateur players. New Mexico State's Justin Shin, who is competing at the Stanford regional, is the only one of the top five not in Michigan.
Top Canadian Amateurs
1. Eugene Wong, Oregon
2. Corey Conners, Kent State
3. Albin Choi, NC State
4. Justin Shin, New Mexico State
5. Mackenzie Hughes, Kent State
6. Taylor Pendrith, Kent State
World Golf Rankings (as of May 6).
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Mackenzie HughesSeniorDundas, OntarioGolfweek/Sagarin ranking: 111 2011-12 Stroke Average: 72.9 Lowest round in 2011-12: 65 Irish Creek Collegiate (2nd round) Lowest tournament round in 2011-12: Irish Creek Collegiate (69-68-70=207) Notes: Kent State’s lone senior • Has five top 10 finishes in 11 events this season • His career 73.73 scoring average is currently the fifth lowest in Kent State history |
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Kevin MillerJuniorDover, OhioGolfweek/Sagarin ranking: 157 2011-12 Stroke Average: 73.4 Lowest round in 2011-12: 68 Irish Creek Collegiate (1st round) Lowest tournament round in 2011-12: Irish Creek Collegiate (68-69-74=212) Notes: Named First Team All-MAC in 2011 & 2012 • Has finished top 20 at the NCAA Regional each of the past two seasons • Finished runner-up at the 2012 MAC Championship • Has four top 10 finishes on the year • Named the MAC Golfer of the Week (Oct. 26) • Ended the fall placing 13th or higher in each of the last four tournaments • Finished a team best T12 at the Jack Nicklaus Invitational that included 10 of the top 55 schools in the nation • Advanced to the Round of 16 at the 2011 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship this past summer |
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Taylor PendrithSophomoreRichmond Hill, OntarioGolfweek/Sagarin ranking: 80 2011-12 Stroke Average: 72.6 Lowest round in 2011-12: 65 Barona Collegiate Cup (1st Round) Lowest tournament round in 2011-12: Barona Collegiate Cup (65-72-68=205) Notes: First Team All-MAC in 2012 • Leads the team with six top 10s and 10 top 25s in 12 events on the year • Has been named the MAC Golfer of the Week four times this season (Oct. 19; Mar. 30, April 4) • Finished runner-up in the Barona Collegiate Cup with 11 under par • Finished runner-up at the Inverness Intercollegiate with a one-under 70 • Shot a non-competitive course record 62 at Windmill Lakes in a team qualifer on Sept. 4 |
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Corey ConnersSophomoreListowel, OntarioGolfweek/Sagarin ranking: 76 2011-12 Stroke Average: 72.3 Lowest round in 2011-12: 66 Barona Collegiate Cup (1st round) Lowest tournament round in 2011-12: Desert Intercollegiate (67-75-68=210) Notes: 2012 MAC Golfer of the Year • Finished in the top 25 in nine of his 10 events this season • Has been named the MAC Golfer of the Week two times (Oct. 19; Mar. 2) • Finished runner-up by a single stroke at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate in Kent State's first event this spring • Tied for third at the Bank of Tennessee (75-71-70=216) • Was in the Kent State line-up at the Inverness Intercollegiate shooting a 74 • Particpiated in 10 events last season averaging 75.57 strokes per round • Shot a final round 75 and had two counters in three rounds for the team at the 2011 NCAA Championship |
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Kyle KmiecikSophomoreAvon, OhioGolfweek/Sagarin ranking: 247 2011-12 Stroke Average: 74.3 Lowest round in 2011-12: 67 Bank of Tennessee (3rd Round) Lowest tournament round in 2011-12: Irish Creek Collegiate (69-68-70=207) Notes: Has three top 10 finishes in 10 events this season (Inverness Intercollegiate, Bank of Tennessee and Irish Creek Collegiate) • Transfered to Kent State from Ole Miss • Fired a season low and a field best 67 in the final round of the Bank of Tennessee to finish tied for 10th • Shot a 72 and finished tied for seventh at the Inverness Intercollegiate in first round with the Golden Flashes this season • In High School he had top 10 finishes in the Ohio State Championship in 2007, 2008 and 2009 • Ranked the No.1 player in Ohio for 2010 |
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