by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Led by Micah Morris, Kansas City Kansas Community College is in 11th place after one round of
play in the 2018 NJCAA Division II national golf tournament.
A sophomore from Guthrie, Oklahoma, now living in Kansas City, Kansas, Morris is in an eight-way tie for second place one stroke back of Kean Konter of Southeast Community College, who shot an opening round 2-under par 70.
Morris was 4-under par and the tourney leader through 14 holes but bogeyed the last three holes due to three putts on the 17th hole and a ball in the water in the tourney being played on the 6,912-yard Glen Lakes Golf Club in Foley, Alabama.
Sophomore Bobby Armstrong of Wichita Bishop Carroll shot a 2-over 74 and is one of 33 golfers within three shots of the lead while freshman Evin Wheaton of Immaculata in Leavenworth is another stroke back in a tie for 44th at 75.
Zach Miller, a freshman from Greeley, Kansas, and Wichita Maize South sophomore Trevor Bauer each shot 85 and are deadlocked for 111th in the field of 131 golfers and 21 teams. The low four scores are counted for each five-member team.
Tyler (Texas) Junior College, the team in which KCKCC finished second in the district tournament in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, leads the tournament with a one-over par 289, two strokes in front of Mississippi Gulf Coast and Parkland.
Tyler has won the national title eight times but none since 2008. At 305, KCKCC is two shots out of the top 10 and 11 strokes back of the fourth place team, the same deficit the Blue Devils faced in rallying to take second in the district tourney.
“We’re still in it,” KCKCC coach Gary Shrader said. “We’re in pretty good shape if we can play the way we are capable. We played last today when it was hotter and the greens fast. Tomorrow we’ll be among the first to play so we’ll see what we can do.”