Dates: Mar. 8-9
Par: 72
Yardage: 6,950
Total Holes: 54
Format: 36 holes Mon. and 18 holes Tue. Play will begin with an 8:00 a.m. shotgun start Monday and Tuesday.
The Field: (15) Kansas State, Arkansas, Charlotte, East Carolina, East Tennessee State, Furman, Long Beach State, Louisville, Michigan, Pepperdine, South Alabama, South Carolina, Texas-Arlington, UCF, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

The General Jim Hackler Intercollegiate Lineup
Name Yr-Exp Rnds. Avg.
Matt Van Cleave Jr-1L 16 72.3
Aaron Watkins Sr-3L 16 72.8
A.J. Elgert Sr-3L 16 74.5
Ben Kern So-1L 8 71.8
Josh Persons So-1L 10 74.6

Setting the Scene
After an unexpected two-week break in competition, the Kansas State men’s golf returns to action March 8-9 at the General Jim Hackler Intercollegiate in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Wildcats were originally scheduled to play in the Beau Chene Collegiate Classic on Feb. 23-24, but the tournament was cancelled due to inclement weather.

The Field
The Wildcats will face some of the top teams in the country in Myrtle Beach. The field is comprised of four schools that are ranked higher than K-State in the most recent Golfweek/Sagarin poll. The No. 30 Wildcats will test themselves against No. 11 South Carolina, No. 13 Arkansas, No. 17 Wake Forest and No. 28 Pepperdine.

The Wildcats will also get a first-hand look at the best collegiate golfer in the country. Wake Forest senior Bill Haas is the No. 1 player in the country. Bill is the son of current PGA Tour golfer Jay Haas.

Unfamiliar Foes
Of the 14 other squads in the tournament, K-State will be facing the element of the unknown, as they have only seen five of the other schools. K-State has a perfect 5-0 mark against the likes of Central Florida, Coastal Carolina, Furman, Louisville and Virginia Tech.

Battling the Elements
K-State’s last scheduled tournament, the Beau Chene Classic, was cancelled due to inclement weather. This marked the third time that the Wildcats have had either a tournament cut short or cancelled. K-State had the first 18 holes of the Badger Invitational and the final 18 holes of the Jim Colbert Intercollegiate cancelled because of weather. The cancellation came as an inconvenience to the Wildcats, as they try to get as many rounds in as possible before the Big 12 Championships April 26-27.

Back to the Carolinas
K-State will be making its second appearance of the season in the Carolinas. K-State concluded its fall slate at the Duke Golf Classic in Durham, N.C. The Wildcats finished in fifth place, after shooting a 54-hole total of 882. This will be the Wildcats first showing in the General Jim Hackler Intercollegiate.

The Lineup
K-State will send the same lineup out to Myrtle Beach as they used for the Purina Classic, where the Wildcats gave the rest of the field a shellacking, as they won the team title by 16 strokes. Sophomores Ben Kern and Josh Persons will make their 2004 debut. Kern played in the final tournament of the fall, but Persons hasn’t played in a tournament since the Purina Classic.

Mopping Up the Competition
K-State has put together a very impressive head-to-head record this season. Currently, the Wildcats are a combined 49-10 (.830) versus D-I opponents.