TEMPE, Ariz. The Kansas State men’s golf team got off to a slow start at the 33^rd annual ASU Thunderbird Invitational. In a field that features eight teams ranked in the top 50, the Wildcats shot a 300-295595 and are in 13^th place through 36 holes. The tournament is being played at the Arizona State Karsten Course, which is a par-71, 7,025-yard configuration. The Wildcats will enter the final round of play Saturday only five strokes back of 11^th-place Stanford.

“Practice went well Thursday, but conditions changed and the tougher holes played into the wind,” head coach Tim Norris said. A lot of the teams have played this course year after year, and I think the familiarity was a big factor. I hope we learned from today, and we will be able to put together a solid team score.

Senior Matt Van Cleave paces K-State at 1-under, as he carded a 71-70141. Van Cleave is tied for sixth, just three strokes out of the lead. Arizona’s Nathan Lashley and Kipp Riehle are the co-leaders at 4-under 138. Riehle is not in Arizona’s lineup and is playing as an individual. Van Cleave is bidding for his sixth consecutive top 15 and fifth top 10 in the last six tournaments.

Also competing for the Wildcats are senior Nick Schumacher, juniors Ben Kern and Tyler Cummins and freshman Clay Hodge. Kern is tied for 63^rd at 9-over 76-75151. Schumacher fired a 77-75152 (+10) and is tied for 67^th. Cummins is tied for 75^th at 15-over 82-75157. Hodge carded a 76-83159 (+17) and is in 77^th.

UNLV leads the event with a 274-289563 (-5), six strokes clear of second-place Pepperdine.

The Wildcats conclude play Saturday at the ASU Thunderbird Invitational.

Men’s Collegiate Golf

ASU Thunderbird Invitational

Tempe, Ariz.

Arizona State Karsten Course

Par: 71; Yardage: 7,025

Team Scores: 1. UNLV, 274-289563; 2. Pepperdine, 285-284569; 3. Arizona State, 286-287573; T4. Arizona, 282-292574; T4. Colorado State, 285-289574; 6. BYU, 282-293575; 7. Texas Tech, 288-289577; 8. UCLA, 290-289579; 9. Oregon, 295-286581; 10. Penn State, 297-287584; 11. Stanford, 292-298590; 12. California, 297-296593; 13. Kansas State, 300-295595; T14. Hawaii, 301-295596; T14. Arizona State (team two), 293-303596.

Top Individuals: T1. Nathan Lashley, (Arizona) 68-70138 (-4); T1. *Kipp Riehle, (Arizona) 69-69138 (-4); 3. Brian O’Flaherty, (Pepperdine) 71-68139 (-3); T4. Travis Whisman, (UNLV) 67-73140 (-2); T4. Gregg LaVoie, (Oregon) 72-68140 (-2). 

Wildcat Individuals: T6. Matt Van Cleave, 71-70141 (-1); T63. Ben Kern, 76-75151 (+9); T67. Nick Schumacher, 77-75152 (+10); T75. Tyler Cummins, 82-75157 (+15); 77. Clay Hodge, 76-83159 (+17).

*Playing as an individual