Badger Invitational

University Ridge Golf Course

Verona, Wis.

Dates: Sept. 12-14
Par: 72
Yardage: 6,888
Total Holes: 54
Format: 18 holes each day
The Field: Arkansas-Little Rock, Iowa, Lamar, Michigan State, UNC-Wilmington, Purdue, West Florida, Wisconsin

Badger Invitational Lineup

Name Yr-Exp RNDS Avg. Aaron Watkins Sr-3L 38 73.34 Josh Persons So-1L 38 75.50 Matt Van Cleave Jr-1L 33 75.39 Greg Douglas Sr-2L 38 75.34 A.J. Elgert Sr-3L 35 75.31

*Averages based on 2002-03 season

Heading to Badger Country
The Kansas State men's golf team opens its fall season this Friday at the fourth-annual Badger Invitational in Verona, Wis. This will be the Wildcats first appearance in the Badger Invitational.

Crafty Squad
The Cats return all 11 members from last season's squad that missed qualifying for the NCAA Championships by one-stroke. The experienced squad is comprised of six seniors, two juniors, and three sophomores.

The Course
University Ridge Golf Course in Verona, Wis., has played host to numerous collegiate tournaments, most notably, the 1995 Big Ten Men's Golf Championship and the 1998 NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championship.

High Expectations
The Wildcats are coming off a season which included the schools best finish in the short history of the Big 12 Conference (6th). The 2002-03 season also saw the Cats end a 10-year drought, by appearing in their first NCAA Regional since 1993. The Wildcats showed the NCAA Selection Commitee that they made the right choice, as the Cats just missed qualifying for the NCAA Championship by one-stroke.

The Top-Five
K-State will use the same lineup at the Badger Invitational as it primarily used all of last season, including the last six tournaments. The season-opening lineup will be comprised of seniors Aaron Watkins, Greg Douglas, A.J. Elgert, and junior Matt Van Cleave and sophomore Josh Persons.

Hot Summer
The Wildcats parlayed their strong finish in the spring into a summer of successful individual performances. The Cats had two representatives, senior Aaron Watkins and sophomore Josh Persons, compete at the most prestigous of all amateur tournaments, the U.S. Amateur Championships, held this past August. The appearance by Watkins was his second in as many years. Unlike last year when Watkins advanced to the round of 16, he had a tough-luck opening round 84, which kept him from advancing out of stroke play. Persons, on the other hand, shined. The sophomore from Fargo, N.D. advance out of stroke play and made it as far as the round of 32, before bowing out after a stellar performance.

Certainly, not to be overlooked was the performance of sophomore Ben Kern. Kern, a native of Tucson, Ariz., took second place in the Arizona Amateur, held at Moon Valley Country Club. Kern, won the stroke play portion of the event, and advanced all the way to the finals of match play, where he fell 3-and-2.

Head Coach Tim Norris
In his seventh season as the Kansas State men's golf coach is Tim Norris. Before taking over the reigns at K-State on Aug. 1 1997, Norris was the head coach for the University of Texas-El Paso. Norris is very well experienced as both a coach and player. He was a two-time All-American at Fresno State, before spending several years on the PGA tour.