Kelley leads golf team to sixth place
At 22 games under .500 with only four scheduled tournament left, the golf team's chances of becoming eligible for the NCAA Championship might seem a statistical impossibility. But teams only need to finish with a .500 record, and since they earn one win for every team they finish ahead of in a tournament and one loss for every team they finish behind, the Owls still have a shot.
Rice jumped out to a quick start at the Louisiana Classics on March 9, posting the third-best score in the first round. However, the Owls were unable to maintain their momentum, dropping to a sixth-place tie with the University of Colorado, as both schools posted a score of 873 (+9).
Despite their disappointing finish, the Owls must turn their focus towards the Border Olympics at the Laredo Country Club in Laredo, Texas, this weekend. Hosted by the University of Houston, the field will also feature the University of New Orleans, the University of Arkansas and Baylor University. The challenging field could present some difficulty for the Owls, as the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, which finished second in the Louisiana Classics, will also take part in the Border Olympics.
However, the tournament is crucial in the Owls' chase for the NCAA Championship. Rice will have the same five players travel to the Border Olympics as in the Louisiana Classics.
This consistency gives sophomore Robert Burrow high hopes as the team travels to Laredo.
"If you look at our best events, you see that we have had strong contributions from all five players in the lineup," Burrow said. "Going into the Border Olympics, we have the same five players, who all contributed last week, so I feel we are in position to have a great week."
The Owls opened the Louisiana Classics by shooting a 282 (-6), led by Burrow's score of 69. Burrow followed with rounds of 77 and 70 to shoot even-par and finish tied for 12th individually. The Owls' first-round score, their best of the season and only four shots off the Rice record, put them two shots back of UNO and Southeastern Louisiana University.
The Owls shot a 293 (+5) in the second round, tying them for third. Their score put them within striking distance of tournament leader UNO, the third time in four tournaments that the Owls were in contention for a tournament victory. Sophomore Michael Whitehead's 69 paced the team in the second round, and his three-round score of 213 (-3) put him in a tie for sixth individually, only three shots back of tournament winner Adam Cornelson of UNO.
Whitehead remained calm throughout the tournament, a fact he cited as key to his performance.
"I was a little bit more relaxed this week," Whitehead said. "I've struggled with carrying over my practice mentality to tournaments, but everything finally clicked these past two days."
The Owls struggled in the final round, however, shooting a 298 (+10) to finish with an 873. Burrow's final-round 70 led the Owls, who finished one shot back of Southeast Louisiana and Texas State. The Owls' disappointing final round cost them critical wins in their quest to become eligible for the NCAA Tournament. However, head coach Drew Scott has remained positive.
"I was very pleased with how we played in the first round," Scott said. "Our final round was disappointing, but I'm extremely pleased with the progress we're making as we head to Border."
Tournament champion UNO shot a three-round score of 858 (-6), finishing one shot ahead of tournament host Louisiana-Lafayette. Devin Carry's bogey on the tournament's final hole cost the Ragin' Cajuns the tournament title and himself the individual title.
Senior Kyle Kelley's three round score of 223 (+7) put him in a tie for 38th, headlining Rice's efforts. Junior Chris Brown's 224 tied him for 45th in the individual standings. Brown's quest for the individual title was squashed by his final-round 80. Sophomore Tim Pawul, traveling with the team for the first time all year, tied for 62nd with a 229 (+13).
Whitehead took some positives away from the Louisiana Classics, among them Rice's team chemistry.
"I was real happy with our team chemistry these past couple of days," Whitehead said. "It's a quick turnaround, and we know we can all shoot under par, so we have to move forward from Louisiana and perform this weekend.
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