Kansas State men’s golf delivered a strong performance at the Hal Williams Collegiate, placing third and earning a second consecutive podium finish to open the spring half of the season.

The Wildcats had a 54-hole score of 20-under par 832. Kent State finished in second as the Wildcats trailed the Golden Flashes by four strokes. No. 15 SMU was the champion of the tournament, which was hosted by South Alabama.

K-State’s performance at the par-71, 7,059-yard RTJ Magnolia Grove Golf Club tied for ninth in school history for the best 54-hole score.

The Wildcats had two seniors finish in the top 10 between Nicklaus Mason and Cooper Schultz. Mason tied for sixth place, this being his third top 10 finish this year. Schultz tied for ninth place and put on a season-best with a three-round total of 206. 

“All in all, it was a pretty good week for us,” head coach Grant Robbins said to K-State Athletics. “We got ourselves in a great position with four holes left, but we were unable to close like we needed to. It’s a good learning experience, and we are looking forward to competing at The Prestige next week.” 

Another highlight occurred for senior Kobe Valciek, as he jumped up 18 spots during the final round. The jump allowed him to tie for 18th, falling out of the top 10 by only a few spots. 

Freshman Fionn Dobbin had the best 54-hole score of his college career, tying for 28th place at 1-under par 212. 

The Wildcats now turn their focus to the Prestige, which takes place on Monday through Wednesday at the PGA West in La Quinta, California. 

During the fall season, the Wildcats collected a pair of podium finishes. K-State won its home tourney — the Wildcat Invitational. 

The Wildcats got third at the Steelwood Collegiate. At Big 12 match play, K-State finished 10th of 15.