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KANSAS CITY HEADED TO OKLAHOMA FOR NCAA REGIONAL
After winning the 2018 WAC Men's Golf Championship last week at Prairie Dunes Country Club, the Roos of Kansas City are headed to Norman, Okla. for the NCAA Regionals, beginning May 14 at Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club.
Kansas City held off Grand Canyon by four strokes to win on a windy day in Hutchinson. The Roos were led by individual medalist McCain Schellhardt, who shot a 1-over-par 211 to earn the win by three strokes. Francois Lagraulet tied for fifth with a 6-over-par 216 and WAC Freshman of the Year Paul Foulquie tied for seventh with a 7-over-par 217.
The host Sooners are the top seed in the NCAA Norman Regional as the Sooners are looking to become the first team since Alabama in 2014 to repeat as national champions. Auburn is the second seed, Arkansas is the third seed and Florida State is the fourth seed.
The top five teams from each region, as well as the top individual not on one of those teams, will advance to the 2018 NCAA Championship on May 25-30 at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla.
GCU'S MURPHY EARNS AT-LARGE SELECTION TO NCAA REGIONAL
The two-time WAC Player of the Year will finally get a chance to compete in the NCAA postseason as Grand Canyon's Vinnie Murphy earned an individual selection to the NCAA Stockton Regional on May 14-16 at The Reserve at Spanos Park in Stockton, Calif.
Murphy, who finished tied for 10th at the 2018 WAC Men's Golf Championships at Prairie Dunes Country Club with a 10-over-par 220, ranks 100th in the Golfstat NCAA individual Rankings. He is one of 45 golfers to earn an individual selection to the NCAA Regionals.
The top five teams from each region, as well as the top individual not on one of those teams, will advance to the 2018 NCAA Championship on May 25-30 at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla.
WAC MEN'S GOLF POSTSEASON HONORS ANNOUNCED
The 2017-18 All-WAC teams have been named following a vote of the WAC's seven head coaches. Grand Canyon's Vinnie Murphy repeated at WAC Player of the Year, Kansas City's Paul Foulquie was named WAC Freshman of the Year and UMKC's J.W. VanDenBorn was named WAC Coach of the Year.
Murphy, a senior from Edgewood, Wash. (Puyallup HS), earned honors after leading the WAC in stroke average at 71.24. In 11 events played, he posted seven top-10 finishes, four top-5 finishes and a pair of individual wins. Ranked 92nd in the latest NCAA Golfstat Individual Rankings and 99th in the Golfweek Individual Rankings, he will find out next Wednesday if he will become the first GCU men's golfer to participate in the NCAA Division I Regionals.
Foulquie,a first-year player from Paris (Lycee Audiberti), was named WAC Freshman of the Year after tying for seventh-place at the 2018 WAC Men's Golf Championship with a 7-over-par 217. On the season, the Frenchman posted a 72.76 stroke average through 29 rounds. His low round came at the Warrior Princeville Makai Invitational, posting a 4-under-par 68 in the tournament's third round.
VanDenBorn earned his second WAC Coach of the Year honor after guiding the Roos to their second WAC men's golf championship. A 2002 graduate of Kansas City, he was named head coach of the UMKC men's golf team in 2003 and director of golf in 2007. He was previously named WAC Coach of the Year in 2015-16.
Murphy also earned first-team All-WAC honors. Joining him on the first team is Utah Valley's Blair Bursey, Kansas City's Francois Lagraulet and McCain Schellhardt and NM State's Isaac Merry.
Foulquie headlines the All-WAC second team. Joining him is UT Rio Grande Valley's Alvaro Hernandez and Pedro Lamadrid, Seattle U's Joe Harvie and Utah Valley's Aaron Yeates.
UMKC WINS 2018 WAC MEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
Battling the weather, the course and the rest of the field, the Kansas City Roos won their second WAC men's golf championship at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan. with a 25-over-par 865, holding off second-place Grand Canyon by four strokes. The Roos were paced by three golfers in the top seven as McCain Schellhardt took home medalist honors with a 1-over-par 211. NM State's Isaac Merry, UT Rio Grande Valley's Pedro Lamadrid and Grand Canyon's Filip Lundell tied for second place with a 4-over-par 214 and UMKC's Francois Lagraulet joined GCU's Jake Chanen in a tie for fifth with a 6-over-par 216.
WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER
UT Rio Grande Valley won its second tournament of the season at the Big Texan Invitational, posting a 17-over-par 881 to win by 31 strokes over second-place UIW. Senior Ali Khazenbeik became the second individual champion of the season for UTRGV, with a 1-over-par 217. The team win and individual win were the sixth each by WAC schools this season. Grand Canyon has three team titles, UTRGV has two and Utah Valley has one. Individually, GCU's Vinnie Murphy has earned medalist honors twice and UMKC's Francois Lagraulet, UVU's Aaron Yeates, UTRGV's Alvaro Hernandez and UTRGV's Khazanebeik have all won once.
CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE
The 2018 WAC Men's Golf Championship heads to the Sunflower State at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan. Despite being set about as far away from the sea as you could possibly be, the Perry Maxwell masterpiece has many characteristics of a classic seaside links course. The first nine holes opened for play in 1937 and the course was extended to 18 holes in 1956. The host course for the 2002 U.S. Women's Open, the 2006 U.S. Senior Open and the 2014 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship, the course has often been ranked one of the top courses in not just the United States but throughout the world. At 6,759 yards, the par-70 course should test all WAC golfers who tee it up.