The Barton Community College men's golf team began its fall season this week with a solid third place finish at the Kansas Wesleyan University Fall Invitational held Monday and Tuesday at the Salina Country Club in Salina, Kansas. The No. 17 ranked Cougars found themselves in a three-way tie after the first round posting a 292 and despite improving a stroke on the final eighteen in carding a two day total of 583, was bettered by the competition in settling for the third spot out of the fourteen team field.
Two Cougars placed among the top five with Thitipong Homruen firing twin rounds of 70 to finish runner-up by two strokes with the 140 and earn All-Tournament distinction. Oscar Elfvin also posted identical rounds as the freshman from France carded 72 rounds to move up two spots into fifth with a 144.
Two additional Frenchman took the next two spots for the Barton team as Adrien Bonnet shook off a collegiate debut 75 with the squad's second best final round with a 71 for 12th place at 146 while sophomore Kylian Cavdar opened with a 75 before a final round of 80 placed 43rd overall in the eighty-eight man field with a 155.
Great Bend native Kelby Titus bounced back from his collegiate opening round of 86 to make the largest improvement from the Cougars firing a 78 to jump twelve spots to 67th with a 164. Competing as an individual, fellow freshman Jacob Roth put together consistent 79 and 78 rounds for the Maize native's 52nd placing with a cumulative 157.
Barton will be back on the links next Monday as the Cougars travel to McPherson, Kansas, for the two-day Central Kansas Invitational held at Turkey Creek Golf Course.
Fellow Jayhawk Conference member Dodge City Community College took the team title breaking the three-way tie on Tuesday as the No. 8 ranked Conquistadors fired a 284 to win by five strokes with a 576. Taking the runner-up prize, the Coyotes carded a final round 289 to finish two strokes ahead of Barton with a combined 581.