Fox qualifies for nationals, Cougars’ bid falls short in District play

It was a bittersweet day for the Barton Community College men's golf team as the Cougars wrapped up play Wednesday in the Region VI and District III Championships held April 27-28 at Lawrence's Alvamar Golf Course.   The Cougars placed sixth in the Championships missing qualifying as a team for the national championships and thus ended the 2015 season but did have an individual reach the goal of moving on as sophomore Landon Fox's eighth place finish earned a national bid spot.

The Cougars got off to a solid start standing in fourth place after the first of three rounds with a 316 and even though improving by one stroke in the second round, dropped a spot in the standings to fifth.  With the top four teams advancing to the NJCAA National Championships, Barton posted a third round score of 319 for a 950 total for sixth place and eighteen strokes out of fourth.

Fox was the highlight of the two day competition as the Winfield native led the forty-one entries with a 73 after the morning's first eighteen holes.  Slipping to a 74 in the afternoon round, Fox went into Wednesday's final round tied with five others for the top spot.  Finishing in a tie for 20th place his freshman season, Fox closed the 2015 version with a 78 finishing in eight place and nine strokes out of the lead with a total of 228.   Carrying the Barton banner as an individual entry, Fox advances to compete May 10-15 at the NJCAA Division I Men's National Championship in Newton, Kansas, at the same Sand Creek Station Golf Course Fox placed fourth at last week in the KJCCC Championships. 

Natchapol Srinoon, who joined Fox on the 1st Team All-KJCCC team and tied for the conference championship a week ago, never really got going after a first round 79 finishing with a 76 and 78 for a 233 and a 14th placing.  

Beginning in a tie for 22nd after an opening round 79, Arkansas City freshman Andrew Iverson followed with an 82 and 80 to drop one spot with a 241 total.  Also finishing amongst the top thirty, Jared Oelke and Koby Beougher finished 28th and 29th respectively.  Oelke, a freshman from nearby Ellinwood, posted a 250 with rounds of 87, 80, and 83 while Stockton's Beougher, who finished 31st in his freshman season, recorded an 85 with consecutive 83 rounds finishing one stroke behind at 251.   After an 81 round in Tuesday's morning session, Blake Huxman had a rough afternoon round of 94 before battling back with a Wednesday morning round of 82 improving to 32nd place at 257.