UMK Men's Golf Opens Season At SUU/Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational

This Week
The UMKC men’s golf team will open up its spring season at the Fourth Annual Southern Utah/Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational on Monday and Tuesday in St. George, Utah. The 18-team field will compete at the Sunbrook Golf Course (par 72; 6,758 yards) with 18 holes being played on each day.

The Field
The 18-team field will include: Brigham Young, UC-Riverside, Campbell, Centenary, Denver, Dixie State, Grand Canyon, Idaho State, Kentucky, Louisiana-Monroe, UMKC, Oral Roberts, Rice, Southern Utah, Utah, Utah State, Utah Valley State, Weber State,

Last Competition
The Kangaroos closed out the fall season with a third place finish out of nine teams at the Battle on the Bend Intercollegiate on Nov. 4-6 in Many, La. The Kangaroos finished with a three-round total of 895, which was eight shots behind first place Sam Houston State. Senior Stephen Clark finished the tournament in a three-way tie for first place after shooting a 54-hole total of 218.

Clark Leads Team During Fall Season
Senior Stephen Clark led the Kangaroos with a 73.2 scoring average over nine rounds of competition last fall. The Scotland native finished among the top-11 in all three of the tournaments that he competed in.

Consistently Consistent
Sophomore Alex Hogben was UMKC’s most consistent golfer during the fall season. The England native finished with a 73.9 scoring average over 15 rounds, and he finished among the top-15 in four of the team’s five tournaments. Hogben’s best finish came at the Missouri Intercollegiate, where he was the runner-up with a 217. He also tied for fourth place at the SFA Bill Hall Crown Classic with a 215 on Oct. 9.

Redshirt Freshman Taylor Has Solid Fall Season
Redshirt freshman Josh Taylor finished with a 75.5 scoring average over 15 rounds during the fall season. The Overland Park, Kan., native’s best performance came in his collegiate debut, when he tallied an eighth place finish at the Missouri Intercollegiate with a 224 total.

Horsley Transfers To Western Kentucky
Freshman Neil Horsley left the UMKC men’s golf program following the first semester to transfer to Western Kentucky University. The Cooper City, Fla., native played in all five tournaments last fall for the Kangaroos, where he posted a 74.4 scoring average.

UMKC Picked As Co-Favorite To Win Summit League Title
The Kangaroos received seven first place votes en route to 68 points, as they were tabbed as the league co-favorite, along with Oral Roberts, to claim the 2008 Summit League title.

Coach VanDenBorn
J.W. VanDenBorn is in his first season as the Director of Golf for UMKC. In this role, he will oversee both the men’s and women’s golf programs. Previously, VanDenBorn served solely as the head coach for the men’s golf program over the last four years. Under his direction, the Kangaroos have finished in fourth place three times (2004, 2005 and 2007) at the Mid-Con Championships. In 2006, VanDenBorn guided Stephen Clark to the Mid-Con Player of the Year honors, the first in the program’s history.