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University Daily Kansan / Monday, April 13, 1992
SPORTS
Couples captures his first Masters title
The Associated Press
AUGUSTA, Ga. — It is not just a hot streak; Freddie is for real. Fred Couples confirmed his stature as a golf superstar with a two-stroke victory yesterday at the Masters.
He did it on the strength of a closing border护-70 — and about two blades of fire.
Those were the sprigs on a steep bank, a few inches above the surface of Raes Creek, that stopped his ball a foot short of backing into the water on the 12th hole.
A brilliantly lofted little chip enabled Couples to save par, and his lead, from that precarious position
and sent him into the last six holes at Augusta National with a two-shot advantage.
Couples brought it home in style, in sharp contrast to the putting problems that embarrassed him over the final season of the 1900 PGA Championship.
This time he ran in a 10-foot birdie putt on the 14th that all but slammed the door on his challengers and asked the ball to come back. U.S. superstar since Larry Mize in 1887.
Couples, now 32 and just reaching his golfing maturity, scored his third victory of the year, the ninth of his career and his sixth since last June.
It was at that time, in the U.S. Open,
that Couples began a streak that now has produced 20 finishes of sixth or better in 25 worldwide starts. In that period, he has collected $2,666,725 in worldwide earnings.
The $270,000 he collected for this title also gave Couples $1,008,162 already this year, the most ever at this stage of a season.
Couples also broke Europe's string of four consecutive victories and six of their own.
If there was any downside to the triumph that lifted Couples to a new plateau of achievement, it is that it came at the expense of his mentor and Ryder Cup teammate Ray Floy, who finished alone in second at 277, one
stroke ahead of Corey Pavin and three ahead of Jeff Sluman and Mark O'Meara
Third-round leader Craig Parry collapsed with a final 78, six over par, and tied for 13th.
The indomitable Floyd was trying to add a second green jacket and a fifth major championship to his Hall of Fame record and, at age 49, attempting to become not only the old Masters champion but the oldest man to win of the majors, which also include the S. and British Opens and the PGA.
And the enormous gallery, streaming through the Georgia pines and over the rolling hills, sensed that something
As Floyd, grim-faced asever, grinding away as only he can, fought his way to a round of 71, they saluted him with a warmth and respect previously reserved for only two others, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.
Floyd received standing ovations as he approached Amen Corner, where Couples would survive disaster, again after his two-putt birdie on the 15th, and on every green thereafter. But the birdies he had to have eluded him, his chances became more remote as the holes slipped by and eventually disappeared at the 18th.
special was happening before them.
Floyd waited for Couples at the 18th, was the first man to reach him when it
was all over, and hugged the young man he helped reach the top of the golfing world.
Pavin came on with birdies on the 15th and 16th and with a 67.
"Fred has a game that can win this tournament as many times as a Nicklaus or a Palmer." Floyd said.
"I thought I had to get to 11 under to have a chance."
O'Meara, with a final-round 70, and Sluman, 71, tied at 280, giving the United States the first five finishers.
Stephen Pingry/special to the KANSAN
Muddy melee
The Kansas Rugby team scrums down against the Kansas City Blues in a Saturday afternoon match at the Shenk Complex. Kansas lost the game 12-0 as morning shows helped turn the event into a muddy affair. The KU Rugby team was host of the Western Collegiate Championships during the weekend, but did not compete. The game against the Blues was an exhibition game.
Tennis teams devour Big Eight foe
By Lyle Niedens
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansastennis teams continue to cruise through the Big Eight Conference.
The Jayhawks' men's and women's tennis teams both posted 7-2 victories at Colorado on Saturday. Both teams are at the top of the conference standings heading into the last two weeks of the conference schedule, and both are the only undefeated teams left in the conference.
"The goal of the regular season is to become the No.1 seed in the conference tournament," women's coach Michael Center said. "We've put ourselves in position to do that."
The women's team won seven matches in straight sets.
"I thought we played well." Center said, "was very pleased."
Center split the No. 1 doubles combination of senior Eveline Hamers and freshman Rebecca Jensen. He kept Hamers at No. 1 with freshman Nora Koves and put Jensen at No. 2 with sophomore Buffy McLiney.
Hamers-Koves won 6-0, 6-3, but Jensen-McLeyn lost 5-7, 7-5, 6-2. Center said he still liked the results of the switch.
"I like the combinations," he said. "We're not overwhelming, but we can put three good doubles teams on the court."
Center said he probably would stick with the combinations in Wednesday's match against Kansas State at the Allen Field House courts.
"I'm just trying to do what's best for the team. I think we're getting more balance in our production now. We're playing better up and down the line-up."
The men's team took control of its match early. Kansas won its first three matches en route to the victory against Colorado, which had been undefeated going into Saturday's match
The Jayahaws won five of six singles
matches against a team with a repu-
tata team.
"To beat a team of that caliber in sin
gles is impressive," men's coach Scott Perelman said, adding that he was happy with the Jayhawks' position in the conference race.
"I think we've performed as well as could be expected up to this point," he said. "We're in as good of shape as we could be right now."
The Kansasmen, 16-8 overall and 3-0 in the conference, have the week off before completing their conference schedule with three matches in four days. That string of matches begins at Iowa State and ends at Iowa State at the field house courts.
"As far as working on our games, all the work has been done," he said. "We just have to stay mentally and physically fresh."
Catcher leads offense's blitz in 13-2 victory
By Jerry Schmidt
Kansan sportswriter
A couple hundred extra swings was all it took.
During Friday's 13-2 victory against Northwest Missouri State, junior catcher Jeff Niemier, aided by a pregame batting workout, showed the form that helped him pound out a school-record 62 RBI last season.
Niemeyer said that to help his swing he watched film from last season and hit more than 200 balls Friday afternoon with the Kansas coaching staff. The extra work paid off in a 3-for-3, four-RBI day. He also hit his third home run of the season.
"Mechanically there was nothing different," Niemeier said. "It was tempo and smoothness. I had fun today."
Kansasimproveditsrecord to19-17.
Kansas improved its record to 19-17.
Not that Niemeyer's swing needed a complete overhaul. After all, he still was hitting .315 with 28 BRI come into the game. But those numbers are off from last year when he hit .379 with nine homers and 18 doubles in addition to 62 RBI.
Kansas coach Dave Bingham said he was waiting for the night when Niemeyer and the other players in the middle of the Jayhawk batting order would begin to hit the ball consistently.
"Niemeier would give us a good atbat but not four or five in a row," Bingham said. "His composure was pleasing tonight. I hadn't seen that before tonight."
After losing 13 of their last 17 games, Niemier and the rest of the Jayhawks vented a little offensive frustration against the Bearcats.
The Jayhawks pounded out 16 hits as
BASEBALL
they scored early and often against five Northwest Missouri State pitchers. The game was never in doubt as the ' Hawks scored 11 runs in the first five innings.
Jeff Niemeier
The Jayhawks spread their offensive wealth around as five players had two or more hits. Sophomore designated hitter Kent Mahon was 3-for-5 with three runs scored and sophomore Darryl Monroe went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Monroe also hit his fifth home run of the season.
"The story was offense," Bingham said. "We've labored in the middle of the order."
On Friday, Kansas' second through fifth hitters were a combined 10-for-17 with eight RBI and two home runs.
Junior Jimmy Walker was the winning pitcher for the Jayhawks. Walker, 5-2, pitched five innings, giving up four hits and one run and striking out three.
The Jayawhaws hope to continue their offensive power surge when they play host to the Pittsburgh State Gorillas 7 tonight at Hoglund-Maupin Stadium.
The Gorilla baseball program is in its second year of resurrection after a 19-year hiatus. In their first season last year the Gorillas went 15-32 and finished fourth in the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
SPORTS BRIEFS
Turgeon heading to Oregon?
The Kansas men's basketball team may be losing another assistant coach.
Assistant coach Mark Turgeon said yesterday that he would announce today whether he would accept an assistant coaching position at Oregon, which recently hired former Kansas assistant Jerry Green as head coach.
"I have made my decision," Turgeon said yesterday afternoon. "I'm just waiting to speak with Coach Williams about it first."
Softball team wins tourney
The Kansas softball team won the 1992 Cowgirl Classic I, which was conducted Friday and Saturday in Oklahoma City. Okla.
The No. 10 Jayhawks, 5-6 in the tournament, were the only team in the six-tem field that finished the tournament undefeated.
junior linebacker Larry Thiel reaches to tackle sophomore quarterback Fredrick Thomas.
The Jayhawks were scheduled to play a double-header against Oklahoma yesterday in Norman, Okla., but the team were canceled because of the weather.
Kansas defeated No. 11 Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Georgia State, Oklahoma City University and Iowa State.
Kansas now stands at 34-5 for the season and on top of the Big Eight Conference standings.
Officials at the Great Plains Rowing Championships in Topeka tried unsuccessfully to sneak 64 races in between rain showers Saturday and yesterday. Heat traces were completed Friday but the regatta was canceled yesterday due to the weather and teams returning home.
Reqatta canceled
Football team weathers scrimmage
Kansas crew had qualified several sculls for the final races when the regatta was called off. More than 30 teams, including the Oxford Blues from England, attended the regatta on Lake Shawnee.
Golf team dominates tourney
The Kansas women's golf team won the 11th annual Azalea/Seahawk Invitational Women's Golf Tournament this weekend in Hampstead, N.C.
The Jayhawks shot 920 in three rounds, beating host University of North Carolina at Wilmington by 35 strokes.
"You can't panic after six games.",
Royals manager Hal McRae said.
"You can't get angry and verbal. You just can't at this point."
Kansas placed three of its golfers in the top four. Sophomore Holly Reynolds won the tournament with a score of 220, including a fourth-under par 138. She then took second. Myers shot 230 and placed second. Senior Shelly Triplett took fourth at 233.
Erik Hanson gave up one run in eight-plus innings as Seattle completed a three-game home sweep against Kansas City. The Royals' 0-6 start is the worst in the club's 24-year history.
The Jayhawks are off until April 27-28 when they travel to Manhattan to play in the Big Eight Championship.
Kansas placed fourth at the tournament last year.
Hanson, 1-1, followed up teammate Randy Johnson's 1-0, four-hit shutout of the Royals on Saturday night with another strong performance.
From staff and wire reports
Royals drop sixth straight
Daron J. Bennett/ KANSAN
By Jerry Schmidt
Kansan sportswriter
Never mind the lightening, rain and wind that sent a warm, calm morning into a cool, wet frenzy during Kansas' intrasquid scrimmage Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Jayhawk football coach Glen Mason said the weather was no problem.
"I think the weather cooperated," he said. "When we started out, it was perfect. Then we had rain, wind and lightning. We even got to practice half-time."
A sometimes-driving rainstorm, coupled with spectacular lightening, interrupted the Jayhawks' intrasquid scrimmae for about 30 minutes.
Although Mason said the storm gave him the opportunity to test different aspects of the 'Hawks game plan, he wasn't going to stick around while bolts of lightening lit up the Lawrence sky.
Other than the 30-minute delay, Mason said the scrimmage went as planned and he especially was pleased with quarterback Chip Fulleray and senior quarterback Chip Fulleray.
"I have a fear of lightening," he said.
"I saw a bolt, and we were gone."
Hilleary was 10-21 passing for 137
passes and ran the Kansas offense with
a double.
"He looks better now than at any other time." Mason said.
Before spring drills began, Hilleary said that Kansas would feature more of an attack-type offense with a few more wrinkles.
"We're not going to get the lead and sit on it like we have been the last couple years," Hilleary said. "We've been too conservative."
In the scrimmage, the Jayhawks featured different sets on offense, including running backs lined up as receivers on occasion, leaving the 'Hawks with a one-back set.
Mason was impressed with the play of the running backs, most notably seniors Maurice Douglas and Chaka Johnson. Douglas finished the day with 84 yards on 11 carries, and Johnson gained 33 yards on five carries.
"Douglas is doing well, and Chaka is back and healthy," Mason said.
Johnson battled injuries last season after having two 100-year games in
But there are some areas of concern for the Jayhawks. After losing three starters, the defensive backfield will need a little rebuilding.
"The defensive backfield is the untested part of our defense." Mason
Senior Matt Gay gave the receiving corps during the scrimmage with four catches for 82 yards, including a 49-yd gain on a pass from Hilleary.
Junior cornerback Robert Vaughn
Somewhat of a surprise is junior-college transfer Kwamie Lassiter, who was the starting free safety during the scrimmage.
is the only returning starter, although sophomore Gerald McBurrows and senior Charley Bowen saw considerable playing time last season. McBurrows started three games at cornerback last season as a freshman, and Bowen is a three-year letterman at safety强。
"The coaches gave me a chance," he
Lassiter said a strong winter-conditioning program had enabled him to move from third to first on the depth chart at free safety.
Lassiter transferred from Butler County Community College in El Dorado in the spring after earning second-team NJCAA All-American honors in 1990. He originally signed with Virginia Tech.
said. "In our secondary, the coaches want you to come up and hit hard and try not to think too much."
Lassiter said free safety is not a new position for him because he played the position in high school and his second year at Butler County.
Lassiter intercepted a Hillary pass in the scrimage and ran 36 yards before being pulled down at the 12- yard line.
If he can cover and play against the pass, 'he will be a good defensive back.'
The Jayhawks will scrimmage at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday because the 67thrunning of the Kansas Relays will take place at Memorial Stadium. Because of an NCAA rule prohibiting open off-campus scrimmages, the public will not be able to attend the football practice.