PAGE 52E AUGUST, 1996
KUED·SPORTS
LAWRENCE JOURNAL-WORLD
'It's going to be an entirely different team'
KU men's golf team loses six players
BY NEAL SHULENBURGER
JOURNAL-WORLD SPORTS WRITER
"It's going to be an entirely different team," KU coach Ross Randall said. "It's a young team. We lost three of our top seven players to graduation, so it will also be an inexperienced team."
Kansas University's men's golf team will bear little resemblance to the squad that finished 15th in the country last year.
With only two seniors — Kit Grove, and Vance Holtzman — returning, heavy competition is expected for tournament berths. Just about
In all, a whopping six players graduated, including No.1 golfer Slade Adams and three-year letter winners Jason Seeman and Alan Stearns.
every non-freshman is expected to have a shot at competition.
"Our projected starters include Grove, sophomore Chris Thompson and an incoming freshman (Ryan Vermeer)," Randall said. "The other spots are simply up for grabs. I have no idea who will fill them."
The main source for leadership on the team is likely to
Ross Randall
be Grove, who competed in every event for the Jayhawks last season. He is expected to battle Thompson for the top spot on the team.
"With this much turnover it's going to be very hard to say just what we can do," Randall said. "I think that the remaining guys are good enough that we can be competitive, but with the Big 12 Conference coming in, I can't project just where we might finish."
If the Jayhawks hope to claim the conference title, they will have to knock off perennial conference powers Oklahoma and Oklahoma
Roy Edwards
State. New conference rival Texas also finished in the national top 15 last season, but did not fare as well at the NCAA championships as the Jayhawks.
"I don't know of another conference that is this strong," Randall said. "This season will certainly be a challenge for us."
Randall is impressed with newcomer Vermeer, an Omaha, Neb., native. Vermeer won the Nebraska state high school championship and the junior championship.
Randall said that he is so impressed Vermeer will not be redshirted this season.
"He is playing extremely well this summer," Randall said. "Most freshmen are not mature enough yet to be able to handle college golf. Vermeer is definitely an exception. His game is at the college level."
Competing for Rockhurst High school, freshman Jimmy Gates finished second in the Missouri state championship.
In addition, Gates was second in the Kansas City matchplay championships.
Gates will probably be redshirted.
Last summer's Kansas State junior champion, and runner up in this year's tournament, Jimmy Stewart of Independence heads the list of Kansas's in-state recruits.
Eden Prairie, Minn. native Jason deBuhr will be the Jayhawks' lone walk-on.
Brad Davis of Newton, Jake Istrnick, from Tulsa, Okla., and Roy Edwards of Hutchinson were red-shirted as freshman last season.
"We're extremely pleased to have Jason," Randall said. "He was certainly one of the best high school golfers in Minnesota and I feel extremely lucky to get someone that talented to walk on."
Andy Bengtson
Chris Thompson
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