SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 9A
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TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2005
ATHLETICS CALENDAR
FRIDAY
SOCER
Soccer vs. Michigan, 5 p.m.
Jayhawk Soccer Complex
Volleyball vs. Alabama, 7 p.m.
Horejsi Family Athletics Center
SATURDAY
Voleyball vs. UMKC, 7 p.m.
Horejii Family Athletics Center
SUNDAY
* Soccer vs. Wisconsin, 1 p.m., Jayhawk Soccer Complex
Few returning starters places Kansas just outside top 25
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
ESPN.com senior college basketball writer Andy Katz ranked Kansas 26th in his initial preseason men's college basketball rankings.
Katz wrote that he had substantially lower expectations for the Jayhawks this year because of the team's lack of experience. Kansas lost four players to graduation, and J.R. Giddens left Kansas for New Mexico.
Though he expected Kansas to struggle at the beginning of the year, Katz wrote that the team would be much better in March.
Katz wrote that freshmen Julian Wright and Micah Downs would start as forwards, while freshman Mario Chalmers would start at guard
Katz wrote that reserves C.J. Giles, Russell Robinson, Sasha Kaun, Christian Moody, Darnell Jackson and Jeff Hawkins would give the Jayhawks a solid core of returning players, but the freshmen would have to make an immediate impact for Kansas to succeed.
Kansan staff reports
MLB
DENVER - Colorado Rockies outfielder Larry Bigbie was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday with a strained Achilles' tendon.
Injury keeps former Oriole on bench for two weeks
The move is retroactive to Sunday, when Bigbie was held out of the lineup in the Rockies' 9-7 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Outfielder Choo Freeman was recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs to take Biggie's spot on the roster.
Bigbie has started 15 games for Colorado since being acquired from the Baltimore Orioles on July 29.
Freeman had two stints with the Rockies last season, hitting .189 in 45 games. He was hitting .280 in 97 games with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox.
The Associated Press
Jayhawk seeks to shine bright
▼ GOLF
Woodland confident despite play in first round of amateur championship
BY JONATHON ANDERSON
janderson@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Players tend to choke when facing the adversities of a bigger stage, but KU golfer Gary Woodland, Topeka junior, proved himself with an opening round 70, or even par, at the 105th U.S. Amateur Championship yesterday at the Philadelphia Country Club.
The momentum of a stellar summer of golf carried Woodland into yesterday's round, where 312 golfers tried to advance to the tournament's match play competition. After two rounds of stroke play, the top 64 players from that competition will
Woodland teed off at 9:05 a.m. and finished his first stroke play round about 2 p.m. Woodland played the front nine with a one under par 34, including an eagle on the par four ninth hole.
advance.
Woodland went on to bogey holes seven and 17 to drop him to even par for the day. But even par placed him in the top 50 when the day ended.
"I didn't hit the ball well on the first nine," he said. "Not to mention I missed some putts that were definitely makeable, but I hit the ball better on the front. I had a bunch of pars to start, but that eagle was huge."
Woodland said he was still confident he would bounce back and perform better than he had, though he felt he could have finished better.
"I felt good enough that if I didn't play well, I could come around and find a way to stay in contention and wait for a good break to happen," Woodland said. "Finally, I had a good break on the last hole and I hope that carries over. If I'm not playing well, then I have to hold on to stay among the field."
Although he had Saturday and Sunday to experience the course, Woodland said his opening round conditions were a bit different than what he had experienced while playing over the weekend.
I played at 7 a.m. on Sunday and the greens were a lot slower," Woodland said. "Teeing off earlier allowed me to get used to slower greens, whereas today I came around the turn and had to adjust my game to fit the harder course conditions. Not to mention the wind blew a little bit harder today."
With one round under his belt and a strong understanding of how the course plays, Woodland looks to continue and advance in the tournament.
Woodland will tee off today at 2:20.
- Edited by Theresa Montano
Young and at the top of the game
AP Photo/Nevada Appeal. Brad Horn
Vaughn Taylor watches his shot on the 18th hole during the Reno-Tahoe Open at Montreux Golf and Country Club in Reno, Nev., Sunday. Taylor, in his second year on the PGA Tour, joined Vijay Singh and Stuart Appleby as the only players to successfully defend a title this year and also became the fifth wire-to-wire winner of the season.
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