Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State Prepares for Big 12 Championship
April 27, 2002 | Cowboy Golf
April 27, 2002
STILLWATER, Okla. - SETTING THE SCENE Oklahoma State's golf team will look to earn its fourth Big 12 title in six tries this week at Prairie Dunes Golf and Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan. on April 29-30. The 54-hole tournament will consist of 36 holes on Monday before concluding with Tuesday's final round. The Cowboys will be paired with Texas and Oklahoma and will tee off at 8:50 a.m. on the 10th hole. OSU will start one senior (Anders Hultman), two sophomores (Hunter Mahan and P?r Nilsson) and a pair of freshmen (Alex Nor?n and Dayton Rose). The Cowboys won the first two Big 12 crowns in 1997 and 1998 before winning again in 2000. Results will be available on the internet at www.big12sports.com and www.texassports.com.
ABOUT THE COURSE Prairie Dunes, a Perry and Press Maxwell design, has been the site of the previous five Big 12 Tournaments. The par-70, 6,598-yard track will serve as the host course for this summer's U.S. Women's Open. Prairie Dunes has been ranked as the 13th-best course nationally by Golf Digest and the 17th-best worldwide by Golf Magazine. Holes eight and 10 have also been tabbed among the "Best 100 holes in the U.S." by Golf Magazine.
LAST TIME OUT The Cowboys competed in Arizona for the second time in as many tournaments, finishing seventh in the 16-team field. OSU turned in a 16-under-par performance and was paced by sophomore P?r Nilsson. The Ljungsbro, Sweden, native earned his second consecutive top-10 finish after tying for fourth with a nine-under total of 207.
IN THE RANKINGS The Cowboys enter this week's tournament ranked No. 6 in both the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index and the GCAA/Precept Coaches Poll. Individually, sophomore Hunter Mahan leads squad with a No. 4 national ranking, while Anders Hultman is the only other Cowboy in the top 50, checking in at No. 45.
OSU IN CONFERENCE ACTION The Cowboys will look to rebound from their worst conference finish in school history. OSU's fifth-place finish a year ago was its lowest ever, surpassing a fourth-place finish in 1999. In 55 years, the Cowboys have claimed 48 conference titles, finished second four times, and third once. During that span, 39 players have captured conference medalist honors with Charles Howell being the last two years ago.
