Colorado University Athletics
Carroll To Tee It Up In NCAAs
May 13, 2003 | Men's Golf
David Plati, Assistant AD/Media Relations
The Regional runs Thursday through Saturday and will be played on Kansas State's Colbert Hills Golf Course, a par-72 layout covering 7,525 yards.
Carroll, CU's senior captain, was invited as one of six individuals to compete in the regional, as Colorado wasn't invited as a team for the first time since 1998. The team leader in stroke average (73.6), he also topped the Buffaloes in 14 statistical categories.
The last Buff to advance to the NCAA's individually was exactly a decade ago, when Bob Kalinowski made it to the finals off a great finish in the regional. Carroll is making some team history this week, as he is the first Buff to be invited to the regional without his teammates.
"Steve's chances depend on the conditions of the greens. He's an excellent putter, and bad greens really negate the advantage of being a good putter," CU head coach Mark Simpson said. "A lot will also depend on he's hitting the driver. If he hits it well, he'll have a great tournament. If he sprays it around, he'll have a tougher time. The odds are pretty good that you have to be under par, since only two individuals advance to the finals from the teams not in the top 10."
"But Steve's played the course and has seen it extensively. He had a sprained thumb when he played last fall, and he's confident he'll be able to be in the thick of things here."
Carroll tied for 20th in KSU's Jim Colbert Intercollegiate last October, turning in a 76-81-76-233 scorecard. However, the course was set up so ridiculously, according to many college coaches, as almost half the scores were in the 80s. Many teams, including CU, will not return to the meet in the future because of it. Carroll was 17-over par for that meet, a score that seldom if ever is close to a top 20 finish.
He tees off at 12:12 p.m. mountain time Thursday and will play early (8 a.m.) on Friday.
