Junior golfer Woodland keeps getting better

By By Tim Hall

Thursday, September 22, 2005



This week the Kansas men’s golf team hosted the Kansas Invitational at Alvamar Golf and Country Club and won by three strokes over Tulsa.

Leading the way for the Jayhawks in their second tournament was none other than Gary Woodland.

It’s vital for the Jayhawks that Woodland become that guy the team can always rely on for a round in the 60s, the guy who can replace former KU golfer Kevin Ward.

Woodland’s improvements on his performance last season indicate he may be on his way to doing this.

Let’s go back to last year’s Kansas Invitational.

Woodland struggled as he fired a three-round total of 225, nine-over-par.

He placed in a tie for 31st, seventh on the team. Senior Kevin Ward played lights out and won the golf tournament.

Flash forward to this week’s event.

Woodland held a two-shot lead after scoring 69 and 66 in his first two rounds.

He led all other Jayhawks and finished the tournament in third place overall.

His overall score of 209 was 16 shots better than his performance last year.

Woodland’s performance at the 2005 Kansas Invitational also shows the leaps and bounds he has taken.

Last season he didn’t fire a round lower than 68.

He has already done that three times this season — in just two events.

His best tournament performance last season came at the Stevinson Invitational, where he tied for 13th.

So far this season he has finished first and third — and that third place finish would have been a second consecutive win had Woodland avoided a final-round 74.

Woodland’s strength gives him an advantage over every other golfer that steps on the tee.

This guy can crank drives out past the 335 marker all day, driving distances that rival the likes of Tiger Woods and John Daly.

And oh yeah, his swing speed is even faster than Tiger’s.

Watching him swing the driver is like being at a live PGA event.

Taking over for a player like Kevin Ward will be tough.

Ward won two individual titles last season and is now making money on the Gateway Tour.

But then again, Woodland may be on his way to his second individual title of the season, in week two.

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