Sept. 23, 2003

LAWRENCE, Kan. - The University of Houston golf team wrapped up its stay Tuesday at the Kansas Invitational with a seventh-place finish in their second tournament of the 2003-04 season.

The Cougars fired their best team score of the tournament during Tuesday's final 18 holes with a mark of 294 and finished the event at 886. However, UH was unable to gain any ground on host Kansas on the 6,950-yard, par-72 course at Alvamar Golf Club. The Jayhawks captured the team championship with a three-round score of 855.

North Texas finished second on the team leaderboard at 872, while Wichita State was third at 876. Louisville, Oral Roberts and Iowa State rounded out the Top 6 team leaders.

Freshman Ricky Romano, competing in only his second collegiate tournament fired a 2-under-par 70 on Tuesday and jumped into a tie for 11th place at 1-over-par 217. Romano was the only Cougar to improve his score with each round.

Senior Denton Walker remained in 11th place after shooting an even-par 72 in the final round.

Other Cougars competing were Zach Mowbray (76 - 225, t-42nd), Jordan Hasbrouck (76 - 230, t-64th) and Kevin Newman (80 - 233, t-73rd).

Kansas' Andrew Price held onto lead after two rounds and earned medalist honors at 9-under-par 207. He finished six strokes ahead of Wichita State's Judd Easterling and Oral Roberts' Luke Scrymgeour.

Following the Kansas Invitational, the Cougars now will take two weeks off before returning to action at the Pepperdine/Club Cove Invitational in Malibu, Calif., on Oct. 6-7.

TEAM LEADERBOARD
1. Kansas 287-284 -284 -- 855
2. North Texas 291-295-286 -- 872
3. Wichita State 294-289-294 -- 876
4. Louisville 294-295-289 -- 877
5. Oral Roberts 301-287-293 -- 881
6. Iowa State 294-293-296 -- 883
T-7. Houston 295-297-294 -- 886
T-7. UC Davis 302-295 -289 -- 886
T-7. Southwest Missouri State 303-295-288 -- 886
10. Drake 297-306-285 -- 888
11. Nebraska 292-302-296 -- 890
12. Illinois State 297-297-300 -- 894
12. Missouri-Kansas City 300-301-299 -- 900
T-14. Northern Iowa 310-300-293 -- 903
T-14. Louisiana-Lafayette 306-300- 297 -- 903

INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD
1. Andrew Price, Kansas 67-69-71 -- 207
T-2. Judd Easterling, Wichita State 74-69-70 -- 213
T-2. Luke Scrymgeour, Oral Roberts 71-71-71 -- 213
T-2. Tyler Swanson, Iowa State 71-72-70 -- 213
T-5. Brian Bennett, Southwest Missouri State 75-68-71 -- 214
T-5. Charlie Woo, Louisville 70-72-72 -- 214
7. Brian Anderson, Illinois State 69-72-74 -- 215
T-8. Brady Schnell, Nebraska 75-69-72 -- 216
T-8. Scott Gordon, UC Davis 77-71-68-68 -- 216
T-8. Gary Woodland, Kansas 71-73- 72 -- 216

UH SCOREBOARD
T-11. Ricky Romano 76-71-70 -- 217
T-11. Denton Walker 70-75-72 -- 217
T-42. Zach Mowbray 73-76-76 -- 225
T-64. Jordan Hasbrouck 79-75-76 -- 230
T-73. Kevin Newman 76-77-80 -- 233