KCC Invitational Player Profiles
Updated: July 20, 2011
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T.J. Howe The Penn State University graduate is returning to play in his fifth KCC Invitational with Alan Radomsky. As a sophomore, Howe recorded his first collegiate win at the Pinehurst Intercollegiate, setting the tournament scoring record with rounds of 73-69-67. In his first two collegiate seasons, Howe recorded seven top 10s and five top 5 finishes. In 2007, Howe qualified for the US Amateur championship at the Olympic Club in San Francisco where he advanced to match play. As a junior, he had three top 5 finishes including winning the NCAA East Regional by shooting 69-68-66 at The Yale Golf Course. After Howe's Regional victory, he was named Golfweek's National Player of the Week and was named a PING Honorable Mention All-American. In his final season, Howe led Nittany Lions with a 72.6 round average. His regular season play consisted of six top ten finishes, two hole-in-ones and a Big Ten Golfer of the Week honor. He was also named to the Division I PING All-Northeast Regional Team, as announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America. |
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Alton Anderson The Brigham Young University junior from California will be playing in his second KCC Invite with Bert Cooper. Anderson competed in the 2009 U.S. Amateur Public Links in Norman, Oklahoma, advancing to the Round of 36 after winning his first round of match play. He tied for first at the California Junior College State Championships in 2009. As a freshman at BYU, Alton competed in five events, compiling a stroke average of 74.50. He tied for 52nd at the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate, going 8-over-par. He shot a season low 68 in the first round of the Fresno Lexus Classic where he tied for 25th, also a season best. This past year as a sophomore, Anderson’s best finish came at the PING Cougar Classic where he shot a 3-over 219 to tie for 32nd. He tied for 64th at the Fresno Lexus Classic, tied for 42nd at the Pacific Invitational and finished the season with a stroke average of 75.00. |
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Jimmy Dewling Dewling, a senior from Michigan State, is playing in his second Invitational with Jason Falk. He earned All-State honors as a senior in high school after having won six tournaments. That summer, Dewling won the Randy Wise Junior Open, shooting 70-73-70. In his freshman year at MSU, he had a 75.83 scoring average. In his best outing, he tied for fifth at the Fossum Invitational. As a sophomore, Dewling earned Academic All Big Ten honors. He tied for 22nd at the Fossum Invitational, shooting a career low 228 (72-75-81). This past year, Dewling was Academic All Big Ten again. He had his best finish of the season, tying for 24th at the Illini Spring Classic, shooting a 150 (78-72). He was part of the MSU lineup at the Big Ten Championship, tying for 43rd with a 311 (76-76-81-78). |
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Matt Thompson The senior from the University of Michigan and Battle Creek will play in his third Invitational with Tony Trumblee. The duo reached the Finals in 2009. In high school, Thompson was the #1 ranked golfer in the state of Michigan, according to National Junior Golf Scoreboard.com. As a freshman, Thompson was named to the All-Tournament Team for Big Ten Match Play and was part of the U of M team that reached the NCAA Championship Semifinals. He placed fourth on the team with a 73.54 stroke average, with his best finish being 10th at the FAU Spring Break. As a sophomore, he had a career-best second place finish at the Big Ten Championships and tied for second at the Wolverine at Radrick Farms. For his efforts, Thompson was named to the Division I PING All Midwest Region, the All Big Ten Second Team and the Big Ten Championships All Tournament Team. This year, Thompson earned his second straight all-region honor. He has collected seven top-20 finishes and led U-M in two events – the 2010 Bridgestone Intercollegiate and the 2011 Big Ten Championships. This season, he is averaged 73.53 strokes per round and fired a season-best six-under 66 in the second round of the Bridgestone on his way to a season-best nine-under 207. |
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Dave Ellis Ellis, a Michigan State University senior, is playing in his third KCC Invitational, teaming with 2010 KCC Golfer of the Year Bob Kramer. In high school, Ellis was the 2008 MHSAA Upper Peninsula State Champion and won the Mid-Peninsula Conference Championship. That summer, he finished second at the UP Golf Association Championship and qualified for the Michigan Amateur and GAM Championship. As a freshman at MSU, Dave placed in a tie for 40th at the Fossum Invitational. As a sophomore, Ellis earned Academic All Big Ten honors and was a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. He had a strong showing at the Fossum Invitational, placing 15th with a 224 (77-77-70). This past season, Ellis was named Academic All Big Ten once again. He had his career best finish at the Fossum Invitational, posting a 75-75 to tie for ninth. He had his career best round at the UNCG Bridgestone Collegiate (71). |
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Dan Ellis The senior from Michigan State University and twin brother of Dave Ellis will be playing in his third Invite, pairing with Dan Hinkle. As a high schooler in Negaunee, MI, Ellis finished in the top two at the Division I UP State Championship in each of his four seasons, winning as a junior. He also won the UP Golf Association Championship in 2008 and placed 5th at the GAM Championship that same year. As a MSU freshman, Dan finished in a tie for 29th at the Fossum Invitational. As a sophomore, he earned Academic All Big Ten honors. He tied for 18th at the Spartan Classic as an individual with a career low 216 (72-66-78). His second round 66 was the lowest round by a Spartan during the season. This past season, Ellis was named Academic All Big Ten once again. He turned in the second best stroke average on the team, at 75.4. Dan had his best career finish at the UK Bluegrass Invitational, tying for 12th (69-78-72). Ellis finished second on MSU and tied for 28th overall at the Big Ten Championship with a 302 (74-76-77-75). |
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Blake English English played the last two years at Miami of Ohio and will be pairing with Dr. Gregor Blix for the third time. In 2009, he was named his section’s Prep Golfer of the Year. He won medalist honors at his Regional, in addition to three other tournaments during 2009, averaging a 74.1 over 18 holes. He finished second in the 2009 Michigan Junior Amateur Championship after winning the event in 2008. English had a solid freshman campaign at Miami, finishing in a tie for 32nd at 12-over par at the Cincinnati Invitational, a tie for 28th at Georgetown and a tie for 20th at the Renaissance Invitational. At the Rice Intercollegiate, he was the top finisher for Miami, tying for 22nd at 15-over par. This past season, English tied for 4th at the Renaissance Invitational, turning in a 3-round score of 214. He was named MAC Golfer of the Week for his efforts. He followed that up with another 214 to tie for 10th at Georgetown. His 2010-11 stroke average of 73.2 was second best on the team. |
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Payne Gniewek The Baylor University graduate hails from Trenton, Michigan and will play in his third KCC Invitational, teaming with Jamie Schnur. As a high school senior, Gniewek was named to the All State Super Team, earned the "Mr. Golf Award" and was named Catholic League Athlete of the Year. He advanced to the semifinals in match play at the Michigan Junior State Amateur in 2007 and tied for 28th at the AJGA Coca Cola Junior Championship at Boyne Highlands. As a junior he recorded three top 15 finishes. His best finish of the fall came at the Lone Star Invitational, where he finished tied for fourth at 6-under par (70-69-71=210). During the spring, Gniewek turned in four top 20 finishes, posting a tie for seventh at 2-over par (72-71-72=215) at the Seminole Intercollegiate. He also tied for 11th at the NCAA South Central Regional, finishing 2-under (75-66-73=214). His second-round 66 was an 18-hole career low and lowest by a Baylor Bear that season. This past season, he opened the fall with a 17th-place finish at Golfweek's Conference Challenge (73-73-68=214). In the spring, he tied for 31st at Border Olympics, finishing at even-par (74-70-72=216). Behind a second-round 67, Gniewek posted a Baylor personal 54-hole low with 1-under-par 209 to tie for ninth at Wyoming Cowboy Classic. He concluded his college career with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Florida Regional, shooting a 7-under 209, tying a Baylor record for lowest 54-hole score in NCAA postseason play. His sixth-place finish is the second-highest individual finish in a NCAA postseason event in program history. |
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Jack Schultz The junior from the University of Michigan is playing in his second KCC Invitational, once again teaming with Dr. Craig Stull. Prior to attending U of M, Schultz was rated as the No. 31 senior in the class of 2009 by the National Junior Golf Scoreboard and was the 2007 Wisconsin Player of the Year. As a freshman, Schultz turned in an outstanding year. He posted four top-20 finishes, including three top-10s and one top-five. Schultz was named to the Division I PING All-Midwest Region and was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. At the Big Ten Championships, he was named to the All-Tournament Team and matched that achievement at the Big Ten Match Play Championships. He was also awarded the U of M Athletic Academic Achievement Award. This past year as a sophomore, Schultz posted four top-20 finishes and one top-10. He posted a season-best tie for seventh finish at the Illini Spring Classic and helped U of M to a tie for sixth-place team finish at Big Ten Championships, finishing in a tie for 13th at 295 (71-74-78-72). Jack helped U of M earn a bid to the NCAA Central Regional, tying for 16th at 215 (68-75-72). He tallied a season-best 54-hole tournament total of 215 (68-75-72) at the NCAA Central Regional and had a season-best 72-hole tournament total 295 (71-74-78-72) at the Big Ten Championships. This past June, Schultz won six straight matches to capture the WSGA Match play Championship at the Links in Grand Geneva. He made a birdie on the 19th hole to secure the final match after being 2-down with two holes left. |
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Miguel Echavarria The University of Michigan junior hails from Colombia and will be playing in his third KCC Invite with Dr. Michael Chafty. Echavarria ranked fourth in the 2008 Colombian Junior Ranking and was the medalist at the 2008 Junior Colombian Western Tournament with a 140 (71-69). He placed third in the 2009 Medellin Open with a 287 (75-66-71-75) and sixth in the 2008 International Junior Championship (Bogota, Colombia) with a 297 (81-76-71-69). Echavarria ranked sixth in the 2009 Colombian Amateur Ranking and was the medalist in the Amateur Division. He tied for 16th among all professionals with a 290 (70-67-83-70) at the International Open. As a freshman at U of M, he played in two tournaments, turning in a 72 at the Wolverine at Radrick Farms. This past year, Miguel earned Academic All-Big Ten won the U of M Athletic Academic Achievement Award. He played in seven tournaments, making his first collegiate start at the Bridgestone Intercollegiate, tying for 68th. He shot a career-best four-under 68 in the second round of the Rod Myers Invitational. |
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Willie Mack III The graduate of Bethune-Cookman and resident of Flint will play in his third KCC Invite, teaming with Matthew Smith. As a junior, Mack was three shots away from being the national medalist at the NCAA Minority Championship in 2010, leading the Wildcat golfers to a fourth place team finish in the tournament. Mack fired rounds of 72-67-74, two under par in the event. He was the tournament medalist, shooting rounds of 68-75, in the Savannah State University Tiger Fall Invitational and was second overall at the FGCU Invitational. Last year, Mack erased a four stroke deficit in the final round at Flushing Valley Golf and Country Club, shooting 3-under-par 68 for a two shot victory in the Genesee All-Star Golf Classic. As a senior, Mack recorded his 11th collegiate victory at the FAMU Invitational (69-69), leading his team to a first place finish in the tournament. He also took medalist honors at the Savannah State Invitational. Mack is the 2011 Michigan State Amateur Champion, having bested KCC Invite contestant Joey Garber 4 and 3 in the Finals. |
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Ben Peacock The junior from Miami of Ohio is playing in his second KCC Invitational with Henrik Blix. While in high school, Peacock finished in the top 10 five times on the AGJA Tour out of 10 tournaments played. He reached the quarterfinal round of 2009 Michigan Amateur Tournament and finished eighth at the 2008 AJGA Coca Cola Junior Championship at Boyne Highland. He was a four-year letter winner at Marshall High School and won the conference championship during his senior year by eight shots, shooting 73-68. Peacock was named a Michigan High School Athletic Association Division II All-State team member all four years of high school. His best finish as a freshman at Miami was a tie for 45th at the Rice Intercollegiate, finishing with an even par 72. As a sophomore, he participated in seven tournaments, averaging 75.47 strokes over 23 rounds played. His top finish was tie for 12th in the Purdue/Midwest Shootout (75-77=152). He finished in a tie for 19th at the MAC Championship (78-76-78-71=303). |
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Joey Garber The sophomore from the University of Michigan is playing in his first KCC Invite, pairing with A.J. Todd. At Petoskey High School, Garber earned a #1 ranking by National Junior Golf Scoreboard and Golfweek Junior rankings for the state of Michigan. He was a two-time Michigan Interscholastic Golf Coaches Association Mr. Golf and the 2010 Michigan Division 2 State Finals medalist, winning by four shots with a 142 (74-68). He was the 2006 Michigan Division 2 State Finals runner-up, finishing behind current teammate Matt Thompson. Garber made the cut at the 2007 Michigan Open at age 15, becoming the youngest player in history to make the cut in the state's most prestigious golf tournament. As a freshman at U of M, he started all 14 events for the Wolverines and carried an average of 74.00, which ranks as the third-best average for a freshman all-time at U of M. He fired 15 rounds of par or better, including a career-best, five-under 67 twice. Garber led U of M in three events this season - runner-up at the 2010 Ridges Intercollegiate, tie for eighth at the 2011 USC Collegiate Invitational, and 3-0 at the 2011 Big Ten Match Play Championships. Garber won the 2010 Michigan State Amateur and was runner-up this past year. |
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Jerry Ruiz The junior from Baylor University is playing in his first KCC Invitational, pairing with John Wyma. Ruiz attended high school in Puebla, Mexico and was the Mexican National Match Play champion, helping him earn a top-five ranking in Mexico. He finished in the top three in merit points on the International Junior Golf Tour in 2007 and was top four in 2008. As a freshman, he made his Baylor debut at the UTSA Oak Hills Invitational, finishing tied for 16th at 7-over 220. He carded an even-par 72 in the final round to finish 43rd at 6-over (73-77-72=222) at the Aggie Invitational. This past season, Ruiz carded a career-low second-round 68 at the UTSA Oak Hills Invitational, finishing with a final score of 9-over (78-68-76=222), tying for 36th. He finished in the top-five for the first time, placing third overall at the Charleston Shootout at 3-under-par (70-73-68=211). He set a personal 54-hole low with an even-par 210 to tie for 12th at Wyoming Cowboy. Ruiz tied for 37th at the NCAA Florida Regional, shooting 4-over-par 220. Following the season, he was named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll. |
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Austin Kelly The sophomore from Miami of Ohio will play in his first KCC Invitational with Isaac Hinkle. Kelly, who hails from London, Ontario, won 21 different events at the local and provincial levels during his high school career. He won the 2010 CJGA PING Canadian Junior Match Play Championship and the 2009 MCCC Junior Club Championship. He also won the 2009 Chatham Junior Tyson Tour Invitational and finished fourth at the 2009 Golf Association of Ontario Junior Championship. Kelly had a strong debut season with the Miami, averaging 74.68 strokes per round over 38 rounds played. He won the Georgetown Intercollegiate at eight under par (66-71-68=205), taking the event by four shots. Kelly was named MAC Co-Golfer of the Week after that victory. His other top-10 finish on the season came when he tied for fourth at the Marshall Invitational (72-65-66=203). His 65 in the second round of that tournament tied for the low round by any Miami golfer during the season. |
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Russell Boring The UC Santa Barbara graduate is playing in his first KCC Invitational, pairing with Bill Sibert. As a freshman at Ventura College in 2008, Boring had a 73.3 stroke average, finishing with one win, three second place finishes and was named to the all-Western State Conference team. That year, he played in the US Amateur at Southern Hills in Tulsa. As a junior with UCSB, Boring had two 11th place finishes, including the St. Mary’s Invitational where he shot a 220. He turned in his best round of the year with a 66 at the Wyoming Cowboy Classic. He played 21 rounds and had a stroke average of 73.24. Boring’s top personal round is a 63, which he accomplished twice at the Sunset Hill Country Club. |