Anglo-Scot Fraser Dawson helps Hutch to win Jayhawk Championship

By Kyle McCaskey The Hutchinson News

NEWTON – Hutchinson Community College needed to make up five strokes to play catch up on day two of the Jayhawk Championship  at Sand Creek Station. The Blue Dragons made up eight.
Fraser Dawson, pictured right, from Dorset - his mother is a Scot! - has been a key member of the Hutchinson team.
A second-year student, Fraser said:

“For the two years that I’ve been here, we’ve all worked hard. I think it’s finally starting to show. What we’re capable of is really coming through.” Dawson finished in a tie for fourth individually at the Jayhawk Championship. Dodge City’s Zach Kirby, a University of Kansas signee, tied with Barton’s Natchapol Srinoon for the Jayhawk Championship title, both shooting 217s.
 Kirby’s work in the previous two conference events scored him the Jayhawk Conference individual title. “I just think you have to be patient,” said Hutchinson coach Chris Young. “Out of the van this morning, it was just, ‘Let’s keep making pars.’ We’re going to hit it close enough to make birdie here and there. Stay away from the big number.” Hutchinson, tied with Dodge City for third heading into the final 18 holes, sizzled with a 291 team score to finish with an 899 over 54 holes. That breezed past previous leader Kansas City, Kansas (299 on the final 18) and then-second place Garden City (301) and into the title.
Dodge City and Kansas City ended in a tie for second with 902 team scores. The surge to the top of the standings also clinched the Jayhawk Conference title for Hutchinson (the Blue Dragons). The Jayhawk Conference title was a composite of placings at three tournaments – Jayhawk No. 1 at Falcon Lakes in Basehor, Jayhawk No. 2 at Alvamar in Lawrence and the Jayhawk Championship.“It’s important to get off to a good start, because we went from six tournaments my freshman year, and now they’re only down to three,” Kirby said. “If you don’t play well in one of them, you’re kind of shooting yourself in the foot” Kirby, Garden City’s Skyler Tebo, Dawson, Srinoon and Barton’s Landon Fox compiled the top five in Jayhawk Conference scoring, earning first-team all-conference honours. Kirby’s satisfaction was tempered, knowing the Conqs had a chance to chase down the Jayhawk Conference title at Sand Creek, the home of this year’s NJCAA Championship. Had Dodge City won the Jayhawk Championship tournament, it would have secured the conference trophy. Instead, Hutchinson grabbed the opportunity. “I’m pretty upset about losing the conference, to be honest with you, but Hutch typically plays this golf course pretty well,” Kirby said. “I feel like we need to play this golf course better, especially with nationals coming up. For sure, we need to go back to the drawing board this week and get better for next week, because if we don’t play better next week, we’re not even going to get here.” Hutchinson made its move up the ladder in unique ways. Dawson was the consistent scorer, posting 74, 73 and 73 over 54 holes, despite, in his opinion, playing poorly. 
 “To be honest, I didn’t really hit the ball well at all,” Dawson said. “Just found a way, kept battling. Sometimes the putts dropped.”  
 Dawson twice finished fourth in April events and has reason to be very pleased with his progress this 2014-15 college golf season. He has had five top-5 finishes in a ro
The Blue Dragons’ Dominic Lara, typically one of Hutchinson’s top three, struggled through his first two rounds, shooting an 80 and 79. Freshman Chase Coble helped ease the sting in those rounds, netting a 78 and 75. 
 On Tuesday, Hutchinson leaned on sophomore Gage Cain, who fired a 72. Lara shot a 72 on the final day, as well. Cain and Lara put up the low scores for the Blue Dragons on the final 18, helping trim the necessary strokes to climb to the team trophy. “Today, I just hit a lot of the shots in the right places,” Cain said. “My second shots – I only missed one green today, so that kind of helped out my round. Just made a lot of pars.” Hutchinson, Dodge City and the other Jayhawk Conference squads next take on the Region 6-District 3 Championship, April 27-28 at Alvamar. 
 “The region, this year, is really deep,” Young said. “There are six teams that can legitimately go to the national tournament in our region, and only four get to go. “We’re going to have to celebrate this the rest of the day, then tomorrow get back to work.”