Kansas University’s golf team found out this week that home isn’t always all that sweet.

“Sometimes,” KU coach Ross Randall said, “it’s easier to play elsewhere.”

Despite finishing second out of 14 teams in the Kansas Invitational, the Jayhawks left Alvamar Tuesday afternoon wondering what could have been.

“Sometimes you have too high of expectations and it can hurt you,” KU’s Chris Marshall said. “Sometimes, you know too much about the course.”

Marshall finished in a tie for second overall, shooting a 2-under-par 70 on Tuesday, and a 4-under 212 for the tournament. The thought of what he’d done at Alvamar in the past left him a little unsatisfied.

“You’re so used to coming out here and nonchalantly shooting a 67 or 68,” he said. “When you get in a tournament, things are so much different and expectations are so much bigger.”

Marshall, KU’s lone senior, finished three strokes behind Baylor’s Ryan Baca for low score in the tournament. Baca capped his 1-over-par 73 on Tuesday with a brilliant approach shot on 18, putting it within inches of the hole.

“I thought if I could make a good number of birdies then I could chase him,” Marshall said. “then he hit it so close on 18. That was ridiculous. I’d much rather lose to that. He just played well and did what he had to do.”

KU was in third place after two rounds on Monday. On Tuesday, the Jayhawks were able to pass Wichita State and cut the deficit on eventual tournament champion Baylor, but the Bears’ final tally of 863 was nine strokes better than KU’s 872. Wichita State took third at 876.

“If you get one or two over, it’s really easy in the early part of the round to second-guess yourself,” Randall said. “That’s why it’s hard playing at home.”

KU’s Pete Krsnich, one day after shooting his 6-under 66, fired a 77 and finished in a tie for sixth. Ryan Rainer tied for ninth after a posting a 74 on Tuesday.

“They finished a little better today,” Randall said. “The golf course played hard today with the wind.”

Krsnich’s 66 on Monday stood as the lowest single round in the tournament. Marshall was the only golfer out of 81 competitors to break par in all three rounds.

“Even though I played pretty well, I’m still not pleased with it,” Marshall said.

KU takes two weeks off before departing to St. Charles, Mo. to participate in the Purina Missouri Bluffs Classics.

“For the next week and a half, we’re just going to work on the short game,” Randall said. “We’ve got enough talent long-game wise, but the short game is where you get it done.”