KU men’s golf coach Kit Grove advances at Kansas Amateur

? Kansas University men’s golf coach Kit Grove defeated former KU player Pete Krsnich, 4-2, during the first round of match play at the Kansas Amateur Championship on Thursday at Hallbrook Golf Club.

“It’s always weird … you hate to draw one of your buddies this early in the tournament,” said Grove, who faced another former KU golfer in Tyler Shelton in a Kansas Am match last year at Prairie Dunes. “Pete’s a great guy … (but) it was competitive for sure.”

Grove gets former Kansas Amateur champion and Washburn University standout Matt Ewald in the Round of 32 this morning.

“My next draw is Ewald, who, what, won the thing two years ago?” Grove asked. “It’s kind of amazing; that’s the beauty and the bad thing about match play. You can be 10 or 15 shots up on a guy for the week and if you come out here flat or something goofy happens.”

Top-seeded Kyle Smell, a Kansas State golfer, advanced Thursday, as did Lawrence’s Conrad Roberts and Tyler Cummins.

The third round will be this afternoon.

Quarterfinals and semifinals will be Saturday, with the 36-hole championship match slated for Sunday morning.