Embracing the Opportunity
Apr 24, 2026 | Men's Golf, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Grant Robbins has more than 20 years of experience building and leading programs, and in his 12 years as Kansas State head men's golf coach has helped produce 46 team top-five finishes with nine team championships, 10 individual championships, three team appearances in the NCAA Regionals and seven individual regional appearances.
Additionally, Robbins has guided a K-State team or individual to a current streak of seven-straight postseason appearances, the longest in program history.
Every year is different. One year after K-State made the postseason and narrowly missed the program's first ever appearance in a national championship, the Wildcats have fought throughout 2025-26. They won the Wildcat Invitational and finished top 5 in four other events, most recently taking second place in the Mobile Bay Intercollegiate on March 30-31. Yet they have struggled to find the right touch at times in also posting four double-digit finishes, including an 11th-place finish in their last tournament at the Mossy Oak Collegiate on April 13-14.
All roads now lead to the Big 12 Championship this coming Monday through Wednesday at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kansas.
The Wildcats welcome the opportunity to compete against some of the top golf teams in the nation.
Grant Robbins spoke with K-State Sports Extra's D. Scott Fritchen about this year with the K-State men's golf team.
D. Scott Fritchen: Let's start out talking about you for a moment. This is your 12th year as head coach at K-State. From becoming head coach on May 18, 2014, to now, how would you describe this journey through life and through coaching men's golf in Manhattan?
Grant Robbins: It's been a very enjoyable journey. There's been lots of ups and downs, and I've been very fortunate to coach at a place like K-State and to be around the great people we've had, and we've had some very good golfers come through. I'm very blessed and fortunate to have this opportunity.
Fritchen: During your time at K-State, the Wildcats have had 46 team top-five finishes with nine team championships, 10 individual championships, three NCAA Regional appearances and seven individual regional appearances. At the end of the day, what's the most gratifying part of your job as a head coach?
Robbins: Obviously, the results and accolades are great, but the more you do this, the more you appreciate the relationships you build, and being able to see the players that you coach grow up, get married and have families, and have jobs — that's probably the most rewarding part of the job. It's not just here, but players I've coached 20 years ago, they still call me "Coach," that's really the most rewarding part of the job, just having an impact on young people and seeing how they can mature and grow and get better.
Fritchen: As a head coach, what are the keys or philosophies you lean on in building a team and guiding the ship?
Robbins: First and foremost, you just have to have good people surrounding you. More and more, it's about connections and building relationships. We're fortunate in this sport where we have nine or 10 players, and we have a chance to be with the guys all the time – on and off the golf course – and get to know them, and that part of it is really important, just being able to have that individual connection, and trying to get them to buy into the team concept. That's one of the challenges of the sport like golf – is it is an individual sport, but we're competing as a team, and there are certain sacrifices that players have to make and certain adjustments they have to make to fit into a team atmosphere and team culture.
Being able to connect all of that together where you can get individuals to understand that each player has their own things that they need to get better at but also while fitting within the team concept. Ask any of our players and being able to compete as a team and the team accomplishments are so much more rewarding than what they can do individually. They play for each other and maximize how good they can be.
Fritchen: From where this 2025-26 team started to where it is today heading into the Big 12 Championship, how would you evaluate the growth and the strides of this team this year?
Robbins: There's been a lot of growth and a lot of growing pains. You look at our team starting out, and you look at the experience, and I'd say it's probably less than 15 starts total from all the guys playing coming into this year. So, there was a tremendous amount of inexperience with several new players. I kind of knew going into the season there would be some ups and downs and some growing pains, but it's been a really enjoyable group to coach. (Assistant head coach) Cullen Carstens and I have probably done more coaching this year than we have in the past just because of the inexperience and getting them to understand some of the things we need to do better. That's been the fun part of the job, is the coaching, and seeing the guys get better. It's been a fun year. Obviously, we would've liked to have had a better ranking and done better, but these guys are resilient, show a lot of grit, and they're a lot of fun to coach. We're really excited about the opportunity to compete in the Big 12 Championship next week.
Fritchen: How pleased have you been with how the team has handled the past few weeks of practice and what has been the biggest emphasis in practice this time of the season?
Robbins: It's been challenging just because of the wind, and we've been trying to embrace it. We know the Big 12 Championship being at Prairie Dunes this year that it's going to be windy, so we have the advantage in being able to prepare in windy conditions over the past few weeks. We've really tried to take advantage of that. This week, we've been getting the guys competing more. I think the last couple weeks we've been more focused on individual skill work and trying to get our ball striking more consistent, and then this week we're getting the guys out competing and embracing the elements and doing the best we can to prepare for next week.
Fritchen: Six different golfers have had a top 10 finish this year and six have shot on average under 74 strokes. How would you describe the individual consistency of some of your golfers and the leadership of this team this year?
Robbins: Alex Lindstrom, this is his last year as a senior, and he came here as a junior college transfer after one year of junior college, and he played a decent amount his first year here. Then last year he was our sixth or seven man, and he didn't get a lot of starts just because of the experience and talent on the team. He's really matured overall, and from a golf standpoint, he's gotten so much better with his short game, which has made him more consistent. He's playing with a lot more confidence now, and he's really taken that next step. Just seeing his growth from two years ago to where he is now, and how consistent he is, that's been really rewarding.
Shea Harmeson, ranking wise, has been our No. 2 man all year. He had a really good fall, struggled a little bit in the spring, and has been in and out of the lineup this spring, but he's such a competitor, and when he gets into the lineup, he tends to give us some really good scores. We love his competitiveness. He's been a great addition to our program this year.
Ville Virkkala has been our No. 3 man. He's a freshman and just really, really gaining experience. He's played in pretty much every event for us as a true freshman, which is really good for his development. Obviously, there's been some ups and downs, and we're trying to cut down the big numbers for him, but once he starts to figure that out and become a little bit more consistent, he's going to be a really, really good player for us. Him getting that experience is so huge.
Oliver Toyer is another true freshman who's just a really gritty competitor. He has an excellent short game. Him and Ville getting experience his first year has been huge. Fionn Dobbin is a sophomore who played in a handful of tournaments last year as a freshman, and he's been kind of thrust in the lineup consistently this year, just seeing him grow and mature as a player, he's just getting better and better. JP Roller has dealt with some injuries over the last couple years, and seeing him start to get back to full strength, he's such an excellent ball striker, and he's been a really strong competitor for us. He'll be in the mix for us next week.
Fritchen: What's the biggest thing you want your team to prove or to show in the Big 12 Championships?
Robbins: I just think it's a great opportunity. Most of these guys, they signed up for the chance to play in one of the top conferences in the country, and to go and be able to compete against the best in the world, it's just a great opportunity for us to go out and show what we're made of. I don't know if there's anything we're trying to prove other than just going out there and enjoying the opportunity. Like I tell the guys all the time, the golf course doesn't know what name is on your golf bag. You have to compete against the golf course.
We're preparing the best of our ability, and we're going to go out with a good game plan of how to play Prairie Dunes and how to handle the conditions, and then just go out there and compete our butts off and see what happens. Our guys aren't going to be intimidated. They're really looking forward to the opportunity to play in an elite championship like the Big 12s and give it everything they have and see what happens.
Grant Robbins has more than 20 years of experience building and leading programs, and in his 12 years as Kansas State head men's golf coach has helped produce 46 team top-five finishes with nine team championships, 10 individual championships, three team appearances in the NCAA Regionals and seven individual regional appearances.
Additionally, Robbins has guided a K-State team or individual to a current streak of seven-straight postseason appearances, the longest in program history.
Every year is different. One year after K-State made the postseason and narrowly missed the program's first ever appearance in a national championship, the Wildcats have fought throughout 2025-26. They won the Wildcat Invitational and finished top 5 in four other events, most recently taking second place in the Mobile Bay Intercollegiate on March 30-31. Yet they have struggled to find the right touch at times in also posting four double-digit finishes, including an 11th-place finish in their last tournament at the Mossy Oak Collegiate on April 13-14.
All roads now lead to the Big 12 Championship this coming Monday through Wednesday at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kansas.
The Wildcats welcome the opportunity to compete against some of the top golf teams in the nation.
Grant Robbins spoke with K-State Sports Extra's D. Scott Fritchen about this year with the K-State men's golf team.
D. Scott Fritchen: Let's start out talking about you for a moment. This is your 12th year as head coach at K-State. From becoming head coach on May 18, 2014, to now, how would you describe this journey through life and through coaching men's golf in Manhattan?
Grant Robbins: It's been a very enjoyable journey. There's been lots of ups and downs, and I've been very fortunate to coach at a place like K-State and to be around the great people we've had, and we've had some very good golfers come through. I'm very blessed and fortunate to have this opportunity.
Fritchen: During your time at K-State, the Wildcats have had 46 team top-five finishes with nine team championships, 10 individual championships, three NCAA Regional appearances and seven individual regional appearances. At the end of the day, what's the most gratifying part of your job as a head coach?
Robbins: Obviously, the results and accolades are great, but the more you do this, the more you appreciate the relationships you build, and being able to see the players that you coach grow up, get married and have families, and have jobs — that's probably the most rewarding part of the job. It's not just here, but players I've coached 20 years ago, they still call me "Coach," that's really the most rewarding part of the job, just having an impact on young people and seeing how they can mature and grow and get better.
Fritchen: As a head coach, what are the keys or philosophies you lean on in building a team and guiding the ship?
Robbins: First and foremost, you just have to have good people surrounding you. More and more, it's about connections and building relationships. We're fortunate in this sport where we have nine or 10 players, and we have a chance to be with the guys all the time – on and off the golf course – and get to know them, and that part of it is really important, just being able to have that individual connection, and trying to get them to buy into the team concept. That's one of the challenges of the sport like golf – is it is an individual sport, but we're competing as a team, and there are certain sacrifices that players have to make and certain adjustments they have to make to fit into a team atmosphere and team culture.
Being able to connect all of that together where you can get individuals to understand that each player has their own things that they need to get better at but also while fitting within the team concept. Ask any of our players and being able to compete as a team and the team accomplishments are so much more rewarding than what they can do individually. They play for each other and maximize how good they can be.
Fritchen: From where this 2025-26 team started to where it is today heading into the Big 12 Championship, how would you evaluate the growth and the strides of this team this year?
Robbins: There's been a lot of growth and a lot of growing pains. You look at our team starting out, and you look at the experience, and I'd say it's probably less than 15 starts total from all the guys playing coming into this year. So, there was a tremendous amount of inexperience with several new players. I kind of knew going into the season there would be some ups and downs and some growing pains, but it's been a really enjoyable group to coach. (Assistant head coach) Cullen Carstens and I have probably done more coaching this year than we have in the past just because of the inexperience and getting them to understand some of the things we need to do better. That's been the fun part of the job, is the coaching, and seeing the guys get better. It's been a fun year. Obviously, we would've liked to have had a better ranking and done better, but these guys are resilient, show a lot of grit, and they're a lot of fun to coach. We're really excited about the opportunity to compete in the Big 12 Championship next week.
Fritchen: How pleased have you been with how the team has handled the past few weeks of practice and what has been the biggest emphasis in practice this time of the season?
Robbins: It's been challenging just because of the wind, and we've been trying to embrace it. We know the Big 12 Championship being at Prairie Dunes this year that it's going to be windy, so we have the advantage in being able to prepare in windy conditions over the past few weeks. We've really tried to take advantage of that. This week, we've been getting the guys competing more. I think the last couple weeks we've been more focused on individual skill work and trying to get our ball striking more consistent, and then this week we're getting the guys out competing and embracing the elements and doing the best we can to prepare for next week.
Fritchen: Six different golfers have had a top 10 finish this year and six have shot on average under 74 strokes. How would you describe the individual consistency of some of your golfers and the leadership of this team this year?
Robbins: Alex Lindstrom, this is his last year as a senior, and he came here as a junior college transfer after one year of junior college, and he played a decent amount his first year here. Then last year he was our sixth or seven man, and he didn't get a lot of starts just because of the experience and talent on the team. He's really matured overall, and from a golf standpoint, he's gotten so much better with his short game, which has made him more consistent. He's playing with a lot more confidence now, and he's really taken that next step. Just seeing his growth from two years ago to where he is now, and how consistent he is, that's been really rewarding.
Shea Harmeson, ranking wise, has been our No. 2 man all year. He had a really good fall, struggled a little bit in the spring, and has been in and out of the lineup this spring, but he's such a competitor, and when he gets into the lineup, he tends to give us some really good scores. We love his competitiveness. He's been a great addition to our program this year.
Ville Virkkala has been our No. 3 man. He's a freshman and just really, really gaining experience. He's played in pretty much every event for us as a true freshman, which is really good for his development. Obviously, there's been some ups and downs, and we're trying to cut down the big numbers for him, but once he starts to figure that out and become a little bit more consistent, he's going to be a really, really good player for us. Him getting that experience is so huge.
Oliver Toyer is another true freshman who's just a really gritty competitor. He has an excellent short game. Him and Ville getting experience his first year has been huge. Fionn Dobbin is a sophomore who played in a handful of tournaments last year as a freshman, and he's been kind of thrust in the lineup consistently this year, just seeing him grow and mature as a player, he's just getting better and better. JP Roller has dealt with some injuries over the last couple years, and seeing him start to get back to full strength, he's such an excellent ball striker, and he's been a really strong competitor for us. He'll be in the mix for us next week.
Fritchen: What's the biggest thing you want your team to prove or to show in the Big 12 Championships?
Robbins: I just think it's a great opportunity. Most of these guys, they signed up for the chance to play in one of the top conferences in the country, and to go and be able to compete against the best in the world, it's just a great opportunity for us to go out and show what we're made of. I don't know if there's anything we're trying to prove other than just going out there and enjoying the opportunity. Like I tell the guys all the time, the golf course doesn't know what name is on your golf bag. You have to compete against the golf course.
We're preparing the best of our ability, and we're going to go out with a good game plan of how to play Prairie Dunes and how to handle the conditions, and then just go out there and compete our butts off and see what happens. Our guys aren't going to be intimidated. They're really looking forward to the opportunity to play in an elite championship like the Big 12s and give it everything they have and see what happens.
Players Mentioned
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