Men’s Golf Win Back-To-Back in Tulsa
Estela Castillo Melia
The University of Central Oklahoma men’s golf team won their second consecutive tournament this past Tuesday at Tulsa for the NSU Men’s Classic.
In the newest national ranking polls, the Bronchos are currently ranked No. 4 in the country by the Golf Coaches Association of America.
Central Oklahoma scored a total of 24-under par over three rounds. They shot 274 and 276 on Monday in the first two rounds and a final 278 on Tuesday in the third round. UCO ended the tournament with a seven-stroke lead and a total of 828 strokes to win their second tournament of the season.
“It’s a good start to the year. Winning is always tough, especially on back-to-back weeks,” head coach Derrick Thompson said. “We haven’t seen our best golf yet. We got off to a slow start this week and really didn’t finish well. We need to get that sorted out. As for areas of improvement, I think we really need to work on our decision-making.”
Although the Broncos conquered the win for this week, they struggled at the end of Tuesday’s round, scoring ten-over par collectively on the last four holes.
“Near the end unfortunately, the guys took their foot off the gas,” graduate assistant coach Rick Van Der Nat said. “The finishing holes are fairly easy, so this shows us it’s something within the team and not the course. We have to stay sharp every shot.”
On the other hand, coach Thomson says, “I just think we weren’t disciplined coming down the stretch. There were a lot of birdie opportunities on this golf course, and we got a little too aggressive when we were out of position. As the season goes on, this is something that could get us in trouble.”
Junior player Nick Canales, who was named Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Athlete of the Week this past week, ended up third in the Leaderboard with a final score of nine-under par, with rounds of 68 and 65 on Monday and a final round of 71 on Tuesday. Canales was in the lead until hole 15 on the last round, where he finished off with three bogeys. “Canales being in contention for the win back-to-back weeks shows how he’s maturing on the course.” Van Der Nat mentioned.
Behind Canales, the Broncos had a well-rounded effort; sophomore Bryant Polhill shot a steady 68, 71, and 68 for a final 11th place on the leaderboard with a score of six-under par. Sophomore Rhett Hughes finished one stroke behind with a concluding score of five-under par and rounds of 70, 69, and 69.
UCO prepares to host its own fall tournament, the Skip Wagnon Invitational and it is set for Oct. 6–7 at KickingBird Golf Club in Edmond. The 54-hole event will give the Bronchos a chance to defend their home as they enter the heart of the fall season.