After two weeks of stellar play on opposite sides of the country, the Texas A&M men’s golf team is making national noise and grabbing some impressive honors.
Thursday, Golfweek and Golf World magazines named A&M the national team of the week for the period of March 17-23.
“It’s really nice to get recognized for the hard work the guys have been putting in,” Head Coach J.T. Higgins said. “They have really been working hard and playing well all spring, and it’s finally showing through.”
Along with the team awards, the magazines named A&M freshman Nacho Elvira the national player of the week for his performances during the past two tournaments. At the U.S. Collegiate Championship in Georgia, Elvira shot a final round 69 to tie for sixth place individually. The previous weekend, Elvira won the individual title at the Barona Collegiate Cup Championship with a three round total of 12-under par.
“Nacho has been playing really well all year,” Higgins said. “He is really coming into his own as a golfer.”
At the Barona Collegiate Cup Championship in Lakeside, Calif., the Aggies torched the competition, shooting a school-record 271 during their final round on March 18 to win the tournament by 16 shots. The Aggie’s 54-hole total of 831, which was 37-under par, was a record for the Aggies. The Aggies didn’t have to count an over-par score during the entire tournament. Senior Matt Van Zandt was the only Aggie to shoot a round over par, but he followed his first-round 78 with two straight rounds under par.
Sophomore Andrea Pavan tied for second behind Elvira. Junior Bronson Burgoon and senior Bobby Gates finished fourth and sixth, respectively.
“[Barona] was just a fantastic tournament,” Higgins said. “Our players executed well in all facets of the game. They were excellent both mentally and physically and I think we showed how talented we are. I could not be more proud of our guys, they did a fantastic job all tournament long.”
The next weekend the Aggies traveled to Alpharetta, Ga., competing in the U.S. Collegiate Championship. The Aggies started out slowly in the first round, shooting 304, putting them well behind the pack.
“The weather and the golf course made it a lot tougher,” Higgins said. “At times we were playing in rain and even a little snow flurry. Also, I thought our attitude was different. [At Barona] we had this swagger like we knew we were going to win. It wasn’t the same feeling out in Georgia.”
The Aggies came alive in the second and third rounds though, and their final-round 284 was one of the best of the day. Elvira shot a team-best 69 during the last round to help propel A&M to a sixth-place finish.
Van Zandt has been playing especially well as of late, and has earned a more permanent spot in the top five.
“Every time I challenge Matt or need him to do something, he always comes through,” Higgins said. “He is hard as nails and he battles for every shot all the time. He has played his way into our traveling team and I don’t see him leaving any time soon.”