The Texas A&M men’s golf team claimed the OFCC Fighting Illini Invite this past weekend at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Illinois after a torrid final round.
Entering the last day of the tournament in third place, the Aggies put together a 9-under (271) round to claim their second consecutive tournament win.
“What a great final round,” Texas A&M head coach J.T. Higgins told 12thMan.com “The guys came out focused, determined and just played fantastic golf. Every one of the guys was in it until the end. We had four scores of par or better, so it was an amazing team effort but also what a great final round performance from Brandon and Chandler.”
The Aggies finished out the 36-hole tournament as the only team below par.
Josh Gliege, who replaced Cameron Champ after he was scratched due to back tightness, shot 4-under (206) to tie for fourth place.
Brandon Smith and Chandler Phillips combined for an 8-under par during the last round, which led them to finish ninth and 15th place respectively. This was Smith’s first top-ten showing of his career.
“Brandon shot five under today on a U.S. Open golf course and I don’t think he missed a shot,” Higgins said. “As hard as it is to say, it could have been even lower. He had great birdie looks all day and was really patient. Chandler showed up and gave us a great round, which is what we’ve come to expect from him.”
Higgins was also pleased with his team efforts.
“What an amazing job to start the season off with two wins in a row, especially this one against the quality of teams and players in this field on a championship golf course,” Higgins said.
The Aggies next outing will come in Oct. 1-3 as they travel the Erin Hills, Wisconsin, the site of the 2017 U.S. Open as they take part in the Erin Hills Intercollegiate.