Kats confident entering league championship
4/17/2016 5:09:00 PM | Men's Golf
With nine regular-season tournaments behind them in preparation for Monday, the Sam Houston State men's golf team looks to defend its two-consecutive Southland Conference Championships at Stonebridge Country Club in McKinney.
Live results will be available by visiting Southland.org or GolfStat.com. Sam Houston enters as the No. 3 seed, trailing only McNeese State (1) and Southeastern Louisiana (2). Andrew Ertel comes in as the conference's No. 5 player followed closely by Mason Weld in seventh.
The Bearkats are arguably playing their hottest golf of the year, coming off a runner-up finish at the Wyoming Cowboy Classic, shooting the program's third-lowest 54-hole score at 13-under, 851, led by co-champion Jake McCrory's 11-under, 205.
“We're 26-under our last six tourney rounds,” fourth-year head coach Brandt Kieschnick said. “We had the lead and had a chance to win. I really believe our goal has been that this season. I think we're ready to do defend.”
The sophomore shot an opening-round 66, tied for the eighth-lowest single round, before following up with a 68 and 71. Weld (73-68-73) finished tied for 16th at 2-under, 214, and Ertel (71-74-72) took a 28th-place tie at 1-over, 217. Camden DeBonis (72-75-77) and Jesse Massengale (71-68-85) finished in a six-way tie for 66th at 8-over, 224.
“Andrew is really consistent,” Kieschnick said. “He is always there for us. Mason has had a couple top 10s and has really come along. He is under-par his last two tournaments. Camden and Jesse have shot under par and that's what you need. We will, in my opinion, be right there.”
With three new freshmen in the lineup, the Bearkats had the experience of playing with the lead, something Kieschnick believes is pivotal entering the league championships.
“This group has done better every week,” Kieschnick said. “They needed to feel what it was like to have a lead. I am glad we checked that off. We didn't bring it home but your goal every time is to be in contention. You want to be there each round and learned from that last week.”
Sam Houston has won four Southland Championships, tied for second in conference history with Southeastern Louisiana and UT-Arlington. Eight Bearkats have won the individual title, also second in conference lore.
A season ago at the event, the Kats shot a three-round total of 881 (288-300-293). After concluding the second round Wednesday morning, the Bearkats trailed McNeese by two strokes heading into the final 18 holes; however, Sam Houston outshot McNeese by four to claim the league's automatic berth into one of six NCAA regionals.
“Our game plan has been to keep us in it,” Kieschnick said. “We were really talented. We took a first-round lead. Obviously, we knew we would have a chance in the last round. Everyone did their part and stuck to the game plan. That is the same with this year … we have the same focus and targets. They are playing just as well.”
On the final day, then-Sam Houston senior J.T. Taylor carded a 1-under par 71 to give him a three-round total of 2-under par (70-72-71–213) to help him lay claim to the individual medalist honors. Taylor was the only player to shoot par or better in all three rounds.
Current players, McCrory and Ertel each logged 12th-place finishers with McCrory at 10-over, 226. This year, they will hope to bring that experience, and play in the NCAA Regionals.
“Experience always helps you because it makes you wiser,” Kieschnick said. “There are certain things you do well that leads to wins. You don't try to win by luck but by design. It's hard to win one and it's hard to win back to back. We feel very confident that we are doing the right things that lead to winning.”
