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Karina Rodriguez | THE RIDER
The UTRGV Men’s Golf Team has had a successful season so far and is preparing to compete in more tournaments within the coming months.
On March 23, the Vaqueros finished in second place at The Big Texan Invitational at the Comanche Trace Golf Course in Kerrville with a three-round total of 865. The Vaqueros placed first at the Colin Montgomerie Invitational on March 8 and 9 in the Houston suburb of Spring.
UTRGV Men’s Golf Coach Philip Tate said that he is preparing the players for upcoming tournaments.
“Well, I’m just going to keep the guys competing,” Tate said. “[I am going to] let them also look at their own games and figure out the things that they need to work on, and we’ll take a look at the golf course as well. [We also need to] mentally prepare ourselves for the tournaments.”
He is excited for their next tournament, the El Macero Classic in Davis, California, that is happening Saturday through April 12.
“I’m really looking forward to going to California,” Tate said. “I think it’s going to be beautiful this time of year and the travel should be great. It looks like a great golf course to fill. … I’m looking forward to getting out there and letting the guys compete. I think that they love competing, and I love competing. And so, getting out there and playing in a golf tournament against a bunch of California schools … is exciting for us.”
Graduate student and team member Luca Portelli said playing as a team at The Big Texan Invitational was a good experience.
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“It was a lot of fun to play with the guys,” Portelli said. “We played in a group together and encouraged each other on every call [and] on every shot. I believe that was my favorite aspect of the tournament. Also, having other guys there … was great for us, and we gave it our all.”
Team member and graduate student Alex Summers said he hopes to work on his technical performance before the next tournaments.
“For me, personally, it’s a lot of technical stuff [and] a lot of long-game stuff,” Summers said. “[I want to] begin to start figuring out what the weak areas in my game are. It’s just mostly my swing. If I can get it straight, then I know I can get good scores and help the team.”
Graduate student and team member Euan Gill said the players’ mentality is what helps them perform well.
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“We feel a bit better than we did,” Gill said. “That’s the mentality, which is kind of, [just to] work quietly and then perform.”
After El Macero Classic, the Vaqueros will compete April 30 to May 2 in the Western Athletic Conference Championships in Boulder City, Nevada.
The NCAA Regional Championships take place May 17-19. The NCAA Championships are scheduled May 28-June 2.
