LAFAYETTE, La. – The Texas A&M’s men’s golf team carded a one-under final round Tuesday to finish as runner-up at the 32nd Annual Louisiana Classics from Oakbourne Country Club.
Heading into the tournament’s final 18 holes, the Aggies held third place behind LSU and Kent State. On Tuesday, A&M erased an eight-stroke deficit to overtake the Tigers for second place giving the 13th-ranked Aggies back-to-back second-place finishes. The squad has posted top-three finishes in every tournament on the season and the second-place finish matched their best standing ever at the Louisiana Classic, bringing home runner-up honors for the sixth time.
“Another strong finish for the guys,” Texas A&M head coach J.T. Higgins said. “We played in the final group again today and even though Kent State ran away with it, we felt like we had a great chance to compete for the title. We beat a couple of really strong teams. I’m really liking the way the guys are progressing and I’m pleased with the effort.”
Chandler Phillips (70+70+71=211, -5) and Cameron Champ (71+72+69=212, -4) paced the A&M contingent, both registering top-six finishes. Phillips tallied a one-under on Tuesday to claim a share of fourth. The sophomore has posted par or better in 14 of last 15 rounds and is on pace to set the school single-season scoring record (69.95). Champ fired his best round since September to vault the junior into a tie for sixth. The pair trailed Sam Burns of LSU, who captured a one-stroke victory over the rest of the 87-man field.
“I think we have a really good one-two punch,” Higgins added. “It’s great to have Cameron (Champ) back in the lineup, he played fantastic with his three-under. Chandler (Phillips) had another strong finish, earning another top-five. He keeps proving why he’s one of the best players in the country.”
Freshman Dan Erickson (73+73+72=218, +2) shot even par to finish in a tie for 13th, the best finish of his young career. Kavan Eubank (73+82+75=230, +14) enjoyed a 15-spot leap on the table as the junior wrapped up play with a share of 51st. Competing as an individual, rookie Josh Gliege (77+75+75=227, +11) jumped into the top-half of competitors, clocking in at 38th.
“We will get the other guys to come around so we can get stronger three through five,” Higgins said. “If we can get that lineup settled by the end of the year, we’ll be a team to be reckoned with.”
Next on the slate, the Texas A&M men’s golf team travels to Bandon, Ore., March 12-14 to compete in the Bandon Dunes Championship.
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics