BOULDER CITY, Nev. – Tarleton's revival season will culminate over a three-day stretch at the WAC Championship starting Friday.
The Texans will play in their first NCAA Division I conference tournament Friday through Sunday, the WAC Men's Golf Championship held in Boulder City, Nevada, at Boulder Creek Golf Club.
"We're excited to get going in our first WAC Championship tomorrow," head coach Chance Cain said. "I feel like we got a good work in since Iowa that will put us in a good spot for this week. On this course, tee shots will be the main key and just attacking it from there. Even with the wind projected to be up two of the three rounds, the course has a lot of birdie opportunities and has shown that with the last conference championships held here."
Tarleton will compete against the other 12 programs in the WAC in the three-day, 54-hole event.
The Texans will start with the same group they've played most of the spring;
Jack Anderson,
Max Bengtsson,
Cristobal Sepulveda,
Masen Ward and
Alvaro Huidobro.
Anderson has outright shined the entire semester, posting top-30 performances in all six tournaments, four top-20 marks and twice placing in the top-five. Across 18 total rounds, he's averaged a 71.3 round score, five times shooting in the 60's.
"We got a chance to leave a legacy for the teams that are going to be playing here after Masen and I are gone, so being able to be the first team to represent Tarleton at the WAC Championship is pretty special," Anderson said. "Getting a chance to continue in my fifth year and play – I feel like Coach took a chance on me, Coach took a chance on all of us, and it's really special to be here, especially representing Tarleton."
Bengtsson was step-for-step with Anderson through the first two rounds of Tarleton's last tournament, Iowa's Hawkeye Invitational. He was -5 (71-68) through the first 36 holes, finishing +1 for tied-23rd.
Just a month ago, the Texan freshman Sepulveda turned in his best career outing, shooting -1 (70-70-75) at The Big Texan Invitational for tied-seventh. He's shot in the 70's in all 29 rounds of his freshman campaign, carding a career-best round of 70 four different times.
Ward is one of four Texans who has played in all 29 rounds Tarleton has competed in this year. The Texan senior had his best effort in the second tournament of the year at the Oregon State Invitational where he shot even-par (72-71-70) for tied-sixth.
"I think we're getting a lot more comfortable with tournament play, especially for the freshmen, it's a little bit tough coming straight from high school being able to play in college events, but I think comfortability is a little bit better as the season goes on," Ward said. "I've made a lot of good friends, met a lot of good people, and I'm truly grateful for the opportunity to be here.
"I think we're all funneling in pretty well, I think we're confident in our games, so I think we have a really good chance to hoist that trophy and bring this school a nice win," Ward added.
Huidobro just played his best event of his freshman year, finishing +3 (73-74-72) for tied-31st in Iowa. That final round of 72 was his tied-best 18 holes of the year.
Bladen Samaniego will also be in Nevada for the Texans, set to be a sub if the team should need one. He's played in five tournaments this year, shooting a tied-season-low round of 72 in his last event, The Big Texan Invitational on March 27.
Boulder Creek Golf Club will play as a Par 72, 7,482-yard course. Tarleton will be grouped with Southern Utah and Utah Tech in Round 1, with their No. 5 player teeing off at noon CT (10 a.m. local) to start things for the purple and white.
Sam Houston and New Mexico State will begin the tournament at 9 a.m. CT (7 a.m. local). Utah Valley and Seattle U will tee off at 9:40 a.m. CT (7:40 a.m. local), then Grand Canyon, UT Arlington and Abilene Christian tee off at 10:20 a.m. CT (8:20 a.m. local), followed by California Baptist, Stephen F. Austin and UTRGV at 11:10 a.m. CT (9:10 a.m. local).
Live scoring for the WAC Men's Golf Championship can be found
here.
