Texas runs away from the field at the Haskins Award Invitational
Pierceson Coody claimed his second individual collegiate victory
Texas Athletics photo
The Texas Longhorns showed how dangerous they can be when fully healthy and firing on all cylinders like they were for three days at the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational at Forest Hills Country Club.
With twins
Pierceson and
Parker Coody now back in the lineup after missing substantial time this spring while recovering from broken arms suffered while competing in a post-workout relay race at UT’s indoor Athletic Performance Center, the Longhorns are finally at full strength, which could be bad news for a lot of teams as championship season rapidly approaches.
Texas, ranked 14th in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin poll, flexed its muscle in posting a 26-stroke victory at the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational, finishing at 50-under-par 814 (272-266-276). The Longhorns total set a school record for low 54-hole total vs. par, besting the 45-under-par 819 recorded at the 2016 NCAA Nashville Regional.
Third-ranked Oklahoma State finished a distant second at 24-under, followed by Illinois (-16) and Notre Dame (-15).
It marked Texas' second team victory of the 2021-22 season, as the Longhorns also captured the Big 12 Match Play Championship earlier in October. It marked Texas' first stroke-play team title since the Longhorns won the NCAA Noblesville Regional last season (May 17-19).
Pierceson, playing in his first event since the Big 12 Match Play Championship in the fall, claimed individual medalist honors with a three-round total of 17-under-par 199 (67-66-66), marking his second career collegiate victory and first since he won the George Hannon Collegiate in Austin on March 16, 2021.
Coody's 17-under-par performance marked a tie for the second-best 54-hole total vs. par in program history, just one stroke shy of Beau Hossler's 18-under at the Nike Golf Collegiate Invitational during the 2015-16 season. Coody's three-round total of 199 tied for the third-lowest 54-hole score in school history, trailing only the 196 by Doug Ghim at the 2018 NCAA Raleigh Regional and the 197 by Hossler at the Nike Golf Collegiate Invitational.
All five Texas players finished among the top 13 on the individual leaderboard. Junior
Travis Vick placed fifth at 10-under-par 206 (68-67-71), while junior
Mason Nome tied for sixth at 9-under-par 207 (69-68-70). Parker Coody tied for ninth at 7-under-par 209 (68-65-76), and senior
Cole Hammer placed 13th at 5-under-par 211 (72-70-69).
The Longhorns return to action at the Western Intercollegiate which begins next Monday at Pasatiempo Golf Course in Santa Cruz, Calif.
Texas Athletic Communications contributed to this report
ABOUT THE
Augusta Invitational
Founded in 1979, The Augusta Haskins Award
Invitational presented by Valspar carries on the rich
tradition of golf in Augusta, Georgia. The winner
receives an automatic exemption into the PGA
TOUR’s
3M Open.
Some of the best golf teams in the country have
competed in the event's history,
featuring
several touring pros such as Davis Love III, Phil
Mickelson (1989), Brad Faxon, Justin Leonard
(1992),
Vaughn Taylor (1998), Oliver Wilson (2001, 2003),
Chris Kirk (2005), Scott Brown (2006), Dustin
Johnson (2007), Henrik Norlander (2010), Jordan
Spieth, Patrick Reed, and Beau Hossler (2016).
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