The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
NCAA Championship
No. 6 Men’s Golf preview: NCAA Championship
05.26.2022 | Men's Golf
The Longhorns compete for a national title at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale beginning on Friday.
When: Friday, May 27 – Wednesday, June 1
Format: Four rounds of stroke play, 18 holes each day (Friday thru Monday); Low 15 teams advance to Monday's final round of stroke play; Low 8 teams advance to Match Play; Match Play Quarterfinals and Semifinals (Tuesday); Match Play Championship (Wednesday)
Where: Grayhawk Golf Club (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
Course Info: Par-70; 7,289 yards
Host Web Site: https://live-ncaa-golf-d9.ws.asu.edu/
Television: Golf Channel (Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday)
Live Stats: https://results.golfstat.com/public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=team&tid=24981
Tournament Notes
Texas at the NCAA Championship: Texas is the No. 7 seed in the 2022 NCAA Championships. The Longhorns are making their 15th consecutive and 70th all-time NCAA Championship appearance. UT has claimed three NCAA team titles in program history (1971, 1972 and 2012).
15 Straight: UT's streak of 15 consecutive NCAA Championship appearances is the longest current streak in NCAA Division I men's golf. Here's a look at the longest active NCAA Championship appearances entering the 2022 NCAAs.
|
Number of Consecutive NCAA Champ Appearances |
School |
|
15 |
TEXAS |
|
11 |
Oklahoma |
|
9 |
Oklahoma State |
|
8 |
Vanderbilt |
|
7 |
Arizona State |
Advancing to Match Play: Not only has Texas been a consistent force in advancing to the NCAA Championships, the Longhorns have produced solid results while at the national championship. In the last nine opportunities (dating back to the 2012 NCAA Championships), UT has advanced to the Match Play quarterfinals stage (final eight teams) a total of SIX times. Texas and Illinois are the only schools to advance to Match Play at least SIX times in the last nine opportunities (2020 tourney was canceled due to COVID-19).
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NCAA Match Play Appearances in Last 9 Tournaments (2012-21) |
School |
|
6 (2012-13-15-16-18-19) |
TEXAS |
|
6 (2013-14-15-16-17-21) |
Illinois |
|
5 (2016-17-18-19-21) |
Oklahoma |
|
5 (2014-17-18-19-21) |
Oklahoma State |
|
5 (2015-16-17-19-21) |
Vanderbilt |
|
4 (2012-13-14-18) |
Alabama |
The 'Fields' Factor: Completing his 25th season as head coach at Texas, John Fields has now guided the Longhorns to 20 NCAA Championship appearances in his 24 opportunities (no NCAA tourney in 2020 due to COVID-19). Under Fields' leadership, UT has posted nine top-five finishes at the NCAA Championship, including the 2012 NCAA title in 2012 and runner-up showings in 2016 and 2019. Prior to his time at Texas, Fields led the University of New Mexico to nine NCAA Championship appearances in 10 seasons (1988-97).
Team Rankings: Texas is No. 6 in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin national rankings (May 19), No. 6 in the GCAA Coaches' poll (May 13) and No. 7 in GolfStat (May 21).
The Texas Lineup: UT will be represented by the following five players at the NCAA Championship:
- Travis Vick (Jr., 70.64 avg)
- Pierceson Coody (Sr., 70.90 avg)
- Mason Nome (Jr., 71.88 avg)
- Parker Coody (Sr., 71.96 avg)
- Cole Hammer (Sr., 71.00 avg)
**Sub/Alternate: Alejandro Gonzalez (Fr., 74.33 avg)
Trending in the Right Direction: After dealing with injuries during the late fall and early part of the spring schedule, Texas has been a much-improved team since the calendar turned to March. With the return of Parker Coody to the lineup, the Longhorns earned a third-place team finish at the Southern Highlands Collegiate (Feb. 27-March 1) in Las Vegas and posted a runner-up result at the Arizona N.I.T. (March 18-19) in Tucson. UT then added Pierceson Coody back to the rotation and claimed a 26-stroke win at the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational (April 2-3) and recorded a one-stroke victory at the Western Intercollegiate (April 11-13). In its first two postseason events, the Longhorns finished in third place at the Big 12 Championship (April 25-27), just three strokes behind No. 1 Oklahoma and one stroke behind No. 2 Oklahoma State and followed with a fourth-place showing at the NCAA Norman Regional (May 16-18).
Going Low: In its last six tournaments, the Longhorns have posted a combined team score of 109-under-par. Included in this stretch are efforts of 29-under at the Southern Highlands Collegiate (Feb. 27-March 1), 32-under at the Arizona N.I.T. (March 18-19), 50-under at the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational (April 2-3), 11-under at the Big 12 Championship (April 25-27) and 12-under at the NCAA Norman Regional (May 16-18).
Last Time Out: The Longhorns earned a fourth-place showing at the NCAA Norman Regional (May 16-18), carding a 54-hole score of 12-under-par 852 (282-286-284). Texas finished 14 strokes safely above the team cut line, as South Carolina placed sixth at 2-over-par 866. Travis Vick had a breakout performance with a career-best second-place individual finish at 10-under-par 206 (67-67-72). He finished one stroke behind individual medalist Jackson Suber of Ole Miss at 11-under-par 205.
Back-to-Back Team Titles in the Spring: Texas captured back-to-back team titles at the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational (April 2-3) and the Western Intercollegiate (April 11-13). This marked the first time the Longhorns have won team championships at consecutive tournaments since April 2017, when UT claimed the top spot at the Longhorn Shootout (April 15) and the Big 12 Championship (April 24-26).
Western Intercollegiate Champs: Texas recorded a 54-hole total of 25-over-par 1075 (371-357-347) to finish one stroke ahead of runner-up and No. 5 Pepperdine (defending national champions) at the Western Intercollegiate (April 11-13) at Pasatiempo Golf Club (Santa Cruz, Calif.). The event used a six-player lineup for each team, with the best five scores counting for the team score. Texas had four players earn top-10 finishes in the individual standings. Pierceson Coody tied for second at 2-over-par 212 (70-73-69), just three strokes behind medalist Dylan Menante of Pepperdine at 1-under-par 209 (70-72-67). Travis Vick (73-73-68), Mason Nome (78-66-70) and Cole Hammer (73-70-71) all tied for seventh place at 4-over-par 214. Freshman Alejandro Gonzalez provided a huge boost to the Longhorns with a final-round score of 1-under-par 69.
One for the Record Books in Augusta: With its full starting lineup on the course for the first time since mid-October, the Longhorns won the team title by 26 strokes at the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational presented by Valspar at Forest Hills Golf Club on April 2-3. This marked UT's second team victory of the 2021-22 season, as the Longhorns also captured the Big 12 Match Play Championship earlier this fall (Oct. 11-13). It marked Texas' first stroke-play team title since the Longhorns won the NCAA Noblesville Regional last season (May 17-19). The Longhorns registered a three-round score of 50-under-par 814 (272-266-276) and set a school record for low 54-hole total vs. par, besting the 45-under-par 819 recorded at the 2016 NCAA Nashville Regional. UT's low 54-hole total score record is 813 (39-under) at the 2018 NCAA Raleigh Regional, played on a par-70 course. Texas posted a 26-stroke margin of victory over runner-up and No. 2 Oklahoma State (24-under 840). Pierceson Coody earned medalist honors at 17-under-par 199 (67-66-66), marking his second career collegiate victory and first since the George Hannon Collegiate in Austin on March 16, 2021. All five Texas players finished among the top 13 on the individual leaderboard. Travis Vick placed fifth at 10-under-par 206 (68-67-71), while 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 Cole Hammer placed 13th at 5-under-par 211 (72-70-69).
Big 12 Match Play Champs: The Longhorns earned a 3-2-1 victory against Texas Tech on Oct. 13 in the title match of the 2021 Big 12 Match Play Championship at the Clubs at Houston Oaks (Hockley, Texas). This marked UT's first Big 12 Match Play title since the event began in 2018. Texas posted wins in Pool B play against TCU (4-2-0), Baylor (5-1-0) and Iowa State (3-0-3) along with a 3-3-0 tie against Oklahoma State. The tie with the Cowboys gave the Longhorns a total of 10 points to secure the top spot in Pool B and advance to the championship match against Texas Tech. Pierceson Coody and Mason Nome each registered perfect 5-0-0 individual match play records at the Big 12 Match Play Championship.
Big 12 Tournament in Review: In a back-and-forth battle all day during the final round featuring three of the top teams in the nation, No. 1 Oklahoma won the Big 12 Championship with a 54-hole total of 14-under-par 850, just two strokes in front of No. 2 and runner-up Oklahoma State (852) and three strokes in front of the Longhorns (853). Texas held a one-stroke lead over Oklahoma and a three-stroke advantage over Oklahoma State after the first 36 holes. Trailing the Sooners by seven strokes at the turn in the final round, Texas posted a combined score of 11-under by its five players on holes 10-14 to briefly take the lead. But Oklahoma and Oklahoma State both carded final-round team scores of 6-under 282 to nip the Longhorns at the finish line. Cole Hammer paced a quartet of UT players that finished among the top 11 in the individual standings. Hammer tied for third at 5-under-par 211 (70-70-71), and Mason Nome equaled his season-best finish with a tie for sixth at 3-under-par 213 (72-70-71). Parker Coody tied for ninth at 2-under-par 214 (70-73-71), and Pierceson Coody tied for 11th at 1-under-par 215 (69-73-73). Hammer, Nome and Parker Coody all earned Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team honors by placing among the top 10 individuals.
In the Classroom: A total of eight UT student-athletes earned spots on the 2022 Academic All-Big 12 Men's Golf Team. Parker Coody, Cole Hammer, Mason Nome, Robert Patton and Will Thomson were named to the First Team, while Pierceson Coody, Randall Fojtasek and Travis Vick were selected to the Second Team. Hammer earned his third career selection to the academic all-league team, as he also claimed first-team accolades in 2020 and 2021. Parker Coody, Nome, Patton, Thomson and Pierceson Coody each garnered their second selections to the squad, while Fojtasek and Vick earned their first selection to the team. First-team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, while second-team selections hold a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.
PGA TOUR University presented by Velocity Global: The Velocity Global Ranking is designed to identify the best college golfers based on winning, competitiveness and season-long performance. It includes the final two years of competition in NCAA Division I men's golf tournaments and official PGA TOUR tournaments. The ranking is updated weekly on Wednesdays and will be finalized on May 30, 2022, following the conclusion of stroke play at the NCAA Championship. The top five finishers will earn membership on Korn Ferry Tour, while players finishing sixth-15th will earn membership on a PGA TOUR international tour. In the most recent ranking (May 20), Pierceson Coody is No. 1, Cole Hammer is No. 5 and Parker Coody is No. 26.
Inside the Texas Lineup
Travis Vick: No. 32 in current World Amateur Golf Rankings (May 18) … No. 14 in current GolfStat collegiate rankings (May 21) … one of 12 men's players selected to the American squad at the 2022 Arnold Palmer Cup, scheduled for July 1-3 in Vandoeuvres, Switzerland … 2022 Academic All-Big 12 Second Team selection … has registered three top-five, six top-10 and nine top-20 individual finishes in 11 stroke-play events this season … career-best second-place finish at the NCAA Norman Regional (May 16-18) at 10-under-par 206 (67-67-72) … tied for fourth place at the Southwestern Invitational (Jan. 24-26) at 5-under-par 211 (70-67-74) … his 5-under 67 in the second round of the Southwestern Invitational (Jan. 25) included a pair of eagles … placed fifth at the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational (April 2-3) at 10-under-par 206 (68-67-71) … tied for seventh at the Western Intercollegiate (April 11-13) at 4-over-par 214 (73-73-68) … tied for seventh at the Maridoe Collegiate Invitational (Sept. 13-15) at even-par 216 (71-74-71) … tied for seventh at the Southern Highlands Collegiate (Feb. 27-March 1) at 9-under-par 207 (69-69-69) … tied for 11th at the Arizona N.I.T. (March 18-19) at 8-under-par 208 (70-69-69) … tied for 13th at the Colonial Collegiate Invitational (Oct. 4-5) at 2-over-par 212 (68-75-69) … advanced to the semifinals at the 2021 U.S. Amateur … 2021 honorable mention All-American (Golfweek, GCAA) … 2021 All-Big 12 Team selection … six top-15 individual finishes in the 2020-21 season, including a fourth-place finish at the East Lake Cup and a seventh-place effort at the NCAA Noblesville Regional.
Pierceson Coody: No. 3 in current World Amateur Golf Rankings … No. 11 in current GolfStat collegiate rankings … three-time All-American … one of 10 semifinalists for the 2022 Ben Hogan Award … one of 16 collegiate golfers named to the Spring Watch List for the 2022 Fred Haskins Award … 2022 Academic All-Big 12 Second Team selection … has two top-2 and six top-20 individual finishes in seven stroke-play events this season … in his first competitive action since mid-October (suffered injury in late fall), he earned individual medalist honors with a six-stroke victory at the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational (April 2-3) at 17-under-par 199 (67-66-66) … marked his second career collegiate win and first since the George Hannon Collegiate on March 16, 2021 … named Big 12 Conference Men's Golfer of the Month for March based on his performance at the Haskins Award Invitational … his 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 … tied for second at the Western Intercollegiate (April 11-13) at 2-over-par 212 (70-73-69) … tied for 11th at the Big 12 Championship (April 25-27) at 1-under-par 215 (69-73-73) … tied for 11th at the Colonial Collegiate Invitational (Oct. 4-5) at 1-over-par 211 (70-71-70) … tied for 12th at the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational (Sept. 17-19) at 2-over-par 212 (70-71-71) … tied for 17th at the NCAA Norman Regional (May 16-18) at 1-under-par 215 (73-72-70) … advanced to the semifinals of the 2021 Western Amateur … competed in the 2021 U.S. Open Championship … finalist for the 2021 Ben Hogan Award, Fred Haskins Award and Jack Nicklaus Award … 2021 first-team All-American (Golfweek, GCAA) … 2021 Big 12 Conference Player of the Year … eight top-10 individual finishes during the 2020-21 season … medalist at the 2021 George Hannon Collegiate … 2021 All-Nicklaus Team … 2020 Western Amateur champion … competed for Team USA at the 2021 Walker Cup and the 2020 and 2021 Arnold Palmer Cup.
Mason Nome: No. 103 in current World Amateur Golf Rankings … No. 75 in current GolfStat collegiate rankings … 2022 Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection … has four top-10 and six top-20 individual finishes in 11 stroke-play events this season … posted a season-best tie for sixth place at the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational (April 2-3) at 9-under-par 207 (69-68-70) … equaled his season-best finish with a tie for sixth at the Big 12 Championship (April 25-27) at 3-under-par 213 (72-70-71) … named to the Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team … tied for seventh at the Western Intercollegiate (April 11-13) at 4-over-par 214 (78-66-70) … tied for 10th at the Southern Highlands Collegiate (Feb. 27-March 1) at 8-under-par 208 (68-69-71) … tied for 11th at the Maridoe Collegiate Invitational (Sept. 13-15) at 1-over-par 217 (76-71-70) … tied for 20th at the NCAA Norman Regional (May 16-18) at even-par 216 (72-72-72) … posted a perfect 5-0-0 individual record at the 2021 Big 12 Match Play Championship (Oct. 11-13) … recorded a hole-in-hole during the final round of the Arizona N.I.T. (March 19) on hole 12 … qualified for Match Play at the 2021 U.S. Amateur … three top-10 individual finishes in the 2020-21 season, including a tie for fifth at the Border Olympics and a tie for 10th at the Big 12 Championship … 2020-21 Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-American Scholar … 2021 Academic All-Big 12 first team.
Parker Coody: No. 97 in current World Amateur Golf Rankings … No. 85 in current GolfStat collegiate rankings … 2022 Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection … has three top-10 individual finishes in nine stroke-play events this season … sixth at the Maridoe Collegiate Invitational (Sept. 13-15) at 3-under-par 213 (72-68-73) … tied for ninth at the Big 12 Championship (April 25-27) at 2-under-par 214 (70-73-71) … named to the Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team … tied for ninth at the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational (April 2-3) at 7-under-par 209 (68-65-76) … … tied for 16th at the Arizona N.I.T. (March 18-19) at 6-under-par 210 (72-74-64) … his career-best 64 in the final round of the Arizona N.I.T. (March 19) tied for the second-lowest 18-hole score in program history, and his score of 8-under-par tied for the second-lowest 18-hole round vs. par in program history … recorded a pair of holes-in-one in the same round during a U.S. Open local qualifier (May 9) at Forest Creek Golf Club in Round Rock, Texas (carded a 3-under 69 in his round to advance to the Sectional qualifier) … advanced to the Round of 32 at the 2021 U.S. Amateur … five top-15 individual finishes in the 2020-21 season, including a tie for fifth at the NCAA Noblesville Regional … 2021 Academic All-Big 12 first team.
Cole Hammer: No. 10 in current World Amateur Golf Rankings … No. 21 in current GolfStat collegiate rankings … two-time All-American … one of five finalists for the 2022 Byron Nelson Award presented by Srixon/Cleveland Golf, given annually to the outstanding Division I, II, III or NAIA scholar-athlete of the year … one of 10 semifinalists for the 2022 Ben Hogan Award … 2022 CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) Academic All-District 7 first-team selection (Men's At-Large sports division) … 2022 Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection … has five top-10 and eight top-15 individual finishes in 11 stroke-play events this season … posted a season-best tie for second at the Southern Highlands Collegiate (Feb. 27-March 1) at 11-under-par 205 (71-67-67) … tied for third at the Big 12 Championship (April 25-27) at 5-under-par 211 (70-70-71) … named to the Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team … tied for fifth at the Arizona N.I.T. (March 18-19) at 11-under-par 205 (68-67-70) … tied for seventh at the Western Intercollegiate (April 11-13) at 4-over-par 214 (73-70-71) … tied for seventh at the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational (Sept. 17-19) at even-par 210 (71-68-71) … tied for 11th at the Maridoe Collegiate Invitational (Sept. 13-15) at 1-over-par 217 (76-71-70) … placed 13th at the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational (April 2-3) at 5-under-par 211 (72-70-69) … tied for 15th at the Amer Ari Invitational (Feb. 3-5) at 9-under-par 207 (70-68-69) … his 4-under 68 in the opening round of the Southwestern Invitational (Jan. 24) included a hole-in-one … competed in the 2021 The Open Championship and 2021 U.S. Open Championship … 2021 honorable mention All-American (GCAA) … won medalist honors at the 2021 Big 12 Championship … 2021 All-Big 12 Team selection … five top-10 individual finishes in the 2020-21 season … competed for Team USA at the 2021 and 2019 Walker Cup … 2020-21 Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-American Scholar … 2021 Academic All-Big 12 first team … 2019 consensus first-team All-American … 2018 Western Amateur champion.
Players Mentioned
