The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
NCAA Regional Championship
No. 13 Men’s Golf wins NCAA Austin Regional by 16 strokes
05.15.2024 | Men's Golf
Christiaan Maas fires a 5-under 66 to earn his first collegiate victory, four Longhorns place in top-seven individually.
AUSTIN, Texas — The No. 13 Texas Men's Golf team registered a 5-under-par 279 on Wednesday to win the NCAA Austin Regional title by 16 strokes at The University of Texas Golf Club. Sophomore Christiaan Maas recorded a 5-under 66 in the final round to claim his first collegiate career individual victory by one shot over senior teammate Nathan Petronzio, as four Longhorns placed in the top seven in the individual standings.
With their top-five team finish at the NCAA Austin Regional, the Longhorns advance to the NCAA Championship on May 24-29 at Omni La Costa in Carlsbad, Calif. Texas extended its nation's-longest current streak of consecutive Division I Men's NCAA Golf Championship appearances to 17, dating back to the 2008 season. Oklahoma ranks second on the active streak list at 13.
The NCAA Austin Regional featured 13 teams and 10 individual players. The top five teams and the low individual not on those five qualifying teams advance to the NCAA Championship. The Longhorns recorded a 54-hole total of 27-under-par 825 (273-273-279) and recorded the low team round on each of the three days of competition. Regional top-seed and No. 5 Tennessee placed second at 11-under-par 841 (276-280-285) and was followed by Notre Dame in third at 6-under-par 846 (275-283-288) and Utah in fourth at 2-under-par 850 (285-283-282).
Wake Forest (289-281-284) and BYU (279-283-292) tied for fifth place in the final team standings at 2-over-par 854. Wake Forest then recorded an aggregate one-shot victory in a one-hole team playoff to claim the final advancing spot to the NCAA Championship. Playing on holes 10-14 simultaneously, Wake Forest posted a combined score of 1-under, while BYU registered a team total of even-par in the playoff. UNCG's Kelvin Hernandez earned the individual spot at the NCAA Championship with a three-round score of 6-under-par 207 (67-72-68).
The Longhorns dominated the individual leaderboard at the regional. Maas, who began the final round in a tie for sixth and two strokes off the lead, claimed individual medalist honors with a 54-hole total of 9-under-par 204 (71-67-66). Petronzio posted a season-best runner-up finish, placing just one stroke behind Maas at 8-under-par 205 (67-69-69). Graduate Brian Stark recorded a season-best tie for third at 6-under-par 207 (68-68-71), and sophomore Tommy Morrison placed seventh at 4-under-par 209 (67-69-73).
Texas recorded its second-straight win and third team victory of the season. The Longhorns previously claimed team titles at the Big 12 Match Play on Oct. 9-11 and the Big 12 Championship on April 22-24. The Longhorns will enter the NCAA Championship trending in the right direction, winning the Big 12 Championship by 18 strokes and the NCAA Austin Regional by 16 shots.
The Lineup
- Sophomore Christiaan Maas earned his first collegiate individual title with a 54-hole score of 9-under-par 204 (71-67-66). His previous career-best finish was a runner-up effort at last year's Southern Highlands Collegiate (Feb. 26-28, 2023), and his previous season-best performance was a third-place finish at the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational (Sept. 15-17). He has now recorded four top-10 and six top-20 individual finishes this year. Maas began Wednesday's final round in a tie for sixth place and two strokes off the lead, and he posted a 5-under 66 to capture the crown. He was 1-over through the first five holes before catching fire and making birdies on six of the next nine holes (holes 6, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 14), then closing with four-straight pars to finish at 5-under on the day.
- Senior Nathan Petronzio carded a 2-under 69 on Wednesday to place second with a three-round total of 8-under-par 205 (67-69-69). This marked a season-best finish for Petronzio, who previously tied for eighth at the Big 12 Championship (April 22-24). He has now recorded four top-10 and seven top-25 individual finishes this year. Petronzio previously won three individual titles during his three seasons at SMU (Wake Forest Invitational and Trinity Forest Invitational in his junior year and the American Athletic Conference title as a sophomore). In Wednesday's final round, he was 1-over through 10 holes before posting birdies on holes 13, 14 and 17 to finish at 2-under.
- Graduate Brian Stark posted an even-par 71 in the final round to tie for third with a 54-hole score of 6-under-par 207 (68-68-71). This marked a season-best finish for Stark, who previously tied for sixth at the Big 12 Championship (April 22-24). He has now recorded five top-15 individual finishes this year.
- Sophomore Tommy Morrison registered a 2-over 73 on Wednesday to place seventh in the individual standings with a three-round total of 4-under-par 209 (67-69-73). He has now recorded six top-12 individual finishes this year. Morrison tallied three birdies (holes 2, 7 and 12) in the final round.
- Sophomore Keaton Vo fired a 2-over 73 in the final round and tied for 30th with a 54-hole score of 3-over-par 216 (73-70-73). Vo posted three birdies (holes 1, 10 and 15) on Wednesday.
Players Mentioned
