UTRGV Men's Golf Set to Compete at WAC Championship on Friday

GoUTRGV.com
PAYSON, Ariz. - The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men’s golf team is set to compete at the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Championship starting on Friday at The Golf Club at Chaparral Pines for a chance to advance to the NCAA Regionals.
The winner of the WAC Championship will represent the conference at the NCAA Regionals in May.
The 54-hole event will feature 18 holes each day through Sunday. Play will begin each day with the first groups teeing off at 11 a.m.
Golf Club at Chaparral Pines plays 6,947 yards and is a par 72.
The Competition
There will be an 11-team field that will feature UTRGV, Abilene Christian, Seattle U, Southern Utah, Utah Valley, California Baptist, Utah Tech, Grand Canyon, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, and UT Arlington.
Starting Five
- Javier Neira Garcia
- Esteban Gonzalez
- Taj Sutherland
- Juan Luis de Bethencourt Duque
- Emilio Gil Leyva
- Leonardo Novella (alternate)
Last Time Out
The Vaqueros closed out their regular season at the UNC Spring Invitational where they finished in fifth place with a two-round total of 587. UTRGV posted rounds of 293 and 294 before the final round was canceled due to unplayable conditions.
Esteban Gonzalez finished tied for 10th with a two-round total of 144 after posting back-to-back rounds of 72. Javier Neira Garcia finished tied for 13th with a two-round total of 145 after posting rounds of 70 and 75.
Taj Sutherland finished tied for 23rd with a two-round total of 150 with rounds of 79 and 71. Emilio Gil Leyva finished tied for 29th with a two-round total of 152 with rounds of 77 and 75. Juan Luis de Bethencourt Duque finished in 34th with a two-round total of 155 with rounds of 75 and 80.
Last year at WAC Championship
The Vaqueros finished in ninth place in last year’s WAC Championship with a three-round score of 861. UTRGV opened with a first round 298 before posting a second round 281 and a final round 282.
Juan Luis de Bethencourt Duque finished tied for 11th with a three-round score of 210 after posting rounds of 76, 68, and 66. Javier Neira Garcia finished tied for 17th with a three-round score of 212 after posting rounds of 68, 73, and 71.
Leonardo Novella finished tied for 20th with a three-round score of 213 after posting rounds of 75, 68, and 70. Taj Sutherland finished tied for 55th with a three-round score of 227 after posting rounds of 80, 72, 75. Henry Wang finished tied for 58th with a three-round score of 229 with rounds of 79, 74, and 76.
Grand Canyon won the WAC Championship with a three-round score of 830 with rounds of 280, 273, and 277. New Mexico State’s Garrison Smith won the individual championship with a three-round score of 197.
How They Rank
The Vaqueros enter play ranked 167th in the Scoreboard powered by Clippd rankings with a 291.7 team scoring average, which ranks fourth best in the WAC.
Grand Canyon has the best ranking in the WAC coming in at 68th with a 284.6 scoring average. Utah Valley has the second-best ranking coming in at 159th with a scoring average of 290.8. California Baptist comes in just a head of UTRGV ranking in 161st with a 290.9 scoring average.