Texas A&M
The Topy Cup
More Records Fall as Aggies Finish atop U.S. Collegiate Field at Topy Cup
Sep 11, 2010 | Men's Golf
Sept. 11, 2010
TANAGURA, Japan - The 8th-ranked Texas A&M men's golf team set a school record with a 29-under-par 835 and Jordan Russell tied the program mark for best three-round total as the Aggies topped the U.S. collegiate field Saturday in the 28th annual Topy Cup.
A&M posted the best score ever recorded by a U.S. squad in Topy Cup history, but were denied the overall team title at Tanagura Country Club. Tohoku Fukushi University downed A&M by 12 strokes, shattering the all-time tournament record with a 41-under-par 823.
Nihon University (848) finished third, followed by Arizona State (850), Chuogakuin University (859), Arizona (861), Fresno State (862), Nagoya University of Commerce (874), Nagasaki International (901) and Kwansei Gakuin University (941).
"We played really well today at 9-under, but Tohoku Fukushi played incredibly and deserved the win," head coach J.T. Higgins said. "They are the best program in Japan and showed why today."
A&M had three of the top four finishers of American collegiate players, led by a second-place finish Russell. The College Station native shot a 13-under-par 203, tying the school record. Yoshinori Fujimoto of Tohoku Fukushi used a final-round 64 to vault to 17-under and capture his third consecutive Topy Cup title.
"I know Jordan was disappointed not to win, but Fujimoto was truly amazing," Higgins said. "The course played much tougher today, so his 64 today was really impressive."
The Aggies will spend the next two days in Tokyo before returning to Texas. A&M will be back in action Sept. 20-21 at the Husky Invitational in Seattle.
"I couldn't be more pleased with the play of Jordan Russell, Nacho Elvira and Cameron Peck--they gave us tremendous effort all week," Higgins said. "Overall, it was a good way to start the season--29-under par, second place and heading home. I like this team a lot, and we know what we need to work on to get better."
