lonestar-web
Popular Searches
Men's Golf

Aggies Begin Title Quest at NCAA Arizona Regional

The Texas A&M men's golf team begins its quest for the program's second national championship when the Aggies compete in the NCAA Regional this weekend at Omni Tucson National Golf Resort. A&M's regio

May 18, 2011

NCAA Regional Notes Packet (PDF)

TUCSON, Ariz. - The Texas A&M men's golf team begins its quest for the program's second national championship when the Aggies compete in the NCAA Regional this weekend at Omni Tucson National Golf Resort. A&M's regional notes:

Teeing Off

  • Texas A&M looks to earn a spot in the NCAA Championship when the Aggies compete in the NCAA Arizona Regional ... action takes place Thursday through Saturday at Omni Tucson National Golf Resort (par 71/7,199 yards), with one round scheduled for each day.
  • The Aggies are the No. 1 seed for the tournament ... it marks the second consecutive No. 1 seed for A&M in the regional round and only the second in school history.
  • A&M has finished fifth or better in every tournament this season, posting victories at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegate and the Aggie Invitational ... the Aggies have finished second in five other tournaments.
  • The Aggies have posted a win-loss record of 123-16 (.885) this year and a 77-7 (.917) mark this spring ... A&M's season stroke average of 287.21 would be a school record if the season ended today (287.61 by the 2009-10 team).

    Texas A&M Lineup 

    Name Ht. Wt. Cl. Avg. Rd. Par/- T10s Lo 18/54
    Nacho Elvira 6-1 180 Sr. 72.1 28 15 5 66/207
    John Hurley 6-4 200 Sr. 73.4 24 10 2 67/206
    Cameron Peck 6-0 180 So. 72.8 33 13 2 63/208
    Jordan Russell 6-0 175 Jr. 71.4 36 20 7 63/203
    Conrad Shindler 5-8 205 Sr. 72.5 30 12 4 66/208

    Format

  • The tournament will be 54 holes of stroke play (18 each day).
  • The top five teams will advance to the NCAA Championship, scheduled for May 31-June 5 at Karsten Creek in Stillwater, Oklahoma ... the top individual not on the five advancing teams will also earn a trip to nationals.

    The Field (14 teams)

  • Texas A&M (1 seed); San Diego State (2); Texas Tech (3); California (4); Liberty (5); Washington (6); Pepperdine (7); Oregon State (8); Purdue (9); UC Davis (10); Arizona (11); Texas-Arlington (12); Loyola, Md. (13); and Army (14).
  • Individuals include Zac Blair, BYU; Chris Gilbert, Kansas; Jason Shufflebotham, UAB; Gustaf Kocken, Louisiana-Monroe; and Will Hogan, Missouri State.

    Pairings

  • Texas A&M will be paired with San Diego State and Big 12 rival Texas Tech for Thursday's first round ... groups will begin teeing off from Hole No. 1 at 8 a.m. MST.
  • Other groupings include: Cal, Liberty and Washington (8:20 a.m., 10th hole); Pepperdine, Oregon State and Purdue (8:50 a.m., 1st hole); UC-Davis, Arizona and UT Arlington (9:10 a.m., 10th hole); and Loyola, Army and individuals (9:40 a.m., 10th hole). Rankings
  • Golfweek/Sagarin (May 8): Texas A&M (6), San Diego State (13), Texas Tech (15), California (19).
  • Golfworld/Nike Golf Coaches' Poll (April 27): Texas A&M (6), San Diego State (8), Texas Tech (17), California (20), Liberty (RV), Washington (RV), Oregon State (RV).

    Aggies in NCAA Regional Play

  • Texas A&M is making its 21st appearance in the NCAA Regional round, which was instituted in 1989, and 38th NCAA appearance overall.
  • The Aggies are playing in their ninth straight NCAA Regional, a school record.
  • A&M has earned a berth in the NCAA Championship in three straight seasons and six of the last seven years overall.
  • The Aggies have one regional championship under their belt, coming in the 1996 Central Regional in Ann Arbor, Michigan ... A&M finished second last year by one stroke to Texas Tech, matching or setting six school records in the process.

    Omni Tucson National Golf Resort (par 71/7,199 yards)

  • The Catalina Course at Omni Tucson National Golf Resort has played host to over 30 PGA Tour events and is the annual host of the University of Arizona's National Invitational Tournament ... the course, selected as one of Golf Digest's "75 Best Golf Resorts in America", is hosting NCAA action for the second time (2006 Regional).
  • For the regional, the course will play at 7,199 yards with a rating of 75.4 and a slope rating of 136.

    Head Coach J.T. Higgins

  • J.T. Higgins (Eastern Oregon State '89) is in his 10th season at the helm of the Texas A&M golf program ... Higgins has led the Aggies to nine straight NCAA tournaments and guided the program to its first national championship two seasons ago (2009).
  • Texas A&M golfers have earned eight All-America honors under his watch ... two are currently playing on the PGA Tour, Bobby Gates and Martin Piller.

    Higgins Quotables

  • On the No. 1 seed... "I think (the No. 1 seed) is great. It doesn't mean much once you're there--we'll get a good pairing and preferred tee times--but I think it's just more a congratulations for a great season for the guys. They played hard, worked hard all year to put a great season together, and I think that's fantastic they're getting recognized for doing everything right."
  • On the field... "The field is really strong. Most of these teams are west coast teams and have played at Tucson National before. Obviously Arizona is hosting, and even though they're an 11-seed, they have to feel like they have a chance of getting in that top five on their home course. I think there are a lot of teams that have shown the ability to go low, and that's what you usually have to do in Tucson. I think it'll be a pretty competitive weekend."
  • On Tucson National... "We've played it before, here in 2007 and when I was at New Mexico we played it every year. I've been to the course many times, and (assistant coach) Jim Anderson has played the course as a player and been there as a coach. So we have some experience on it and we know it. It's a tour-quality course, a fun course, but you still have to hit some good shots and you have to make the putts. We'll be ready to go."

    AGGIE LINEUP: A CLOSER LOOK

    Nacho Elvira (Sr., Santander, Spain)

  • An All-Big 12 honoree ... has appeared in 9 tournaments, finishing top-20 or better in 8 ... stroke average of 72.1 is second-best on squad and would rank fourth all-time on school charts ... recorded 5 top-10 finishes and 2 top-five showings ... 15 of 28 rounds were par or better, with a low of 66 ... 26 of 28 rounds (93 percent) counted towards team total ... turned in six sub-70 rounds ... three straight seventh-place showings entering NCAA play, coming at the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate (211, -2) outside Charleston, S.C.; the Aggie Invitational (217, +1) at Traditions Club in Bryan; and the Big 12 Championship (289, +9) at Prairie Dunes in Hutchinson, Kan. ... top finish was a third-place showing among American collegians at the season-opening Topy Cup of Japan (220, +4) ... placed fifth at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate (+3, 219) in February in California ... finished 16th at the PING/Golfweek Preview (223, +7) in September in Stillwater ... opened spring with a 17th-place showing at the Burns Intercollegiate in O'ahu (213, -3) ... went 2-1-1 at the Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championship in March, defeating UCLA's Mario Clemens (2 and 1) and Georgia Tech's Kyle Scott (2 and 1) while halving a match against Pacific's Alex Edfort ... lone loss came to Illinois' Chris DeForest (1 up) on final hole ... missed team's final few fall tournaments while representing Spain at the 2010 World Amateur Team Championships, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina ... selected to the European team for the 2011 Palmer Cup, to be played this June in Connecticut ... earned a Texas A&M Athletics Scholar Award.

    John Hurley (Sr., O'Neill, Neb.)

  • A first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection ... has appeared in 8 tournaments, posting a career-best stroke average of 73.4 ... recorded 4 top-20 finishes, 2 top-10 and 2 top-five ... 10 of 24 rounds were par or better, with a season-low of 67 ... 12 of 21 rounds counted towards team total ... one of three to top the field at the Burns Intercollegiate on O'ahu to open the spring ... carded a 10-under 206, the second-best 54-hole total by an Aggie this year ... lost on the second playoff hole ... finished fourth at the Aggie Invitational (216, E) in April at Traditions Club ... opened the year with a 13th-place showing among American collegians at the Topy Cup of Japan (220, +4) ... finished 16th at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate (224, +8) in February in California ... turned in an impressive 3-1 record at the Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championship in March, with lone loss coming on final hole ... defeated Pacific's Dan Garcia (6 and 5), Illinois' Mason Jacobs (4 and 3) and UCLA's Alex Kim (3 and 2) ... earned a Texas A&M Athletics Scholar Award.

    Cameron Peck (So., Olympia, Wash.)

  • Has played in all 11 tournaments ... stroke average of 72.8 is fourth best on team ... has 5 top-20 and 2 top-10 finishes under his belt, including a season-best fourth-place showing at the Topy Cup of Japan (208, -8) ... 27 of 33 rounds (82 percent) have counted towards team total ... fired a school-record tying 63 (-9) in the final round of the Kikkor Golf Husky Invitational in September outside Seattle ... finished in a tie for sixth at the tourney (213, -3), which was played just a few miles from his hometown ... placed 11th (290, +10) at most recent outing, the Big 12 Championship, at Prairie Dunes in Hutchinson, Kan. ... tied for 12th at the Aggie Invitational (221, +5) at Traditions Club in April ... played 14th at the U.S. Collegiate Championship (216, E) in the fall outside Atlanta ... finished 21st at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate (225, +9) in February, 23rd at the Royal Oaks Intercollegiate (143, +1) in November, and 25th at the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters (224, +8) in Las Vegas in March ... was 1-2-1 at the Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championship in March ... defeated Pacific's Patrick Kucich (1 up) and halved UCLA's Connor Driscoll ... losses came on the final hole to Georgia Tech and the 17th hole to Illinois ... played in the prestigious U.S. Amateur Championships in August at Chambers Bay outside Seattle ... tied for 24th in stroke play with a 2-over 145 ... fell in first round of match play.

    Jordan Russell (Jr., College Station, Texas)

  • An All-Big 12 honoree and a first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection ... has played in 11 team tournaments and the prestigious Western Refining Collegiate All-American as an individual ... stroke average of 71.4 would rank best in school history if season ended today ... posted score of par or better in 20 of 36 rounds, ranking fourth all-time on school's single-season charts ... turned in 10 sub-70 rounds, including 3 of the 4 lowest this year ... 32 of 33 rounds (97 percent) counted towards team total ... finished in the top 20 in 9 of team's 11 tournaments ... finished in top 5 in 7 of 11 tourneys ... posted a sub-par final stroke total in 6 of A&M's 11 tournaments ... matched best finish ever by an Aggie at the Big 12 Championship with a third-place showing (286, +6) at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan. in April ... second-round 63 (-9) in season-opening Topy Cup of Japan set a school record ... was the top American finisher in the Topy Cup with a school-record tying 203 (-13) ... placed second at the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters (208, -8) in Las Vegas in March and at the Aggie Invitational (215, -1) at Traditions Club in April ... opening-round 64 at Southern Highlands was one shy of his school record, set earlier in the year ... finished third in back-to-back fall tourneys, at the U.S. Collegiate Championship (210, -6) outside Atlanta and the Royal Oaks Intercollegiate (135, -7) in Dallas ... placed fourth at the Burns Intercollegiate (208, -8) on O'ahu to open the spring season ... two of losses at the Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championships in March (0-4 record) came on the final hole ... fired a 2-over 215 at the Western Refining All-American to place 23rd against a field that included 32 of the country's best collegiate golfers ... placed second at the Texas Amateur Championships over the summer with a 9-under 275 ... earned a Texas A&M Athletics Scholar Award.

    Conrad Shindler (Sr., Coppell, Texas)

  • An All-Big 12 honoree and a second-team Academic All-Big 12 selection ... has played in 10 tournaments ... stroke average of 72.5 is career best and ranks third on team ... finished in top 20 in 7 of 10 tourneys ... also has 4 top-10 and 3 top-five finishes ... carded 12 par-or-better rounds ... 25 of 28 rounds (89 percent) counted towards team total ... turned in three straight finishes of fourth or better overlapping the winter break ... placed a career-high second at the Royal Oaks Intercollegiate (134, -8) in Dallas in November ... opened the spring with a fourth-place showing at the Burns Intercollegiate (208, -8) on O'ahu ... seventh-place finish (289, +9) at the Big 12 Championship at Prairie Dunes in April ... followed with a 1-over 217 and a third-place finish at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate in late February in California ... placed 11th at the Aggie Invitational (220, +4) at Traditions Club in April ... finished 15th among American collegians at the season-opening Topy Cup of Japan (221, +5) in September ... also placed 15th at the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters (221, +5) in Las Vegas ... fired an 8-over 224 at the PING/Golfweek Preview in Stillwater in September, good for 21st place ... 3-over 216 at the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate in late March was good for 24th place ... went a perfect 4-0 at the Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championship in March ... defeated Pacific's Alex Johnson (3 and 2), Illinois' Scott Langley (3 and 2), UCLA's Gregor Main (1 up) and Georgia Tech's J.T. Griffin (5 and 4) ... played in the prestigious U.S. Amateur Championships in August at Chambers Bay outside Seattle ... tied for 13th in stroke play with a 1-over 144 ... fell in first round of match play ... earned a Texas A&M Athletics Scholar Award.

    2010 Regional Recap

    BRYAN, Texas (May 22, 2010)--The No. 2-ranked Texas A&M men's golf team earned a trip to the NCAA Championships with a runner-up finish at the NCAA South Central Regional on Saturday at Traditions Club.

    The Aggies will try to defend their 2009 NCAA team crown at the 2010 NCAA Div. I Men's Golf Championships, which will be contested at The Honors Course in Chattanooga, Tenn., June 1-6. Also earning NCAA berths from the South Central Regional were team champion Texas Tech, TCU, North Florida and Baylor, as well as individual champion Russell Henley of Georgia.

    The Aggies held a one-stroke lead over Texas Tech entering Saturday's final, but the Red Raiders fired a three-under par 285 to edge A&M by a stroke. A&M shot a one-under 287 with all five players at par or better on Saturday.

    "You have to tip your hat to Texas Tech," head coach J.T. Higgins said. "They had someone go four-under (Chris Ward). That's just great playing. They're a good team. They got us today, but we're still playing. There's only 30 teams in the country still playing golf, so we're in a good frame of mind."

    Junior Nacho Elvira paced the Aggies with a runner-up individual finish after contributing an even-par 72 on Saturday. Elvira, who was tied for the lead after day one and two, finished at 8-under with rounds of 66-70-72=208.

    "I was really proud of Nacho," Higgins said. "His wrist was bothering him all day, but he toughed it out. He hit some shots that were really painful. He shot even par, and was two-over with six holes to play but played two-under coming in. He gutted it out for us today."

    Senior Andrea Pavan posted an even-par 72 and tied for fifth at 5-under (70-69-72=211). Freshman Cameron Peck had the Aggies' low round of the day with a 1-under 71 and tied for 11th at 2-under (71-72-71=214). Sophomore Jordan Russell also carded a 72 and tied for 23rd at 3-over (70-77-72=219). Junior John Hurley posted a 72 and tied for 30th at 5-over (72-77-72=221)..

    2009 Regional Recap

    DALY CITY, Calif. (May 16, 2009)--Senior Bronson Burgoon set a Texas A&M record with an eight-under-par 64 on Saturday as the No. 12-ranked Aggies finished third at the NCAA Men's Golf West Regional at Lake Merced Golf Club.

    A&M advances to the NCAA Championship May 26-30 in Toledo, Ohio. The Aggies have made it to the national finals in six of the last seven years under Head Coach J.T. Higgins.

    Senior Matt Van Zandt added a career-best 67 as A&M posted a team score of 15-under (273), the third-best round in school history.

    "It was an awesome day," A&M Coach J.T. Higgins said. "Our two seniors didn't want this to be their last college tournament; they wanted a chance to play for a national championship. They played with a lot of heart and determination. We put the ball in the right position all day and after missing putts all week, we knew were due to start making some. We played really solid golf and took advantage of our opportunities."

    The five teams advancing from the West Regional were No. 14 Arizona State (828), Oregon (837), A&M (281-286-273=840), San Diego (849) and No. 2 USC (853).

    Burgoon placed second individually with an 11-under total of 69-72-64=205, finishing one stroke behind Arizona State's Jesper Kennegard (66-68-70=204). Van Zandt (73-71-67=211) tied for 12th, sophomore Andrea Pavan (72-71-72=215) tied for 27th and sophomore Nacho Elvira (75-73-70=218) tied for 43rd.

    Burgoon's spectacular round included two eagles and six birdies. His only miscues were three-putt bogeys on the fourth and 12th holes.

    Van Zandt got the Aggies off to a great start when he holed a lob wedge from 75 yards for eagle on the par-4 second. He added five birdies, including one on the 18th to end his round. Elvira was three-under through six holes and had six birdies. He also birdied the final hole.

    Other Big 12 teams advancing from the six regionals were No. 4 Oklahoma State, No. 17 Texas Tech and No. 24 Texas.