Monday, May 14
Bryan
All Day
Texas A&M
vs
NCAA Bryan Regional
Photo by: Thomas Campbell/Texas A&M Athletics
Men's Golf Sets Records En Route to Regional Title
May 16, 2018 | Men's Golf
BRYAN, Texas – Led by a record-setting performance from individual medalist Chandler Phillips, No. 2 Texas A&M secured the NCAA Bryan Regional Championship on Wednesday with a Traditions Club record score of 27-under par.
The Aggies' performance (279-279-279=837, -27) set the Traditions' watermark for a 54-hole tournament with the play-five, count-four format, surpassing the previous mark of 846 (-18) set by Alabama during the 2013 Aggie Invitational. The win was also the school-record sixth of season for Texas A&M.
"Getting back the National Championship has been the goal all year," Texas A&M head coach J.T. Higgins said. "Finishing in the top-five here would've been fantastic, but winning on our home golf course is amazing. The guys were great this week, so consistent and solid throughout. I just couldn't be more proud of them."
Phillips (68-68-69=205, -11) won his fourth title of the season and the sixth of his Aggie career, breaking a tie with Anthony Rodriguez for the most in a career by an A&M golfer. The Huntsville, Texas, native won for the second time on Traditions this season after posting a victory at the Aggie Invite in April while also joining Miguel del Angel (1997) as the only Aggies to finish atop the player standings at a NCAA Regional. Phillips will make his second trip to the NCAA Championship, after he competed last season following his qualification at the NCAA Sammamish Regional.
As a team, the Aggies finished nine strokes up on second place Clemson (283+276+287=846, -18) and a full 40 from the sixth place squad. The Aggies return to the NCAA Championship for the first time in four seasons after stringing together six straight trips from 2009-2014.
Also advancing to the NCAA Championship from the Bryan Regional will be Clemson (-18), Baylor (-7), UCLA (+2) and Kentucky (+10). Additionally, Braden Thornberry of Ole Miss will move on as an individual.
Brandon Smith (68-68-70=206, -10) sat one back of Phillips in a tie for second, the best finish of his collegiate career. The Frisco, Texas, native carded two-under or better in all three rounds, good for his sixth top-ten finish of the season. Senior Andrew Paysse (72-68-71=211, -5) finished in the top-ten for the fifth time during his senior season after shooting one-under on his final day and earning a share of eighth. Sophomore Dan Erickson (71-75-69=215, -1) jumped 11 spots on the final day with a three-under to finish in a tie for 14th. Completing the Aggie five-man lineup, freshman Walker Lee (73-75-73=221, +5) was one-over on Wednesday securing a share of 32nd.
Next up, the Aggies venture to Stillwater, Okla., for the 2018 NCAA Championships. They will join a field of 30 teams teeing off from Karsten Creek Golf Course on May 25th.
TEXAS A&M HEAD COACH J.T. HIGGINS
On advancing to Nationals…
"Well getting back the National Championship has been the goal all year. Just finishing Top 5 here would've been fantastic, but winning on our home golf course is amazing. The guys were great this week, so consistent and solid throughout. I just couldn't be more proud of them."
On strength and depth of this team…
"When we win, it's because all five guys are in it. I know Walker [Lee]'s disappointed that he didn't shoot any scores under par, but every day he was right around even par coming down the stretch. It takes so much pressure off of everybody else when all five guys play a really solid golf tournament. We had lots of rounds under par from different guys and that's the kind of team we are. Chandler [Phillips] is definitely one of the best players in the world, but we surrounded him with a lot of really, really good solid players that are capable of putting low scores up any given day. When they all do that, we are really one of the better teams in the country."
On the play of junior Chandler Phillips…
"Yeah, I had a feeling he was going to play pretty good this week. With no wind out here and with a lot of wedges in his hand, there's not a lot of guys that can compete with him under those kind of conditions. He's such a good punter and such a good wedge player. That's no surprise. He's going to shatter that record before it's all said and done. Shoot, maybe he'll get another one next week. But for sure, he's not done winning golf tournaments in college and to already get it before his junior year is over says a lot about that young man and what a great player he is."
TEXAS A&M JUNIOR CHANDLER PHILLIPS
On excitement of advancing past Regionals…
"Yeah, for sure. Finally after three years of going with the team to Nationals, it's going to be real fun."
On his performance and consistency…
"I putted really well. [Laughs] My putter saved me. I didn't hit it real great. I made a lot of puts. I don't know what my strokes game putting was this week, but it had to be probably the best tournament I've had maybe this spring, maybe forever. I don't know, but it was really good."
On depth of the team…
"We're all the same caliber of players. It just all depends on the day. Somebody's going to show up one day and somebody's going to show up for three days. Most of the time, we're all about the same. But, every now and then, somebody has a better day than the others."
The Aggies' performance (279-279-279=837, -27) set the Traditions' watermark for a 54-hole tournament with the play-five, count-four format, surpassing the previous mark of 846 (-18) set by Alabama during the 2013 Aggie Invitational. The win was also the school-record sixth of season for Texas A&M.
"Getting back the National Championship has been the goal all year," Texas A&M head coach J.T. Higgins said. "Finishing in the top-five here would've been fantastic, but winning on our home golf course is amazing. The guys were great this week, so consistent and solid throughout. I just couldn't be more proud of them."
Aggies are Stillwater bound!
— Texas A&M Men's Golf (@AggieMensGolf) May 16, 2018
?? - Regional Champs
???? - Individual Champ: @ChandlerPhilli6
?? - https://t.co/uxAHrlA9pZ
?? - https://t.co/OxsCGaUI0N #NCAAGolf #12thMan pic.twitter.com/80fkQSg20c
Phillips (68-68-69=205, -11) won his fourth title of the season and the sixth of his Aggie career, breaking a tie with Anthony Rodriguez for the most in a career by an A&M golfer. The Huntsville, Texas, native won for the second time on Traditions this season after posting a victory at the Aggie Invite in April while also joining Miguel del Angel (1997) as the only Aggies to finish atop the player standings at a NCAA Regional. Phillips will make his second trip to the NCAA Championship, after he competed last season following his qualification at the NCAA Sammamish Regional.
As a team, the Aggies finished nine strokes up on second place Clemson (283+276+287=846, -18) and a full 40 from the sixth place squad. The Aggies return to the NCAA Championship for the first time in four seasons after stringing together six straight trips from 2009-2014.
Also advancing to the NCAA Championship from the Bryan Regional will be Clemson (-18), Baylor (-7), UCLA (+2) and Kentucky (+10). Additionally, Braden Thornberry of Ole Miss will move on as an individual.
Brandon Smith (68-68-70=206, -10) sat one back of Phillips in a tie for second, the best finish of his collegiate career. The Frisco, Texas, native carded two-under or better in all three rounds, good for his sixth top-ten finish of the season. Senior Andrew Paysse (72-68-71=211, -5) finished in the top-ten for the fifth time during his senior season after shooting one-under on his final day and earning a share of eighth. Sophomore Dan Erickson (71-75-69=215, -1) jumped 11 spots on the final day with a three-under to finish in a tie for 14th. Completing the Aggie five-man lineup, freshman Walker Lee (73-75-73=221, +5) was one-over on Wednesday securing a share of 32nd.
Next up, the Aggies venture to Stillwater, Okla., for the 2018 NCAA Championships. They will join a field of 30 teams teeing off from Karsten Creek Golf Course on May 25th.
TEXAS A&M HEAD COACH J.T. HIGGINS
On advancing to Nationals…
"Well getting back the National Championship has been the goal all year. Just finishing Top 5 here would've been fantastic, but winning on our home golf course is amazing. The guys were great this week, so consistent and solid throughout. I just couldn't be more proud of them."
On strength and depth of this team…
"When we win, it's because all five guys are in it. I know Walker [Lee]'s disappointed that he didn't shoot any scores under par, but every day he was right around even par coming down the stretch. It takes so much pressure off of everybody else when all five guys play a really solid golf tournament. We had lots of rounds under par from different guys and that's the kind of team we are. Chandler [Phillips] is definitely one of the best players in the world, but we surrounded him with a lot of really, really good solid players that are capable of putting low scores up any given day. When they all do that, we are really one of the better teams in the country."
On the play of junior Chandler Phillips…
"Yeah, I had a feeling he was going to play pretty good this week. With no wind out here and with a lot of wedges in his hand, there's not a lot of guys that can compete with him under those kind of conditions. He's such a good punter and such a good wedge player. That's no surprise. He's going to shatter that record before it's all said and done. Shoot, maybe he'll get another one next week. But for sure, he's not done winning golf tournaments in college and to already get it before his junior year is over says a lot about that young man and what a great player he is."
TEXAS A&M JUNIOR CHANDLER PHILLIPS
On excitement of advancing past Regionals…
"Yeah, for sure. Finally after three years of going with the team to Nationals, it's going to be real fun."
On his performance and consistency…
"I putted really well. [Laughs] My putter saved me. I didn't hit it real great. I made a lot of puts. I don't know what my strokes game putting was this week, but it had to be probably the best tournament I've had maybe this spring, maybe forever. I don't know, but it was really good."
On depth of the team…
"We're all the same caliber of players. It just all depends on the day. Somebody's going to show up one day and somebody's going to show up for three days. Most of the time, we're all about the same. But, every now and then, somebody has a better day than the others."
Players Mentioned
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