Monday, September 25
Birmingham, Ala.
Texas A&M
at
SEC Match Play
TOURNAMENT PREVIEW: SEC Match Play hosted by Jerry Pate
Sep 24, 2023 | Men's Golf
MOUNTAIN BROOK, Ala. – The No. 17 Texas A&M men's golf team measures itself against its league brethren when it tees at the SEC Match Play hosted by Jerry Pate at the Country Club of Birmingham Monday through Wednesday.
The tournament features 54 holes of stroke play the first two days followed by Wednesday's match play. The top two finishers from stroke play square off in the final grouping while the other 12 teams face off in East vs. West match play format.
The Aggies face a loaded field at the par 71, 7,226-yard West Course. All 14 SEC teams are in action, including nine teams ranked in the Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches Preseason Poll top 25.
Texas A&M's lineup features four returnees, including 2022-23 PING All-America Honorable Mention performer in Phichaksn Maichon. Jaime Montojo, who placed third at the season-opening Marquette Intercollegiate at Erin Hills, is joined by Michael Heidelbaugh and Vishnu Sadagopan along with Aaron Pounds who is making his collegiate debut.
The Aggies opened the season with a third-place finish at the Marquette Intercollegiate.
Monday's action begins with an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start. Tee times start at 8 a.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday.
THE FIELD
Texas A&M (t-17)
Vanderbilt (3)
Auburn (6)
Florida (8)
Tennessee (12)
Alabama (t-13)
Georgia (20)
Mississippi State (21)
Ole Miss (24)
Arkansas
Kentucky
LSU
Missouri
South Carolina
THE LINEUP
Team
Jaime Montojo – Sophomore – Madrid, Spain
COURSE
The West Course was initially laid out by Donald Ross in the mid 1920s. The track experienced renovations in 1959 and the mid-1980s with tweaks by two more World Golf Hall of Fame architects – Robert Trent Jones Sr., and Pete Dye. It is believed to be the only course in the nation crafted as a long-term collaboration of the three icons. The course has hosted numerous USGA championships, including the 2022 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship and 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.
WEATHER FORECAST
Accuweather.com
Monday: 87/67, cloudy, WSW 6-10 MPH, 21% probability of precipitation.
Tuesday: 87/70, sunshine and patchy clouds, ESE 7-9 MPH, 25% probability of precipitation.
Wednesday: 83/64, considerable cloudiness with a couple of showers; humid, ESE 8-12 mph, 70% probability of precipitation.
KAGS.com/Weather.com
Monday: 88/68, morning sun with increasing clouds, NNE 3-5 MPH, 17% probability of precipitation.
Tuesday: 86/69, mainly cloudy with stray shower or thunderstorm, E 4-7 MPH, 15% probability of precipitation.
Wednesday: 82/66, mostly cloudy with slight chance of rain shower, ESE 5-10 MPH, 24% probability of precipitation.
KBTX.com
Monday: 87/67, mostly cloudy with isolated possible showers, NE 5-10 MPH, 20% probability of precipitation.
Tuesday: 86/67, partly sunny with a few showers possible, NE 5-10 MPH, 30% probability of precipitation.
Wednesday: 83/65, mostly cloudy in the a.m. with scatter thunderstorms developing later in the day, E 5-10 MPH, 30% probability of precipitation.
For the most up-to-date information on Texas A&M men's golf, follow the Aggies on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The tournament features 54 holes of stroke play the first two days followed by Wednesday's match play. The top two finishers from stroke play square off in the final grouping while the other 12 teams face off in East vs. West match play format.
The Aggies face a loaded field at the par 71, 7,226-yard West Course. All 14 SEC teams are in action, including nine teams ranked in the Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches Preseason Poll top 25.
Texas A&M's lineup features four returnees, including 2022-23 PING All-America Honorable Mention performer in Phichaksn Maichon. Jaime Montojo, who placed third at the season-opening Marquette Intercollegiate at Erin Hills, is joined by Michael Heidelbaugh and Vishnu Sadagopan along with Aaron Pounds who is making his collegiate debut.
The Aggies opened the season with a third-place finish at the Marquette Intercollegiate.
Monday's action begins with an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start. Tee times start at 8 a.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday.
THE FIELD
Texas A&M (t-17)
Vanderbilt (3)
Auburn (6)
Florida (8)
Tennessee (12)
Alabama (t-13)
Georgia (20)
Mississippi State (21)
Ole Miss (24)
Arkansas
Kentucky
LSU
Missouri
South Carolina
THE LINEUP
Team
Jaime Montojo – Sophomore – Madrid, Spain
- Two-time SEC Freshman of the Week in 2022-23, registering a 71.93 scoring average, including 0.57 vs. par in 28 rounds
- Played a key role in Spain's 4-3 victory over Denmark to win the 2023 European Amateur Team Championship in Epilanges, Switzerland – winning the clinching match 2&1
- Made a late charge to finish t-13th at the 2023 European Amateur Championship in Parnu, Estonia
- Qualified for the match play portion of the 2023 Amateur Championship, bowing out in the round of 64
- Last time out – tied for third at the season-opening Marquette Intercollegiate at Erin Hills with a 2-under 214 (71-71-72)
- PING/GCAA Division I All-America Honorable Mention in 2023
- PING All-Central Region in 2023
- Won the 2023 Huntsville Toyota Bearkat Invitational with a three-round tally of 11-under 205, including a 67 in the final round
- Carded an average score of 70.29, including -1.03 vs. par, in 34 rounds over 11 tournaments in 2022-23
- Finished t-11th at the NCAA Championships and t-14th at the NCAA Salem Regional
- Capped off string of three consecutive top-three finishes with a third-place showing at the 2023 SEC Championships
- Last time out – tied for 12th place at the season-opening Marquette Intercollegiate at Erin Hills with a 3-over-219 (75-72-72)
- Registered a 71.36 scoring average, including -0.43 vs. par in 2022-23
- Earned a spot on the 2023 SEC Community Service Team
- Picked up Srixon/Cleveland All-America Scholar (2022) and GCAA All-America Scholar (2023) the last two years
- Recorded top 12 finishes at the Badger Invitational and Arizona Thunderbirds Intercollegiate in 2022-23
- Last time out – tied for 19th place at the season-opening Marquette Intercollegiate at Erin Hills with a 6-over (222 (74-77-71)
- Twice named an AJGA Rolex Junior All-American and was slotted as No. 1 player in the 2023 recruiting class
- Selected the 2021-22 All-USA Today National High School Boys Golfer of the Year and was finalist for the award in 2022-23
- Ended 2022-23 ranked No. 2 in the PGA high School Golf Association Player Rankings after topping the list in 2021-22
- Advanced to the Round of 32 at the USGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship teamed with Jack Usner in both 2022 and 2023
- Qualified for the 2022 USGA Junior Amateur
- Last time out – first collegiate tournament
- 2023 PING All-Central Region in 2023
- Earned GCAA All-America Scholar in 2023 and made the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll in 2022 and '23
- Participated in the U.S. Amateur in 2022, coming up just two strokes shy of match play
- Posted three top 10 finishes in 2022-23, including earning All-Tournament recognition at the Louisiana Classics with a t-4th showing
- Carded a 71.03 scoring average, including -0.26 vs. par in 31 rounds over 11 tournaments
- Last time out – tied for 22nd place at the season-opening Marquette Intercollegiate at Erin Hills with a 7-over 223 (76-74-73)
COURSE
The West Course was initially laid out by Donald Ross in the mid 1920s. The track experienced renovations in 1959 and the mid-1980s with tweaks by two more World Golf Hall of Fame architects – Robert Trent Jones Sr., and Pete Dye. It is believed to be the only course in the nation crafted as a long-term collaboration of the three icons. The course has hosted numerous USGA championships, including the 2022 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship and 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.
WEATHER FORECAST
Accuweather.com
Monday: 87/67, cloudy, WSW 6-10 MPH, 21% probability of precipitation.
Tuesday: 87/70, sunshine and patchy clouds, ESE 7-9 MPH, 25% probability of precipitation.
Wednesday: 83/64, considerable cloudiness with a couple of showers; humid, ESE 8-12 mph, 70% probability of precipitation.
KAGS.com/Weather.com
Monday: 88/68, morning sun with increasing clouds, NNE 3-5 MPH, 17% probability of precipitation.
Tuesday: 86/69, mainly cloudy with stray shower or thunderstorm, E 4-7 MPH, 15% probability of precipitation.
Wednesday: 82/66, mostly cloudy with slight chance of rain shower, ESE 5-10 MPH, 24% probability of precipitation.
KBTX.com
Monday: 87/67, mostly cloudy with isolated possible showers, NE 5-10 MPH, 20% probability of precipitation.
Tuesday: 86/67, partly sunny with a few showers possible, NE 5-10 MPH, 30% probability of precipitation.
Wednesday: 83/65, mostly cloudy in the a.m. with scatter thunderstorms developing later in the day, E 5-10 MPH, 30% probability of precipitation.
For the most up-to-date information on Texas A&M men's golf, follow the Aggies on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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