Men's Golf Carries Blue-Collar Mentality into Spring Slate
Thomas Dick, Athletics Communications
Texas A&M men’s golf heads into the spring portion of its campaign with all the ingredients for success. The Aggies are engrossed in the mixing portion of the recipe with hard work, attention to detail and daily improvement. In his fourth year at the helm, head coach Brian Kortan is cooking up another season that will make Aggieland proud.
2022-23 IN REVIEW
The Aggies had shining moments all throughout the year with title-winning form the entire regular-season, but come championship season, the Maroon & White were not satisfied with ending of the story.
Texas A&M won team titles at the Badger Invitational, Blessings Collegiate, Arizona Thunderbirds Intercollegiate and Louisiana Classics. Ol’ Sarge’s charges were also in the mix for titles at the John A. Burns Intercollegiate (third) and Aggie Invitational (second).
For the second consecutive season, the Maroon & White finished second in the stroke play portion of the SEC Championships. The blanked Missouri (5-0) in the quarterfinal round before falling to Florida (3-2) in the semifinals.
The Aggies used a monumental comeback at the Salem Regional to advance to the NCAA Championship. Trailing for the cutoff for the final spot by as many as 14 strokes near the midway of the third round, Texas A&M posted 14 birdies on the final seven holes and played 11-under-par over the span. The barrage of birdies included three on hole No. 18. The comeback was complete with the Aggies winning a one-hole playoff against Clemson.
At the NCAA Championships, Texas A&M entered the final round of stroke play just four shots off the cutoff for the quarterfinals, but were unable to make the late push, finishing in 13th place.
“In the end we didn’t get where we wanted to go,” Kortan said. “We played some good golf and had a lot of great moments, but we left some really important strokes out there in that championship part of the season. From a leadership standpoint, the returning players know what we’re up against in terms of what the competition looks like and for them to lead us in preparation and attitude.”
The season saw the Aggies claim three individual titles with Sam Bennett (John A. Burns Intercollegiate), Phichaksn Maichon (Bearkat Invitational), William Paysse (Badger Invitational) and Daniel Rodrigues (Blessings Collegiate) taking home hardware. Bennett claimed All-SEC First Team recognition while Paysse was tabbed to the second team. Maichon and Rodrigues earned tributes as PING All-America Honorable Mention performers.
FALL RECAP
The new edition of the Aggies with seven returning letterwinners and three talented newcomers experienced some early misses with third-place showings at the Marquette Intercollegiate at Erin Hills and the Furman Intercollegiate. They also gained valuable experience against elite fields at the SEC Match Play (sixth), Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational (tied ninth) and Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate (eighth).
“We haven’t had a tournament where we’ve had four or five guys playing well at the same time,” Kortan said. “They’re getting stronger. They’re getting bigger. They’re getting faster. So there’s going to be some growing pains. As long as they’re sound with their attitude and their effort I know everything will come together in the end. If things come together in April and May we will be in good shape because we’ve got good guys at the top and we have a lot of talented guys below that.”
One of the highlights of the fall was a 3-2 triumph over No. 12 Tennessee on the last day of the SEC Match Play.
“If you get us in a match play situation, I think we’re a tough out,” Kortan said. “That’s an area we’re really strong. So from the fall we learned we have to be a little better in stroke play – getting better in the little areas, mostly inside 30-yards with our putting and chipping. If we continue to get better in those areas we’ll be fighting down to the end to be one of the best teams in the country.”
As a bridge from the fall campaign, the Aggies were able to embark on a trip to Spain the beginning of January. The journey included first class golf, sight-seeing and team bonding as Ol’ Sarge’s charges turned the calendar to 2024.
“It was a good time to go on the trip,” Kortan said. “We’ve got a great group and they really get along. We were able to solidify that on the trip. It really helps in making us a more cohesive unit. We got to do some historical things like a Picasso Museum and bullfighting ring. And they got to play some really good golf courses. But most importantly we got to be ourselves in a golf environment, but without the pressure they deal with when it's highly competitive. We continued to create that bond of what we want to be as a team.”
MEET THE AGGIES
Dallas Hankamer – Junior – Temple, Texas
- Teed it up at four tournaments for the Aggies, totaling 11 rounds and posting an average score of 74.09
- Topped a field of 28 golfers at the Badger Individual held in conjunction with the Badger Invitational, firing a 1-under 141 (71-70O at Pleasant View Golf Club
- Posted counting scorers all three rounds for the Aggies at the 2023 Southern Highlands Collegiate en route to a t54 finish.
- Competed in four tournaments as a freshman, tying for third at the Washington County Individual in Hartford, Wisconsin (10-under, 134).
“Dallas doesn’t have a pulse. Nothing seems to bother that guy. He played a little over Christmas break and had some nice results. I want to see him push these guys ahead of him and get in that lineup. If he’s pushing to get in that lineup, that means we’re doing some good things. He’s ratcheting up the work level so he can catch these guys. Dallas is a great personality. He’s fun to be around he’s got a chance to really contribute.” – Coach Kortan
Michael Heidelbaugh – Junior – Dallas, Texas
- 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
“He’s a consummate professional in terms of college, if there’s such a thing. He does a great job of handling college and working on his golf game. He does a great job academically and he’s pursuing a challenging degree in finance. He takes a lot of pride in his ability to play golf and he takes a lot of pride in this program. I lean on him for some things because he’s a mature upperclassman. He’s shot some really good rounds for us and played some really nice tournaments. I’m looking for him to continue pushing to be in the lineup and he may be there all spring.” – Coach Kortan
Jake Maggert – Freshman – The Woodlands, Texas
- Entered college slotted No. 35 in the American Junior Golf Association ranking
- Finished 12th in the PGA National High School Golf Association 2022-23 Player Rankings
- Boasted a stellar career at The Woodlands Christian Academy where he won three consecutive TAPPS 5A state titles from 2021-23 along with fellow Aggies Aaron Pounds and Jack Usner
- Finished third individually at the 2023 TAPPS 5A state tournament
- Father Jeff Maggert is a former Texas A&M golfer who earned All-America honors and has played professionally since 1986, winning three PGA Tour events along with claiming a pair of majors on the PGA Tour Champions circuit
“Jake is young and he’s finding his way. He’s got a lot of natural ability. He’s got a maturity about him that’s going to serve him well as he continues to grow. He is catching up a little bit physically. He’ll get a couple more opportunities to play this spring, I’m sure. He’s an Aggie and loves being here. He’s got a lot of pride in what we do.” – Coach Kortan
Phichaksn Maichon – Junior – Bangkok, Thailand
- 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
- 2023 Fall slate was highlighted by a fourth-place finish at the SEC Match Play
“P is a grinder. He works his tail off. He grinds because he wants to be great. He loves being at the golf course. He loves working at his sport. And he’s great to be around. He really laughs at himself, laughs at others. He’s getting better at making some jokes and even taking some jokes – a guy everyone loves being around. He’s really important to what we do because of his ability and the scores that he can shoot.” – Coach Kortan
Jaime Montojo – Sophomore – Madrid, Spain
- Made his DP World Tour debut October 19-22 in the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande
- 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
- 2023 Fall slate was highlighted by a third-place finish at the Marquette Intercollegiate at Erin Hills
- Beat defending SEC champion Caleb Surratt of Tennessee, 2&1, at last September’s SEC Match Play
“Jaime is incredibly talented. He has really good hands as a lot of the Spanish players do. He has an incredible work ethic and is really trying to do the best he can in every facet of what he does. He works hard at school, kills it at the gym and he is at the golf course all the time. We have to get him over the hurdle in terms of what he’s trying to do physically with some golf. But he’s really important to our success. When he plays well we are a way better team.” – Coach Kortan
Aaron Pounds – Freshman – The Woodlands, Texas
- 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
“Aaron was obviously an accomplished golfer in the junior ranks. We’ve tried to push him along and he’s worked his way into the lineup. He’s done a good job and his average was right around 72 in the fall playing some events for us. When he understands that he is really good at this and plays with that level of confidence and commitment he’ll take a huge step forward for us. He’s a big part of what we’re doing and he’s started to lead us in a lot of ways in terms of effort and getting his tail in the gym and doing what we need to do.” – Coach Kortan
Daniel Rodrigues – Senior – Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
- PING/GCAA Division I All-America Honorable Mention in 2023
- Finished t-4th at the 2023 European Amateur Championship in Parnu, Estonia
- Advanced to the Round of 16 at the 2023 Amateur Championship at Hillside Golf Club in Southport, England
- Owned a 71.13 stroke average in a team-high 39 rounds over 13 tournaments in 2022-23, including -0.21 versus par
- Claimed medalist honors at the 2022 Blessings Collegiate Invitational with a three-round tally of 11-under 206, earning SEC Golfer of the Week
- Earned SEC All-Freshman Team in 2020-21
- Wrapped up the 2023 fall slate with a fourth-place finish at the Furman Intercollegiate
“I love watching Roddy play. When he’s in control of his golf ball, there’s nobody better. I don’t mean at A&M. I mean there’s not many players better in college golf when he’s controlling his golf ball. And we’ve seen more and more of that this year. If it continues to go in that direction with him, which it will, I look for him to compete at a really high level and have a chance to win some golf tournaments this spring. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the guy leading us down the stretch.” – Coach Kortan
Vishnu Sadagopan – Junior – Pearland, Texas
- 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 2023
- 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
“Vish arrived here as a really accomplished junior player, but he wasn’t physically ready for the college game. But we’ve literally seen him grow and grow up in front of our eyes – both physically and learning. He’s learned he has the skills to do a lot of things on the golf course and he’s learned that there’s things he can’t do on the golf course, which is equally important. When he’s playing with confidence and moving the right way and when is putter is on, he’s really tough to handle and he’s a huge attribute to us.” – Coach Kortan
Joe Stover – Redshirt Freshman – Dallas, Texas
- Made his collegiate debut at October’s Furman Invitational – finishing tied for 24th place at 2-over 215
- Paced Highland Park High School to a Texas Class 5A state runner-up finish his senior season
- Finished runner-up at the Insperity Invitational / Patrick Reed AJGA Junior Championship in 2022, firing 11 birdies en route to a 1-under 215
- Helped lead Highland Park to its 22nd UIL State Championship in 2021, earning all-district honors
“Joe is probably the furthest behind in terms of experience and he’s trying to make that up. He’s working pretty hard. He played a little bit over the break and he’s competing with these guys on a daily basis, so he’s getting better. It’s going to take a little time to get some more experience in his DNA, so to speak. Making decisions and working through some adversity in competition on the golf course is something you can talk about, but until you live it, you really can’t learn it. He’s learning a lot and he’s absorbing a lot and his skills keep getting better. He’s starting to push some of these guys in front of him, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he played some tournaments this spring.” – Coach Kortan
Jack Usner – Freshman – The Woodlands, Texas
- Finished t-10th at the Southern Junior Championship in June 2023
- Boasted a stellar career at The Woodlands Christian Academy where he won three consecutive TAPPS 5A state titles from 2021-23 along with fellow Aggies Jake Maggert and Aaron Pounds
- Ended the school year ranked No. 49 in the PGA High School Golf Association Player Rankings in 2022-23
- Advanced to the Round of 32 at the USGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship teamed with Aaron Pounds in both 2022 and 2023
- Qualified for the 2022 USGA Junior Amateur
“Jack is determined to change a little bit about how goes about some golf. He’s really smart and cerebral as far as the sport goes. We’re trying to get him to be a little bit more reactionary and be more of an athlete golfer. He’s a really talented guy and his work ethic is incredible. He’s got a passion for being successful and he’s not scared to chase it. He’s here every day working his tail off and he’s made some changes that aren’t easy to do at his age to try to get better because he knows in the long run he’s got to do it. He’s working hard and I look forward to watching him improve.” – Coach Kortan
TOURNAMENTS TO WATCH
The Aggies’ spring season is very familiar. Of the six tournaments, the Maroon & White played at five last year. The only “different” event, the lid-lifting National Invitational Tournament, has the same host and played in the same town, Tucson, Arizona, as last year’s spring opener.
“We liked the way the schedule worked out for us last year,” Kortan said. “We like to have some separation between events so that we can qualify and have that competition here at home. Probably the only time we won’t have time to qualify is between our second and third tournament. But it’s definitely beneficial playing the same events in back-to-back years. We’ll have guys who are familiar with the event so they’ll know how to prepare.”
Texas A&M treks west for the first three tournaments and travels east for the next two before hosting the finale at Traditions Club.
The Aggies are headed to the National Invitational Tournament (Tucson) Jan.29-30, John A. Burns Intercollegiate (Lihue, Hawai’i) Feb. 15-17 and the Southern Highlands Collegiate (Las Vegas) Feb. 25-27.
Texas A&M has enjoyed recent success at tournaments hosted by the Arizona Wildcats. They won last year’s Arizona Thunderbirds Intercollegiate at Tucson Country Club. The also finished second in 2018 and fourth in 2017 and 2019 all at Sawailo Golf Course. This year’s event is at Omni Tucson National.
“It’s a golf course I’ve been on hundreds of times,” Kortan said. “We’re looking forward to seeing it again. It’s a good course to do some positive things and get a start of the season.”
Last season the Aggies finished third at the Burns Intercollegiate behind Sam Bennett’s record-setting performance to win the event. The Maroon & White captured the tournament title in 2020.
“Hawaii is a great trip,” Kortan said. “We get to take a couple extra guys and we know we’re going to get some nice weather. You know the weather came be a little iffy that time of the year, but it’s almost always going to be good golf weather there and we get some extra work in down there. It’s one of the tournaments we build our spring around. I think this will be our 27th straight time playing in the tournament.”
The Southern Highlands Collegiate featured nine top-25 squads, including four top 10 teams. The 2024 field figures to be just as formidable.
“It’s a great tournament to play because not only is Southern Highlands a great golf course, but they always have a great field,” Kortan said. “We’re always trying to measure where we’re at and that event is a great place to do it.”
Texas A&M heads to the Louisiana Classics as two-time defending champion. The tournament tees it up at Lafayette’s Oakbourne Country Club March 11-12.
“We like driving to that one because it’s a chance to spend some time together,” Kortan said. “We get to take a few extra guys and it gives us a little breather from air travel. It’s a good course where you can shoot some low scores and the food is tremendous. It’s a tournament we’ll try to get to whenever we can.”
The Aggies travel to Palm City, Florida, for one of the nation’s most prestigious events, the Valspar Collegiate Invitational at Floridian National Golf Club March 25-26. Last year’s field included 13 top-25 teams, including six top-10 squads.
“The Floridian is another event we look forward to every year because the golf course is just fantastic,” Kortan said. “We’re fortunate to play great golf courses, but the team circles this tournament on their calendars every year because they love the course and the field is always strong.”
The regular season ends on the friendly confines of Traditions Club at the Aggie Invitational April 6-7. The Maroon & White finished second last year and are looking to reclaim the title they’ve won five times.
“It’s always great to host other teams,” Kortan said. “We’re a great University and we have the means to host a great golf tournament. It’s the only time all year when we have home-field advantage. And it means a whole lot to our players. It’s their time to compete in Aggieland in front of the 12th Man. We like to defend our home turf and play here in front of family and friends.”
POSTSEASON SCHEDULE
The Aggies head to the SEC Championships April 23-28 at Sea Island Golf Club’s Seaside Course in St. Simons Island, Georgia. It marks the 23rd consecutive year the course hosts the league tournament. Texas A&M is looking for its first SEC title.
“It’s a challenging golf course,” Kortan said. “They do a really nice job setting it up to make it a challenge. We like it because par has value. That’s something we like in our program. Traditions Club is a tough golf course where par has value, so our players have that mentality engrained in them. Sea Island is a test and our guys love playing there.”
The NCAA Regionals are slated for May 13-15 at six sites. The nearest site to Aggieland is a mere 113 miles away at the University of Texas Golf Club in Austin. LSU’s University in Baton Rouge is also in easy traveling distance for Texas A&M. The other four sites include UNC Finley Golf Course (Chapel Hill, North Carolina), The Farms Golf Club (Rancho Santa Fe, California), Stanford Golf Course (Stanford, California) and Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex (West Lafayette, Indiana).
“We don’t really go into the season with the stated goal of earning a regional site that’s nearby,” Kortan said. Our goal is always just playing the best golf we can and preparing for the postseason. If we do that, everything else falls into place.”
The national championship gets a new venue as the tournament heads to Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, May 24-29. The famed Champions Course recently went through a significant renovation. The design changes were made with the NCAA’s match-play format in mind.
“I understand why we’re making the move to head west,” Kortan said. “I’ve heard great things about the golf course and venue and hopefully it holds up and turns out the way they envision. I think it’s got a chance to be a great experience which you want it to be because it’s a national championship.”
