The end of the spring season marks a particularly demanding stretch for the No. 4 Texas men’s golf team, which will have played in three ultra-competitive tournaments by the end of the month.
With just over two months until the NCAA championship, this stretch of the season is marred with championship aspirations and relentless competition. During this time, more than ever, the athletes require the utmost focus and disciplined practice.
“This team’s gotten really diligent about their practice,” senior Tommy Morrison said. “Everyone’s really focused. Everyone knows how important and fun the months ahead could be.”
Texas is coming off an impressive three-way tie for third place at The Desimone Invitational in Daly City, Calif., after recovering from a disappointing ninth-place finish on day one.
Before its California tournament, the Longhorns finished fourth at 1-under 863 (290-289-284) in the Southern Highlands Collegiate just the week before, a difficult tournament known for its firm greens and strong winds.
Senior Christiaan Maas excelled, posting a 54-hole score of 10-under 206 (70-68-68) to claim the individual title against an elite field that included the top two players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Texas opened the spring by capturing the team title at the Arizona N.I.T. before following it up with a runner-up finish at the Amer Ari Invitational.
Each spring tournament so far has featured strong competition — both the Amer Ari Invitational and the Southern Highlands Collegiate included nine top-25 teams, while Desimone featured five.
But the recent demanding schedule has paid off for Texas, which has racked up multiple top-five finishes and has positioned itself among the nation’s top contenders as the postseason approaches.
“We’ve got a very experienced team,” Morrison said. “I think guys are picking each other’s brains, which is making us better.”
Still, the team recognizes the importance of staying present and not letting the emotions overtake discipline, as the exciting championship season nears.
“That’s kind of one problem that I sometimes get caught into,” senior Luke Potter said. “I get thinking about what could happen three months down the road when I gotta wake up tomorrow and try to get better.”
That mindset becomes even more important as the Longhorns enter the final stretch of the regular season. Texas will travel to Palm City, Fla., for the Valspar Collegiate Invitational on March 23-24 — a tournament the Longhorns won last season — before heading to Richmond Hill, Ga., for The Ford Collegiate on April 13-14.
The Longhorns’ regular season will conclude at the Southeastern Conference Championship on April 22–26 in Saint Simons Island, Ga. The ultimate goal for this team remains LaCosta, still several months away.
But as Morrison put it, the focus is simple: one tournament at a time.
“(When) the spring comes around, it can get pretty intense,” Morrison said. “You can start looking ahead to the last week of May’s national championship, but everyone right now is focused on what they need to do to get ready for the next day … there’s a big lesson in that, to not look too far ahead and stay where you are.”