Lobo Men’s Golf
Up Next: JP Energy Red Raider Match-Play Shootout
Morning Match: No. 23 UNM vs. No. 2 Texas, 7:30 a.m.
7:30 a.m. Sean Romero vs. Brax McCarthy
Victor Perez vs. Kramer Hickok
7:42 a.m. Andrej Bevins vs. Doug Ghim
Gustavo Morantes vs. Gavin Hall
7:54 a.m. Gavin Green vs. Scottie Scheffler
Sam Saunders vs. Beau Hossler
Afternoon Match: No. 23 UNM vs. No. 32 TCU, 1 p.m.
1 p.m. Victor Perez vs. Daniel Gurtner
Sean Romero vs. Paul Barjon
1:12 p.m. Gustavo Morantes vs. Giulio Castagnara
Andrej Bevins vs. Clayton Crawford
1:24 p.m. Sam Saunders vs. Andrew Presley
Gavin Green vs. Chelso Barrett
Live scoring on golfstat.com
It was a subtle change that has the 23rd-ranked University of New Mexico men’s golf team peaking as it heads into its final regular-season competition of 2014-15.
It makes their upcoming event, two match-play competitions on Saturday in Lubbock, Texas, even more of an opportunity to gain confidence heading into postseason play, first with the Mountain West Tournament from May 1-3.
An angry horde of Lobos were returning from San Diego over spring break in March, having watched their 12-stroke lead over Washington after two rounds of the San Diego Classic dissipate in a 21-stroke swing in which the Huskies stormed away with the win while the Lobos left disgusted with a third-place finish.
“San Diego was hard to take,” senior Gavin Green said. “We were not happy at all. But that’s when we got together and talked about it and came up with a change in strategy.
That change involved the way head coach Glen Millican and assistant coach Drew McGee followed the tournaments.
Traditionally, each coach would spend an entire round with one player to help that player navigate through the 18 holes. With most events lasting 54 holes, the coaches could help each of the five golfers on the squad figure out the golf course at some point during the event.
Sometimes, some of the golfers played so well without any supervision that the coaches coach focus their attention on teammates who might need more help.
But after San Diego, Millican decided he and McGee might be able to help the entire team better by spreading themselves out and helping all five golfers on as many holes as they can.
“I think that’s helped some,” Millican said. “It helps our guys know more about what’s going on with the team as opposed to what’s going on just with them. It helps me and Drew have maybe a little more influence over each player’s round.”
Green said seeing both Millican and McGee has helped him, and knowing where the team stands has helped him focus in a bit more.
“I think that strategy’s worked better because we know where everyone is at and how the team’s doing,” said Green, currently the No. 8/No. 9-ranked collegiate golfer, according to golfstat.com and golfweek.com/Sagarin.
“If someone is struggling, that helps us keep our focus because we know we have to step up for the team’s sake.”
The proof is in the results. UNM shot its two best team scores of the season in its two events since the change – scoring a 15-under 849 at the Hootie’s at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate in South Carolina (tying the Lobos’ score at their own Tucker Intercollegiate back in September) and then a season-best 26-under 838 in winning the 3M Augusta Invitational in Georgia.
In fact, subtracting the last round at the San Diego Classic, the Lobos are 55 under par in their last eight rounds of golf.
Their recent play makes their initial assignment in Lubbock – the Lobos take on second-ranked Texas in the morning in a series of match-play events at the Rawls Course involving six players – appear less daunting. Five of the six Longhorns players are ranked in Golfweek.com/Sagarin’s top 100.
Green will face No. 26 Scottie Scheffler, while Saunders (No. 145) will take on 10th-ranked Beau Hossler.
“Texas has a lot of great players,” Millican said, “so it’s going to be great for every one of our guys to play a match against the guys that play for Texas.”
TCU has four players ranked in the top 200, led by No. 140 Chelso Barrett, who will face Green in the afternoon.
“We see TCU a lot in our other events, so it will be nice to compete with them head-to-head,” Millican said.
The course will be the site of one of the six NCAA Regionals, so UNM would have experience on that course if it earns an invitation.
Millican said Saturday’s matches were important prep work for the Lobos, who have not only the MW Championship coming out, but also class finals the week after.
“When we come back, some of our time is going to be used to prepare for finals,” Millican said, “so this event comes at a really good time.”