Sam Saunders

NEW MEXICO: Returns to the Lobos for his junior season…a two-year scholar-athlete…advanced to the round of 32 at the USGA U.S. Amateur Pacific Coast Public Links tournament in 2012 and 2013.

2013-14 (JUNIOR): Got better as the season went along and became an key player in the team’s run to the Mountain West championship … shot a 3-under 68 on May 5 to win a U.S. Open local qualifier to advance to a second stage of qualifying… also had a 10th-place finish at the MW Championship at 2-over 215 … turned in the best performance of his UNM career with his fifth-place tie at the Arizona Intercollegiate in January … tied for eighth at the Lone Star Invitational in March … competing against a field that included 24 top-50 players at the Southern Highland Collegiate Masters, the Albuquerque product tied for the low score in the final round with a 3-under 69 … played in 11 events with a 73.31 average strokes per round … finished in the top 20 five times and the top 10 three times.

2012-13: Did not play on the team, officially constituting as a redshirt year.

2011-12 (SOPHOMORE): Captured second place in the Sun Country Amateur Golf Association Match Play Championship on June 5 …Finished as the runner-up to teammate Alex Estrada in the 2011 Albuquerque Men’s City Amateur Championship (July 2-4)…defeated Oklahoma State’s nationally ranked Talor Gooch 2 and 1 at the 2012 U.S. Amateur Public Links round of 64.

2010-11 (FRESHMAN): Participated in seven tournaments with an average score of 76.62 in 21 rounds…Had a top finish tied for 32nd at the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate Tournament, scoring nine over par…Had a low round of 71 at both the John Burns Intercollegiate and the Mark Simpson Invitational.

HIGH SCHOOL: 2010 graduate of La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, N.M. …Won the Class 5A individual state championship in 2009 and was a member of two state championship teams for the Bears and coach Robert Perea…holds the record for the lowest stroke average in school history (71.1)…three-time district champion (2008-10) and third-place finisher at the 2008 state tournament…four-year academic letter winner.

PERSONAL: Born March 15, 1992…full name is Samuel Saunders…son of Dave and Debbie Saunders…brother to Steve Saunders, an All-American golfer for the Lobos (’09)…Uncle Jack Saunders (’89) and Jeff Fulwiler (’77) also golfed for the Lobos…father Dave golfed for New Mexico State…Hobbies include hiking and playing guitar … Favorite food is burritos…Favorite movie is “Anchorman”…favorite book is “Lone Survivor”…favorite video game is “Call of Duty”…