GLEN ROSE, Texas (April 18, 2022) – If No. 8-ranked Oklahoma Christian is to repeat as the Lone Star Conference men's golf champion, the Eagles will have some work to do in the final round of stroke play in the LSC Championship tournament.
OC found itself looking up the leaderboard most of the day Monday and finished the first two rounds at Squaw Valley Golf Club's Apache Links at 10-under-par 566 – a solid score, for sure, but only tied for sixth in the 13-team field, 14 shots behind the leader, West Texas A&M.
Only four teams will make the cut for the match-play portion of the event that will determine the team champion, and the Eagles trail fourth-place Texas-Tyler by eight shots. The final round of stroke play will begin at 8 a.m., with the match-play semifinals to be played in the afternoon. The title match is scheduled for Wednesday morning.
OC has finished no lower than fourth in any of its previous nine tournaments this season, including one against NCAA Division I competition.
On Monday, the playing conditions were ripe for scoring on the 7,063-yard Squaw Valley course and nine teams had under-par overall scores through two rounds. West Texas A&M, coached by former OC All-American Axel Ochoa, fared the best, sizzling at 16-under 272 in the first round and then following up with a 280 for an overall score of 552.
No. 15-ranked Midwestern State (Texas) was right on WT's heels, two shots back at 554 thanks in good part to the day's best team round, a 271 in the second round. Cameron (557) was third, Texas-Tyler (558) was fourth and St. Mary's (Texas) (561) was fifth. OC, which posted team rounds of 284 and 282, was tied with Texas A&M-Commerce for sixth.
OC led the field with 112 pars, but was only ninth in total birdies (38) on a day when 21 of the 65 players in the tournament recorded at least 10 birdies individually. One of them was from OC – freshman
Exequiel Rodriguez of Buenos Aires, Argentina, who had 12. He opened with a 1-under-par 71 before posting the Eagles' top round of the day, a 68. At 139 overall, he was tied for 11th.
Junior
Alejandro Armijo of Rio Rancho, N.M., shot a 69 in the first round and was at 4-under for his second round after only four holes – recording one of OC's two eagles on the day – but eventually finished with a 72. He was tied for 18th overall at 141.
Both sophomore
Mateo Pulcini of Rio Cuarto, Argentina (who had the other eagle) and freshman
Oskari Nikku of Tuusula, Finland, shot 72-71 and were tied for 31st at 143. One shot back, tied for 34th, was senior
Andres Brictson, who posted consecutive 72s.
Texas A&M International's Mauricio Figueroa held the individual lead at 132 (12-under).
The Eagles will be grouped for the third round with Texas-Tyler and St. Mary's and will tee off at 8 a.m.
RESULTS
