UTSA men’s golf has just teed off their first match to start this season. The golf team had a good start when they took first place in the 2018 Lone Star Invitational Tournament Central here in San Antonio. With a major victory to propel the season, this was an excellent way to start the season. The team is looking to make improvements after a shaky season last year, when they only had one first place victory and finished near the middle of the pack in the conference tournament.
This win gives head coach John Knauer his fourth first place tournament victory in his UTSA career. Coming into his 11th season, he must be pleased with the output he saw compared to past tournaments. The team looks to make a splash, after bringing the coach his fourth conference title. Also, the team hopes to improve on their five- top-five finishes in tournament play, and hopefully take more first place titles.
The team is led by top senior Sean Meehan. Meehan posted a score of 140 for both rounds played, shooting four under par. He shot an exceptional 68 on the first day of the tournament and looked primed to win. In the second round he saw a brief dip where he shot a 72, still paring the course, but was unable to capture a single victory without a tie.
The senior had a great previous season and shot around 73 for the year. He also managed to collect his first win in the collegiate ranks with a win at the Wyoming Cowboy Classic. His score of 205 in that match was the third-best all-time finish in the school history books. Meehan, who attended Johnson High School, is a native to the San Antonio area and grew up rather close to the Roadrunner nation.
The team also carries two juniors this season who want to make some noise this year. Junior Collin Clark posted a 75-stroke average last season and has yet to get his first collegiate win; he is on the verge of it as he tied for runner-up at the Arizona Medalist Intercollegiate Tournament last year. Out of Mansfield, Texas, Clark hopes to make a huge impact this year and finally catch that elusive first place finish at this level.
Junior Adam House from Rockwall, Texas, also hopes to have a breakout year since he did not finish in the top 10 of any tournament in the previous season. He hopes to crack the top 10 a few times this year and get things rolling by the time the conference tournament comes along. He is a talented player who just needs to get a hot streak.
Chad Sewell, a big-time talent looking to have a big year, registered a 75-stroke average last year as a freshman. He also had a fourth place finish at the Big Texan to go along with those numbers. He graduated from Conroe, Texas, and ranked fourth in the state and 36th in the country by Golfweek Magazine. He started the year off right by placing eighth in the first tournament, and he wants to do more as the season rolls along.
Last year the team finished in a lackluster sixth place spot at the final conference USA tournament. This year, they started the season off right by taking a swift, firm victory in a tournament that was cut short, but the ‘Runners took care of business here in San Antonio. This could be a sign of great things to come from the program this season. With a roster blended with veteran players and young stars, this team could take a high seat in the conference final standings.
The team will travel to play in the Trinity Forest Invitational in Dallas, Texas, this weekend where host Southern Methodist University is also coming off of a first place finish from their debut on Sept. 9-11. It will be an interesting interstate matchup for both teams as they look to find their footing early this season with back-to-back tournament wins.
