One of the largest fall events in collegiate golf is the 2024 Valero Texas Collegiate, which took place from Sept. 21-23 at TPC San Antonio. UTSA competed against 14 other teams, seven of which ranked inside the top 25. The individual champion will receive an exemption into the 2025 Valero Texas Open on the PGA Tour in 187 days, the last Open a professional golfer can compete in the Masters.
The event will use the standard five-count-four format, with each team’s top four individual scores counted toward the team’s score each day. This year’s VTCO will be hosted by UTSA’s men’s golf team, along with its six players to take on the course. The competitive field is made up of teams from UTSA, Oklahoma University, Clemson University and many more to make for a highly contested competition between these programs, beginning their fall seasons of golf.
Jack Wehman is a UTSA golfer and micro-influencer who was invited to the prestigious 2024 VTCO. Highly active on social media platforms, Wehman has over 28,000 followers on Instagram. He posts a lot of behind-the-scenes “day in my life” videos featuring his golf routines and training sessions as a collegiate athlete. Wehman finished the third day of competition with a total score of 152 points, placing 75th overall. His performance, notwithstanding the challenging field, spoke volumes of his dedication and skill.
Walker Franklin, another UTSA golfer, finished on Sunday with a score of 71, which helped the Roadrunners post a 299 on day two of the tournament. This put UTSA 14 strokes ahead of the University of North Florida and seven strokes behind East Tennessee State University. Starting on hole 10, Franklin had 15 pars and two birdies. Alongside him, Logan Vargas shot a 76 and is tied for 69th at six over 150 while Wehman and David Martinez are in 75th 152 and 78th 153 respectively.
This tournament was the best chance for the Roadrunners to exhibit brilliance and begin to build momentum going into the season. The event is part of the fall golf season that forms a basis for this team’s journey in pursuing regional and national tournaments later in the academic year. With athletes like Wehman, who is both a sportsman and an influencer on social media, the visibility factor increases for not only the team but the sport as well. Being active on Instagram and other platforms by sharing his training and daily life bridges the gap between the sport and the audience. These types of opportunities are rarely given or earned; which can put them in a good spotlight for other competitions.
As the Roadrunners wrapped up the 2024 VTCO, players such as Wehman, Martinez and Franklin walked away showing their skills and notable performances. The VTCO highlighted team morale which will boost great performance throughout the season.
