MATHEWS, La. - With four student-athletes finishing among the top 15 competitors and junior
Alex Clouse Tuesday carding a 9-under 63 in the third round to win the individual title, Abilene Christian golf won its season-opening tournament in runaway fashion against 11 schools at the La Tour Intercollegiate hosted by Nicholls.
The Wildcats entered today's final round tied for second place, but with four individuals finishing two strokes or more below par ACU handily won its first team trophy in two years with a 44-under 820 -- 13 strokes better than runner-up Central Arkansas. ACU's score also topped several additional Southland Conference foes including Stephen F. Austin, McNeese, Houston Baptist, Incarnate Word, New Orleans and Southeastern La.
In capturing his first collegiate title, Clouse - a native of Flower Mound, Texas - completed the two-day tournament with a 14-under 202. Monday he recorded first and second round scores of 67 and 72 on the par 72 - 7,170 yard course, located an hour southwest of New Orleans, and his 63 today propelled him 11 spots up the individual leaderboard.
Clouse Tuesday birdied his first four holes to finish 6-under across the front nine, and held off the competition by birding four of his final six holes, including No. 17, which is a par 3. His effort down the stretch helped him create enough over several others in the hunt, including co-runner ups Blaine Calhoon and Josh Turnock of Central Arkansas, William Meyers of SLU, and Nicholls' Warut Wongrungroj. They all finished three strokes behind Clouse at 11-under 205.
Wildcat sophomore
Francisco Osio registered ACU's second-best round of Tuesday with a 6-under 66 to tie for 11th at 7-under 209. His score today shot him up an astounding 22 places, while sophomore
Brian Choe held steady over the three rounds (70-67-70) to tie for sixth at 9-under 207.
Senior
Bryce Dooley cracked the top 15 with a 6-under 210 and junior
Chase Allison rounded out ACU's quintet with a 2-under 214.
The Wildcats, who officially open their new Byron Nelson Clubhouse this weekend with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, return to action March 9 and 10 for the Colin Montgomery Invitational hosted by Houston Baptist and Cypresswood Golf Course.
Records
- Clouse's third-round score tied Alex Carpenter's modern record for the lowest individual round in team history. Carpenter shot a 63 (-8) during his final round of the 2013 Southern California D2 Intercollegiate Championship.
- Clouse tied Carpenter's nine-year-old school record for low 54 hole total at 202. Carpenter accomplished this feat at the 2011 Oklahoma Intercollegiate, at which the Wildcats set a team record for lowest round at 267. Today, ACU came in at 269.
- Thanks to a 19-under Tuesday, the Wildcats set a NEW team record for lowest round vs. par. The 2011 edition started the Oklahoma Intercollegiate with a 17-under.
- This is the fourth team championship won under the direction of head coach Tom Shaw and first since the 2018 HBU Colin Montgomery Invitational.
- Clouse is ACU's first individual medalist since Corbin Renner won the 2015 Texas-Pan America Bronc Intercollegiate.
