Wildcat golf part of massive 19-team field at Border Olympics

Monday, February 22

Laredo, Texas

Abilene Christian

Border Olympics

Photo by: Tom Shaw Sr.

Wildcat golf part of massive 19-team field at Border Olympics

2/20/2021 9:41:00 AM | Men's Golf

Live Scoring

ABILENE -- Abilene Christian golf kicks off the spring portion of its 2020-21 schedule Monday at Laredo's Border Olympics. The Wildcats are one of 19 teams competing in the two-day, 54-hole tournament, joining the likes of No. 9 Texas, No. 13 Baylor, No. 26 Texas A&M, Michigan, and host Houston.

The long list of remaining teams include Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Illinois State, Kent State, Lamar, Little Rock, Louisiana, New Mexico State, Rice, ULM and UTSA, plus Southland Conference rivals Houston Baptist, Lamar and Sam Houston State.

ACU is ranked 98th by GolfStat and will be represented at the Laredo Country Club ( Par 72 • 7,375 Yards) by Chase Allison, Brian Choe, Alex Clouse, Zane Heusel and Francisco Osio.

"The field has become stronger because of COVID and weather issues," said ACU head golf coach Tom Shaw. "Some teams dropped out of the tournament and they've been replaced by Baylor and Texas A&M, improving the strength of the field. This might be one of the top two fields we play this spring."

The Wildcats played three times in the fall, competing at tournaments hosted by Louisiana Tech, Arkanasas State and Little Rock. They showed steady improvements at each event, starting with a seventh-place showing (+11) at the Jim Rivers Intercollegiate, to ninth (+10) at the Bubba Barnett Intercollegiate, and ending with a sixth-place finish (-11) at the Little Rock Invitational. Leading the club at each event were veterans Choe, Osio and Clouse.

Choe tied for seventh place with a 2-under 214 at the JRI. Osio posted rounds of 69, 76, and 71 at the Barnett to shoot up from 17th to ninth, and Clouse tied for second place in a field of 86 competitors at the Little Rock Invitational, finishing under par through all three rounds for a 7-under 209.

ACU golf was blessed not to have lost power this week to its Byron Nelson Clubhouse, which allowed the student-athletes to do some indoor work, but Shaw says the team won't be able to hit off grass until it arrives in Laredo - a six hour drive from Abilene.

"We have a good attitude heading into this tournament," said Shaw, "and we're excited to get the spring season underway. It will be busy and fast paced."