Wildcats Sign Five Newcomers to Round Out 2026-27 Roster
6/23/2026 7:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
ABILENE - Abilene Christian men's golf inked five signees to complete its 2026-27 roster, head coach Chance Cain announced Monday. The Wildcats signed four transfer student-athletes to go with an addition from the high school ranks.
Luis Buech and Maximilian Björnström join ACU from Tarleton State, where they were coached by Cain. Kade McDonough and Rex Hargrove tout power conference experience, making their way from Utah and Arkansas, respectively.
Cooper Watson signed with the Wildcats following an excellent prep career at MacArthur High School in Lawton, Okla. The newcomers join returners Preston DeFriend and Jack Hollingsed to round out ACU's roster in its first season under Cain.
"We are excited to welcome Kade McDonough, Rex Hargrove, Luis Buech, Maximilian Björnström and Cooper Watson to the Wildcat family," Cain said. "As we begin this new chapter at Abilene Christian, adding a group with this level of talent, experience and character gives us a strong foundation to build upon. Each of these young men brings unique strengths to our program, and we are looking forward to helping them grow while competing at a championship level."
Luis Buech (Berlin, Gemrany / Tarleton State)
Buech received All-Western Athletic Conference Second Team honors with the Texans this past season behind three top-10 performances. The Berlin, Germany product earned a pair of weekly/monthly awards from the conference as Tarleton's State top golfer in six events. Buech closed under par in four tournaments and recorded the program's first hole in one at the Oregon State Invitational.
"Luis comes in with three top-10 finishes and counted almost every single round he played in while at Tarleton State," Cain said. "He has a ton of talent and speed, and I know his experience from last season will make him an asset moving forward."
Buech, a junior, tied for third at the Florida Atlantic Invitational and drew for fourth at the Border Olympics. He rattled off eight birdies in the final round of the WAC Championship to power the Texans to the conference title. Buech tied for 17th with 19 holes under par. He was recognized in the classroom with CSC Academic All-District and Academic All-WAC accolades.
Buech got his career started at New Mexico in 2024-25, where he crafted a 73.3 stroke average in three events. He won the German International Youth Trophy last summer. At the prep level, Buech competed for Golf Club St. Leon-Rot and was the Portuguese Intercollegiate champion in 2024 and 2022. He added German Junior Golf Tour Championship and Atlantic Youth Trophy titles in 2022.
Maximilian Björnström (Höllviken, Sweden / Tarleton State)
Björnström was quick to make an impact as a freshman this past season, appearing in each of Tarleton State's 13 tournaments. He collected a pair of top-five placements, tying for third at the Florida Atlantic Invitational and drawing for ninth at the WAC Championship. Björnström totaled four top-20 finishes and slotted below par three times.
"Maximilian comes in with a full season of play under his belt as well, and I know he's hungry to get going again in the fall," Cain said. "He was a big part in our success last year, and with his work ethic, he's only going to get better throughout his career."
Björnström tied for 15th at the Bentwater Intercollegiate and was recognized with Jersey Mike's A Sub Above WAC Men's Golfer of the Week honors. In the prep ranks, the Höllviken, Sweden native secured the title at the Swedish Junior Classics in 2025 and won the Danish Junior Games in 2022. Björnström was a member of the Swedish National Team and was runner-up at the Spanish Juniors International in 2025.
Kade McDonough (Missoula, Mont. / Utah)
McDonough completed two years at Utah, carding a pair of top-10 placements at individual events this past season for the 36th-ranked Utes. The Missoula, Mont. product filled his trophy case at the prep level and won the MSGA's Match Play Championship just this month. It's McDonough's third MSGA Match Play Championship title in the past four years.
"Kade is an exceptional talent with a ton of speed that's not afraid to go out and shoot low scores," Cain said. "He's just coming off winning the Montana State Match Play, and I know he's eager to showcase his skills starting in the fall."
The redshirt sophomore also took home the Schwartz Cup three times in four years as the low junior at the MSGA Men's State Amateur. McDonough was the runner-up at the event in 2025. He competed at the 2025 U.S. Amateur Championship while winning Montana's Barnett Memorial Tournament that summer. McDonough captured an individual high school state championship as a freshman in 2021 while steering Sentinel High School to the title. He competed on the American Junior Golf Association tour.
Rex Hargrove (Houston, Texas / Arkansas)
Hargrove heads to the Big Country following three seasons at Arkansas in the Southeastern Conference. The Houston product was a Second Team Rolex Junior All-American coming out of Cypress Creek High School after leading the Cougars to state finals appearances in 2021 and 2022. As a senior, Hargrove delivered a top-15 performance at the state championship in Texas' highest classification.
"The experience Rex brings from being on a top-10 program in the country is valuable along with his skill set alone," Cain said. "He had an amazing junior career, and I know he's hungry to compete as a Wildcat."
Hargrove tied for seventh place at the 109th Southwestern Amateur in 2024, carding an 8-under 280. His prep career was headlined by a victory at the Jones Cup Junior Invitational in 2022, where he was the only golfer to close at par. Hargrove tied for eighth at the 2023 Mayakoba Invitational in Mexico and competed in the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship. He garnered a top-40 AJGA ranking with a draw for fourth at the 2021 Jack Burke Jr. Invitational.
Off the course, Hargrove was a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member and a two-time honoree on the SEC Community Service Team. He was a member of the Arkansas Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was the organization's president in 2025-26.
Hargrove has volunteered at Arkansas Children's Northwest Hospital and was part of the Veterans Hospital Valentine's Day, an event to celebrate those who have served the country. He was part of "Shop with the Razorbacks," which allows children the opportunity to receive Christmas gifts, and a "Book Hogs" event, which encourages elementary school students to read.
Cooper Watson (Lawton, Okla. / MacArthur HS)
Watson is coming off a strong summer and fall in 2025 that featured a third-place effort at the AJGA Junior Open at The Bridges before competing in the 113th Oklahoma State Amateur. He tied for fourth at the OJGT Oak Tree Junior Classic and registered a 9-under 207 to place fourth at the 43rd OGA Stroke Play Championship. Watson drew for eighth at the OJGT/TJGT Red River Team Challenge. He owns the course record at The Territory Golf & Country Club in Duncan, Okla. at 11-under 61.
"Cooper will be an incoming freshman and will be an asset to this program," Cain said. "He's got a lot of talent and a very high ceiling. The mix of speed and ability to shoot low scores brings a bright future ahead. I can't wait to get to work with him and see where his skills can take him."
Luis Buech and Maximilian Björnström join ACU from Tarleton State, where they were coached by Cain. Kade McDonough and Rex Hargrove tout power conference experience, making their way from Utah and Arkansas, respectively.
Cooper Watson signed with the Wildcats following an excellent prep career at MacArthur High School in Lawton, Okla. The newcomers join returners Preston DeFriend and Jack Hollingsed to round out ACU's roster in its first season under Cain.
"We are excited to welcome Kade McDonough, Rex Hargrove, Luis Buech, Maximilian Björnström and Cooper Watson to the Wildcat family," Cain said. "As we begin this new chapter at Abilene Christian, adding a group with this level of talent, experience and character gives us a strong foundation to build upon. Each of these young men brings unique strengths to our program, and we are looking forward to helping them grow while competing at a championship level."
Luis Buech (Berlin, Gemrany / Tarleton State)
Buech received All-Western Athletic Conference Second Team honors with the Texans this past season behind three top-10 performances. The Berlin, Germany product earned a pair of weekly/monthly awards from the conference as Tarleton's State top golfer in six events. Buech closed under par in four tournaments and recorded the program's first hole in one at the Oregon State Invitational.
"Luis comes in with three top-10 finishes and counted almost every single round he played in while at Tarleton State," Cain said. "He has a ton of talent and speed, and I know his experience from last season will make him an asset moving forward."
Buech, a junior, tied for third at the Florida Atlantic Invitational and drew for fourth at the Border Olympics. He rattled off eight birdies in the final round of the WAC Championship to power the Texans to the conference title. Buech tied for 17th with 19 holes under par. He was recognized in the classroom with CSC Academic All-District and Academic All-WAC accolades.
Buech got his career started at New Mexico in 2024-25, where he crafted a 73.3 stroke average in three events. He won the German International Youth Trophy last summer. At the prep level, Buech competed for Golf Club St. Leon-Rot and was the Portuguese Intercollegiate champion in 2024 and 2022. He added German Junior Golf Tour Championship and Atlantic Youth Trophy titles in 2022.
Maximilian Björnström (Höllviken, Sweden / Tarleton State)
Björnström was quick to make an impact as a freshman this past season, appearing in each of Tarleton State's 13 tournaments. He collected a pair of top-five placements, tying for third at the Florida Atlantic Invitational and drawing for ninth at the WAC Championship. Björnström totaled four top-20 finishes and slotted below par three times.
"Maximilian comes in with a full season of play under his belt as well, and I know he's hungry to get going again in the fall," Cain said. "He was a big part in our success last year, and with his work ethic, he's only going to get better throughout his career."
Björnström tied for 15th at the Bentwater Intercollegiate and was recognized with Jersey Mike's A Sub Above WAC Men's Golfer of the Week honors. In the prep ranks, the Höllviken, Sweden native secured the title at the Swedish Junior Classics in 2025 and won the Danish Junior Games in 2022. Björnström was a member of the Swedish National Team and was runner-up at the Spanish Juniors International in 2025.
Kade McDonough (Missoula, Mont. / Utah)
McDonough completed two years at Utah, carding a pair of top-10 placements at individual events this past season for the 36th-ranked Utes. The Missoula, Mont. product filled his trophy case at the prep level and won the MSGA's Match Play Championship just this month. It's McDonough's third MSGA Match Play Championship title in the past four years.
"Kade is an exceptional talent with a ton of speed that's not afraid to go out and shoot low scores," Cain said. "He's just coming off winning the Montana State Match Play, and I know he's eager to showcase his skills starting in the fall."
The redshirt sophomore also took home the Schwartz Cup three times in four years as the low junior at the MSGA Men's State Amateur. McDonough was the runner-up at the event in 2025. He competed at the 2025 U.S. Amateur Championship while winning Montana's Barnett Memorial Tournament that summer. McDonough captured an individual high school state championship as a freshman in 2021 while steering Sentinel High School to the title. He competed on the American Junior Golf Association tour.
Rex Hargrove (Houston, Texas / Arkansas)
Hargrove heads to the Big Country following three seasons at Arkansas in the Southeastern Conference. The Houston product was a Second Team Rolex Junior All-American coming out of Cypress Creek High School after leading the Cougars to state finals appearances in 2021 and 2022. As a senior, Hargrove delivered a top-15 performance at the state championship in Texas' highest classification.
"The experience Rex brings from being on a top-10 program in the country is valuable along with his skill set alone," Cain said. "He had an amazing junior career, and I know he's hungry to compete as a Wildcat."
Hargrove tied for seventh place at the 109th Southwestern Amateur in 2024, carding an 8-under 280. His prep career was headlined by a victory at the Jones Cup Junior Invitational in 2022, where he was the only golfer to close at par. Hargrove tied for eighth at the 2023 Mayakoba Invitational in Mexico and competed in the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship. He garnered a top-40 AJGA ranking with a draw for fourth at the 2021 Jack Burke Jr. Invitational.
Off the course, Hargrove was a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member and a two-time honoree on the SEC Community Service Team. He was a member of the Arkansas Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was the organization's president in 2025-26.
Hargrove has volunteered at Arkansas Children's Northwest Hospital and was part of the Veterans Hospital Valentine's Day, an event to celebrate those who have served the country. He was part of "Shop with the Razorbacks," which allows children the opportunity to receive Christmas gifts, and a "Book Hogs" event, which encourages elementary school students to read.
Cooper Watson (Lawton, Okla. / MacArthur HS)
Watson is coming off a strong summer and fall in 2025 that featured a third-place effort at the AJGA Junior Open at The Bridges before competing in the 113th Oklahoma State Amateur. He tied for fourth at the OJGT Oak Tree Junior Classic and registered a 9-under 207 to place fourth at the 43rd OGA Stroke Play Championship. Watson drew for eighth at the OJGT/TJGT Red River Team Challenge. He owns the course record at The Territory Golf & Country Club in Duncan, Okla. at 11-under 61.
"Cooper will be an incoming freshman and will be an asset to this program," Cain said. "He's got a lot of talent and a very high ceiling. The mix of speed and ability to shoot low scores brings a bright future ahead. I can't wait to get to work with him and see where his skills can take him."
Players Mentioned
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