The Houston Cougars golf team struggled to play in 2012 at the two-day UTSA Oaks Invitational, finishing ninth in the 15-team field in the team’s first action since Nov. 1.
“It obviously wasn’t what we were hoping for,” head coach Jonathan Dismuke said. “We identified a lot of things that we have to get better; we’ll address those issues and be ready to go next week.”
Freshman Roman Robledo and sophomore Curtis Reed led the field for the Cougars finishing tied for 22nd and tied for 30th.
Each shot a pair of 71s, although having their own difficulties. Robledo struggled in the first round and Reed slipped in the third.
“It was hard for us to put a good round together,” Reed said. “We’re giving too many shots to the field when we get inside 30 yards and it’s hard to win when you do that.
“It’s kind of like in football, if you lose the turnover battle, you usually don’t win.”
Houston posted a 54-hole score of 884 at Oak Hills Country Club while facing a diverse field including some of the best teams from the Big XII and Southland Conference.
“There were a lot of teams here; probably as many as 10 or 11 that will probably make regionals,” Dismuke said. “When you don’t execute and don’t play well in a field of that quality, you’re going to finish towards the back half, which we did.”
The Cougars were also handed the burden of dealing with Mother Nature, whose elements added another level of difficulty.
“It was probably the coldest golf that we’ve played this year,” Dismuke said. “The first round was pretty tough condition-wise, while the second two rounds the conditions were pretty good.”
The Coogs will be back in action at the Rice Intercollegiate Monday and Tuesday at Westwood Country Club in Houston, seeking to improve upon their opening start.
“We were making way too many bogeys for situations where we need to be putting for birdies,” Dismuke said. “We’ll address those issues and be ready to go next week.”
