The Houston men’s golf team improved round upon round to finish third at the Border Olympics in Laredo on Monday and Tuesday.
After shooting +6 and +3 in the first two rounds, respectively, the Cougars posted a par, 288-stroke round to finish at 873 overall, just three strokes behind second-place Texas (870).
Texas A&M finished first on 862 after shooting under par in the first and third rounds.
One of just eight players to finish under par for the tournament was senior Alexander Frances, who finished tied for fifth place, ending on 215 strokes (-1). Frances ended the tournament with seven birdies, a staggering 41 pars and only six bogeys over his 54 holes.
Sophomore Austyn Reily scored his second top-20 finish of the season, finishing four over par (+4, 220), good enough to put him in a 15th place tie.
Reily’s strong, two-birdie second round was the main catalyst for a strong finish. He made up for a double bogey in the middle of the third round by birdieing three of his final six holes.
Junior Braxton Watkins and senior Matt Cole each tied for 21st, both finishing six over par (222). Watkins had a team-high 11 birdies, including five in his final round. Cole’s best round was his second, where he scored four of his eight birdies and finished one under par (71).
The Cougars will take part in the Cabo Collegiate in San Antonio from March 1-3. From There, the Cougars will host the Valspar Collegiate Invitational in Palm City, Florida.