BLANCO, Texas -- Trinity University led wire-to-wire and claimed its first program title since 2013 as the Tigers earned a three-shot victory over Texas Lutheran at the 2021 Men’s Golf Championship at the par-72, 6,864-yard Vaaler Creek Golf Club in Blanco, Texas. Official Championship Website | Results | Day Two Photo Gallery | Interview with Trinity Head Coach Sean Etheredge | Interview with Trinity's Zac Bunder | Interview with Texas Lutheran's Nathan Haley
Eighth-ranked Trinity entered the final round with a two shot lead following rounds of 291 and 288 on Monday and closed out the championship with a third-round team score of 300 to finish with a cumulative three-day total of 879 (+15).
Trinity finished three shots clear of 27th-ranked Texas Lutheran University (293-288-301) who finished second with a three-round total of 882 (+18). TLU and Trinity traded the team lead throughout the final round. The Bulldogs once had a four-stroke lead midway through the round, but the Tigers inched back ahead with five holes to play. TLU caught Trinity again when each team still had two golfers still on the course, with each golfer yet to play No. 9. Chandler Otto made a great up-and-down on No. 9, his final hole, to keep the Bulldogs tied for the lead. Trinity sophomore Zac Bunder made a 25-footer for birdie on No. 9 - one of just eight birdies all week on the hole - to put the Tigers up one stroke with the Bulldogs' junior Chase Maus yet to finish the hole and Nathan Haley yet to play it. By the time Haley hit his tee shot on No. 9, the senior needed a hole-in-one to pull the Bulldogs into a tie for the team lead.
Trinity and Texas Lutheran were followed in the final men's team standings by University of St. Thomas in third with a 904 (295-308-301). The Celts were playing in their inaugural SCAC men's golf championship. Rounding out the team standings, defending champion and 32nd-ranked University of Dallas finished fourth with a score of 922 (302-301-319), Schreiner University was fifth with 930 (315-304-311) and 40th-ranked Centenary College finished sixth with 931 (302-319-310). Southwestern University was unable to compete at this year's championships due to COVID protocol precautions.
The title was the fifth overall for the Trinity men's program, breaking a tie with Rose-Hulman for the fifth most by any school in SCAC history.
Individually, Texas Lutheran's Haley captured medalist honors to became the third Bulldog man to win the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference individual golf title. Haley joined former Bulldogs Adam Peterson (2015) and Colin Uecker (2019) as SCAC individual champions. TLU men's golfers have won the last two individual SCAC championships as the 2020 SCAC Men's and Women's Golf Championships were not contested due to COVID-19.
Haley, a senior, finished at 2-under-par and was the only golfer in the field to break par. His three-round score of 214 is tied for the fourth-lowest in championship history, equaling the same total that former Bulldog Adam Peterson posted when he claimed medalist honors in 2015. Haley finished three shots clear of sophomore Holden Wisener of Trinity.
Joining Haley and Wisener on the All-SCAC first team was St. Thomas juinor Jonathan Miller, who finished third with a 220, and Trinity's Bunder and TLU's Maus, who tied for fourth with a 221.
Since the SCAC doesn't have an automatic bid, conference teams and individuals will await word of at-large selections when the NCAA makes that announcement on Monday, May 3rd.
1. Nathan Haley, Texas Lutheran - 68-70-76--214
2. Holden Wisener, Trinity - 75-70-72--217
3. Jonathan Miller, St. Thomas - 76-71-73--220
T4. Zac Bunder, Trinity - 75-69-77--221
T4. Chase Maus, Texas Lutheran - 77-69-75--221
2021 All-SCAC Men's Golf Second Team
T7. Daniel Nunez, Trinity - 70-72-82--224
T7. Richard Polan, Centenary - 74-75-75--224
T9. Bryce Pidgeon, Trinity - 72-77-76--225
T9. Brodey Warner, Centenary - 72-77-76--225
T15. DJ Springer, Trinity - 74-81-75--230
2021 SCAC Men's Golf Tournament Medalist
Nathan Haley, Texas Lutheran University
