KERRVILLE, Texas -- Starting as the tournament's fifth-seeded team, University of St. Thomas surged to the top of the leaderboard after the second round and pulled away in the third to earn the 2023 Men’s Golf Championship Tuesday afternoon at the par-72, 7,005-yard Riverhill Country Club in Kerrville, Texas. Official Championship Website | Men's Results - Team | Men's Results - Individual | Day Two Photo Gallery | Interview w/UST head coach Billy Tuten and Jonathan Miller | Interview w/Zhao Yung Gu, Schreiner University
Cool and dreary weather greeted the field on Championship Tuesday, which shaped up as a three-horse race with St. Thomas entering the final round holding a one shot lead over Trinity University and a two shot lead over the host school, Schreiner University.
Behind all-conference performances from all four of its scoring players, the Celts surged late and earned its first-ever SCAC men's golf title, shooting a team score of 294 on Tuesday to finish with a three-day total of 884 (+20) and finish seven shots clear of Schreiner, who finished with an 891 (+27). As clustered as teams were heading into Tuesday's final round, the final margin of seven shots is the largest team victory since the Southwestern men defeated Trinity by nine shots at the 2017 championships.
Jonathan Miller paced UST with rounds of 73, 75 and 71 to finish at 219 (+3), earning the senior First Team all-SCAC honors and a tie for second in the 42-player field. His 71 on Tuesday, highlighted by four birdies and 11 pars, was the second-lowest round of the day and moved him four positions up the individual leaderboard. Teammates Cade Kiser and Patrick Smetek earned Second Team all-SCAC accolades, both finishing with three-round totals of 222 (+6) - good for a tie for sixth place. Cameron Curtis rounded out the Celt all-SCAC contingent with his 223 (+7) and ninth place finish.
Led by individual medalist Zhao Yung Gu, Schreiner posted a final round 299 and finished at 891. Yung Gu, who was seven shots behind the individual leader after Monday's first round, fired rounds of 71, 74 and 72 to finish at 217 (+1), two shots clear of both Miller of St. Thomas and Trinity's Daniel Nunez. He had 37 pars over the three days (second most in the field) and eight birdies, including one on 17 during Tuesday's final round that provided the cushion needed in the battle for medalist honors.
The Mountaineers' Jake Sitterle joined Yung Gu on the all-SCAC squad, earning Second Team honors with his three-round total of 223 (+7), good for a tie for ninth.
First-round leader Trinity finished in third place with a three-round total of 897 (+33). The Tigers, who were the conference's highest ranked team entering the event at No. 14, received all-SCAC performances from both Nunez and Carter Code. Nunez held the individual lead for much of the tournament, which included a SCAC single-round record 64 in Monday's opening round, but slipped to a tie for second (219, +3) after a final round 79. Code fired rounds of 71, 75 and 75 to finish in fifth place at 221 (+5) and join Nunez on the all-SCAC First Team.
Rounding out the final team standings, defending champion Southwestern University placed fourth with a three-round total of 909 (+45) and University of Dallas was fifth at 913 (+49). Led by Tobey Wills' fourth-place finish (220, +4), Texas Lutheran finished sixth with a 931 (+67). Wills was the only golfer to repeat as a First Team selection from a year ago. Centenary College rounded out the team standings at 963 (+99), as the Gents' Andrew Bennett earned all-SCAC Second Team honors by shooting 222 (+6) which tied him for sixth place with two other golfers.
For the first time since 2013, the SCAC will send its conference champion to the NCAA tournament via an automatic berth, with St. Thomas earning that distinction and trip to Keene Trace in Nicholasville, Kentucky for this year's championship, May 16-19. Other conference teams and individuals will await word of at-large selections when the NCAA makes that announcement on Monday, May 1.
2023 All-SCAC Men's Golf First Team
1. Zhao Yung Gu, Schreiner - 71-74-72--217
T2. Jonathan Miller, St. Thomas - 73-75-71--219
T2. Daniel Nunez, Trinity - 64-76-79--219
4. Tobey Wills, Texas Lutheran - 73-73-74--220
5. Carter Code, Trinity - 71-75-75--221
2023 All-SCAC Men's Golf Second Team
T6. Cade Kiser, St. Thomas - 74-75-73--222
T6. Patrick Smetek, St. Thomas - 72-75-75--222
T6. Andrew Bennett, Centenary - 77-75-70--222
T9. Jake Sitterle, Schreiner - 73-75-75--223
T9. Cameron Curtis, St. Thomas - 72-76-75--223
2023 All-SCAC Men's Golf Honorable Mention
11. Jacob Mason, Trinity - 74-75-75--224
20. Christian Rodriguez, Southwestern - 83-74-75--232
2023 SCAC Men's Golf Tournament Medalist
Zhao Yung Gu, Schreiner University
For a complete wrap-up of today's final round, including a Day Two photo gallery, click here for the official website of the 2023 SCAC Men's Golf Championship.
