The United States Golf Association has finalized the pairings for Thursday and Friday's first two rounds of the U.S. Open at Bethpage State Park in New York.
Texas A&M's Bronson Burgoon will tee off the 10th hole on Thursday at 7:50 a.m. (CDT). Friday, Burgoon will begin on the first hole at 1:20 p.m. (CDT).
Burgoon will be playing both days with professionals Craig Bowden and Chris Kirk. Bowden is a 40-year-old from Indiana who will be playing in his fourth Open. Bowden's best Open finish was a tie for 50th in 2002, the last time the tournament was played at Bethpage. He qualified via a sectional qualifier in Columbus, Ohio, finishing one stroke clear of a nine-man playoff for one spot. Kirk, 24, played college golf for Georgia and made the cut last year in his only Open. Kirk qualified for this year's the field via a six-man playoff for four spots in the sectional qualifier in Rockville, Md.
Burgoon, as everyone knows by now, clinched Texas A&M's recent national championship with his stunning 18th hole gap wedge to within inches of the cup three weeks ago. He played his way into the Open field by finishing second at a sectional qualifier in Dallas on June 8, firing rounds of 69-69=138 to make the field by one shot. This will be Burgoon's first U.S. Open appearance.
Former Aggie star Andrew Parr of Canada also made the field for the first time. He will tee off Thursday on the first hole at 8:01 a.m. (CDT). Friday, Parr will begin on the 10th hole at 1:31 p.m. (CDT). Parr, who graduated from A&M in 2006, currently plays on the Canadian Tour.
Coverage for Thursday's and Friday's rounds will be from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on ESPN; 2-4 p.m. on NBC; and 4-6 p.m. on ESPN (all times listed as CDT).
Showing posts with label men's golf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label men's golf. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Behind The Scenes Of A National Title
The dust is beginning to settle in Aggieland around the national title captured by the men's golf team one week ago.
Coach J.T. Higgins has admitted it's been a whirlwind since then, with well-wishers flooding his house when the team arrived back in town and interview requests popping up at almost every turn. Higgins and assistant coach Jonathan Dismuke are tireless recruiters, and they'll be busy on the recruiting trail this summer, as well as hosting golf camps at their spacious accommodations at Traditions Club in Bryan.
The Associated Press published a story recently about sophomore Conrad Shindler, who departed College Station almost immediately so he could caddy for touring pro Todd Hamilton in the PGA Tour's Memorial this weekend. Shindler had an interesting quote in the story, about how the reality of last week still hasn't quite set in:
"I still wake up every morning and turn on my computer,'' he said. "I've got the picture of me and my teammates with the trophy and I have to look at that every time to remind myself that we're the national champions.''
Indeed, as someone who has been wrapped up in almost every Aggie sport on campus in the last decade, I'm guilty of doing the occasional double-check to make sure it really happened. In fact, I remember doing an interview with Gary Blair during basketball season, and I asked him what was on his Bucket List of things he wanted to accomplish before his career was over. He reversed the question on me, asking me what I had on my list.
My immediate response was: "I want to see the Aggies win a national championship, and I don't care what sport it's in."
At the time, I thought he might be the first coach to accomplish that feat in the maroon and white. But, I couldn't be happier for Higgins, Dismuke and everyone associated with Aggie golf.
But looking back at their magical week at Inverness, it's amazing to think about how many things had to happen for A&M to claim the crown.
- Winning the stroke play tiebreaker with Georgia: This was huge, allowing the Aggies to avoid playing top-seeded Oklahoma State in the opening round of match play. OSU has been a longtime nemesis to A&M, even toppling the Aggies at Traditions Club during the Aggie Invitational in April. But, I should also point out how important it was for A&M to...
- Make it in the playoff with Georgia in the first place: How big was Conrad Shindler's hole in one in the opening round. Not only did he ace the hardest par 3 on the course, but the Aggies had to have that perfect shot to even make it in to the tiebreaker with Georgia. If Shindler's ball doesn't take the perfect bounce and roll in, A&M is at least one shot back (and possibly in danger of finishing out of the top eight altogether).
- Long shot Michigan upending No. 3 USC in the Elite Eight: Michigan wasn't ranked anywhere near the top 25 at the start of the week, but the Wolverines not only made it to match play, but they also wiped out a dangerous USC team. The Aggies would have drawn USC in the Final Four, but instead played Michigan.
- Saying the exact right things to Bronson Burgoon: Burgoon admitted his head was spinning after he lost four consecutive holes on the back 9. During that stretch, Burgoon asked the Aggie coaches and players to give him some space and not do too much talking. After his tee shot on 18 found the rough, though, Higgins sent in Dismuke to say a few words. With the pin tucked left and a ridge on the green to the right of the hole, Dismuke had to make sure Burgoon wasn't flirting with danger by firing at the pin. Whatever Dismuke said to Burgoon worked like a charm.
- "One of the greatest shots in college golf history": This one needs no explanation, but who knows would would have happen if Burgoon had hung his shot out to the right and had to put down the ridge, or missed the green altogether.
Winning a championship is such a monumental accomplishment. To be certain, the Aggies deserved to be crowned national champs. A&M played the best, most consistent golf of anyone in the field over the course of the week. The Aggies also took advantage of a few bits of good fortune that lady luck tossed their way, and, sometimes in sports, that can be hard to do.
Coach J.T. Higgins has admitted it's been a whirlwind since then, with well-wishers flooding his house when the team arrived back in town and interview requests popping up at almost every turn. Higgins and assistant coach Jonathan Dismuke are tireless recruiters, and they'll be busy on the recruiting trail this summer, as well as hosting golf camps at their spacious accommodations at Traditions Club in Bryan.
The Associated Press published a story recently about sophomore Conrad Shindler, who departed College Station almost immediately so he could caddy for touring pro Todd Hamilton in the PGA Tour's Memorial this weekend. Shindler had an interesting quote in the story, about how the reality of last week still hasn't quite set in:
"I still wake up every morning and turn on my computer,'' he said. "I've got the picture of me and my teammates with the trophy and I have to look at that every time to remind myself that we're the national champions.''
Indeed, as someone who has been wrapped up in almost every Aggie sport on campus in the last decade, I'm guilty of doing the occasional double-check to make sure it really happened. In fact, I remember doing an interview with Gary Blair during basketball season, and I asked him what was on his Bucket List of things he wanted to accomplish before his career was over. He reversed the question on me, asking me what I had on my list.
My immediate response was: "I want to see the Aggies win a national championship, and I don't care what sport it's in."
At the time, I thought he might be the first coach to accomplish that feat in the maroon and white. But, I couldn't be happier for Higgins, Dismuke and everyone associated with Aggie golf.
But looking back at their magical week at Inverness, it's amazing to think about how many things had to happen for A&M to claim the crown.
- Winning the stroke play tiebreaker with Georgia: This was huge, allowing the Aggies to avoid playing top-seeded Oklahoma State in the opening round of match play. OSU has been a longtime nemesis to A&M, even toppling the Aggies at Traditions Club during the Aggie Invitational in April. But, I should also point out how important it was for A&M to...
- Make it in the playoff with Georgia in the first place: How big was Conrad Shindler's hole in one in the opening round. Not only did he ace the hardest par 3 on the course, but the Aggies had to have that perfect shot to even make it in to the tiebreaker with Georgia. If Shindler's ball doesn't take the perfect bounce and roll in, A&M is at least one shot back (and possibly in danger of finishing out of the top eight altogether).
- Long shot Michigan upending No. 3 USC in the Elite Eight: Michigan wasn't ranked anywhere near the top 25 at the start of the week, but the Wolverines not only made it to match play, but they also wiped out a dangerous USC team. The Aggies would have drawn USC in the Final Four, but instead played Michigan.
- Saying the exact right things to Bronson Burgoon: Burgoon admitted his head was spinning after he lost four consecutive holes on the back 9. During that stretch, Burgoon asked the Aggie coaches and players to give him some space and not do too much talking. After his tee shot on 18 found the rough, though, Higgins sent in Dismuke to say a few words. With the pin tucked left and a ridge on the green to the right of the hole, Dismuke had to make sure Burgoon wasn't flirting with danger by firing at the pin. Whatever Dismuke said to Burgoon worked like a charm.
- "One of the greatest shots in college golf history": This one needs no explanation, but who knows would would have happen if Burgoon had hung his shot out to the right and had to put down the ridge, or missed the green altogether.
Winning a championship is such a monumental accomplishment. To be certain, the Aggies deserved to be crowned national champs. A&M played the best, most consistent golf of anyone in the field over the course of the week. The Aggies also took advantage of a few bits of good fortune that lady luck tossed their way, and, sometimes in sports, that can be hard to do.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!
Artwork courtesy of AggieAthletics.com
The Texas A&M men's golf team has captured the 2009 National Title!
Congratulations to coach J.T. Higgins and the entire Aggie squad for what was a remarkable win at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. After splitting the first four matches with Arkansas the pressure turned to senior Bronson Burgoon, who saw a 4-up lead turn into a tied match on the 18th hole.
Landry looked to be in control after he found the fairway off the 18th tee while Burgoon missed the fairway well to the right. After Landry's approach settled well short of the pin, Burgoon came up with the most clutch shot of his career. His ball landed on the green and fed down a slope, narrowly missing the hole and coming to rest just inches from the cup.
Landry missed his birdie putt to tie, and the celebration was on as the Aggie players mobbed Burgoon on the green. The title was the first ever for an Aggie golf team, and the first by any A&M squad since 1987.
We will have more coverage of this historic accomplishment in the coming days. Congratulations, again, to the 2009 NCAA Men's Golf National Champions!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
It's In The Hole!
Mega props are due to A&M sophomore Conrad Shindler.
The Coppell, Texas, native recorded a hole-in-one today on the biggest stage in college golf, acing the third hole at Inverness Club in the opening round of the NCAA Championships. As of this writing, there was no word yet about which club Shindler used on the 200-yard hole, but the feat is certainly one that he'll talk about for the rest of his life.
Shindler has is playing in his ninth event of the year for A&M, which trails only Bronson Burgoon and Andrea Pavan. He owns a 75.00 scoring average, with his season-best round of 67 coming at the John Burns Intercollegiate in Leilahua, Hawaii, in February.
The five-member Aggie team at this week's NCAA Championships is Shindler, Burgoon, Pavan, John Hurley and Matt Van Zandt.
And since we're busy passing out kudos, some are due to the NCAA for the new format of the men's tournament. This year's tournament will consist of 54 holes to determine the individual champion. After three rounds, the top eight teams will advance to match play. Unlike stroke play where four of a team's five best scores count, the match play portion will include every player in the scoring. A team will need three or more singles wins to earn a victory.
In previous years, the field played three rounds before a 54-hole cut trimmed the field to 15 for the final round. While that format is more like a PGA Tour event, the new format puts an extra emphasis on the entire team and will create an easily-watchable head-to-head feel for the final rounds.
The Coppell, Texas, native recorded a hole-in-one today on the biggest stage in college golf, acing the third hole at Inverness Club in the opening round of the NCAA Championships. As of this writing, there was no word yet about which club Shindler used on the 200-yard hole, but the feat is certainly one that he'll talk about for the rest of his life.
Shindler has is playing in his ninth event of the year for A&M, which trails only Bronson Burgoon and Andrea Pavan. He owns a 75.00 scoring average, with his season-best round of 67 coming at the John Burns Intercollegiate in Leilahua, Hawaii, in February.
The five-member Aggie team at this week's NCAA Championships is Shindler, Burgoon, Pavan, John Hurley and Matt Van Zandt.
And since we're busy passing out kudos, some are due to the NCAA for the new format of the men's tournament. This year's tournament will consist of 54 holes to determine the individual champion. After three rounds, the top eight teams will advance to match play. Unlike stroke play where four of a team's five best scores count, the match play portion will include every player in the scoring. A team will need three or more singles wins to earn a victory.
In previous years, the field played three rounds before a 54-hole cut trimmed the field to 15 for the final round. While that format is more like a PGA Tour event, the new format puts an extra emphasis on the entire team and will create an easily-watchable head-to-head feel for the final rounds.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
No 'SI' jinx here!
I posted a story last week about former Aggie golfer Martin Piller, who is in the midst of a pretty successful season on the Nationwide Tour (the golf equivalent of baseball's triple-A league). Piller, who completed his Texas A&M eligibility one year ago, currently sits at No. 7 on the Nationwide Tour money list--a very important slot considering the top 25 at the end of the year earn full-time status on the PGA Tour.
Last week, Piller earned one of a handful of sponsors exemptions into the PGA Tour's Valero Texas Open in San Antonio, and we are proud to report that Piller excelled in his first Tour event.
Not only did the Duncanville, Texas, native make the cut, his Saturday round of 64 vaulted him into the top 25 prior to Sunday's final round. His Sunday score of 71 gave him a 6-under-par total (69-70-64-71=274) and tied him for 40th overall. He earned a cool $22,570 for his efforts, equalling about 20 percent of what he's already won this season on the Nationwide Tour.
Piller's solid finish went along nicely with the way a few other Aggies played in San Antonio. Fellow Class of 2008er Robert Gates played his way into the Valero field courtesy of a Monday qualifier. Gates also proved his mettle, finishing a shot back of Piller. Gates opened with a 3-over-par 73 but played his next two rounds in 9-under. He finished tied for 47th.
Former A&M All-American Jeff Maggert ended in a tie for 32nd, giving A&M three top 50 finishers in the tournament. The trio finished ahead of players like Chad Campbell, Carlos Franco, Rocco Mediate and Anthony Kim.
Last week, Piller earned one of a handful of sponsors exemptions into the PGA Tour's Valero Texas Open in San Antonio, and we are proud to report that Piller excelled in his first Tour event.
Not only did the Duncanville, Texas, native make the cut, his Saturday round of 64 vaulted him into the top 25 prior to Sunday's final round. His Sunday score of 71 gave him a 6-under-par total (69-70-64-71=274) and tied him for 40th overall. He earned a cool $22,570 for his efforts, equalling about 20 percent of what he's already won this season on the Nationwide Tour.
Piller's solid finish went along nicely with the way a few other Aggies played in San Antonio. Fellow Class of 2008er Robert Gates played his way into the Valero field courtesy of a Monday qualifier. Gates also proved his mettle, finishing a shot back of Piller. Gates opened with a 3-over-par 73 but played his next two rounds in 9-under. He finished tied for 47th.
Former A&M All-American Jeff Maggert ended in a tie for 32nd, giving A&M three top 50 finishers in the tournament. The trio finished ahead of players like Chad Campbell, Carlos Franco, Rocco Mediate and Anthony Kim.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Former Aggie Golfer Seeing Success On Pro Tour
Martin Piller’s eyes brightened immediately as he pulled up to the first hole of a recent golf outing at Traditions Club in Bryan. Just off the tee box was the ‘Spirit of ’02’—the cannon fired after touchdowns at Kyle Field—and two members of the Parson’s Mounted Cavalry unit in full game-day attire.
A blast from the cannon was to serve as the official starting gun for a tournament benefiting a junior golf organization, and the former Texas A&M golf standout had returned to the area to take part. The event served as Piller’s first trip back to College Station in some time, and he excitedly reminisced to his playing partners about some of his fondest memories from his days in Aggieland.
Piller, who played for A&M from 2005-08, may not spend much time around College Station these days, but he is certainly making plenty of new memories traversing the links on the Nationwide Tour. The Nationwide Tour, which is operated by the PGA Tour, serves as the developmental circuit for players striving to earn a full-time spot on the PGA Tour.
Piller advanced all the way to the final stage of the PGA Tour’s Qualifying School last December before finishing 40th out of 161 participants. While he missed earning his PGA Tour card by a mere five shots, his finish was good enough to earn a full exemption on the Nationwide Tour.
So far this season, Piller has proven that he belongs.
The Duncanville native currently sits at No. 7 on the Nationwide money list—a very important ranking since the top 25 at the end of the year will earn a slot on the 2010 PGA Tour.
“It has always been a dream, something I talked about as a little kid,” said Piller recently from his hotel room in between rounds of the South Georgia Classic. “I could name a ton of guys who would trade spots with me and do anything to be where I am. I feel so fortunate because the chances of making it are so slim.”
They certainly are, particularly when you consider the annual Qualifying School consists of four separate stages, with the final stage being a six-round marathon. Simply making it that far is a monumental accomplishment, and last year’s field included nearly two dozen players who had won titles on the PGA Tour.
It was certainly a rapid rise for Piller, who struggled to find the lineup during his senior season with the Aggies. He played in 11 tournaments in 2007 but just five in 2008.
“He never played poorly (during our qualifying rounds), but other guys were beating him out,” recalled A&M coach J.T. Higgins. “He always seemed to be the sixth man or the next guy who would have qualified. He wanted to have a great senior season, but the more that happened, the more pressure he put on himself.”
As it turned out, however, that season’s struggles likely served as a turning point in Piller’s career. He has adapted a more relaxed approach to the game and began making a conscious effort to not take the trials and tribulations on the course so seriously. Instead of grinding through long pre-round practice sessions and agonizing over every decision on the course, Piller instead kept it simple and began playing with a more free-spirited attitude.
It has certainly paid off for Piller—literally.
His best finish to date is a second place in the New Zealand Open. After opening with solid rounds of 67-69-68, Piller found himself sleeping with the lead on Saturday night. He certainly didn’t play scared, despite crowds that exceeded 20,000 on Sunday. His final round included more birdies than pars (eight birdies to seven pars), and he finished with a 4-under 68. Unfortunately for Piller, fellow American Alex Prugh, who started one shot back, rattled off two eagles during a final-round 64 to claim the title by three shots.
Still, Piller earned a hefty $64,800 payday for his second-place finish. He also garnered some favor with the local fans after donning a newly purchased shirt for his walk up the 18th fairway.
“Earlier in the week, I bought a New Zealand All Blacks jersey—their national rugby team,” Piller said. “I wanted to show the crowd that I liked their country, and they loved it. I don’t want to be that golfer who is so focused and boring. Everybody likes the guy like (PGA Tour pro) Rocco Mediate, who is easy to talks to and shows a little personality.”
Piller’s friendly, easy-going personality plays well in front of a crowd, and so far the galleries have seen a lot of the budding professional. He made the cut in seven of his first eight tournaments, and he currently owns the tour’s eighth-best scoring average (70.40).
He also earned a sponsor’s exemption into this week’s PGA Tour Valero Texas Open, which starts Thursday at La Cantera in San Antonio.
All the while, Piller proudly tells anyone who asks where he went to college.
“I’m so proud when somebody asks me where I went to college,” said Piller, whose golf bag is adorned with A&M memorabilia, including an Ol’ Sarge head cover on his driver. “I always answer with the most pride and confidence.”
Not surprisingly, Piller does his best to keep up with the players on the Aggie golf team, and he jumps at every chance to return to campus.
“He is someone who is going to give back to this university for the rest of his life,” Higgins said. “He’s a great ambassador for Texas A&M, and the great thing is he’s just getting started. It’s just going to get bigger and better for him. He’s about as good a guy as you’re ever going to meet, so I’m really happy for his success.”
NOTES - Piller isn’t the only recent Aggie graduate to play in this week’s PGA Tour stop in San Antonio. Robert Gates (no relation to former A&M president despite the ironic name) won a spot in the field during a qualifier earlier this week. In fact, the two former teammates will tee off within moments of each other. In tomorrow’s first round, Gates tees off at 1:55, while Piller tees off in the following group at 2:05. Friday, the two tee off at 8:55 and 9:05, respectively…Piller has four top-25 finishes out of eight starts on the Nationwide Tour, and three of those have been top-10 efforts. The only Nationwide member with more top-25s is money leader Michael Sim, who has five…Gates has played in two tournaments on the Canadian Professional Golf Tour. He tallied a third-place effort in the Costa Rica Classic and a 10th place finish in the Corona Mazatlan Classic Mexican PGA Championship.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Weekend By The Numbers
35-7 - Scoring advantage for the baseball team in its four games last week. A&M bounced No. 1 Rice on Tuesday before scoring 28 runs in three games in a weekend sweep of Nebraska.
7 - Consecutive games in which the Aggie baseball team has not committed an error. The streak is the longest of its kind in school record books, which date to 1985. A&M is fielding at a solid .987 mark in Big 12 play.
0 - Losses at Olsen Field during Big 12 play. A&M has won all eight of its league games at home and currently sits at second place in the Big 12 standings with an 11-7 record.
65 - First-round score for senior Bronson Burgoon on Saturday at the Aggie Invitational at Traditions Club in Bryan. Burgoon's round of 7-under tied a school record and included seven birdies and no bogeys.
.018 - Combined margin of victory (in seconds) by the men's track team in the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays at the LSU Invitational. The Aggies edged LSU in both races, winning the 4 x 100 by a 39.06-39.07 margin and the 4 x 400 by an even narrower 3:06.152-3:06.160. You can't get much closer than that!
147 - Yards receiving for sophomore-to-be Jeff Fuller in the Maroon & White game Saturday. Fuller pulled down nine receptions, one of which was a 30-yard touchdown.
10 - Matches that have been decided by a 4-3 margin for the men's tennis team. A&M owns a 13-7 overall record and a 7-3 mark in one-point matches. The team's two final regular season matches finished with a 4-3 score, with the most recent being a narrow victory over rival Texas last Thursday.
11 - Consecutive wins by the women's tennis team over Kansas. A&M picked up a 6-1 victory over the Jayhawks in Lawrence on Sunday and finished Big 12 play with a 9-2 record.
7 - Consecutive games in which the Aggie baseball team has not committed an error. The streak is the longest of its kind in school record books, which date to 1985. A&M is fielding at a solid .987 mark in Big 12 play.
0 - Losses at Olsen Field during Big 12 play. A&M has won all eight of its league games at home and currently sits at second place in the Big 12 standings with an 11-7 record.
65 - First-round score for senior Bronson Burgoon on Saturday at the Aggie Invitational at Traditions Club in Bryan. Burgoon's round of 7-under tied a school record and included seven birdies and no bogeys.
.018 - Combined margin of victory (in seconds) by the men's track team in the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays at the LSU Invitational. The Aggies edged LSU in both races, winning the 4 x 100 by a 39.06-39.07 margin and the 4 x 400 by an even narrower 3:06.152-3:06.160. You can't get much closer than that!
147 - Yards receiving for sophomore-to-be Jeff Fuller in the Maroon & White game Saturday. Fuller pulled down nine receptions, one of which was a 30-yard touchdown.
10 - Matches that have been decided by a 4-3 margin for the men's tennis team. A&M owns a 13-7 overall record and a 7-3 mark in one-point matches. The team's two final regular season matches finished with a 4-3 score, with the most recent being a narrow victory over rival Texas last Thursday.
11 - Consecutive wins by the women's tennis team over Kansas. A&M picked up a 6-1 victory over the Jayhawks in Lawrence on Sunday and finished Big 12 play with a 9-2 record.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Weekend By The Numbers
3 - Times in the last four years that the Texas A&M equestrian team has entered the Varsity Equestrian National Championships as the No. 1 seed in the western bracket. The Aggies will compete at the national championships on April 16-18 at the Heart O'Texas Coliseum in Waco.
19-0 - The record of the Texas A&M baseball team (through April 5) when leading after six innings. Conversely, the Aggies were 1-11 when trailing after six innings.
4-0 - The record of the Texas A&M volleyball team at the fourth Annual Texas Tornados College Spring Tournament in Houston during the first weekend of April. The Aggies beat TCU, Denver, North Texas and Wichita State en
route to a perfect record.
6 - Events won by the Aggie track and field teams at the recent Texas Relays in Austin. A&M was named the event's Most Outstanding Team after picking up wins in the men's and women's 4 x 200 relays, men's and women's triple jump and women's 100 meter dash.
168 yards - Length of the 13th hole at the Golf Club of Georgia, where A&M senior Clay Hodge recorded a hole-in-one during the opening round of the United States Collegiate Championship. Hodges aced the hole on April 5 with his 7-iron.
14-0 - Combined record of the men's and women's tennis teams from March 12-April 5. Each squad won seven straight, with all of the women's wins coming against Big 12 competition. The men's team posted three wins over league foes, as well as consecutive victories over top-10 ranked non-conference teams.
19-0 - The record of the Texas A&M baseball team (through April 5) when leading after six innings. Conversely, the Aggies were 1-11 when trailing after six innings.
4-0 - The record of the Texas A&M volleyball team at the fourth Annual Texas Tornados College Spring Tournament in Houston during the first weekend of April. The Aggies beat TCU, Denver, North Texas and Wichita State en
route to a perfect record.
6 - Events won by the Aggie track and field teams at the recent Texas Relays in Austin. A&M was named the event's Most Outstanding Team after picking up wins in the men's and women's 4 x 200 relays, men's and women's triple jump and women's 100 meter dash.
168 yards - Length of the 13th hole at the Golf Club of Georgia, where A&M senior Clay Hodge recorded a hole-in-one during the opening round of the United States Collegiate Championship. Hodges aced the hole on April 5 with his 7-iron.
14-0 - Combined record of the men's and women's tennis teams from March 12-April 5. Each squad won seven straight, with all of the women's wins coming against Big 12 competition. The men's team posted three wins over league foes, as well as consecutive victories over top-10 ranked non-conference teams.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Gotta Love A Good Practical Joke
In honor of yesterday being April Fool's Day (I managed to go the full 24 hours without getting pranked), I wanted to pass along this story. I interviewed assistant men's golf coach Jonathan Dismuke for a Coaches Corner feature in the upcoming issue of 12th Man Magazine, and it turns out he has a pretty good sense of humor.
The story comes from the team's recent trip to play in a tournament in San Diego, where a certain player who shall remain nameless (and an unsuspecting hotel guest) learned a tough--albeit funny--lesson.
In Dismuke's words:
"Being a coach, you’re always trying to teach people lessons. (The player) knocks on my door at 5:30 in the morning, and he’s just gotten out of the shower and has nothing but a towel on. Well, that’s a terrible idea because where do you put your hotel key if you don't have clothes on? You don’t have it. So, if you’re roommate’s not in there or he's in the shower, you can’t get back in your room.
"He’s wanting to wear a different belt that day, so I said, ‘You’re going to have to ask coach (J.T. Higgins)...He’s down in room 236.’ Well, I knew J.T. was staying in room 240—and already downstairs. (The player) goes and knocks on 236, and some other guy stumbles out to see our guy who has on nothing but a towel.
"So I got to thinking, actually, I taught two people a lesson. First, I taught our player not to leave his hotel room in just a towel. I taught the other guy that you don’t answer your hotel door at 5:30 in the morning."
I'll be keeping my wits about me the next time I'm out at Traditions Club. So, make that three people who learned a lesson from this story!
The story comes from the team's recent trip to play in a tournament in San Diego, where a certain player who shall remain nameless (and an unsuspecting hotel guest) learned a tough--albeit funny--lesson.
In Dismuke's words:
"Being a coach, you’re always trying to teach people lessons. (The player) knocks on my door at 5:30 in the morning, and he’s just gotten out of the shower and has nothing but a towel on. Well, that’s a terrible idea because where do you put your hotel key if you don't have clothes on? You don’t have it. So, if you’re roommate’s not in there or he's in the shower, you can’t get back in your room.
"He’s wanting to wear a different belt that day, so I said, ‘You’re going to have to ask coach (J.T. Higgins)...He’s down in room 236.’ Well, I knew J.T. was staying in room 240—and already downstairs. (The player) goes and knocks on 236, and some other guy stumbles out to see our guy who has on nothing but a towel.
"So I got to thinking, actually, I taught two people a lesson. First, I taught our player not to leave his hotel room in just a towel. I taught the other guy that you don’t answer your hotel door at 5:30 in the morning."
I'll be keeping my wits about me the next time I'm out at Traditions Club. So, make that three people who learned a lesson from this story!
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