January 30, 2023
The Texas men’s golf team is setting its sights on another national championship as it starts the spring season. The No. 18 Longhorns had their ups and downs in the fall, but a lineup consisting of veteran leadership and dynamic freshmen has the pieces needed to compete for a fifth NCAA championship.
Senior Travis Vick is having a terrific season so far, posting a 71.10 stroke average, good enough for second on the team. The Houston product has delivered in big moments in the past. Vick’s 1-up win over Arizona State’s Cameron Sisk sealed the national title for the Longhorns in June 2022.
“He always seems to come up big in the big moment,” Texas head coach John Fields said about Vick after his team won the 2022 national title.
Vick’s best finish this past fall was at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup, where he tied for ninth place. The three-time All-American also competed in two PGA TOUR events last fall, the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba and the Cadence Bank Houston Open. Vick was recently named to the 2023 Ben Hogan Award watch list, which is given annually to the top men’s collegiate golfer.
Another player named to the Ben Hogan Award watch list is Christiaan Maas. The freshman phenom out of Pretoria, South Africa is making an immediate impact for the Longhorns. Leading the team with a 70.30 stroke average, Maas’ tie for third place at the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational is the highest placing in his young collegiate career. Maas competed in a couple of professional events in December, including the Investec South African Open Championship, where he won the tournament’s low amateur award, the Freddie Tait Cup. He also made an appearance in the Alfred Dunhill Championship, settling for 17th place.
The former top recruit in the state of Texas, freshman Keaton Vo, has been a nice addition to the team. Fresh off a state championship at nearby Anderson High School, Vo has brought his winning mentality to the Longhorns. His fall highlights included a 4-0-1 individual record in match play at the Big 12 Championship and a tie for 4th in the individual rankings at the East Lake Cup.
Senior Mason Nome steadily improved over the course of the season after a shaky start, tying for 47th place at both the OFCC Fighting Illini Invitational and the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational. However, Nome made visible improvements over the course of the fall. He had a better outing at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup, where he finished in a tie for 23rd.
Sophomore Alejandro Gonzalez and freshman Jacob Sosa also played sparingly in the fall. Gonzalez’s best play was at the East Lake Cup, where he finished in a collegiate-best tie for sixth in the individual rankings. Sosa tied for 31st in his college debut at the OFCC Fighting Illini Invitational.
With half a season under its belt, the Longhorns will look to build upon the fall season as they attempt to win another national championship. The road starts at the Southwestern Invitational from Monday to Wednesday.