Texas won its first tournament of the season on Tuesday, finishing with a 20-stroke victory at the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate.

No. 7 Texas combined for a score of 836 for the tournament, good for 4 under par. Alabama, the host of the event, and Clemson tied for second with a score of 856 (+16).

The Longhorns were led once again by senior Dylan Frittelli, who finished as the second leading individual scorer for the second tournament in a row, shooting a 203 (-7). Only Corbin Mills of Clemson, 201 (-9), recorded a better score.

Two other Longhorns joined Frittelli in the top 10. Junior Cody Gribble finished fifth with a score of 209 (-1) and freshman Jordan Spieth tied for sixth place by shooting an even par 210. In addition, junior Julio Vegas shot a 215 for the tournament, with sophomore Toni Hakula recording a score of 220.

The Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate was just the second tournament of the year for the Longhorns, who finished in fifth place at the Olympia Fields Invitational last month. Following the victory, Texas head coach John Fields was pleased with the performance of his golfers.

“We played really well on a great golf course against a really fine field,” Fields said. “I’m really happy with our guys.”

Texas will have an opportunity to win a second consecutive tournament next week at the Jack Nicklaus Invitational in Columbus, Ohio.

Printed on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 as: Texas starts season off right by winning its opening event