The Longhorns teed off for the first time in their 2017–18 campaign this weekend at the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational in Olympia Fields, finishing eighth at the conclusion of the three-day tournament.

Texas collectively shot 26-over-par in three rounds, trailing tournament winner Texas A&M by 29 strokes. Conference rivals Oklahoma State and Baylor also finished above the Longhorns, scoring 10-over-par and 12-over-par, respectively.  

After finishing Friday at No. 13 in the team standings, Texas bounced back with impressive team performances on Saturday and Sunday with scores of 283 and 286. The Longhorns’ comeback effort was fueled by performances from senior Scottie Scheffler and sophomore Nick Costello, who each shot a round of 69.

Scheffler, who won U.S. Open low-amateur honors earlier this year, led Texas in individual scoring with an aggregate score of 5-over-par, good enough to tie for No. 23 in the individual standings.

Including Scheffler, Texas had three players place in the top-30. Junior Steven Chervony tied for No. 28 and freshman Kristoffer Reitan ended his tournament sitting at No. 30 overall.  

The Invitational hosted 10 teams from the NCAA Division I preseason rankings, including five of the top 10 squads. Head coach John Fields said playing at a course as formidable as Olympia Fields Country Club provided the Longhorns with a good challenge early in the season.  

“It is always an honor to play at Olympia Fields,” Fields said. “It is a great golf course that educates you every time you play. This tournament will be a positive motivator for the rest of the season.”

The Longhorns’ break from the course after their trip will be short lived. They’ll return to action Sunday at the Trinity Forest Invitational in Dallas.