Led by senior Steven Chervony, Texas finished in sixth place as a team this week at the Tavistock Collegiate Invitational in Florida. The team had a rough week, and Chervony was the only Longhorn to finish under par for the tournament, tying for 14th individually.
Cole Hammer shot three consecutive rounds of 1-over par 73 to find himself in a tie for 25th. Drew Jones, Spencer Soosman and Pierceson Coody ended up individually tying for 17th, 22nd and 56th, respectively.
The Tavistock was a disappointing way to finish off the 2018 fall schedule. After the team finished in the top five in its three previous starts, the Longhorns weren’t able to do so this week. This tournament is the only event this fall in which at least one Longhorn did not finish in the top 10 individually. Although it was not the conclusion they were hoping for, the team has a lot of positives to look back on to carry into the spring season.
“There have been some real positives,” head coach John Fields said. “Second in the Gopher Invitational, a top five at the Nike Collegiate, that’s nothing to scoff at. We haven’t experienced a big lead, and we haven’t experienced a comeback yet, but we will. Those things are coming.”
Fields has high expectations for the team heading into the spring, especially for the freshmen. Hammer, Pierceson and his twin brother Parker Coody came to Texas with numerous junior and amateur wins to their names. He does not believe that their lack of experience playing collegiate golf will be an insurmountable obstacle to the team’s overall success.
“Right now, we’ve got quite a bit of experience, and we’ve got enthusiasm,” Fields said. “We know that there are teams that probably have a bit more experience than we do, but we think with our enthusiasm and energy, we can catch those guys. We just need to be conscious of what we’re doing and give ourselves the best opportunity to win every week that we play.”
The Longhorns started the fall season ranked No. 10 in the nation and finished at No. 13, according to Golfweek. The team doesn’t tee it up again until February, leaving them with plenty of time in the off-season to prepare for the long spring season ahead. Their first event in the spring will be the Amer Ari Invitational in Hawaii, beginning on Feb. 7.
