For most college golf programs, building a schedule is all about balance. Teams mix in manageable fields to secure wins while occasionally sprinkling in tougher competition. 

But for No. 3 Texas, it is the opposite. 

John Fields, men’s golf head coach, has built one of the nation’s most demanding schedules, hand-selecting tournaments that consistently pit the Longhorns against the country’s best teams, players and coaches. 

The philosophy is simple: if Texas wants to compete for a championship, it has to prepare like a championship team. 

“On a normal basis, our schedule is top-five in America, normally top-three in America, and sometimes the best schedule in America,” Fields said. “And the reason we do that, obviously, is to prepare our team for the postseason.”

The approach isn’t without risk. Under the NCAA’s “50% rule,” teams must finish the season with a winning percentage above .500 to qualify for regional championships and, ultimately, the NCAA championship. In stroke-play tournaments, each team’s finish is measured against every other team in the field, meaning a single event can account for multiple wins or losses. Teams that fall below that threshold are ineligible for postseason selection, regardless of ranking. The benchmark becomes exponentially harder with a stronger schedule. 

While many programs offset that risk by scheduling easier tournaments to secure wins, Texas deliberately avoids this strategy in favor of consistent high-level competition. 

“A lot of teams will dummy down their schedule so that they can get some easy wins,” Fields said. “We don’t do that. We try to have the strongest schedule that we possibly can.”

This season’s schedule certainly reflects that philosophy, with each tournament featuring an average of seven top-25 and three top-10 teams in the Scoreboard powered by Clippd rankings. 

Despite the difficult opponents, the Longhorns have performed well. 

Currently ranked No. 3 in Division I men’s golf, Texas has remained among the nation’s best throughout the season, having accumulated multiple tournament victories and eight top-three finishes. Most recently, Texas captured the team title at The Ford Collegiate, a tournament that featured six top-25 teams.

The consistency reflects a group that has grown accustomed to competing at the highest level. And for this team, that environment is exactly the point. 

“One of the biggest, quickest ways to get better is if you play with somebody on a regular basis that’s better than you (you will) unconsciously start doing what they’re doing,” senior Christiaan Maas said. 

Playing on elite courses against elite fields creates a separation, exposing weaknesses and sharpening strengths in ways that easier tournaments cannot.

“We’re in tournaments with people from the top-10 and the best colleges in golf. So that just makes our fields better, and our chances of getting better even better,” sophomore Eduardo Derbez Torres said.

The result is a team that is quite comfortable in high pressure situations. With every tournament featuring such elite talent, by the time postseason play arrives, the stage no longer feels unfamiliar. 

“You get used to big competitions … (and) good players,” Maas said. “Then, when you go to another big tournament, it’s just another tournament.”

All that’s left now, with the Southeastern Conference championship looming, is ensuring this team peaks when it matters most. 

“We have a team that, if we play well, we can beat anybody,” Fields said. “But our responsibility is to show up prepared to play.”

And if their schedule has shown them anything, it’s that they have the experience to contend.