BACK IN THE SWING OF THINGS

THE MEN’S GOLF TEAM IS ON THE HUNT FOR ITS SECOND CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE

PLENTY OF CHANGES took place for the Texas men’s golf team between the end of last May and this spring. However, one thing remained the same — the Longhorns’ determination to be the top college squad in the nation. Gone are several key cogs
from the group that won the Longhorns’ national championship last season (the first in
40 years).

Dylan Frittelli, who heroically drained a 30-foot putt on the 18th hole to clinch the title, finished his collegiate eligibility and now plays on the Sunshine Tour in his native country of South Africa. Jordan Spieth, the Longhorns’ freshman …

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 wunderkind from Dallas, turned pro after his fall semester and is now on the PGA Tour. Thanks to already earning more than $523,000 in four starts on the big tour, Spieth has secured a special exemption and tour membership for the rest of the season. But the cupboard was left far from dry.

The backbone of the national championship team — Julio Vegas, Cody Gribble and Toni Hakula — returned to the 40 Acres this season. Joining the ranks are Brandon Stone (also from South Africa), Johnathan Schnitzer, Kramer Hickok and Will Griffin.
Amateur sensation Beau Hossler from California, who received plenty of television airtime
during last year’s U.S. Open, is on the team but is sitting out this season.

Texas finished in the top four in seven of its first eight tournaments of the season,
including wins in the Carpet Capital Collegiate Classic in Georgia and the Bayou City Collegiate Championship outside Houston, where Stone, Vegas and Hakula finished 1-2-3 in the individual standings. Gribble lead the team in its third straight Morris Williams Intercollegiate title April 14, marking the Longhorns’ fourth win of the season. Texas also took first at the Augusta State Invitational. Stone has already won twice this season, earning a No. 2 individual ranking in the Golfweek/Sagarin ratings March 31. He was the top-ranked golfer in a previous poll.

“We knew Brandon had potential because of what he accomplished as an amateur in South Africa — but we didn’t know he would be so good so quickly,” men’s coach John Fields commented. Stone was the No. 1 amateur in the world when he came to Austin and made several tournament cuts on the European Tour. His father is a professional golfer and has played rounds alongside South African standout Ernie Els, Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen.

The freshman said the team’s attitude reduces the pressure of being a part of a squad defending the national championship. “Golf at this level has been easy to adapt to,” Stone said. “We’re focused on what we’re trying to do now rather than what the team did last season. We’ve got a target on our backs.” Gribble is ranked 19th in the most recent poll, while Hakula is 59th for the fourth-ranked Longhorns.

Texas has also enjoyed success from walk-on players, as Brax McCarthy ended up sixth in Houston after leading the tournament after the first two rounds. “We have a great program and great family here,” said Fields, who in October was inducted into the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame.

“Players come here knowing they’re going to get the support they need to be successful both in the classroom and on the golf course. There’s great competition, enthusiasm and excitement within this group of players.”

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