Sam Houston Claims 2021 Southland Men’s Golf Championship
MCKINNEY, Texas – After closing the opening round in second place, Sam Houston completed the comeback bid Wednesday afternoon after recording a team score of 873 for its third consecutive Southland title and its seventh team championship in program history. Paul Chaplet exploded into the lead, using a strong push in the final 36 holes to finish -3 for the tournament with a score of 213.
The Bearkats used 28 birdies throughout the final two rounds to finish +9 for the tournament. Chaplet carded a tournament-best 13 birdies to conclude play at the top of the standings. William Holcomb led the field with 43 pars to take third place in the individual standings. Ting-Wei Hsieh closed out the week in fifth place, giving the ‘Kats three finishers among the top five competitors.
Lamar combined for 883 to finish in second place, while Abilene Christian (886), Houston Baptist (908) and McNeese (922) finished third, fourth and fifth, respectively. Central took sixth place after scoring 924, just one stroke ahead of Stephen F. Austin (925). Southeastern Louisiana (936) closed the tournament in eighth place, followed by New Orleans (938), UIW (940) and Nicholls (943).
In addition to SHSU’s trio of top-five finishers, Lamar’s Nikolai Schaffrath closed the tournament in second place after carding a 214, while Abilene Christian’s Alex Clouse took fourth-place honors with a 218.
The Bearkats have earned the Southland’s automatic bid to the 2021 NCAA Championships and will play at one of six regional sites. Sam Houston will learn the location of its regional placement during the NCAA selection show at 1 p.m. CT Wednesday, May 5, on GOLF Channel. Qualifiers from the Regional Championships will earn a spot at the NCAA National Championships, which will be hosted at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., May 28-June 2.
SOUTHLAND MEN’S GOLF FINAL RESULTS
1. Sam Houston – 873 (+9)
2 Lamar – 883 (+19)
3. Abilene Christian – 886 (+22)
4. Houston Baptist – 908 (+44)
5. McNeese – 922 (+58)
6. Central Arkansas – 924 (+60)
7. Stephen F. Austin – 925 (+61)
8. Southeastern Louisiana – 936 (+72)
9. New Orleans – 938 (+74)
10. UIW – 940 (+76)
11. Nicholls – 943 (+79)