The ACU golf team won the Lone Star Conference Championship on Tuesday, led by impressive performances from Cyril Bouniol and Alex Carpenter, who tied for the individual title. The LSC title was the Wildcats’ first since 1995 and the fifth in team history.
The Wildcats entered the final day of the tournament just three shots behind Midwestern State. However, the Wildcats dominated the final day of play to roar past MSU to finish at -12, four shots ahead of the second-place Mustangs.
“We’ve had a great season all year long. This was one of our goals, and we have more goals to go,” said Head Coach Mike Campbell. “I’m really proud of how these guys handled themselves today. They made some birdies, and when things got tight, they played their best.”
Cyril Bouniol shot a 69 (-3) on the third day to finish at 11-under-par. His teammate Alex Carpenter shot a 66 (-6) Tuesday – the best round of the day – to pull into an individual tie with Bouniol. A bogey on the 17th hole likely cost Bouniol the individual title.
Carpenter capped his impressive third day with a 4-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to pull even with Bouniol. Carpenter sank seven birdie putts in his final round, including an impressive three-hole stretch on the 13th, 14th and 15th holes.
“It was awesome. I hit the ball really well all day long and got a few putts to fall,” Carpenter said. “I stayed patient and had fun.”
Carpenter can also stake a claim to perhaps the shot of the tournament for ACU. He chipped in for an eagle on the 18th hole during his second round, ACU’s only eagle of the tournament.
Adam Carpenter, Alex’s twin brother, finished tied for 15th after shooting 1-over-par for the tournament. Tyler Sheppard finished tied for 30th at par-over-9 and Kyle Dickerson finished tied for 48th after shooting par-over-18. Campbell said the victory was a complete team effort.
“I’m proud of those guys and the whole team; it’s a team effort,” Campbell said. “We couldn’t have done it without all those guys.”
The Wildcats also hold the NCAA South Central Region’s No. 1 rank, as well as the No. 21 ranking in the nation. They will compete in the regional championships May 3-5.
