The ACU golf team wrapped up their fall season with a seventh-place finish Tuesday at the Herb Wimberly Invitational in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Corbin Renner, senior from Little Rock, Arkansas, led the Wildcats with a 209 over the 54-hole tournament. He tied for sixth overall, his third top 10 finish of the year. Renner fired a 4 under 67 in the final round, which was the best 18-hole score for any ACU player.
“We had the chance to make some birdies out there,” said Tom Shaw, head coach. “Overall, especially in the last round, Corbin started to take advantage of those holes.”
The leaderboard was jam packed with the top seven golfers finishing within three strokes of each other. Renner missed the top spot by only three shots. Still, there was a three-way tie for the individual title at seven under par.
Dillon Vaughn, junior from Joshua, finished three stokes behind Renner with a 212. That was good enough to tie for 12th. Robert Johnson, sophomore from Helensburgh, Scotland, ended the tournament at 220. Clarke Hudgins, freshman from Amarillo, came in with a 222, and Brandon Stites, sophomore from Fresno, California, rounded out the team with a 229.
The tournament host, New Mexico State, ran away with the team victory on their home course. They shot 18 under par to beat second place Sam Houston State University by 12 strokes.
Sam Houston finished six under par and 14 strokes ahead of the Wildcats. Two weeks ago at the Harold Funston, the Bearkats bested ACU by 28 strokes. SHSU looks to be the team to beat in Southland, and a benchmark for the ‘Cats, said Shaw.
“We are catching up to them,” Shaw said. “Right now, top to bottom, they are a better team than us, but we are closing in.”
That tournament ended the fall season for the Wildcats who will no be in offseason until February. This was Shaw’s first season at the helm and he ended with two top-three finishes and one victory.
“Coach Shaw has built a great relationship with the whole team,” Johnson said. “All of our averages have dropped, and our qualifying scores have improved.”
