Houston Cougars sweep Border Olympics titles
The Houston Cougars swept the Border Olympics team and individual titles on Tuesday, winning the team competition by 15 strokes over Louisiana Tech while senior
Alexander Frances claimed the individual title in a two-hole playoff over fellow Cougar graduate student
Andrew Gibson after both golfers finished regulation at 7-under par.
Both Frances and Gibson trailed Lamar's
Hugo Hellman by a stroke heading into the final round, only to see the Cougar duo match cards with rounds of 70 while the Swede fell out of contention with a closing 74.
Gibson caught the Dane on the back nine Tuesday, going two-under on the final side to force a playoff, with Frances carding even on the back nine for his two under 70. Gibson played the back nine bogey-free through regulation all week. Frances matched the Scotsman on the 16th hole with the final birdie between the two of the day.
The European duo squared off in a playoff to determine who would win the first individual title of their collegiate careers. Starting on Laredo (Texas) Country Club's par-4 18th, the teammates traded pars before Frances sank a par putt on the 408-yard, par-4 10th hole to claim medalist honors. It marked his first amateur victory since the 2018 Danish National Stroke Play Championship.
Houston senior
Braxton Watkins joined Gibson and Frances among the top-10 leaders, tying for sixth at 216.
Houston's team victory didn't have nearly any of the drama of the race for the individual title, as the Cougars took a seven-stroke lead over Baylor and Sam Houston State into the final round. Neither team could cut into the Cougars lead and were passed by Louisiana Tech, which finished second at 3-over 867.
It marked Houston's first victory since November 2019 at the White Sand Invitational.
ABOUT THE Border Olympics
54-hole men's college tournament hosted by the
University of Houston. Team (best four scores out of
five players each round) and individual competitions.
View Complete Tournament Information