Texas takes lead from defending champs at Western Intercollegiate

April 12, 2022 | by Kent Paisley of AmateurGolf.com

Credit Texas Men's Golf

The Longhorns edge ahead of Pepperdine behind Mason Nome’s career-best 66 at Pasatiempo

University of Texas junior Mason Nome stole the show at Pasatiempo Golf Club on Tuesday, posting a four-under 66, the lowest round of his collegiate career, to give the Longhorns the lead at the Western Intercollegiate. Texas posted a team score of six over, a 15-shot improvement from the first round, to take a four-stroke lead over the defending champion Pepperdine Waves with two players yet to finish the second round.

Texas forced the issue Tuesday evening as play continued after sunset for the second day in a row. The stalwart Coody brothers teed off on the par-3 18th tee just before 8:00 P.M., with Washington’s R.J. Manke and Petr Hruby told by their coach Alan Murray to stop playing and finish tomorrow. Pierceson found the back right of the green with the front right pin location, and Parker hit it into the front right collection area. They combined to go three-over on the hole in the dark, handing just shy of half of their lead in exchange for more sleep tomorrow morning.

.@TexasMGolf tops the team leaderboard after the second round of the Western Intercollegiate. ⛳ pic.twitter.com/M3j507sZet
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) April 13, 2022

Pierceson Coody, a Fred Haskins Award Nominee, now sits three behind individual leader Rasmus Hjelm of Colorado State, and is searching for back-to-back victories in his first two starts returning from injury after winning the August Haskins Award Invitational by six. Senior Cole Hammer shot a 70 to sit four back of the individual lead, as junior Travis Vick posted a 73, and Parker Coody walked away in the dark with a 75.

If Texas wins, it'll be their third Western Intercollegiate victory and third win of the season. The Longhorns won the August Haskins Award Invitational at the start of April and the Big 12 Match Play Tournament in October.

Pepperdine junior William Mouw’s 69 led the way for the Waves, with defending Western Intercollegiate individual champion Joe Highsmith posting three over. Junior Dylan Menante, tied for the lead following the first round, posted a 72 to keep the Waves firmly in contention. Menante sits tied for second alongside Coody after the second round.

A victory Wednesday would be Pepperdine's third win of the season, alongside the Valspar Collegiate at the end of March and the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate back in October. In addition, they'd be the first team to successfully defend the Western Intercollegiate since Oregon in 2009 and 2010.

Co-leader through the first round Nick Watts of San Jose State posted a 75. San Diego State posted 15 over as a team to move into third place at 44-over par, with 2021 runner-up Puwit Anupansiebsai carding a 72. If they came from behind Wednesday, it'd be their second victory of the season, along with the Wyoming Cowboy Classic at the start of April.

Results: Western Intercollegiate

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Dylan Menante	Carlsbad, CA	700	70-72-67=209
T2	Carson Lundell	Alpine, UT	500	77-70-65=212
T2	Pierceson Coody	Plano, TX	500	70-73-69=212
T2	Rasmus Hjelm	, Sweden	500	70-69-73=212
T5	Justin Hastings	, Cayman Islands	400	72-71-70=213

View full results for Western Intercollegiate

About the Western Intercollegiate

Texas takes lead from defending champs at Western Intercollegiate

54-hole men's college tournament hosted by San Jose State University. “The Western” is one of the most highly recognized national collegiate tournaments, conducted since 1946 Pasatiempo Golf Club; a historic venue where a player’s talent is always we...