Stars roll to 24-shot victory in Houston Classic, SNU’s Bechtel wins individual race
HOUSTON – Top-ranked Oklahoma City University posted a 24-shot victory to take the Houston Classic Tuesday at the Golf Club of Houston in Humble, Texas.
Jack Madden, Peri’Don Castille and Carson Seals finish second, third and fourth. The Stars, ranked No. 1 in NAIA men’s golf, turned in a final score of 293-297-299-889 on the par-72 6,861 yard course. It was their first tournament since the resignation of head coach Kyle Blaser, who accepted an opportunity in business.
OCU bettered Southern Nazarene, who had the individual winner, Rhett Bechtel who topped Madden by a stroke. Madden, a freshman from Dungannon, Northern Ireland, Ireland, carded a 70-77-71-218. Castille, a junior from Dallas, turned in a 74-73-75-222, while Seals, a junior from Ardmore, Okla., recorded a 74-75-75-224. Texas Wesleyan, ranked third in the NAIA came in third place with a 307-300-313-920, 31 strokes behind the Stars.
Ty Stites, a sophomore from Sallisaw, Okla., finished tied for sixth place with a score of 75-72-68-225 and Sam Simonsen, a freshman from Plano, Texas, turned in a 81-77-87-245 placing tied for 28th place. OCU’s Stites tied for the lead over the field with 10 birdies.
Brandon Strathe of the Stars has a 71-77-78-226 to tie for ninth place while playing as an individual.
The players enjoyed temperatures that where in the mid-60s under some clouds Tuesday. Winds blew at 15 mph, reaching 23 mph.
Oklahoma City plays next in the San Antonio Shootout on March 4-5 at the TPC San Antonio.
Rhett Bechtel shot a three-round score of 217 (+1) including a 4-under 68 on Tuesday afternoon to lead the Southern Nazarene golf team to a three-round team score of 913 to place second.
Bechtel shot 74-75 Monday before sailing up the leaderboard with the only sub-70 score of the week.
Dylan Igo placed ninth after opening the round with a 72 before carding back-to-back 77s (+5) for a three-round score of 226 (+10). JD Pitts placed 13th with a three round score of 230 including a 74 in the final round.
Rounding out the team scorers for SNU was Ondrej Melichar at 240 and Will Coffman at 247.
SNU returns to action on Monday, March 11, 2019 as they will compete in The Arkansas Collegiate in El Dorado, Ark.