The No. 8 Texas men's golf team set itself up for another trip to the NCAA championships after finishing in a tie for fifth place at the NCAA Central Regional. The Longhorns (298, 296, 307) placed 19 strokes behind regional champion Kentucky.
Senior Jason Hartwick led the Longhorns, shooting a 3-over par 75 to finish in a tie for third place in the individual standings. It was Hartwick's fifth top-three individual finish in his last six tournament appearances.
"Jason is just playing outstanding golf," Texas head coach John Fields said. "He's been a rock for us, and his 69 in the first round really set the tone for our team."
Senior Rusty Kennedy finished in a tie for 12th place, Jeff Bell tied for 38th, and sophomore Matthew Rosenfeld finished in a tie for 84th place at 20-over par.
"Overall, I was real proud of our guys," Fields said. "The golf course was extremely challenging. ... You have to give a lot of credit to Jason and Rusty. Their senior leadership was big this weekend."
Hartwick and Bell were voted to the PING All-South Central Region May 27. A total of 135 golfers nationally were selected as all-region picks with 15 student-athletes being named to each of the nine squads.
Texas begins its quest for a national title today in Hot Springs, Va. The tournament is hosted by Virginia Tech at the Homestead Cascades Course.
Texas is making its 55th appearance at the NCAA Championships. In its previous appearances, the Longhorns have produced two NCAA team titles in the 1970s and a total of 16 top-five and 27 top-10 finishes.
Last year at Karsten Creek in Stillwater, Okla., the Longhorns finished in a tie for ninth place at the 2003 NCAA Championships.
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