Texas Tech University Athletics
No. 12 Red Raider Golf Team Looking for Repeat
April 17, 2009 | Men's Golf
April 17, 2009
LUBBOCK, Texas - The last time the Aggie Invitational was played Texas Tech came out on top after firing a blistering 276 in the final round during the 2006 season. A three-time All-American named Oscar Floren claimed medalist honors for the Red Raiders, carding rounds of 68 and 66 on the final two days. Not much has changed.
When the 12-team field tees off Saturday at the Traditions Golf Club (Par 72, 7,235 Yards) in Bryan, Texas, the Red Raiders will take a No. 12 national ranking into the event and will field a lineup led by another Floren - Oscar's brother, Nils. The sophomore from Ljungskile, Sweden, has risen to No. 31 in the national rankings after posting three top 10 finishes in five collegiate events, all during the spring season. He leads the team with a 71.7 stroke average and is solid in the final round, averaging 71.8 strokes. In back-to-back tournaments earlier this spring, Floren finished second at the UTSA Invitational and tied for fourth at the Ron Smith/USF Intercollegiate. He also finished seventh in the following event at the Callaway Match Play Championships.
Senior Santiago Rivas also ranks among the top 50 golfers at No. 40. The seasoned veteran was hampered by a wrist injury in his last event two weeks ago and had to withdraw from the Morris Williams Intercollegiate in Austin, leaving the team with only four scoring players. Rivas is back this week and owns a 72.8 stroke average this season, which is second to Floren. In his three previous outings prior to the Morris Williams, Rivas tied for sixth at the UTSA Invitational, tied for medalist honors at the Ron Smith/USF Intercollegiate and tied for 10th at the Callaway Match Play Championships.
Senior Garrett Merrell had the hot hand for the Red Raiders during the fall and early spring season, finishing among the top 15 in five-straight events, including two top five finishes. Merrell is averaging 73.0 strokes per round and has six top 20 finishes overall this season.
Junior Will Griffin and sophomore Chris Ward round out the lineup with stroke averages of 73.7 and 73.4, respectively. Griffin has two top 20 finishes this season, while Ward has two top 10 finished, including medalist honors at the UTSA Invitational, where he carded a school record 202 during the three-round event.
The Red Raiders are the second-highest ranked team in the field, behind No. 2 Oklahoma State. The Red Raiders and Cowboys have competed together in two tournaments this season as Texas Tech finished ahead of OSU at the Isleworth-UCF Collegiate Invitational and OSU in front of Tech at the Morris Williams Intercollegiate.
Other teams in the field include No. 16 TCU, No. 20 and tournament host Texas A&M, No. 27 San Diego State, No. 36 Lamar, No. 38 New Mexico, No. 39 Baylor, No. 54 Kent State, No. 56 Ohio State, No. 90 Wichita State and No. 130 Kansas.
Live scoring will be available throughout the event at www.golfstat.com. The teams will play 36 holes Saturday and 18 Sunday.
