Texas Men's Golf in the Hunt at Arizona N.I.T., Just One Stroke Off the Lead
TUCSON, Ariz. - The Texas Longhorns came out swinging on Monday at the Arizona N.I.T., posting a blistering 27-under-par team score before play was halted due to darkness. With the second round paused midway through, Texas sits just one shot behind host Arizona, setting up a tight finish heading into Tuesday at the Omni Tucson National Resort.
Let’s break it down: through a day and a half of golf, the Longhorns have looked sharp, deep, and dialed in-even without one of their biggest names in the lineup.
Potter Leading the Charge
Senior Luke Potter is showing exactly why he's one of the most reliable players in the country. He’s currently sitting solo second on the individual leaderboard at 8-under, just three shots off the lead.
Potter opened his day with a bogey-free 6-under 66, starting on hole 2 and carding birdies on six different holes, including a strong closing stretch with red numbers on 12, 14, and 15. Through 12 holes in his second round, he’s added two more birdies to stay in the mix at the top.
Depth on Display
What’s powering Texas right now is more than just a hot hand at the top-it’s the depth across the lineup.
Junior Jack Gilbert is tied for third at 7-under, and he’s been rock-solid all day. His morning round featured five birdies and just one bogey for a 4-under 68. In the afternoon, he added an eagle on the par-five 10th-one of the highlights of the day-and is 3-under through 12 holes.
Senior Tommy Morrison is tied for seventh at 6-under overall. After a steady 2-under 70 in the morning, he came out clean in the second round with four birdies and no bogeys through 12 holes. Morrison’s ability to stay mistake-free in the afternoon has been a key boost to the team score.
Graduate Matt Comegys is also making noise. He’s tied for 10th at 5-under, following a 1-under 71 in the morning and a strong 4-under through 12 holes in round two. Comegys’ second round has been a birdie-fest, with five so far, including three on the front nine.
Sophomore Daniel Bennett is right behind, tied for 14th at 4-under. He matched Comegys’ morning 71, then went 3-under through 12 in the afternoon with four birdies of his own. His consistency is giving Texas a reliable scoring option deep in the lineup.
And don’t overlook sophomore Eduardo Derbez Torres, who’s competing as an individual this week. He’s also tied for 14th at 4-under after a 3-under 69 in the morning that included an eagle on the par-five 8th. Through 13 holes in round two, he’s added another birdie and sits 1-under.
Missing a Key Piece-But Not Missing a Beat
What makes this performance even more impressive? Texas is doing it without senior All-American Christiaan Maas, who’s fresh off a standout showing at the DP World Tour’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic, where he earned low amateur honors with a tie for 10th.
That’s a significant absence, but the Longhorns haven’t blinked. Instead, they’ve leaned on their depth and delivered one of their best team performances of the season so far.
The Leaderboard Battle
Arizona, the tournament host, holds a slim one-shot lead at 28-under, with most teams through 12 or 13 holes in the second round. Saint Mary’s (Calif.) is third at 15-under, while No.
25 BYU sits fourth at 10-under. The rest of the field is chasing from a distance, making this very much a two-team race heading into the final stretch.
Arizona’s Filip Jakubcik leads the individual standings at 11-under through 12 holes, but Potter is right on his heels. Gilbert, Morrison, and Comegys are all within striking distance, giving Texas multiple shots at an individual title to go along with the team chase.
What’s Next
Second-round play resumes Tuesday morning, with the final round set to begin immediately after. With just one stroke separating the top two teams and multiple Longhorns in the individual top 10, Texas is right where it wants to be-within striking distance, momentum on their side, and plenty of firepower still on the course.
If the Longhorns can keep the birdies coming and stay clean on the scorecard, they’ve got a real shot to walk away from Tucson with a statement win early in the spring season.