#20 BLINN MEN’S GOLF FEATURES EXPERIENCE AND DEPTH IN 2021

The No. 20 Blinn College men’s golf team will bring experience and depth to the golf course in 2021.

Last year, the Buccaneers were ranked 16th in the nation and coming off the team’s first tournament win at the Tyler Junior College Spring Invitational when their inaugural season was cut short due to COVID-19.

The Buccaneers enter this season with a national ranking and are looking to continue what they started. Blinn returns nine sophomores, including four who led the Buccaneers to their first team championship, while adding seven incoming freshmen.

“We have a lot of experience on this team, which is a good thing to have in golf,” head coach David Johnson said. “This group is hungry and excited to have an opportunity to play this season. If we make good decisions on the golf course, we have the ability to execute those good decisions, and then we can go far.”

The returners are John Baker (Liberty Hill), Riley Simmons (Cypress), Travis Edwards (Cypress), Justin Dees (Atascocita), Bryce Honeck (Tomball), Cameron Gray (Kirkcudbright, Scotland), Chandler Brooks (Mansfield), Ethan Crouch (Magnolia), and Michael Strout (Grand Prairie).

“It is going to be an exciting time for all of these guys to get back on the course because they played really well last year for a first-year team,” Johnson said.  “They have put in the time this fall and spring, so I can’t wait to see what they can do as sophomores.”

Baker, Edwards, Dees, and Honeck helped lead the Buccaneers’ performance at the TJC Spring Invitational.

Baker also became the first golfer in the program’s history to seal an individual win with a 5-under 66 at the University of Houston-Victoria Fall Classic. He finished the season with the team’s lowest season average (75.01) and two top-10 individual finishes.

“Baker is one of the hardest workers on the team and is a great teammate,” Johnson said.

Edwards had two top-10 individual finishes last season, including a third-place finish at the TJC Spring Invitational. He shot the lowest score en route to Blinn’s first team championship with a two-day score of 150, including a 1-under-par 71 the first day, and made the all-tournament team.

“Edwards has experience and is playing well right now, so he should always be in the top five or around the top this year,” Johnson said. “He loves golf and makes good decisions on the golf course.”

Dees was named to the all-tournament team with a sixth-place finish at the TJC Spring Invitational, while Honeck shot the Buccaneers’ lowest second-round score (73) at the TJC Spring Invitational to ensure the victory.

“Dees was playing his best golf when the season ended last year, so I am looking for him to carry that on this year,” Johnson said. “Honeck works hard and has constantly improved since he got here, so I am expecting him to do the same this spring.”

Simmons tied for third on the team for best round and fourth on the team for best tournament total with a 70 (-1) at the UHV Fall Classic. He shot the team’s third lowest season average (75.78) and finished the season with two top-10 individual finishes.

“Simmons is really steady and is a calming influence to everyone on the team,” Johnson said. “He is a really good player who played in every tournament last year, so he has a lot of experience.”

Gray shot an 80 and 79 to help lead the No. 16 Blinn Blue Team to a third-place finish at the Tyler Junior College Spring Invitational.

“Gray played in both spring tournaments before the season ended last year and did great,” Johnson said. “He has really worked on his game and is going to be a big contributor this spring.”

Brooks earned second-team all-district honors at Mansfield High School in 2019, Crouch played golf for Klein Collins High School, and Strout earned all-district honors at Lake Ridge High School.

“Brooks has worked hard since the season ended last year and is one of the most improved players I have seen,” Johnson said. “Strout is a hardworking player who has a lot of ability to contribute this year. Crouch has a great work ethic and works hard to improve each day.”

Freshmen Morgan Hubbard (Lufkin), Jack Looney (New Braunfels), Kannin Mikulik (Flatonia), Aaron Reardon (Mason), Hayden Roup (Katy), Rayne Schlachter (Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa), and Brock Schobel (Columbus) join the Buccaneers.

“We definitely added some depth with the freshmen,” Johnson said. “They have the ability to make the top five this season. I look forward to them accepting the challenge of getting better and contributing every week.”

Hubbard earned all-district, all-region, and all-state honors at Central High School, Looney played golf and football at New Braunfels High School, and Mikulik won the regional tournament in 2019 and placed in the top-15 in two state tournaments at Flatonia High School. Reardon earned all-state honors as a three-time district champion, three-time regional qualifier with two third-place regional finishes, and a three-time state qualifier with a seventh-place finish at Mason High School. Roup earned all-district honors at Cinco Ranch High School, Schlachter earned first-team honors at King Edward VII School, and Schobel was a part of the Columbus High School team that won a 3A golf state championship in 2019.

“We are going to take it one shot at a time and see what happens at the end of the day,” Johnson said. “Hopefully we will put good days together. We want to play three solid rounds every tournament and are looking forward to where that takes us.”

The men's and women's golf teams will open the season at the Pinecrest Country Club Invitational March 7-9.

For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.

(COURTESY: Tara Dreyer, Blinn Information)