NO. 14 BUCCANEERS GOLF WINS REGION XIV TITLE, AWAIT AT-LARGE BID FOR NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

The Buccaneers are hoping to qualify for nationals for the fourth time in program history

The 14th-ranked Blinn College men’s golf team captured the Region XIV championship while simultaneously finishing sixth in the South Central District Championship on Tuesday at The Hideout Golf Club in Brownwood, Texas.

The Buccaneers and Tyler Junior College went toe-to-toe for the region crown across five rounds of play in two tournaments – the South Central District competition Monday and Tuesday, and the East Texas State Championship/Region XIV Championship on April 14.

Blinn outlasted the Apaches in both region deciders by a total of 13 strokes to earn the title.

Bucs sophomores Ben Jones, Landon Johnson, and Volker Henkel finished second, third, and fourth in the head-to-head regional battle with Tyler and made the Region XIV All-Region team.

“It was extremely tight in the individual race starting from round one, and I’m super proud of these three sophomores who have worked hard in their time here at Blinn,” Bucs head coach David Johnson said. “It has been great to see their progression as players and they will be missed next year.”

Tuesday’s team results for the South Central District title also determined the district’s four automatic bids for the upcoming 24-team NJCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship tournament in Newton, Kan.

Second-ranked Odessa College, No. 1 Midland College, No. 5 New Mexico Junior College, and No. 7 McLennan Community College finished first through fourth, respectively, to punch their tickets, while Blinn is anticipating an at-large bid thanks to its position in the national rankings. 

Four teams from four districts qualify automatically, with the top eight remaining ranked teams earning an at-large qualification. As of Tuesday, that would leave the Bucs as the second-highest remaining ranked team in the country. Blinn also bested ninth-ranked Weatherford College and the 11th-ranked Apaches in Tuesday’s standings, which should further boost their resume.

At-large bids are expected to be announced in the coming days.

The Bucs carded a 26-over par in its three rounds of play but capped its run with an impressive 5-under in Tuesday’s final 18 holes. The round was Blinn’s best of the year and helped the team climb from eighth place at the beginning of the day to sixth by its conclusion.

Jones paced Blinn at 3-over par for 13th place, followed by an 8-over, 25th-place showing for Landon Johnson. Jones was 4-under in round three, while Johnson and freshman Jaxson Daniele shot 2- and 1-under, respectively.

Story Courtesy of:

Joe Alberico   
Blinn Sports Information Specialist