Courtesy of SHSU Athletics
The Sam Houston men's golf team celebrates after winning the Conference USA championship on April 24 at Texarkana Country Club in Texarkana, Ark.
The Sam Houston men’s golf team weathered the storm to win the Conference USA championship on April 24, beating No. 4 seed seed UTEP by 3.5-1.5 margins after a weather delay in the final match-play at the Texarkana Country Club in Texarkana, Ark.
The Bearkats came out of the 54-hole stroke play portion in the No. 2 seed behind Liberty at nine-under-par. The Kats moved on to the final match-play after defeating No. 3 seed Kennesaw in the semifinals at 3-2 margins. This is the first CUSA golf championship the Bearkats will take home to Huntsville.
“It’s a great feeling, even more when I am part of the team that won for the first time,” sophomore Hugo Trommetter said. “I’m looking forward to playing Regionals and competing to get a spot for the nationals.”
Trommetter led the way for the Bearkats shooting six-under-par during stroke-play and finished third overall. He turned in 74-66-69 after shooting three birdies, two bogeys and an eagle in the final round.
“Placing third was good, coming to this event my goal was to make the podium,” Trommetter said. “My game felt great so being able to achieve that goal and end up the season this way is awesome.”
He had played a total of 87 holes throughout the tournament after going into a three playoff-holes. He helped get one of the three match wins needed in the final match-play.
“It was exhausting, but I was focused so I just kept going without really paying attention to the extra holes I was playing,” Trommetter said. “I was just trying to hit good shots after good shots until it ends.”
Stroke play and match play are two different games when it comes to golf. Players compete head-to-head against one opposing student-athlete in match play, compared to playing their own game in stroke play.
“In stroke play, I mostly focus on myself, but in match play, you have to pay attention to your opponent and adjust based on how they’re playing each hole,” senior Gene Chaikangwal said. “Sometimes you need to be more aggressive, and sometimes you have to play it safe — it really depends on the situation.”
Many players are excited about winning the conference title, but for players like Chaikangwal it means more. He finally gets to hold the trophy he has been longing for since his freshman year.
“It feels amazing to finally win conference, especially after the last three years,” Chaikangwal said. “We missed out on regionals by ranking and not winning conference each time. My freshman year we finished second and lost by one shot, sophomore year we played great but still came up short, and last year we lost in the semifinals. So, to finally win it and secure a spot at regionals means a lot.”
He was a key player in both match-play rounds by winning all his matches. In the semifinals, he played in two playoff-holes and finished one-up for the win. He also won the final match needed to solidify the Bearkats’ victory in the finals.
“I was definitely excited but also a little nervous, knowing that if I lost, the team would be going home,” Chaikangwal said. “I just tried to stay focused on what was in front of me and take it one shot at a time. I also had good momentum after making a 25-foot putt to force the playoff. Having my teammates there watching and cheering really lifted me and gave me extra motivation.”
Alongside the trophies and the banners, the Bearkats received an automatic bid for regionals in the 2025 NCAA Championships. The selection show for which regions teams will play in will be aired on Wednesday at noon on the GOLF Channel. The Kats are gearing up for their shot at advancing to nationals.
“Of course, a win would be awesome, but my goal would be to finish in the top 5 as a team so we could qualify for the nationals,” Trommetter said. “For me personally I just need to play some good golf and hopefully get a top 10 individually. Then, if the rest of the team plays great too, the job will be done.”