The University of New Mexico Men’s Golf Team hosted the 70th William H. Tucker Invitational at The UNM Championship Course on Friday, Sept. 19, and Saturday, Sept. 20, for the lone home event of the season. The Lobos started strong at 18 under par, entering day two with a three-stroke lead, but after a slow start and some missed shots, the Lobos hit an even par in round three, finishing in second place behind Long Beach State, who finished -23.
The biggest winner of the tournament was Lobo freshman Emil Albers, who won the individual title with a score of -13, becoming the first freshman to win the title since Tiger Woods in 1994 at Stanford and registering the lowest score for a freshman in program history. Albers started off the week with a shaky start in Utah as he shot eight above par, but he redeemed himself in the invitational, shooting nine below after the first two rounds, and ultimately finished with 13 below earning him the individual title.
“I think I was pretty skillable the last two days. I had some good putts, just got it rolling, left some shots out there, but I had some good putts,” Albers said.
Albers’ performance earned himself high praise from Lobos Head Coach Jake Harrington.
“Emil (Albers) is a great player and was one of the first guys who committed here when I came to New Mexico,” Harrington said. “I coached his older brother, so I have known him for a long time, and I know what kind of talent he has. When he stays in control of his game, he can play with anyone. He is a great young player and I’m excited to have him for four years.”
Harrington also shared his thoughts on his team’s performance at home and how it can help them going forward.
“At the end of the day, we gave ourselves a chance to win. We started the day with the lead and unfortunately we had a tough early stretch. Holes four through eight are some of the toughest on the course and we didn’t get through it clean today. I think we were eight-over on number seven and number eight and that won’t get it done at Tucker, not when there are so many other good teams in the field. It is disappointing, but at the end of the day, I’m proud of how the guys battled back late in the round,” Harrington said.
The Lobos will return to action Sept. 29-30 in Chicago, Illinois, for The Windon Memorial.
Alex Joe is a freelance videographer at the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com and on X @DailyLobo
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