Daniel Bennett was the top-ranked player in the NCAA golf rankings entering the spring season, but there was still plenty to learn about the freshman from Texas.
He played in only one stroke-play event in the fall, placing T-3 in the Ben Hogan Collegiate at Colonial Country Club. Add in a 2-1 record at the NB3 Match Play event, Bennett had performed well but yet to show what he was truly capable of for the Longhorns.
That is, until what he did Wednesday.
Bennett shot 4-under 67 in the final round of the Southwestern Collegiate, guiding fifth-ranked Texas to a come-from-behind victory to win by one stroke over San Diego State. The Longhorns trailed San Diego State by 13 shots after the opening round but found themselves tied with the Aztecs entering the final round of stroke play.
That’s when Bennett stepped up, his team-best 4-under performance helping Texas to its first victory of the season.
The Longhorns finished at 8 under for the week, with San Diego State a shot back. Vanderbilt was the only other team to finish under par at Sherwood Country Club, finishing third at 4 under, and that happened with star Gordon Sargent shooting 14 over for the tournament and finishing T-63, only his second finish outside of the top 40 in his college career.
Vandy junior Wells Williams claimed the medalist honors, beating Bennett by a stroke and finishing at 5 under for the week. It’s the second win of Wells’ collegiate career.
Also tying for second was San Diego State’s Justin Hastings, who earlier this month won the Latin America Amateur Championship, and Florida’s Ian Gilligan.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Texas men’s golf wins Southwestern Collegiate behind freshman’s finish
