LAREDO, TX – The ULM men's golf team earned its ninth consecutive Top-10 finish on Tuesday, February 23, when it placed fifth on the team leaderboard at the Border Olympics, which concluded after three rounds of play at the Laredo Country Club. The Warhawks' streak dates back to a ninth-place performance at The All-American on February 16-18, 2020.
The Warhawks wrapped up Monday's first round with the second-lowest score of day (290) before closing out the second round with a 309. ULM regained its form in the third, tying host Houston for the second-lowest final round score of the tournament (288), finishing 23-over-par with a score of 887. The top team at the event was No. 26 Texas A&M, which was 2-under-par with an 862 (285-293-284). The Aggies were led by individual champion Dan Erickson, who finished 4-under-par with a score of 212 (71-70-71).
The top individual for ULM at the event was
Andoni Etchenique, who capped off the 13th Top-15 finish of his collegiate career by finishing 3-over-par with a combined score of 219 (68-78-73). After carding a 68 in the first round, which placed him atop the leaderboard, Etchenique finished off the second round with a 78, which came by virtue of nine pars and two birdies. The Warhawk senior followed that by draining three birdies and adding 12 pars in the third round, closing with a 73, as he capped off the two-day event in a tie for 13th place alongside New Mexico State's Aidan Thomas.
ULM's
Otto Van Buynder earned his fourth straight Top-20 finish, placing himself in a four-way tie for 15th after finishing 4-over-par with a three-round score of 220 (75-75-70). Van Buynder's second round scorecard included 11 pars and two birdies, which came at the sixth and seventh holes. He followed that with a third-round team-low score of 70 as a result of six birdies and eight pars.
Guillaume Fanonnel placed himself in a tie for 27th, alongside Kent State's Josh Gilkison, with an 8-over-par score of 224 (73-80-71). Fanonnel capped off the second round with an 80, posting four birdies and six pars in the process. He regained his first-round form in the final round, carding a 71, by virtue of four birdies and 11 pars.
Keegan McLachlan tied his best finish of the season, finishing 37th, after closing 10-over-par with a score of 226 (74-76-76). McLachlan, who also finished 37th at the Jim Rivers Intercollegiate (Sept. 13-15), posted the second-lowest second-round score (76) of the five golfers making up the ULM card. He carded three birdies and 10 pars in the second round. McLachlan replicated that score in the third round (76), tying Van Buynder for most third-round birdies (six), while adding six pars.
Liam Duncan closed out the first tournament of his collegiate career by finishing in a three-way tie for 54
th with a 13-over-par score of 229 (75-80-74). Duncan's second round 80 included 11 pars and one birdie, which came on the eighth green. He shaved six strokes off that score in the third, closing out the tournament with a 74, as a result of three birdies and 11 pars.
ULM returns to the course on March 15-16 when the Warhawks take part in the Louisiana Classics, hosted by the Ragin' Cajuns.
Border Olympics (Final Results—ULM Only Results)
