ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Following a Top-5 finish in their season opener, the Stetson Hatters headed west for the William H. Tucker Invitational, hosted by the University of New Mexico from Friday, Sept. 20 to Saturday, Sept. 21. The tournament, held at the UNM Championship Course (Par 72, 7,546 yards), featured a strong field of 17 teams, with Stetson representing the state of Florida as the only team from the Sunshine State.
The Hatters got off to a hotstart, opening with a six-under-par round that tied them for second place alongside eventual champions Colorado after the first round. However, Stetson couldn't maintain the momentum, carding a 293 in the second round and a 315 in the third to ultimately finish 13th overall.
Mans Boje led the way for Stetson, finishing in a tie for 26th place at four-over-par. Boje began the tournament in fine form, shooting two-under across the first two rounds, including a 70 in the opener, but a tough final round of 78 dropped him down the leaderboard.
Boje was joined by teammate Gaspar Glaudas, who also finished at four-over after a rollercoaster of a tournament. Glaudas opened with a stellar 68, highlighted by an eagle on the 14th hole, before posting a 73 in the second round and a 79 in the finale to close with a 220 total.
Simon Engman and Phalatphon Viboonviriyasakul both tied for 61st at nine-over-par with a 225. Viboonviriyasakul posted the lower round score between the two, carding a 71 in the opening round.
Rounding out the Hatters lineup was Maverick Conaway, who tied for 82nd at 14-over-par. Conaway started strong with three birdies on his first nine holes of the tournament but finished with a 230 overall score.
Competing as an individual, Jackson Hicks tied for 75th at 13-over-par with a total score of 229. Hicks opened with a 75 before posting back-to-back rounds of 77.
As a team, Stetson tallied 154 pars and 41 birdies, finishing as one of ten teams to record an eagle during the tournament. Glaudas led the team with 37 pars, while Engman and Hicks followed closely with 36 and 35, respectively. Boje tied for the most birdies on the team with 15, and Glaudas recorded the team's lone eagle.
The Hatters will return to action on Sunday, Oct. 6, when they head to West Bay Golf Club in Estero for the West Bay Collegiate, hosted by FGCU.
