“I wanted to infuse some competitiveness,” Fields said. “As a coach, sometimes you need to remove the comfort. You need to make sure your players know that they have to produce if they expect to play.

“In golf, you have to earn it. You have to play well to get the results. Nothing is given to you. I wanted to create an atmosphere where everyone knew that.

“So it has been an interesting year. I have given everyone an opportunity to play. I have given everyone an opportunity to compete for a spot.”

As his team prepares for play in April, featuring the Georgia Tech Invitational in Atlanta, the Morris Williams Intercollegiate in Austin and wrapping up with the Big 12 Championship in Tulsa, Fields believes he has the lineup that has players who have “earned it” thus far this year.

He announced that his team was set with seniors Matthew Rosenfeld, Jeff Bell and Matthew Mills; junior Jhonattan Vegas; and freshman Randall Lowry III.

“I am confident in that group,” Fields said.

Fields was pleased coming out of March with the team’s third-place finish in the Hall of Fame Invitational outside of Houston. Junior Jhonattan Vegas paced the Longhorns and finished 11th overall.

“That was a good field,” the coach said, noting that Oklahoma State captured the event and Texas A&M was second.

That finish also was a marked improvement for the Longhorns from their 13th place finish earlier last month in the Las Vegas Invitational, which came on the heels of a 12th place finish in Puerto Rico.

“Right now we’re 26th in the nation and I am not happy about that,” Fields said. “We started in the top ten this year and now we’re 26th. Well, there are a lot of good teams.

“We’ve got a good team. I’m confident of that.”