Mills claims 62nd Massingill Trophy
AUSTIN, Texas -- Senior Matt Mills (London, England) won the 62nd Massingill Trophy on Wednesday, Sept. 14 after finishing the five-round intrasquad tournament with a total score of 352, including a tournament low 68 on Day 2. Mills went into the final round, held at the University of Texas Golf Club, with a three stroke lead over Farren Keenan (Middlesex, England), who tied Mills' Day 2 score with an identical 68. Both finished the tourney with even par 72, allowing Mills to take the medalist honors by three strokes. The tournament is held to determine the five men's golfers who will compete in the upcoming Inverness Intercollegiate Invitational, Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 19-20 at the Inverness Country Club in Toledo, Ohio. Mills led from start to finish with a 69 in the opening round held at the Austin Country Club, his only round above 72 was a 73 on Day 3 at the UT Golf Club after shooting rounds of 68 and 69 on Days 1 and 2, respectively. Keenan was in contention to knock-off Mills, but his opening round 71 put him behind two strokes after day one and he was never able tie his fellow countryman, coming within one stroke after recording a 72 on Day 3 and closing the gap. He would go on to shoot back-to-back 72s on the final two days to finish behind three strokes. The five team members traveling to the buckeye state will be Mills, Keenan, junior Jhonattan Vegas (Maturin, Venezuela), sophomore Jace Moore (Southlake, Texas) and sophomore Kevin Schultz (Richardson, Texas). Started in 1944, the Massingill competition was once the only way to become a member of UT's golf program. The competition was open to all male students at The University of Texas and the top performers were welcomed to join the Longhorns' golf team. A list of former winners reads like a "Who's Who" in golf, including Tom Kite, Ben Crenshaw, Phil Blackmar, Mark Brooks, Bob Estes, Justin Leonard and David Gossett. Only one Longhorn in the program's history, Justin Leonard '95, has won four Massingill Trophies. Others, including Lee Pinkston (1952-54), Ben Crenshaw (1971-73), Brandel Chamblee (1982-84), Bob Estes (1985, 1987-88) and Jason Hartwick (2000-02) have won the Massingill Trophy three times.
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