The UNM men's golf team won its second straight tournament of the season in convincing fashion Wednesday, routing the competition at the Adams Cup by seven strokes.
The Lobos used steady play in the two-day tournament and an impressive showing by senior Wil Collins to open the season with two straight match wins for the first time in school history. UNM shot a 10-over par 854 to beat Michigan State University.
"I was really impressed with the way we played," head coach Glen Millican said. "We played great, had a solid first round. We didn't play great in the final round, but we had a big enough lead."
Collins helped lead the way for UNM, shooting a 4-under par 207 to finish in a first place tie with Vanderbilt University's Mark Donnell. The win is Collins' third collegiate victory.
"He didn't do anything special, he just didn't make very many mistakes," Millican said. "He played his style of golf and played within himself."
Junior Michael Letzig also had a good showing, finishing in a tie for ninth place with a 4-over 215, his eighth top-10 finish of his career.
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UNM has a chance to break last season's school record of three tournament wins with 12 events still on the schedule.
"We don't set out to see how many tournaments we can win, our goal is to finish every tournament in the top five," Millican said. "We just need to keep doing the same things and if we break the record, great, but that's not even a goal."
The Adams Cup began with rounds one and two played Tuesday in a 36-hole shotgun format. The Lobos came out strong, shooting an even par 280. However, Marshall University had a one-stroke lead after shooting a 279.
In the second round, the Lobos stayed consistent, while the rest of the field withered away. UNM shot a 1-over 281 and opened up a 10-stroke lead over the rest of the competition after the first day.
While the Lobos pretty much wrapped up the tournament after the second round, the individual title was a struggle. Marshall's Brian Perry held a one-stroke lead after the first round, but several players were within striking distance, including Collins and Letzig. Three players stepped up in the second round to take a first place tie heading into Wednesday's final round. Among them was Collins, who shot a 2-under 68 in the first round and a 1-under 69 in the second.
With the Lobos cruising to the tournament victory Wednesday, the fight for first place heated up. Donnell and Collins battled putt for putt and pulled away from the rest of the competition. In the end, each player shot a 1-under 70 to end the tournament in a tie.
UNM ended up shooting a final round 9-over par 293 to take home the title.
"They kept their concentration, they didn't have any lapses or get frustrated," Millican said. "The guys are well prepared and they stuck to the game plan. They remained focused, that's where a lot of teams lose it."
UNM will next take to the links Oct. 29-30 at the Baylor Invitational in Waco, Texas.
