SMU men’s golf opened The Goodwin at 5-under and sits tied for fourth after round one, led by Will Sides’ 67 and three Mustang rounds in the 60s.
SMU men’s golf made an early statement Thursday at The Goodwin, opening the tournament at 5-under par and moving into a tie for fourth place after the first round in a loaded field at Stanford.
Against 30 teams, including 14 ranked among the nation’s top 50, the Mustangs looked steady, confident, and more than capable of hanging near the top of the leaderboard.
That’s exactly the kind of start SMU needed.
Will Sides led the way for the Mustangs with a 3-under 67, continuing one of the most consistent seasons on the roster.
Sides closed in style, birdieing each of his final three holes to climb into a tie for ninth place. It was his 13th round in the 60s this season, and it trimmed his scoring average to an impressive 70.17.
Ben Steinmann also gave SMU a big lift. The freshman carded a 68 to finish 2-under and move into a tie for 18th.
Steinmann came up strong late as well, making birdies on two of his final three holes. For a young player, it was another encouraging performance in a high-level event and his eighth round of par or better in just 15 rounds this season.
Zachary Kingsland added a 69, good for 1-under and a share of 27th place. He set the tone early with a 33 over his opening nine holes and gave SMU its third score in the 60s. Christian Clark posted a 71, while Gabe Post finished with a 74.
Stanford leads the tournament at 11-under, with Long Beach State at 10-under and New Mexico at 9-under.
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SMU is tied at 5-under with Cal and BYU, keeping the Mustangs firmly in the hunt heading into Friday’s second round.
If SMU keeps getting balanced scoring like this, it won’t just stay in contention. It could make a real push for the top of the board.
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