Posted: Apr 20, 2021
Nathan Haley captures SCAC Championship, leads Bulldogs to runner-up finish
BLANCO, Texas -- Texas Lutheran senior Nathan Haley (Richmond/Foster) became the fourth Bulldog student-athlete to win a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference individual golf title when he captured medalist honors Tuesday at Vaaler Creek Golf Club.
Haley joined TLU Women's Golf stand-out Summer Swift and former Bulldogs Adam Peterson and Colin Uecker as SCAC individual champions.
TLU has been in the SCAC since the 2014 SCAC Golf Championships. Peterson won the 2015 men's title, and Swift won the women's crown in 2018. Uecker took home his title in 2019.
TLU men's golfers have won the last two individual SCAC championships. The 2020 SCAC Men's and Women's Golf Championships were not contested due to COVID-19.
Haley finished at 2-under-par and was the only golfer in the field to break par. Haley won by three shots over Holden Wisener of Trinity.
TLU finished as the team runner-up. Trinity edged the Bulldogs by three shots. The teams were tied with each team having two players yet to play the final hole, the par-3 9th.
Trinity's Zac Bunder made a 25-footer for birdie on No. 9 and put Trinity up one stroke with the Bulldogs' Chase Maus (Manor/Manor) yet to finish the hole and Haley yet to play it.
By the time Haley hit his tee shot on No. 9, he needed a hole-in-one to pull the Bulldogs into a tie for the team lead. He had a four-shot lead in the individual race on the final hole.
TLU and Trinity traded the team lead throughout the final round. The Bulldogs once had a four-stroke early in the round, but the Tigers inched back ahead with five holes to play.
TLU caught Trinity again when each team still had two golfers on the course, with each golfer yet to play No. 9. Chandler Otto made a great up-and-down on No. 9, his final hole, to keep the Bulldogs tied for the lead.
Haley led wire-to-wire. He opened the tournament with a 4-under 68 and shot a 2-under 70 in Monday's second round. He closed with a 76.
Haley, the son of Jeff and Cindy Haley, was greeted by his parents, his teammates, and Head Coach H.C. Tran after sinking the final putt to secure medalist honors.
Jeff Haley, a teammate of Coach Tran's in their collegiate days, played four years for TLU Men's Golf and was a key member on a team that finished sixth in the NAIA National Championships.
Nathan Haley and Maus made the All-SCAC First Team. Maus tied for fourth. He rebounded from a 77 in the first round to post a 69 and a 75 and finish at 3-over.
Cameron Carter (Rock Springs, Wyo./Kelly Walsh) nearly cracked the top 10 and the All-SCAC Second Team. He tied for 11th. He posted TLU's best round of Tuesday - an ever-par round of 72.
Otto (Round Rock/Cedar Ridge) shot 78 on Tuesday and placed 14th. Matthew McArthur (New Braunfels/New Braunfels) shot 83 in the final round and tied for 22nd.