TCU Golf 2024-2025

[JogginFrog]

Another former Frog advanced to U.S. Open sectional qualifying this week. Fifteen years since his playing days at TCU, Travis Woolf showed he's still got game. He shot a 69 at Hackberry Creek and was the only amateur to advance from a field of 120.

 

[JogginFrog]

Wylie and Woolf took their shot at sectional qualifying at Bent Tree yesterday, along with a bunch of Tour pros outside of the top 60 in OWGR. The number to get in was 135; Woolf had a 69 in the morning that gave him an outside shot, but he faded in the afternoon round. Wylie didn't contend, but it's great experience for a college player.

 

[JogginFrog]

Aymeric Laussot picked up his first top-10 finish on the HotelPlanner (Euro Challenge) Tour, opening and closing with 67s to finish T6 in the Danish Challenge. Stefano Mazzoli was T13 in the same event.

On the main DP Euro Tour stop in Belgium, Ravetto, Brun, and Olesen made the cut, though none finished inside the top 30.

 

[JogginFrog]

I think I've had it with the format at nationals. Last week, the Stanford women lost 2-3 to Northwestern after going undefeated for the season in stroke play--only the second team to ever do that--and after beating NW by 29 in stroke play.

Today, both top seeds on the men's side are out in the quarters, both by 3-2 scores, after beating their respective opponents by 25 and 21 shots over four days.

I like the idea that you have to look an opponent in the eye and take him/her out. And top seeds have won a fair amount. But taking 72 holes to cull the field to eight teams and set the seeds sounds like overkill, and 18-hole matches from there on is not enough golf to determine the better team.

How about cutting to 16 teams after 36 holes, to 8 after 54 holes, then to 4 after 72 holes? Then play 36-hole matches among the final four over two days. Same calendar, less randomness.

 

[Wexahu]

I think I've had it with the format at nationals. Last week, the Stanford women lost 2-3 to Northwestern after going undefeated for the season in stroke play--only the second team to ever do that--and after beating NW by 29 in stroke play.

Today, both top seeds on the men's side are out in the quarters, both by 3-2 scores, after beating their respective opponents by 25 and 21 shots over four days.

I like the idea that you have to look an opponent in the eye and take him/her out. And top seeds have won a fair amount. But taking 72 holes to cull the field to eight teams and set the seeds sounds like overkill, and 18-hole matches from there on is not enough golf to determine the better team.

How about cutting to 16 teams after 36 holes, to 8 after 54 holes, then to 4 after 72 holes? Then play 36-hole matches among the final four over two days. Same calendar, less randomness.

I agree. There needs to be more reward for the teams that finish higher in the stroke play portion, because that is the meat of the tournament. Once match-play starts it's too much of a crapshoot. It's an epidemic in almost all sports though, everyone seems to like "playoffs" at the expense of rewarding teams who actually play better for a longer period of time.

 

[Mean Purple]

I agree. There needs to be more reward for the teams that finish higher in the stroke play portion, because that is the meat of the tournament. Once match-play starts it's too much of a crapshoot. It's an epidemic in almost all sports though, everyone seems to like "playoffs" at the expense of rewarding teams who actually play better for a longer period of time.

Youre on to something. Yesterday, Ole Miss and Okie State went at it. While I still think Okie State would have won, the match play format let them off way too much on bad shots/play.

One of the matches went way too long. There are times where matches end quick, and you have to wonder how stroke play scoring would have impacted it.

 

[JogginFrog]

Some recent and not-so-recent Frogs are playing in the Texas Women's Open in Grapevine this week (currently playing round 2 of 3). Former Frog Jennie Park is a shot off the lead. Greta Bruner and Angela Stanford are in the top 25 and Megan Winans is also in the top half of the field.
Scoring: https://ntpga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/ntpga25/event/ntpga2519/contest/1/leaderboard.htm

 

[gohornedfrogs]

I think I've had it with the format at nationals. Last week, the Stanford women lost 2-3 to Northwestern after going undefeated for the season in stroke play--only the second team to ever do that--and after beating NW by 29 in stroke play.

Today, both top seeds on the men's side are out in the quarters, both by 3-2 scores, after beating their respective opponents by 25 and 21 shots over four days.

I like the idea that you have to look an opponent in the eye and take him/her out. And top seeds have won a fair amount. But taking 72 holes to cull the field to eight teams and set the seeds sounds like overkill, and 18-hole matches from there on is not enough golf to determine the better team.

How about cutting to 16 teams after 36 holes, to 8 after 54 holes, then to 4 after 72 holes? Then play 36-hole matches among the final four over two days. Same calendar, less randomness.

Match play rarely produces the best player or team as champion.

I really felt bad for Stanford. That was an elite team this year, but they had one mediocre day and it cost them the championship. The whole team is back next year, so they'll get another shot.

It is a better format for TV for college golf, though. I wouldn't mind seeing a CWS style bracket after 54 holes of stroke play, where you can lose a match and play your way back in. Finals would be win 2 of 3. It would be a lot of golf, but they are not in school at that point.

 

[JogginFrog]

Four former Frogs in the top 25 at the Texas Women's Open through 2 rounds. Low Frog so far is Angela Stanford (-6, T4), showing the young'uns how to get it done. Megan Winans is T15, Greta Bruner and Jennie Park are T23.

 

[JogginFrog]

Angela Stanford finishes T2 in the Texas Women's Open. She began the day 6 back and closed to within 2. I'd be interested to know how much she was giving up off the tee to the collegians and young pros.

I'd also love to have seen the look on her young playing partners' faces when they saw they were paired with the Solheim Cup captain.

 

[JogginFrog]

Hayden Springer made the Canadian Open cut but had a terrible third round, which put him in the first group off today with Wyndham Clark. Guess they both like to play fast, because Springer posted a final-round 64 (and Clark a 66) to move up the leaderboard a bit.

Unfortunately, he will still drop on the FedEx points list--now at 118. That puts him into that bubble range again. He needs another strong finish or two this summer to stay in the top 125.

 

[JogginFrog]

Congrats to Camille Min-Gaultier for advancing to the final 16 of the Women's British Amateur at Nairn. She shot 72-75 to advance from stroke play as the 45th seed, then won twice in match play before bowing out to Caterina Don, 1 down, in a tight, back-and-forth match.

 

[froginmn]

Angela Stanford finishes T2 in the Texas Women's Open. She began the day 6 back and closed to within 2. I'd be interested to know how much she was giving up off the tee to the collegians and young pros.

I'd also love to have seen the look on her young playing partners' faces when they saw they were paired with the Solheim Cup captain.

Can't remember whether I've told this story on here. Last year a woman stops me at a gas station in MN and asks if she can take a photo of my license plate (GOFROGS). I said, sure, and she tells me she's going to send it to a friend. "Do you know who Angela Stanford is? She played golf for TCU." I just about fell over and said, yes I sure do.

 

[JogginFrog]

Congrats to Toby Wilt, winner of the 116th Texas Amateur (66-67-64-71)! And to Hudson Wilt, the second-best amateur in Texas last week...and in his family.

 

[JogginFrog]

Toby will play in the U.S. Amateur, and fellow Frog Kirstin Angosta qualified for the U.S. Women's Am, finishing T1 in her qualifier from a field of 60+.

 

[JogginFrog]

And across the pond, Jack Beauchamp reached match play in the British Am, while Camille Min-Gautier did the same in the French Women's Am. Congrats to both.

 

[gohornedfrogs]

Congrats to Toby Wilt, winner of the 116th Texas Amateur (66-67-64-71)! And to Hudson Wilt, the second-best amateur in Texas last week...and in his family.

Their grandfather is a member of Augusta and is in the Vanderbilt HOF as a golfer. He’s a founder of the Golf Club of Tennessee.

Quite a legacy to have in the TCU family.

 

[JogginFrog]

40-minute deep dive on Tom Hoge, premier ball striker, working with Greg Rose at the Titleist Performance Center to transform his driver swing and pick up some speed. Is there a bet involved? It's Tom Hoge--what do you think?

 

[JogginFrog]

Checking in on U.S. Amateur qualifiers, a bunch of which were held yesterday.

• Former Frog Travis Woolf qualified in Abilene with a 2-under 69
• Son of Frog Conner Henry qualified in Edmond with a 2-under 68
• Current Frog Charlie Wylie is the first alternate in Mont Belvieu with a 1-under 70

 

[JogginFrog]

Congrats to Jacob Skov Oleson for advancing through final qualifying for the Open Championship at Burnham and Berrow with an 8-under 134. He'll be teeing it up at Royal Portrush later this month.

Final Qualifying | Burnham & Berrow | The Open

Read all about Burnham & Berrow, one of the four Final Qualifying venues for The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush in 2025.

www.theopen.com

(Yes, he transferred. But he earned a TCU degree, so I count him as a Frog.)