RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men's golf team is hoping to carry the momentum they gained at the end of the fall season into the spring season.
 
"I am excited for the team as a whole," UTRGV Head Coach Houston Moore said. "I think we ended last semester on a high note playing well at Baylor's event. I would expect us to continue to keep rolling. We have put in a lot of hard work this semester and we think we are ready for the first event."
 
The Vaqueros will get their first opportunity this spring on Feb. 13 when they compete at the Border Olympics in Laredo. 
 
Practice got underway for the Vaqueros in early January when the squad returned to campus and have hit the ground running trying to avoid any loss of progress from the fall. 
 
While a lot of things go in to having a good season, the Vaqueros know that the big thing for them is not to lose track of what they are doing and not worry about anyone else. 
 
"We just need to focus on us, not get ahead of ourselves, and continue to practice with purpose," Moore said. "We are going to be playing against some really big schools at time this semester and we have to not worry about anyone else but UTRGV."
 
The Vaqueros have a roster that has plenty of experience. With just one underclassman, the Vaqueros have plenty of members that know what it takes to be successful in collegiate golf. 
 
Freshman Henry Wang got his first taste of collegiate golf in the fall and didn't seem fazed as he posted a one-under 69 in his first-career event. 
 
Sophomore Juan Luis de Bethancourt Duque, redshirt sophomore Taj Sutherland, and junior Javier Neira Garcia provided stability in the fall as each posted a stroke average around 73 with Sutherland leading that way with a 72.29.
 
The Vaqueros will look to take another step forward this spring. Right now their biggest focus is the Border Olympics and that means making every practice count.
 
"We are practicing with purpose right now," Moore said. "We are not putting any unneeded pressure or goals on ourselves. We are taking it day by day and trying to get ready for the first one of the spring up in Laredo."
 
The student-athletes weren't the only ones that picked up momentum in the fall. Coach Moore wrapped up his first semester at the helm of the program and now feels more comfortable with the team.
 
"I think I am now more familiar with each person individually and how their brain works," Moore said. "Now I know how they like to practice and what they need to do to get better at practice. I think that will be key moving forward and it makes our relationship a little more personal from player to player."
 
Following the Border Olympics, the Vaqueros will compete at the Bayou City Classic, hosted by Rice before heading to the Colin Montgomerie Invitational, where the Vaqueros have had success in the past.
 
UTRGV will then compete at the All-American Intercollegiate, hosted by Houston, before hosting The Big Texan at Riverhill Country Club in Kerrville. The Vaqueros will then wrap up the regular season at the Huntsville Toyota Walden Invitational, hosted by Sam Houston, before making the trip to Boulder City, Nevada for the Western Athletic Conference Championship.
 
The Vaqueros schedule this spring doesn't take them very far from home, but it is filled with plenty of tough fields that will make them earn everything this spring. 
 
"I think when someone looks at our spring schedule, they will realize that we are in Texas all semester long," Moore said. "The way I see it is that we are taking advantage of the great weather we have in South Texas. From the looks of the schedule, I would say it looks pretty good. We are staying close to home this semester, not like last semester, but I think we are going to get a lot of reps and we are going to play a lot of good teams. I would say those two are pretty important in getting ready for conference."
 
This season will mark the fifth straight year, not including 2020 that saw the tournament canceled due to COVID-19, that the Vaqueros will host The Big Texan. 
 
The Vaqueros have had some success in Kerrville having won the event in 2018 and finished second in 2021. The Big Texan is becoming a tradition in the spring and Coach Moore hopes to see it continue to do so.
 
"I think hosting The Big Texan is pretty cool," Moore said. "It hasn't been around that long but the previous staff put into place and named it The Big Texan, which I think is a really great name. We want to continue hosting and improving it each year. Hopefully it will be a good year for us there."
 
The Vaqueros are looking to have a good year all over Texas this spring. 
 
If they maintain their focus and practice with a purpose, the spring season could bring plenty of success for the Vaqueros. 
 
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