Oscar Floren Leads Red Raiders to Fourth-Place Finish

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Floren's 66 third-round score ranks seventh on Tech's all-time lowest 18-hole scores.

Oscar Floren Leads Red Raiders to Fourth-Place Finish

October 02, 2004 | Men's Golf

Oct. 2, 2004

LUBBOCK, Texas - Oscar Floren's third-round 66 propelled the Texas Tech men's golf team to its second top-five finish at the William H. Tucker Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M. The team combined to shot a 281 in the third-round to finish just in front of Big 12 rival Texas A&M, while setting three Tech records in the process.

The Red Raiders averaged the team's lowest stroke-average in a tournament thus far with a 288, shooting a 291-292-281-864 over the course of the two-day tournament. Tech's 281 in the third-round ranks seventh on Tech's Top-10 lowest 18-hole scores, while its three-round score of 864 ranks eighth on Tech's Top-10 54-hole scores. Tech's stellar-play was behind the clubs of all five Red Raiders, four of which finished in the top 25.

Sophomore Oscar Floren led all Red Raiders shooting rounds of 72, 71, and a team-low 66 in the third round to tab his best career finish of tied for third. Floren's 66 also ranks seventh on Tech's top-10 lowest rounds for an individual to round out the third Tech record set at The Tucker Invitational.

While Floren led the team's fourth-place effort, all the Red and Black golfers turned in some of their best performances. Junior Andrew Dresser and senior Shaun Melville finished in a tie for 16th-place behind a 72 and 71 third-round score, respectively. Dresser carded rounds of 72-74-72-218 to propel Tech into the top five. Melville contributed his second-straight top 20 finish, shooting a 70-77-71-218 two-day score to add to Tech's team effort.

Red Raider junior Nicolas Allain rebounded from his tough finish last week at the Notre Dame Invitational to finish in a tie for 24th this week. Allain turned in rounds of 77-71-72-220 to show that the junior college transfer has what it takes to compete with the best in the nation. Allain rounded out Tech's appearances in the top 25 individual leader board. Tyler Symons (77-76-75), freshman, in his first tournament of his college career finished in a tie for 72nd with a three-round score of 228.

Taking the team honors over the 19-team field was Arizona (855) in first, followed by host New Mexico (857) in second. Rounding out the top five are the University of Las Vegas (863-third), Texas Tech (864-fourth) and Texas A&M (866) rounding out the top five.

Taking individual honors was the University of Las Vegas' Ryan Moore with a 205 three-round score. Tabbing second-place honors was New Mexico's Spencer Levin with a 207. Tech's Oscar Floren (209) finished just two strokes out of garnering individual runners-up honors.

The Red Raiders will be back in action Oct. 11-12 at the Club Glove Invitational in Malibu, Calif.

Final Result Listed Below:
4 Texas Tech            291 292 281 864
T3   Oscar Floren       72 71 66 209T16  Shaun Melville     70 77 71 218T16  Andrew Dresser     72 74 72 218T24  Nicolas Allain     77 71 72 220T72  Tyler Symons       77 76 75 228


Team StandingsRank    Team                    Scores1       Arizona                 279 284 292 855 -92       New Mexico              286 283 288 857 -73       UNLV                    291 286 286 863 -14       Texas Tech              291 292 281 864 E5       Texas A&M University    289 291 286 866 +26       Baylor                  300 293 282 875 +11T7      Wichita State Univ.     294 292 290 876 +12T7      Colorado                291 292 293 876 +12T9      Nevada, Univ. of        290 287 300 877 +13T9      Brigham Young Univ.     286 293 298 877 +1311      Colorado State Univ.    291 292 295 878 +1412      Fresno State            300 296 289 885 +2113      San Diego State         296 294 296 886 +2214      New Mexico State U.     291 297 302 890 +2615      North Carolina          297 304 294 895 +3116      Hawaii, Univ. of        305 296 302 903 +3917      Air Force               303 295 308 906 +4218      Texas El Paso, U. of    303 295 310 908 +4419      Arkansas, U. of         303 306 305 914 +50