In Fairfax, California, the New Mexico men’s golf team concluded the fall segment of their schedule on Tuesday at the Meadow Club during the final round of the Alister MacKenzie Invitational. Bastien Amat achieved his second collegiate title, and the Lobos secured a second-place finish as a team.
Amat delivered an outstanding performance in the final round, carding a season-best score of 7-under 64. This impressive showing led him to finish the event at 16-under, resulting in a share of the individual title. His total score of 197 (68-65-64) marked the second-lowest 54-hole score in UNM history, eclipsed only by Joe McDermott’s 194 at the 1965 Sun Devil Invitational, over 50 years ago.
The Lobos collectively shot 9-under in the final round, concluding the tournament at 36-under. This achievement earned them the runner-up position, with the host team, Cal, leading at 51-under. New Mexico’s cumulative score of 36-under stands as the second-lowest in the program’s history, surpassed only by their remarkable 42-under performance at last year’s NCAA Salem Regional. Impressively, the three lowest 54-hole totals in New Mexico’s history have all occurred in their last seven events, dating back to the Mountain West Championship of the previous year, where they scored 35-under.
Head coach Jake Harrington expressed his pride in the team’s performance, stating, “I am really proud of the way the guys played this week. We had 11 of the 12 counting rounds under par. I’m extremely proud of Bastien, finishing by birdying two of his last three holes to shoot 64 and win the tournament. The way we finished these last two events gives us a lot of confidence and momentum heading into the spring season.”
Albert Boneta maintained consistent play throughout the event, posting scores in the 60s in all three rounds, finishing the tournament at T-11th with scores of 69-67-67, totaling 10-under. Carson Herron also had a strong final round, scoring 69 on Tuesday, while Matthew Watkins recorded a 75, and Alvaro Portillo completed the lineup with a score of 76.
In summary, the Lobos had a successful fall season with a title at the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate and a runner-up finish at the Alister MacKenzie Invitational, achieving two top-two finishes in their four fall events. They are set to begin the spring season on January 29-30 at the National Invitational Tournament in Tucson, Arizona.