Garrison Smith breaks WAC Championship record to win and advance to the NCAA tournament
BOULDER CITY, Nevada -- Garrison Smith has punched his ticket to the NCAA Tournament after winning the individual title at the WAC Men's Golf Championships.
Smith broke the 21-year old WAC Men's Golf Championship record by shooting a 197 (-19).
Smith became the first individual champion for NM State since 2014 when Pay Beyhan won. On the final day, Smith shot a 68 (-4), including an eagle on hole 14 to run away the individual title. No player managed to stay within seven shots of Smith with Davis Heslington of Utah Tech finishing as the runner up (204, -12).
As a team, NM State finished in second place, shooting 835 on the weekend. The Aggies were edged out by Grand Canyon on the final day as the Lopes clinched the team title. GCU matched the conference's team-scoring record with an 830 (-34) throughout the tournament.
Aidan Thomas and Javier Delgadillo joined Smith inside the top ten of the tournament. Delgadillo, a freshman from El Paso, tied for sixth after shooting eight-under (208). On Sunday, Delgadillo went three-under on the back nine to finish at 70 (-2).
Thomas, who is no stranger to elite finishes at the WAC Men's Golf Tournament Championships, tied for ninth in the 2023 edition. Thomas finished just one shot behind Delgadillo, firing a 209 (-7) over the three rounds. The Albuquerque native posted the lowest score for NM State on Sunday, turning a 67 (-5) in the final round.
Smith will now turn his focus to the NCAA Regionals in the coming weeks. The NCAA Division I Men's Golf Selection will take place on Wednesday, May 3 on the GOLF Channel.
