University of Houston Athletics
Golf Back in Action at the Desert Shootout
3/16/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
March 16, 2011
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - For the third time in the last 11 days, the University of Houston golf team starts competition when it opens play at the Desert Shootout on Thursday morning.
The Cougars will play 18 holes beginning at 8:30 a.m. (CST) each day through Saturday on the 7,015-yard, par-72 course at Palm Valley Golf Course in Goodyear, Ariz. Players will tee off from holes No. 1 and No. 10 during the first two rounds with a shotgun start slated for Saturday.
"We are working on a lot of stuff right now, but everything seems to be improving," head coach Jonathan Dismuke said. "I like the way the team looks. We have been working hard and are starting to understand some different concepts. I feel like it will be a good weekend for us."
Houston will square off against a formidable field that includes Boise State, BYU, Iowa State, North Texas, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, Oklahoma, Saint Mary's, Southern Utah, TCU, Tulsa, VCU, Wyoming and host Denver.
This will be the third of four tournaments for the Cougars in the month of March. Houston previously finished fourth at the Louisiana Classics on March 7-8 and recently competed at the Seminole Intercollegiate on March 11-13.
"We worked really hard on our conditioning and our bodies and minds to be ready for this stretch." Said Dismuke, who is in his second season with the program. "From a physical standpoint, will will be fine. Traveling takes a toll out of you, but if you are going to be good at this game, you have to learn to be good on the road."
THE LINEUP
Dismuke will use the same lineup for the third straight tournament with sophomore Jordan Rumora playing as an individual. Freshmen Curtis Reed, Bryn Flanagan, Wesley McClain and Jesse Droemer join sophomore transfer Will Dusenbury and Rumora in the Cougar lineup.
After a fourth-place finish and season-low score of 210 at last week's Seminole Intercollegiate, Reed moved into the team lead with a 73.17 scoring average and seven rounds of par or better. The Castroville, Texas, native also tied his season low with a 68 in the second round of that event.
Dusenbury posted a 69 in the second round of the Seminole Intercollegiate, joining Flanagan as the Cougars among the top-25 individual leaders at that event.
Rumora made his season debut at the Rice Intercollegiate in late February and led the Cougars with an 11th-place finish after shooting a career-low 216 in that tournament
LAST TIME OUT
The Cougars finished fifth at the Seminole Intercollegiate in Tallahassee, Fla., last week. It was the program's fourth top-five team finish in 2010-11.
Playing against some of the nation's top teams, the Cougars fired a season-low team score of 283 in the second round.
UP NEXT
Following the Desert Shootout, the Cougars play host to the Border Olympics on March 25-26 in Laredo, Texas.
Houston will welcome Air Force, Arkansas, Baylor, Lamar, Liberty, Kansas, Kansas State, Rice, New Mexico State, Indiana, UT Arlington, UTSA, North Texas, Oklahoma, Toledo, Wichita, Washington State and Texas State.
Players Mentioned
