PREVIEW: Men’s Golf Opens Season at Jackson T. Stephens Cup

FRISCO, Texas – A new era begins Monday as the University of Houston Men's Golf program tees off at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco.

The Cougars will be led by new Mike Booker Head Coach Andrew Danna, who joined Houston this summer after a award-winning career at Florida Gulf Coast, Lynn, and Georgia Southwestern, and became the eighth head coach in program history.

In 17 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Danna has led his teams to 32 team championships, including the 2018 NCAA Division II national title with Lynn, and guided nine student-athletes to 17 individual crowns.

He is a seven-time Conference Coach of the Year honoree and was named the NCAA Division II Dave Williams National Coach of the Year. Williams was a legendary Hall of Fame coach for the Cougars and led the program to 16 NCAA team national championships.

ABOUT the JACKSON T. STEPHENS CUP
Held annually since 2021, the Jackson T. Stephens Cup features some of the nation's top programs. In addition to the 12 competing men's and women's teams, the tournament features prominent individual student-athletes from the U.S. Military Academy and U.S. Naval Academy and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

The event is named in honor of the late Jackson (Jack) T. Stephens, former chairman of Augusta National Golf Club.

BUY TICKETS
Fans can purchase tickets for the Jackson T. Stephens Cup by clicking here.

TUNE IN
Fans can watch action from the Jackson T. Stephens Cup each day on Golf Channel. Monday's coverage can be seen from 4 to 7 p.m. with Tuesday action showing from 3 to 6 p.m. The final round of match play can be seen from 3 to 6 p.m., Wednesday.

A subscription to Golf Channel may be required for viewing.

LIVE SCORING
Fans can follow stroke-play live scoring from the Jackson T. Stephens Cup by clicking here.

ABOUT the COUGARS
Under Danna's leadership, the Cougars will be represented by senior Grant Doggett, junior Sacha Ruiz, senior Chi Chun Chen, junior Hsuan-Yi Chen and junior Brett Moore.

Chi Chun Chen enters as the Cougars' leading returnee after posting a 71.59 scoring average with 19 rounds of par or lower, including 10 in the 60s. Doggett was a close second with a 71.70 average and 18 rounds below par, including 11 in the 60s.

Chi Chun Chen posted a career low with a 64 in the Final Round of the Argent Financial Classic at Squire Creek Country Club in Choudrant, La. (Sept. 9, 2025) while Doggett earned medalist honors at the Bayou City Collegiate Classic on Sept. 28-29, 2025, for the first individual title of his collegiate career.

Both Cougars qualified for the U.S. Amateur Championship in Pennsylvania earlier this summer and were named to the Spring Academic All-Big 12 Conference Team a year ago.

Hsuan-Yi Chen was one of four Cougars to compete in 37 rounds over 12 tournaments a year ago and tied his career best with a 66 in the Final Round of the NCAA Bermuda Run Regional (May 20). He also was a member of the Spring Academic All-Big 12 Team and earned a place on the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team.

Ruiz and Moore will make their Houston debuts at the Jackson T. Stephens following award-winning careers at Florida Gulf Coast, where they played for Danna.

Ruiz captured the individual crown at the 2026 Giles-Spratley Collegiate in April and was named to the All-Atlantic Sun Conference First Team and the league's All-Tournament Team after posting a 70.66 scoring average with four Top-10 finishes.

Moore received All-ASUN honors for the second straight season and helped lead FGCU to the program's first ASUN championship.

TEAM FIELD
Houston will compete in a six-team field against Rice, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M and Utah. The tournament also features individual competitors from HBCU schools Howard, Jackson State, Prairie View A&M and Florida A&M and the U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Military Academy.

TEE TIMES
For Monday's play, the Cougars will compete in groups with student-athletes from SMU and Rice.

Moore begins the day off No. 10 at 7:39 a.m. with Hsuan-Yi Chen (7:51 a.m.), Chi Chun Chen (8:03 a.m.), Ruiz (8:15 a.m.) and Doggett (8:27 a.m.) following.

Complete Jackson T. Stephens Cup stroke-play tee times can be found by clicking here.

UP NEXT
Following the Jackson T. Stephens Cup, the Cougars return to action when they compete at the NB3 Matchplay hosted by the Notah Begay III Foundation at Twin Warriors Golf Club in Pueblo, N.M., on Sept. 29-30.

Houston then tees off at the Big 12 Matchplay at Salt Lake Country Club in Salt Lake on Oct. 12-14 before playing in the Abilene Christian Intercollegiate at Halbert National in Granbury, Texas, on Oct. 19-21.

The Cougars close their fall campaign at the Ka'anapali Classic at Ka'anapali Golf Resort in Lahaina, Hawai'i, on Oct. 26-28.

SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Men's Golf by providing NIL opportunities and by joining Project 17, which provides financial support directly to Houston Men's Golf for needs beyond its operating budget.

STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMGolf on X and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarMGolf. Fans also can follow the team on Instagram at uhcougarmgolf.

– UHCougars.com –

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