Feb. 26, 2012
Final Results 
PALM DESERT, Calif. (SMU) - After combining for a 291 in the first round, the SMU men's golf team steadily gained ground on the field through the final two rounds of play at the Wyoming Desert Classic at the Classic Club golf course. The Mustangs carded a 287 in the second round and a 284 in the third to finish the tournament tied for fifth place at 2-under par.
"Finishing in the top five and under par is always a good thing," SMU head coach Josh Gregory said. "Our worst score of the weekend was a 75, which means that we had all five guys in the game for three rounds. We are getting better fast, but we have to sharpen up our wedges and putting so we can really have a great chance to win. This team can become a very good team by the end of the year if we learn how to really score from 100 yards and in."
It was a balanced weekend for the team, with four golfers finishing in the top 40, as SMU earned its fourth top-five finish of the season. The Mustangs have already reached last year's top five total and still have six tournaments remaining on the schedule.
Marc Sambol led the way for the Ponies on the weekend, picking up his third top 10 finish of the season. The senior's 3-under tied him for eighth place, only four shots behind UNLV's Kevin Penner who won the individual title.
Fellow seniors Matt Schovee and Max Buckley weren't too far behind their teammate. Schovee carded a 215, 1-under, finishing tied for 17th. The senior had the team's low round with a 3-under (69) in the second round. Buckley finished tied for 27th after carding a 1-over (217).
Sophomore Harry Higgs was two strokes behind Buckley at 3-over par (219).
In the team standings, SMU was two shots better than No. 18 Kent State and tied No. 13 Texas A&M. No. 15 UNLV won the event after carding an 844.
The Mustang will take a week off before heading to Lafayette, La., to compete in the Louisiana Classic on March 5-6.
