Tremulot, Minnie lead well-rounded Pioneers to lopsided win in San Antonio

Team Results
SAN ANTONIO – Sentanio Minnie and Sebastien Tremulot tied for the title, and all five Pioneers contributed in big ways to Wayland Baptist's lopsided victory in the spring season-opening San Antonio Shootout here Monday and Tuesday.
  "The guys did a great job," Wayland coach Tom Harp said. "Everybody contributed and just played really well. I'm really proud of them."

After posting rounds Monday of 297 and 290 at TPC San Antonio Canyons to assume a 17-stroke lead, the 10^th-ranked Pioneers rounded the Oaks course Tuesday in 306 to expand their victory margin to an incredible 36 shots over runner-up Texas Wesleyan, ranked eighth in the NAIA.

Other ranked teams in the 16-team field included No. 15 Morningside, Iowa, which finished third, No. 14 Truett McConnell, Ga., which placed fifth, and No. 23 Johnson & Wales, Fla., which wound up sixth.

Although Wayland's final round was 16 strokes higher than its round two total, it still was 17 shots lower than any other team.

Harp said the conditions Tuesday were rough on an already difficult layout.

"(Oaks) is one of the toughest to play on the PGA Tour. Today, they set the tees way back so it played long, and they put the pins in really tough spots. It also was cold and windy.

"It was an incredible day."

It was the third win in six tournaments and second straight for Wayland, which also prevailed at the Mid-South Classic in Newton, Kan., in mid-September as well as the WBU Chicken Express Invitational to close the fall season last October.

Harp said the key to Wayland's latest runaway win was depth, consistency and intelligence.

"All five guys played steady golf. In the past we've had a lot of superstars and we rode one or two guys. To see all five guys do what they did (is special). Not many teams have five guys that can go play like that."

Additionally, Harp said the Pioneers avoided major mistakes.

"There was trouble all over that course, but we didn't have big numbers like other teams did. That says a lot about the guys' composure and their intelligence."

Individually, Minnie (70-74-78—222) and Tremulot (76-73-73—222), both seniors, wound up tied for first place with Tyron Davidowitz of Texas Wesleyan (73-71-78—222). In the playoff, all three parred the par-5 18^th hole, where Minnie almost chipped in and Tremulot lipped out for birdie. On the second playoff hole on No. 17, Davidowitz won it with a birdie. Tremulot walked away in second place.

Harp was super proud of both Minnie and Tremulot.

"Both of those guys have put in so much work in the off-season. You could see Sentanio going in the right direction, and Sebastian has worked on some swing changes and worked hard on his game. Now he can see that paying off."

Tremulot's 73 tied for the low round Tuesday. He ended with six birdies, four bogeys and a triple-bogey 6 for his 1-over.

"Most people won't realize how good that is on this course," Harp said.

Junior Jake Craft (78-72-78—228), who was 1-under on his back-nine Tuesday, tied for sixth place, sophomore Johannes Hounsgaard (77-71-81—229) tied for eighth, and sophomore Joshua Smedema (74-80-77—231) tied for 11^th in the 85-golfer field.

Harp said the entire team was impressive.

"I'm excited for the team. We won big over quality teams."

Next for the Pioneers is the Lubbock Christian University Invitational March 9 and 10 at the Rawls Course in Lubbock.