PHOTO COURTESY UTRGV ATHLETICS
For the first time in program history, the UTRGV Men’s Golf Team is king of the Southland Conference, after beating out the University of the Incarnate Word by a point.
The 2026 conference tournament took place from April 20 to 22 at the Comanche Trace in Kerrville, Texas.
The win gives UTRGV a spot in the NCAA Division I regionals, which will take place from May 12 to 14. The team will find out in which regional it will play during the NCAA Selection Show Wednesday.
The program’s first conference win was in 2010, when legacy institution the University of Texas–Pan American won the America Sky Conference Golf Championship at Los Lagos Golf Club in Edinburg.
Junior golfer Esteban Gonzalez said he is proud the team brought the title to the Rio Grande Valley, especially since he’s been here his whole life.
“I mean, it feels really good, the best thing I’ve been a part of,” Gonzalez said. “… I’m glad that my third year is just bringing it home, and it’s pretty cool. … I have a lot of pride. All of my family [is] from the Valley, and I grew up here.
He added he hopes youth golfers in the area know “someone from the Valley can make it to that next level and be successful.”
Sophomore golfer Gabriel Dulon Villoslada said the relationship between the players off the field helps and translates on the field.
“Obviously, we are going to train harder than what we are trained for,” Villoslada said. “But nothing is going to change that much, just keep playing how we are playing.”
Houston Moore, UTRGV director of Golf, said he is amazed by the win, but the team is still focused on practice.
“Hard work pays off; the dedication has value, and … their year [has not] come to an end yet,” Moore said. “So, just all good things, all good things … back to our normal practice routine, we keep a pretty clean game. We know what we do; we work on our stats. We base our practice on our stats, and we work on stuff individually, not a whole lot of team-driven stuff. So, they’re all grinding back on their craft.”
