EDMOND, Okla. (March 17, 2026) – With the NCAA postseason five weeks away, the No. 25 UT Permian Basin men's golf team competed at the Oak Tree Invitational held at Oak Tree Country Club (Par 70 – 7,102 Yards) in Edmond, Oklahoma, and improved two spots as a team over the final round to finish fourth out of 18 total teams.

Due to frigid temps in the morning on Monday and the threat of extreme cold temperatures on Tuesday, officials shortened the tournament – originally scheduled for 54 holes – to 36 holes (2 rounds). 

The field at the Oak Tree Invitational is a key testing ground for South Central Region programs. Oak Tree Country Club is widely considered one of the most challenging layouts in the region, often serving as a preview for postseason-level competition. Oak Tree Country Club, designed by Pete Dye, is known for its undulating Bermuda grass greens, a multitude of bunkers and rolling terrain.

After tying for sixth place during round one on Monday, UTPB (301-295; 596; +36) passed No. 23 Midwestern State University (299-313; 612; 8th place; +52), which was tied for third place after round one, and passed Cameron University (300-297; 597; 5th place; +37), by just one stroke. The team that UTPB was tied with after round one, (RV) Harding University (301-293; 594; +34), moved up to take third place. UTPB's plus-15 during round two was the third-lowest team score of the round.

"These were probably the worst conditions I have ever been a part of in my entire career," said UTPB Head Coach Paul Chavez. "It was frigid cold with high winds, and those are not a good mix for golf. But I will applaud my team because nobody complained, they played hard, and we beat a lot of good teams in this tournament. We had three players finish in the top-20, and they found a way to fight through the elements. Even though our scores do not look very strong, they were very respectable in these conditions, so kudos to the players for their efforts. It was a great team effort considering the conditions and was a strong finish for us that sets us up well for the last two events of the regular season and potentially a regional bid."

As a team, UTPB was first in par-3 scoring (3.25; +10), was second in par-5 scoring (4.80; -4), and was tied for seventh in par-4 scoring (4.38; +45). The Falcons were also tied for second with 104 birdies and were fifth with 21 pars.

After being the only player to shoot under-par during round one and leading the tournament by two strokes at one-under after the first 18 holes, Will Tate (69-77; 146; +6) finished tied for sixth out of 104 golfers. Tate also tied for second in the tournament in par-3 scoring (4.17; +4) and was tied for fourth with 24 pars.

Ioan Rowe (77-71; 148; +8) and Nizar Bourehim (77-72; 149; +9) were both tied for 44th after round one before cracking into the top-20 after round two. Rowe improved his score by six strokes to shoot plus-one during round two and rose 32 spots to tie for 12th place, and Bourehim went up 28 spots to tie for 16th. Rowe's score during round two was tied for the sixth-lowest in the round. He was also one of eight players in the tournament to hit an eagle.

Laurent Beech (78-76; 154) and Thonsaeng Nunya (78-76; 154) tied for 55th after round one and remained tied after round two, moving up 18 spots to tie for 37th in the end.

Bourehim tied for first in the tournament in par-3 scoring (2.88; -1) and Nunya tied for second in par-5 scoring (4.25; -3).

The Falcons are back in action next week at the Midwestern State Invite on Monday, March 23, and Tuesday, March 24, at the Wichita Falls Country Club.

UTPB is one of seven Lone Star Conference squads represented in the NCAA South Central Regional rankings announced on Saturday. The initial list of regionally ranked squads is alphabetical with upcoming rankings switching to a numerical list.