University of Houston Athletics
Monday, October 12
Salt Lake Country Club – Salt Lake City
University of Houston
vs
Big 12 Match Play Tournament
Men’s Golf Finishes First Day at Big 12 Match Play Tournament
10/12/2026 9:16:00 PM | Men's Golf
Cougars take win over (7) Colorado in afternoon session; Sebastian Gamboa leads way with two wins
SALT LAKE CITY – University of Houston senior Sebastian Gamboa won both of his matches to lead the Cougars to a 1-1 record during the first day of the Big 12 Match Play Tournament at The Country Club on Monday afternoon.
After falling 4-1 to (2) Texas Tech in the morning, the Cougars rallied to win three matches over (7) Colorado during the afternoon session on the par-72, 7,209-yard course. Two matches against the Buffaloes were still being played when the round was suspended due to darkness.
Fighting through cold temperatures and rain, Gamboa enjoyed a 2&1 win over Texas Tech's Tim Wiedemeyer in his first round of the day and followed that with a 2&1 win over Asher Whitaker in the afternoon. With those wins, he improved to 3-1 in match play in his first season with the Cougars.
Seniors Chi Chun Chen and Grant Doggett will complete their matches on Tuesday morning before Houston closes pool play against (10) Kansas State.
From there, the Cougars' remaining matches and opponents will depend on the standings from pool play and the results from Tuesday afternoon's matches.
Pool A consists of No. 1 seed Oklahoma State, No. 8 Cincinnati, No, 9 Arizona and No. 16 UCF. Pool C includes No. 3 seed Arizona State with No. 6 BYU, No. 11 Utah and No. 14 Iowa State while Pool D holds No. 4 Kansas, No. 5 TCU, No. 12 West Virginia and No. 13 Baylor.
This is the Cougars' second straight match-play event. Houston finished fourth at the NB3 Match Play at Twin Warriors Golf Club in Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M., on Sept. 29-30.
MATCH 1 – (2) Texas Tech 4, (15) Houston 1
In the first match of the day, Gamboa led the Cougars with a 2&1 win over Tim Wiedemeyer.
Starting off No. 5, Gamboa held a 1 up lead through three holes before Wiedemeyer rallied to take a 1 up lead with a birdie at the par-4 10th hole. Gamboa knotted the match with a birdie at No. 12 and took the lead for good with a birdie on the 376-yard, par-4 17th hole.
The Merida, Mexico, native took a two-hole lead with par to win No. 2 and closed the match with another par at #3.
In the other matches, Chi Chun Chen lost to Simon Hovdal, 2&1, and junior Sacha Ruiz fell to Ben Gregg, 1 up. Doggett lost to Price Hill, 3&1, and sophomore Jayk Altic dropped a 5&4 decision to Adam Bresnu.
MATCH 2 – (15) Houston 3, (7) Colorado TBA
Starting off No. 15, Hsuan-Yi Chen won two of the first three holes and three of the first five on the way to a 4&3 win over Colt Farrow. The Taiwan native drained a birdie on the par-3 11th hole to clinch the match.
Like Hsuan-Yi Chen, Ruiz used a quick start to build a lead he would never relinquish in a 3&2 win over Brandon Knight. The Le Havre, Franc native sank a birdie on his first hole of the round on the par-3 15th hole and used another birdie at No. 17 to forge a two-hole lead.
Knight clawed back to 1 down with four holes remaining, but Ruiz claimed each of the last two holes, including a birdie on the par-5 12th hole to win the match.
Starting off No. 14, Gamboa made birdie on his first hole and pushed his lead to two holes with par at No. 17. Whitaker moved to within 1 down with a birdie on the par-5 eighth hole, but the two players halved each of the next four holes before Gamboa clinched the match with a birdie on the par-5 12th hole.
Chi Chun Chen was 1 down through 17 holes to Colt Farrow while Doggett was 1 down through 16 before play was suspended due to darkness.
LIVE SCORING
Fans can follow live scoring from the Big 12 Match Play Tournament by clicking here.
TEE TIMES
Complete Big 12 Matchplay tee times can be found by clicking here.
UP NEXT
Following the Big 12 Matchplay, Houston tees off at the Abilene Christian Intercollegiate at Halbert National in Granbury, Texas, on Oct. 19-21
From there, 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.
After falling 4-1 to (2) Texas Tech in the morning, the Cougars rallied to win three matches over (7) Colorado during the afternoon session on the par-72, 7,209-yard course. Two matches against the Buffaloes were still being played when the round was suspended due to darkness.
Fighting through cold temperatures and rain, Gamboa enjoyed a 2&1 win over Texas Tech's Tim Wiedemeyer in his first round of the day and followed that with a 2&1 win over Asher Whitaker in the afternoon. With those wins, he improved to 3-1 in match play in his first season with the Cougars.
Seniors Chi Chun Chen and Grant Doggett will complete their matches on Tuesday morning before Houston closes pool play against (10) Kansas State.
From there, the Cougars' remaining matches and opponents will depend on the standings from pool play and the results from Tuesday afternoon's matches.
Pool A consists of No. 1 seed Oklahoma State, No. 8 Cincinnati, No, 9 Arizona and No. 16 UCF. Pool C includes No. 3 seed Arizona State with No. 6 BYU, No. 11 Utah and No. 14 Iowa State while Pool D holds No. 4 Kansas, No. 5 TCU, No. 12 West Virginia and No. 13 Baylor.
This is the Cougars' second straight match-play event. Houston finished fourth at the NB3 Match Play at Twin Warriors Golf Club in Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M., on Sept. 29-30.
MATCH 1 – (2) Texas Tech 4, (15) Houston 1
In the first match of the day, Gamboa led the Cougars with a 2&1 win over Tim Wiedemeyer.
Starting off No. 5, Gamboa held a 1 up lead through three holes before Wiedemeyer rallied to take a 1 up lead with a birdie at the par-4 10th hole. Gamboa knotted the match with a birdie at No. 12 and took the lead for good with a birdie on the 376-yard, par-4 17th hole.
The Merida, Mexico, native took a two-hole lead with par to win No. 2 and closed the match with another par at #3.
In the other matches, Chi Chun Chen lost to Simon Hovdal, 2&1, and junior Sacha Ruiz fell to Ben Gregg, 1 up. Doggett lost to Price Hill, 3&1, and sophomore Jayk Altic dropped a 5&4 decision to Adam Bresnu.
MATCH 2 – (15) Houston 3, (7) Colorado TBA
Starting off No. 15, Hsuan-Yi Chen won two of the first three holes and three of the first five on the way to a 4&3 win over Colt Farrow. The Taiwan native drained a birdie on the par-3 11th hole to clinch the match.
Like Hsuan-Yi Chen, Ruiz used a quick start to build a lead he would never relinquish in a 3&2 win over Brandon Knight. The Le Havre, Franc native sank a birdie on his first hole of the round on the par-3 15th hole and used another birdie at No. 17 to forge a two-hole lead.
Knight clawed back to 1 down with four holes remaining, but Ruiz claimed each of the last two holes, including a birdie on the par-5 12th hole to win the match.
Starting off No. 14, Gamboa made birdie on his first hole and pushed his lead to two holes with par at No. 17. Whitaker moved to within 1 down with a birdie on the par-5 eighth hole, but the two players halved each of the next four holes before Gamboa clinched the match with a birdie on the par-5 12th hole.
Chi Chun Chen was 1 down through 17 holes to Colt Farrow while Doggett was 1 down through 16 before play was suspended due to darkness.
LIVE SCORING
Fans can follow live scoring from the Big 12 Match Play Tournament by clicking here.
TEE TIMES
Complete Big 12 Matchplay tee times can be found by clicking here.
UP NEXT
Following the Big 12 Matchplay, Houston tees off at the Abilene Christian Intercollegiate at Halbert National in Granbury, Texas, on Oct. 19-21
From there, 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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