Sam Houston men’s golf team is set to begin a new season after having their 2019-2020 campaign cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shortly after the season was cut short in March 2020, Noah Steele was named to the Ping All-Region team, which recognizes the top collegiate golfers at the NCAA Division I level. Steele’s departure was concluded with having broken four school records setting the bar high for the current men’s golf team.

With a high expectation for a successful season, the program will lean on several new players to help replace Steele’s productivity and impact.

In his place this year will be senior Will Holcomb. Holcomb finished last season with four top-eight finishes and ended his 2019-2020 campaign with a scoring average of 71.79. Holcomb has also been recognized as the Ben Hogan Award December 2020 Golfer of the Month.

The men’s golf team will also have help from freshman Ting-Wei Hsieh, who had an intense start to last season. Hsieh finished last season with a 73.96 scoring average in all eight events and recorded two Top 10 finishes in his freshman campaign.

Sophomore Jack Randle also looks to help as he finished last season with a scoring average of 74.04. Randle’s last season included winning the All-American Intercollegiate tournament with the Bearkats, in which Randle claimed the first individual championship victory of his college career.

The Bearkats will follow their opening tournament by competing in the All-American tournament hosted by the University of Houston on Feb. 14-16 at the Golf Club of Houston.

Sam Houston State University will also host a tournament later this season when the men’s golf team competes in the Huntsville Toyota Bearkat Invitational which will take place at the Walden on the Lake Country Club in Montgomery, Texas.

The Bearkats will look to finish their season by qualifying for a spot in the Southland Conference tournament on April 26-28 at the Stonebridge Country Club in McKinney, Texas.