“Traejan Andrews Wins Individual Title at RJGA South Central Shootout – First Medalist Since 2011”
Greeley, Colorado, native Traejan Andrews shot an even-par final round to secure the individual title at the Ruidoso Junior Golf Association’s South Central Shootout held at the Inn of the Mountain Gods. His impressive performance over three rounds culminated in a five-under-par total of 211.
Andrews’ victory marks the first individual title for the Skyhawks since Gavin Lyons shared medalist honors with CSU Pueblo’s Chad Novak at the 2011 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships.
“It feels awesome; I’ve felt like I’ve been knocking on the door for quite a while, and it feels great to finally get one,” Andrews said after the tournament. “The first few rounds were tough, but I knew if I stuck to my plan, stayed aggressive, and gave myself opportunities, the putts would start to fall.”
Andrews opened with a strong 69 (-3), the second-lowest round of the tournament, followed by a 70 (-2) in the second round. He closed with a 72 (E) in his final round, recording five birdies on holes one, three, nine, eleven, and fourteen, which helped offset three bogeys and a double bogey on hole twelve. His 211 (-5) is also the lowest total of his career for a three-round tournament.
As a team, Fort Lewis finished third with a total score of 875 (+11), narrowly missing second place to West Texas A&M, who scored 873 (+9). Texas Permian Basin claimed the team title with a score of 871 (+7).
Jackson Rottschafer tied for fifth place with an even-par score of 216, but as an unattached individual, his score did not contribute to the team’s total. Jordan Jennings had the second-best finish for the Skyhawks, carding a two-over-par 218. Tyler Tyson and Jake Chesler finished tied for 22nd with scores of 225 (+9), while Carson Kerr tied for 31st with a score of 229 (+13). Ronald Kildall III rounded out the unattached competitors with a tie for 24th at 226 (+10).
The Skyhawks will be back in action on Monday and Tuesday, October 7-8, at the Ryan Palmer Foundation Invitational in Canyon, Texas, held at the Amarillo Country Club.