College golf: OC heads to Alabama with one goal in mind

Odessa College has had eight men's golf teams win national titles since 1959.

OC won five championships in a row from 1959-63 and claimed a sixth title in 1965 when the NJCAA had one division.

The NJCAA split into three divisions in 1990, and Odessa College won back-to-back Division I titles in 2004-05.

OC's team in 2008 might be the best one yet, but only a national championship would allow that kind of talk to continue.

"This is the best team I've ever seen," OC freshman Matt Nolasco said. "There is no 1 through 5. We're all No. 1s."

OC will get a chance to show off those skills this week at the NJCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship. The four-round event from Tuesday through Friday will be played at Hampton Cover River Course in Huntsville, Ala.

Odessa College has not lost a tournament this year, but Midland College did defeat the Wranglers in one of the six rounds of regional play.

"We played our worst round of the year (that day). We shot scores that were unheard of," OC sophomore Joseph Totah said. "We're not too worried about it. Everyone has a bad day. I don't think that'll happen again."

OC's lineup includes Totah, who won two UIL Class 3A medalists titles with Palestine; Nolasco, who never lost a high school match in his home state of Nevada; Landon Waters, who was an all-state player twice at Wolfforth Frenship; Jordan Jeffers, who signed with Houston Baptist; and Ryan Myers, who signed with Texas Christian.

Those five players are the reason why coach Paul Chavez is thinking the national title will return to Odessa for the first time since 2005.

"With four of our five guys having played (at the course), there is an advantage," he said. "It gives them confidence, and they can be comfortable. Consistency will be the key. I don't see too many guys shooting in the 60s. Par is a good score on this course, and that plays into our hands because our guys are grinders."

Nolasco tied for sixth and Waters tied for eighth in an event at the Huntsville course in the fall.

"I'm not really nervous," Waters said. "I'm more calm going into nationals because it's finally here. It's what we've been waiting for all year."

The course is long and narrow without any bunkers. It does have plenty of water to cause problems for the golfers.

"You've got to hit the fairways," Waters said. "The par-3s are the hardest. They are all over 200 yards. Whoever plays them the best will probably win the national title."

The OC players enter the national tournament with confidence.

"A lot of guys around the country haven't played in big-time, four-round tournaments," Nolasco said. "All of us have, though. I feel we're not only the best team but the most mature, and we have the most depth."

The Basics

>> What: NJCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship.

>> When: Tuesday through Friday.

>> Course: Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, River Course.

>> Where: Huntsville, Ala.

>> Tuesday's tee times: Odessa College, 7-7:40 a.m.; Midland College, 8:40-9:20 a.m. (10-minute intervals)

>> Wednesday's tee times: Odessa College, 12:40-1:20 p.m.; Midland College, 11-11:40 a.m. (10-minute intervals)

>> Thursday's tee times: TBD (determined by position of teams after Round 2)

>> Friday's tee times: TBD (determined by position of teams after Round 3)

>> On the Net:
The tournament -- www.njcaa.org
The course -- www.rtjgolf.com
The scores -- www.golfstat.com