EULESS, Texas-Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns golf team added another title to their summer of excellence as Kyle Pritchard captured the 2007 The Collegiate Players Tour National Championship. 

Pritchard, a rising sophomore from San Antonio, Texas, carded three sub-par rounds to take a six-stroke victory at the Texas Star Golf Course in Euless, Texas. 

The par-70 golf course is located just outside of the Dallas/Fort Worth area and is roughly 6,900 yards.  It has been ranked among the Top-5 public courses in the state of Texas since opening 10 years ago. 

Pritchard finished the first round in second place with a two-under par round of 68.  He was just two strokes behind Oklahoma’s Eric Durbin. 

In the second round, Pritchard shot a one-under par 69 to claim a share of the lead with Texas State signee Philip Krebsbach. 

Pritchard shot a tournament-best 66 in his final round to secure the title.  He held off Durbin and Baylor’s Bill Allcorn, who won the even in 2006. 

“I played well,” Pritchard said of his performance. “The last couple of tournaments, things have been coming together.  This tournament everything just fell into place and I won.”

During the 2006-07 season, Pritchard competed in eight tournaments for the Ragin’ Cajuns including the 2007 NCAA East Regional.  He finished the year with a 76.7 stroke average in 21 rounds of play.  His best two rounds were even par 72 at the Mean Green Class and the All-American Classic. 

“I am proud of Kyle and the amount of work he has done,” head coach Bob Bass remarked.  “After not having the kind of freshman season he had hoped to have, he, like all good players, did not accept that.  He went home and worked at it and has improved over the summer. 

“That is why Kyle is better now than he was at the end of the year.  He always had the talent, but having the talent and people being able to bring it out under pressure are two different things.  Kyle is learning to do that.”

Pritchard, who also placed second at the College Players Tournament Series in Austin, Texas, joins Morgan Landry, Dustin Petit, Thomas Petts, Michael Smith and BC Thibeaux with off-season success on and off of the golf course. 

Smith and Landry were both selected Academic All-Americans by the National Golf Coaches Association (GCAA) for their excellence in the classroom over the 2006-07 school year. 

Smith also tied for medalist in the Houston, Texas qualifier for the US Amateur.  Smith will join former Ragin’ Cajuns golfer George Cestia (1997-2000) at the Olympic Club in San Francisco for the US Amateur. 

Thibeaux finished second in the Louisiana State Amateur Championship.  Petit claimed second place at the National Junior College Championships, while Petts garnered a second place finish at the British Columbia Provincial Junior Championship.