THE University of Houston Cougars men’s golf programme capped its fall season in impressive fashion on Sunday afternoon, capturing the team championship in the White Sands Invitational at Ocean Club.

Competing on the 7,159-yard, par-72 course, Houston fired a team score of 12-under 276 to finish the three-day, 54-hole tournament at 31-under 833. The 39th-ranked Cougars finished seven shots ahead of Florida State and nine strokes in front of No. 22 Arkansas.

No. 1 Wake Forest (843), No. 46 UAB (844), Miami (Ohio) (850), No. 2 SMU (852), Illinois State (852), Wisconsin (857) and Georgia Southern (862) rounded out the top 10 leaders.

Now in his 11th season, Director of Golf Jonathan Dismuke led the Cougars to the 16th team championship of his career at Houston.

It is the first title since the Colin Montgomerie Invitational on February 29 to March 1, 2016.

Junior Luke Long recorded a career-low-tying 66 to lead the Cougars and finished third at 13-under 203.

Starting his day off No.1, Long birdied two of his first three holes and added two birdies in a 3-hole stretch late on his front nine.

After sinking back-to-back birdies on Nos. 12-13, the Fayetteville, Ark., native overcame his first bogey of the day on No. 14 with another set of consecutive birdies on Nos. 15-16.

Long equalled his career-low round, set in the final round of the Ryman Hospitality Intercollegiate on April 10, 2018, during his sophomore season at Chattanooga.

Wake Forest’s Parker Gillam earned medallist honours with a score of 199 to finish three shots ahead of Northern Illinois’ Jordan Less.

Junior Alexander Frances posted a 68 for the second straight day and tied for ninth at 207.

Frances began his final round off No. 2 and alternated birdie-par through his first six holes. He overcame bogeys on No. 12 and No. 14 with a birdie sandwiched between and drained birdies on two of his final three holes for his third straight top-20 finish to end the fall season.

Senior George Gardner posted a 70 in Sunday’s Final Round and tied for 11th overall at 210.

The Southlake, Texas, native began to play with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 2-3.

Gardner endured bogeys on No 7 and No. 12 but closed out his tournament with birdies on No. 13 and No. 15 for his fourth straight top-20 finish in the fall.

Sophomore Braxton Watkins competed as an individual and used seven birdies in his final round to surge into a tie for 18th at 211, thanks to a career-best 67.

Starting his day off No. 1, the Winthrop, Ark., native sank birdies on Nos. 2-3 and fought through a bogey on No. 3 with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 5-6.Watkins overcame a bogey on No. 11 to make birdies on two of his final three holes.

With Sunday’s score, he topped his previous 18-hole low, set with a 69 during the second round of the Border Olympics on March 11, 2019.

Junior Andrew Gibson shot 72 for the third straight day and tied for 40th at 216, while senior Logan Young tied for 61st at 220.

Competing as an individual, senior Matt Cole tied for 73rd at 225.

This marked the end of a busy week for Houston Cougars men’s golf in the Bahamas.

Houston Cougars women’s golf hosted its own White Sands Invitational from Monday through Wednesday at the Ocean Club on Paradise Island.