The University of New Orleans men’s golf team moved up one spot to finish fourth on the final day of the 2026 Southland Conference Championship at Comanche Trace, according to an April 22 announcement.
This result is significant as it marks the Privateers’ fourth top-four finish at the Southland Championship in the last five seasons. The team’s total score of 880 was a 26-stroke improvement compared to their performance on the same course last season.
Tom Watson led New Orleans with a strong showing in his final collegiate tournament, finishing tied for eighth place with a score of 218. Watson improved his score each round and posted a third-round scorecard of 69, marking his seventh round below 70 this season. He recorded six birdies during the tournament and led all players with 40 pars made. Matthew Lotz also contributed with his second top-10 finish this season, ending tied for tenth after shooting a total of 219 over three rounds. Lotz finished both rounds two and three with scores of 71 and achieved nine birdies across the event.
Max Feistmantl tied for eighteenth place with a score of 222 and notched seven birdies, while Garrett Trahan’s performance earned him a tie for twenty-fifth—his best finish this season—with seven birdies as well. Adam Trahan participated in two rounds, finishing with a score of 153, while Taylor Boasberg played one round and shot a 79.
Watson concluded his season averaging 72.363 strokes per round, tying for eighth-best single-season average in school history alongside Ken Looper (2009–2010). Lotz’s average was ranked fourteenth all-time at New Orleans. This year’s team scoring average was also notable: their mark of 293.42 is the sixth-lowest by any Privateers squad over the past thirty-five seasons.
Looking ahead, New Orleans finishes its campaign with an overall record of forty-eight wins, sixty-seven losses, and three ties (.448), including seventeen wins against thirteen losses within conference play (.566). The program has maintained winning records against conference opponents in six out of the past seven years.
