2024 NCAA West/South Central Championships [Live Leaderboard] 
Las Cruces, N.M. - University Golf Course - Thursday-Saturday

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TAGGART SET FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE NCAA REGIONAL APPEARANCE
Sophomore Lukas Taggart will be the Orediggers' representative at the 2024 NCAA West/South Central Men's Golf Championship this week, qualifying for an at-large individual spot at the tournament to be played at University GC in Las Cruces, N.M. Taggart will be aiming for a top-two finish among individuals not on a top-five team, with those individuals earning berths at the NCAA Division II Championship on May 21-25 at the Orange County National Golf Center in Winter Garden, Fla. 

THE TOURNAMENT
The regional tournament has the top 10 teams from both the South Central and West regions, plus eight invited individuals which includes Taggart. The first round begins Thursday with Taggart teeing off at 9:20 a.m. paired with UT Tyler's Gage Burnham and Western Washington's Matteo Polla; the second-round threesomes are the same with a start time of 12:40 p.m. on Friday. Saturday's final round pairings will be set by leaderboard placement. 

THE FORECAST
Sunny, warm, and breezy is the forecast for all three days of the tournament, with highs in the upper 80s and winds increasing to 10-15 mph throughout each day. 

THE COURSE
University Golf Course, owned by New Mexico State University, opened in 1963 and plays par 71 and 7,242 yards in championship setup. It was designed by Floyd Farley, one of the top course architects throughout the Great Plains and West during the middle of the 20th century. 

IN THE RANKINGS
The Orediggers are receiving votes in the latest Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches' Poll out last week, and are #40 in the last Scoreboard College Golf Rankings. Taggart is ranked #65 in NCAA Division II and #14 in the South Central region. 

TAGGART'S SEASON
Taggart has been the Orediggers' top player all season long, with a team-leading average of 71.66. He owns four top-10 and three top-five finishes including co-medalist honors at the Ryan Palmer Foundation Invite, runner-up status at The Writz at Mile High, and fourth at the RJGA Palm Valley Classic. He finished tied for 19th at the RMAC Championships in late April, and his spring has included a T14 at the Hot Dirt Shootout and T21 at the Southern Colorado Masters, as well. Last year,as a true freshman, Taggart was invited to the NCAA Regional and finished tied for 52nd. 

MARKHAM OPENS PLAY ON PGA TOUR AMERICAS
Former Oredigger star George Markham has started his second year on the new PGA Tour Americas (a merger of PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour Latinoamérica) after finishing 26th on the PGA Tour Canada money list last year. Markham has made two of five cuts this season, at the Bupa Championship at Tulum in Mexico (finishing T54) and at the ECP Brazil Open (finishing T27). He most recently played in the Diners Club Peru Open and the KIA Open in Ecuador; next up is the Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship in Bogotá, Colombia.