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Who are the best Austin natives ever to play for the Texas men's golf team?

thomas jones, austin american-statesman
·2 min read
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Ben Crenshaw watches a drive during the 1985 Masters at Augusta National. Crenshaw, an Austin native, won two national titles at Texas before embarking on a professional career that included 19 PGA Tour titles and two Masters victories.
Ben Crenshaw watches a drive during the 1985 Masters at Augusta National. Crenshaw, an Austin native, won two national titles at Texas before embarking on a professional career that included 19 PGA Tour titles and two Masters victories.

The Texas men’s golf team will open the postseason Monday by hosting the NCAA Austin Regional at the UT Golf Club in Steiner Ranch. The 11-player squad has three Austin natives: Keaton Vo, a sophomore from Anderson High School; Jacob Sosa, a sophomore from Westlake; and Nathan Petronzio, a graduate student from Lake Travis.

Texas golf has a rich history when it comes to homegrown talent, but who are the best players from Austin ever to play for the Longhorns? Here’s our five-player all-time team, which would be coached, of course, by Austin High’s own Harvey Penick, Texas' head coach from 1931 to 1963 and the patron saint of Austin golf:

Ben Crenshaw

The Austin High graduate, a member of Texas’ back-to-back NCAA championship teams in 1971 and 1972, won 19 PGA Tour events and two Masters and remains a protector of the game with his work to save Lions Municipal Golf Course.

Tom Kite

The McCallum graduate, who helped Texas win back-to-back NCAA championships in 1971 and 1972, battled his way to become one of the top golfers of his generation with 19 PGA Tour wins, including the 1992 U.S. Open.

Wes Short Jr.

The Crockett graduate, a lifelong Austinite who played just one season at Texas, enjoyed a remarkable renaissance late in his career by joining the PGA Tour in 2004 as a 40-year-old rookie and earning his only PGA Tour victory in the 2005 Michelin Championship.

Omar Uresti

The Crockett graduate earned All-American honors at Texas in 1989 and 1990 before enjoying 11 full seasons on the PGA Tour, where he won almost $4 million while establishing himself as a perennial contender throughout the 1990s and 2000s.

Morris Williams

The Austin High graduate led Texas to three consecutive Southwest Conference titles from 1948 to 1950 and became the only golfer to win the “Texas Slam” — the Texas Junior, the Texas Amateur and the Texas PGA's annual tournament title in a 12-month period. He died in an accident in 1953 while serving as an Air Force pilot.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Who are the best Austin natives to play for the Texas men's golf team?