Aggies Set 54-hole Program Record, Finish Second at Bombs Darts Birdies Collegiate

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The NM State men’s golf team delivered a record-setting performance at the Bombs Darts Birds Collegiate, finishing second in a 13-team field after three rounds at Whirlwind Golf Club to start the 2026 campaign. The Aggies posted a program-record 54-hole score of 817 (-47), finishing just three strokes behind team champion Santa Clara (814, -50).   Santa Clara claimed the team title after closing with a 273 (-15) in the final round, while Arkansas State’s Jake Lile earned low individual honors at 17-under par (199) for the tournament.   With the second-place finish, the Aggies also finished atop four Power Four programs as they out-performed Stanford, Southern California, Baylor and California.   The Aggies were paced by the trio of Kostka Horno , Mateo Payán and Max Chan , who all recorded top-11 finishes. Horno and Payan each tied for seventh at 13-under par (203), while Chan finished tied for 11th at 11-under (205). Horno closed out the event with a final-round 65 (-7), which represented the second lowest score among the 81-man field. Meanwhile, Payan carded rounds of 67, 68 and 68 to serve as one of the most consistent players in the field. Additionally
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