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Thomas becomes second Aggie to win individual conference title in last three years.
Source: NMSU Athletics
Photo: Courtesy
TEXARKANA, Ark. – After three highly competitive rounds at Texarkana Country Club, NM State’s Aidan Thomas battled his way to the top of the leaderboard to claim the 2025 Conference USA Individual title.
Thomas finished as the low individual after posting a 68 (-4) in Wednesday’s final round to finish the tournament with a score of 208 (-8) – one stroke better than Liberty’s Ike Joy. The title marks the program’s first CUSA crown in just its second year in the league while Thomas joins Garrison Smith (2023 WAC Individual Champion) as the second Aggie to bring home a title in the last three years.
As a team, NM State nearly earned the final spot in the match play style playoffs, however, despite shooting a combined five-under, the Aggies came up short in the one-hole playoff to put an end to their week in Arkansas. In total, the Aggies posted a score of 862 (-2) while Liberty (-15), Sam Houston (-9), Kennesaw State (-3) and UTEP (-2) finished as the league’s top four teams to advance to the match play portion of the CUSA Championship.
Thomas, a sixth-year senior from Albuquerque, N.M., notches his first win since 2021 and records his fourth top-10 finish of the season. On Wednesday, Thomas tallied five birdies with all five coming in his final nine holes, including finishing with birdies on hole eight and hole nine to complete his round after starting his day on hole 10. His final round of 68 also marked the second lowest score of any individual in the field on Wednesday.
NM State’s Javier Delgadillo ended the week as the second Aggie in the top 10 as he posted a 72 (E) to finish in a tie for ninth, shooting two-under for the tournament. On the day, Delgadillo recorded a pair of birdies and shot a 35 (-1) across his final nine holes.
Like Thomas, Ethan Klose was also one of the four players in the field to shoot a 68 (-4), launching him 12 spots up the leaderboard and in to a tie for 13th (-1). Klose submitted a bogey-free round and recorded all four of his birdies on the final nine holes, including two across the final three holes of the round.
Alexandre Bauduin wrapped up his week with a 77 (+5) on Wednesday to end the week in a tie for 38th (+11). Meanwhile, Vari Mariscal made his first appearance of the week and carded a 75 (+3) to serve as the Aggies’ fourth scorer on the day.
FINAL AGGIE LEADERBOARD
5. NM State – 291-288-283-862 (-2)
1. Aidan Thomas – 70-70-68-208
T9. Javier Delgadillo – 70-72-72-213
T13. Ethan Klose – 74-73-68-215
T38. Alexandre Bauduin – 77-73-77-227
N/A. Mateo Payan – 77-77-XX
N/A. Vari Mariscal – XX-XX-75
NUMBERS OF NOTE
- The average score on Wednesday was the lowest of the week as 42 players combined to average a score of 72.19 on the final day of stroke play.
- Hole 14 was the toughest hole on the day as only one player logged a birdie on the 441-yard par 4.
- Hole 2 played as the easiest hole on the day as 19 players recorded a birdie on the 501-yard par 5. On the day, Aidan Thomas, Ethan Klose, Javier Delgadillo and Vari Mariscal all birdied hole 2.
- In total, the five competing Aggies combined to record 14 birdies on the front nine.
- For the week, the Aggies posted an average score of 4.05 on the par 4s to rank tied with Liberty for best in the field.
- With only three double bogeys or worse on the week, NM State was tied with Sam Houston for the fewest such holes this week.
- Javier Delgadillo finished the week at even par on the course’s par 3s to conclude the tournament as one of just seven players to shoot par or better on the par 3s.
- Aidan Thomas was five-under on the par 4s for the week, ranking tied for second among the field.
- With 40 total pars on the week, Javier Delgadillo finished second among the field. Aidan Thomas followed closely behind with 38 pars to rank tied for fourth in the field.
- Aidan Thomas’ four bogeys ranked tied for second fewest among the field.
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