June 9, 2008

LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech golfer Chris Ward can add another honor to his growing resume as he tied for eighth place at the Texas Golf Association Texas Amateur Championship in Houston this past weekend. His four-round total of 291, five-over par, put him eight shots back of the leader.

Ward, a McKinney, Texas (McKinney H.S.), product, followed the same recipe that helped him card Tech's lowest stroke average of 72.6 this past spring: consistency. After opening the event with a three-over 75 for the first round, he rebounded with rounds of 72 and 73 before wrapping up the event with a one-under 71 in the final round to cement himself in the top 10 of the 144-player field at the 6,996-yard Houston Country Club. SMU's Kelly Kraft claimed the championship at five-under 283.

Since transferring to Tech in January, Ward has made a splash on the Red Raiders' roster. After posting top-20 finishes in three of his first four events, he turned the heads of coaches at the Big 12 Championships by turning in two sub-par rounds to finish fourth overall. He has since garnered All-Big 12 accolades and was recently named to the Division I PING All-Region South Central Team.

Ward will enter his junior season for the Red Raiders in 2008-09.