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Dec 27, 2023

Men’s Golf’s Maas and Stark earn Big 12 postseason honors

Christiaan Maas tabbed Newcomer of the Year, while Maas and Stark both named to

Christiaan Maas tabbed Newcomer of the Year, while Maas and Stark both named to All-Big 12 Team.

AUSTIN, Texas — University of Texas freshman Christiaan Maas has been named the Big 12 Conference Men's Golf Newcomer of the Year, the league office announced Thursday. In addition, Maas and graduate Brian Stark both earned spots on the 10-person All-Big 12 Team.

Student-athlete honors and the All-Big 12 team were selected based on the season's final Golfweek/Sagarin individual rankings. Coach of the Year was voted on by Big 12 head coaches.

Maas previously garnered Division I PING second-team All-America and PING All-Central Region team accolades. He completed his freshman season with a team-best 70.57 stroke average and is No. 13 in the most recent GolfStat national individual rankings (May 27) and No. 24 in the current World Amateur Golf Rankings (June 7). During his 12 stroke-play tourney appearances this season, Maas registered five top-10 and 10 top-20 individual finishes. He shot par or better in 23 of his 35 stroke-play rounds this year, including 12 rounds in the 60s. Maas earned a collegiate-best individual runner-up finish at the Southern Highlands Collegiate (Feb. 26-28) with a 10-under-par 206 (66-69-71). He is one of 12 men's players who are competing for the International Team at the prestigious 2023 Arnold Palmer Cup, held June 8-10 at Laurel Valley Golf Club outside Ligonier, Pa.

Stark previously claimed PING All-Central Region team accolades. He completed the 2023 season with a 71.04 stroke average (second on the team) and competed in each of UT's nine events this spring after enrolling at Texas prior to the spring semester. A graduate transfer who spent his previous three seasons at Oklahoma State, he recently announced his return to Texas for his fifth year of collegiate eligibility in the 2023-24 season. Stark is No. 42 in the most recent GolfStat national individual rankings (May 27) and No. 51 in the current World Amateur Golf Rankings (June 7). During his eight stroke-play tourney appearances this spring, he registered two top-five and three top-10 individual finishes. Stark shot par or better in 14 of his 25 stroke-play rounds this spring, including 10 rounds in the 60s. He recorded his best finish as a Longhorn with a third-place showing at the Big 12 Championship (April 24-26) at 6-under-par 274 (69-72-67-66) and claimed a spot on the Big 12 Championship All-Tournament team.

2022-23 Big 12 Men's Golf Postseason Awards

Player of the Year: Ludvig Aberg, Texas Tech

Newcomer of the Year: Christiaan Maas, TEXAS

Co-Coaches of the Year: Grant Robbins, K-State and Bill Montigel, TCU

All-Big 12 Team

Ludvig Aberg, Texas Tech

Christiaan Maas, TEXAS

Jonas Baumgartner, Oklahoma State

Drew Goodman, Oklahoma

Brian Stark, TEXAS

Patrick Welch, Oklahoma

Jase Summy, Oklahoma

Ben Lorenz, Oklahoma

Calum Scott, Texas Tech

Rasmus Neergaard-Peters, Oklahoma State