The Daily Texan 2022-04-01 by The Daily Texan

DT VOLUME 122, ISSUE 59 FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2022

paris van natta

/ the daily texan staff

The GSC deserves more funding

TEXAS SOFTBALL vs.

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Return of Round Up increases safety, acknowledges past racism

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Opinion

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Contents:

conner downs

/ the daily texan staff

After a two year hiatus, this was just one of the many events that took place across West Campus at Greek life houses during Round Up weekend.

By Joelle DiPaolo @JoelleDipaolo

Last weekend, the Interfraternity Council hosted Round Up, a two day event featuring live music put on by IFC chapter members, for the first time in three years. Zachary Siegel, the executive producer of Round Up, said since this was the first time most students could attend the event since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the IFC had the chance to try to change perceptions of the event by acknowledging its racist history and increasing safety measures. During the past century, Round Up events used to feature blackface, among other insensitive actions, according to previous reporting by the Texan. The event is also associated with high rates of sexual assault. “(It) gave me a really unique opportunity to create the event that everybody’s wanted, and not have any sort of preconceived thoughts or notions,” said Siegel, a special education and youth and community studies sophomore. Siegel said Round Up consisted of 19 fraternity-hosted events, with all proceeds from ticket sales going to philanthropic organizations. About 7,500 students attended Round Up events this

year, according to a press release after the event. The IFC and University Panhellenic Council released a joint statement on March 24 apologizing for and recognizing the racist history of Round Up. The statement outlined measures the IFC and UPC enacted, such as mandatory educational modules for chapter members. Siegel said he hopes the statement holds the IFC accountable. “I have failed in my position to make this event as safe as possible if even one person feels like they are not welcomed,” Siegel said. Katie Pratt, vice president of diversity and inclusion for the UPC, said she did not attend Round Up parties, in part because of the research she did on the history of the event while creating the educational modules. She said she would feel more comfortable if Round Up festivities were more welcoming to all UT students. ”I don’t fault anyone for attending as long as they’re aware of the history and they aren’t perpetrating (it),” Pratt said. “I don’t see a problem with (Round Up) happening as long as it’s safe and remains positive.” The IFC plans to divide the profits from

this year’s Round Up between other Greek councils, such as the National Pan-Hellenic Council, for them to donate to a nonprofit of their choosing. The IFC pledged to donate at least $5,000 of Round Up profits to local nonprofits that are fighting racism in June 2020 following the Black Lives Matter protests across the country. Siegel said he wants the money to go to nonprofits in Austin, but is waiting to see the total amount of money raised before deciding on a charity. The IFC raised nearly $210,000 through ticket sales and donations, but they have not finalized the cost of security and events yet, Siegel said. The IFC also increased safety measures by ensuring paramedics were present at every event, along with a medical treatment facility, two transportation teams and security. Siegel said for the first time in the event’s history, there were no ambulance assists needed at any official Round Up event. Max Edelheit, the president of Alpha Epsilon Pi, said he thought the increased safety measures were a good precaution. “You have so many people in one place, you have to make sure you have all your ducks in a row,” biology junior Edelheit said.

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S A N I K A N AYA K

Editor-In-Chief | @TEXANOPINION FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2022

OPINION COLUMN

UT must increase funding for the GSC The University must increase annual funding for the GSC to improve resources and promote outreach.

By Sarah Brager Columnist

hile the Gender and Sexuality Center is based in a small suite of the William C. Powers Student Activity Center, it plays a pivotal role in stimulating campus unity by promoting outreach and tools for gender and sexuality education. According to a report on the state of LGBTQIA+ affairs published by the Queer and Trans Student Alliance, the GSC serves almost 7,000 students each semester through various workshops and events, such as ally training and Lavender Graduation. However, the GSC has only three full-time staff, a handful of graduate assistants and student interns. As of the 201920 school year, the annual budget provided only $180,000 to support the GSC’s long list of responsibilities. The GSC’s resources from the

University are inadequate and fail to properly support its staff, projects and the LGBTQIA+ community. UT must increase annual funding for the GSC to improve the quality and availability of resources for the community. In a Fall 2020 student survey conducted by QTSA, 82.5% of respondents who have used the GSC said the University does not provide enough resources to the GSC for meeting the needs of students 43.6% of LGBTQIA+ respondents said they were unaware the GSC even existed. Isaac James, a government and Plan II senior and co-author of the report, spoke on the dire need for administrative response, as students demonstrated a clear demand for more GSC funding and promotion. “It’s time for the University to stand up in a forceful way for queer and trans students,” James said. “I think this is important, not only given the context of our survey results and the thousands of students who … believe the University needs to be doing more, but also given the context of our national culture around queer and

paris van natta

trans issues.” Most of GSC funding is determined by the Student Services Budget Committee, but student ambassadors took the initiative to organize additional fundraising efforts, such as the HornRaiser crisis fund, in an attempt to make up for what the University fails to provide. James said shortage of GSC funding is “100%” an example of how diversity and inclusion is lacking on campus, an issue that the University must rectify. The Division of Diversity and Community Engagement declined to comment on this issue and any potential limitations to increasing GSC funding. Addressing this issue goes beyond supporting LGBTQIA+ Longhorns — it’s also an opportunity for the University to support racial justice. QTSA’s survey found that BIPOC LGBTQIA+ students experience the lowest comfort and safety levels on campus. “Queer and trans issues are intersectional, and there can be no LGBTQIA+ justice without racial justice. I think

/ the daily texan staff

they are uniquely intertwined in that way,” James said. “A lot of the improvements that the University would make on LGBTQIA+ issues would also impact other marginalized communities.” UT could allocate more funds for GSC outreach to other marginalized groups that intersect with the queer and trans community on campus, such as BIPOC students. Additionally, the University could increase the budget with enough full-time salary to add a new staff member in the GSC. Each of these changes would greatly benefit the GSC by allowing them to expand their resources for students. Increasing GSC funding is not something that can be continuously delayed. Many students utilize GSC workshops, resources and events to feel welcomed and included on campus. The best way for UT to strengthen the LGBTQIA+ community is by helping the GSC do what it does best: unconditionally support the queer and trans experience. Brager is a journalism freshman from Buda, TX.

NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2022

CAMPUS

Free opioid overdose-reversing drug now accessible in some UT libraries By Hope Unger @imhopeunger

CW: mentions of drug-use Naloxone, a nasal spray drug that rapidly reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, is now available for people to pick up for free at some libraries around campus following numerous overdoses in the UT community. Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, is available at the Perry-Castañeda Library at the security desk, the Life Sciences Library and the Benson Library. People picking up naloxone do not need identification. Claire Zagorski, senior administrative program coordinator and harm reduction instructor in the College of Pharmacy, said the University chose to start distributing naloxone in libraries due to their constant traffic,

specifically at the PCL, where many students travel daily. Zagorski said that when developing the distribution plan, the team wanted to take away barriers by guaranteeing that the medication would be free and that no identification would be needed. “We’d seen that any kind of identifying information will plant a little seed of anxiety in people’s minds,” Zagorski said. “Now you can just walk into the PCL, and the Narcan should be there.” Residence halls started carrying naloxone for emergencies in 2016 when Zagorski’s supervisor noticed numerous overdoses among UT students. Zagorski said the team thinks it was unavailable before 2016 due to student concerns about being reported and therefore kicked out of the residence halls. Zagorski said it is normal for college students to try new experiences and test boundaries.

“For some of us, that’s picking a major our parents don’t like or piercing our nose,” Zagorski said. “But for some people, it’s something that’s more risky, like trying out drugs.” Kami Johnston, student director of Operation Naloxone, a student-led organization started in 2016, said naloxone can bring someone who’s overdosed back to consciousness in about two to five minutes. “We’re already putting it in other libraries and making it a staple that anyone can access at any time,” pharmacy junior Johnston said. “It’s sad that putting the naloxone in a library on campus is so unique and so new, because it doesn’t cause any harm if you use it incorrectly.” Johnston said when Operation Naloxone started in 2016, they heard it saved three people’s lives.

“The more pockets we put naloxone in, the more likely someone that’s experiencing an opioid overdose is going to get naloxone when they need it,” Johnston said. Johnston said naloxone is similar to condoms and seat belts since it makes opioid use safer. “The whole point is to allow people who choose to use drugs to use them safer,” Johnston said. “We’re not encouraging their use, but we’re recognizing if people choose to use drugs, we want them to do it as safe(ly) as possible.” If you or anyone you know is experiencing drug addiction, you can seek confidential help by calling the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.

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The Perry-Castañeda Library security desk is now a distribution center and an emergency access point for naloxone spray for students, faculty and staff. The nasal spray, known as Narcan, is used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

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NEWS

LEGISLATURE

UT students express approval, share experiences with hair-related discrimination following CROWN Act passage in US House By Morgan Severson @morgan_severson

Before going to a job interview, Greg Phea pats his Afro down with water to make it appear smaller. He said he does this to keep attention away from his hair. “There’s been so many instances where my mom has been like, ‘Hey, cut your hair because it’s going to bring too much attention or assumptions are going to be made,’ and to a degree, I think she’s been right,” said corporate communications senior Phea. “Which is why through my early adulthood, I just adjust my hair.” But the CROWN Act could change the way Phea prepares for a job interview, as it bans discrimination based on someone’s hair texture and style related to their race. The act, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, passed in the U.S. House of Representatives on March 18 and will move to the U.S. Senate. The city of Austin announced in a press release Wednesday that it is “looking at ways to end hair discrimination,” and the passage of the city’s own CROWN Act will “build a stronger, more inclusive community.” Some UT students, like Phea, said they’re

glad the act passed in the House of Representatives, but they wish it had come sooner. “It makes me feel comforted because of how inherently cultural the law seems to be, especially since there’s a lot of people who it’s intended to prevent discrimination towards,” Phea said. The CROWN Act was first written by California Sen. Holly Mitchell and was signed into law in the state in 2019. Since then, other states, such as New York, Massachusetts, Washington and Maryland, have passed their own versions of the act. In Texas, state Rep. Rhetta Andrews Bowers filed a CROWN Act bill in November 2020 before the Texas legislative session began in January 2021, but said she couldn’t address it due to time constraints.

Bowers, who is Black, said when she presented the bill to the State Affairs Committee for the first time, the committee voted against moving it forward. “They weren’t Black, and they did not understand because they had never experienced that type of discrimination,” Bowers said. “Some of my colleagues that are not Black came up to me and said, ‘I’m sorry, I am probably guilty of this type of discrimination.’” Bowers said she is in the process of collecting stories from Texans about their experiences with hair-based discrimination to influence the state House of Representatives to pass the act. She also hopes it influences cities in Texas to pass their own versions of the act. Honors biology senior Christine Ejiofor, who is Black, said she recently

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wore her hair in its natural state for the first time at 22 years old. “I love the hairstyle I have now, which is shoulder-length knotless braids with beads at the end,” Ejiofor said. “It just really makes me feel so amazing and playful and like myself.” Ejiofor said she internalized the discrimination she witnessed in her hometown of Alief, Texas, and never felt comfortable wearing her natural hair until now. However, Ejiofor said she wore a straight-haired wig when she interviewed for medical school. “I know I (wore) that because I interviewed for med school, and I felt that it made me more palatable,” Ejiofor said. “But when I wear those hairstyles, I don’t think I feel my best.” Phea said one of his mentors helped him realize that any place of employment that is not willing to accept his natural hair is not the place for him to work. He said wearing his hair in an Afro is an important part of his identity. “I am someone who does meaningful work, and I am more than any stereotype that’s projected onto me,” Phea said. “I know I’m just as capable as the person next to me at anything I do, and that’s why I’ll wear my hair the way I want to, because that is me.”

/ the daily texan staff

LIFE&ARTS

ZOE TZANIS

Life&Arts Editor | @TEXANARTS FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2022

STUDENT LIFE

UT Trombone Choir to travel to Zurich The UT Trombone Choir prepares for residency in Zurich, Switzerland, where they will learn and work with well-recognized Zurich trombonists. By Kiernan McCormick @KiernanMcCormi4

hen Nathaniel Brickens, a trombone professor in the Butler School of Music, received an email from Texas Global offering him the opportunity to take his trombone choir abroad to a location of his choosing for a six-week internship, one place immediately came to mind: Zurich, Switzerland. The UT Trombone Choir, an ensemble open to all UT trombonists, competes and performs internationally. Brickens said Texas Global selected 10 students for the residency based on application submissions. During the program, the trombone choir will work with trombonists David Garcia and Bill Thomas, attend the Zurich Opera and Tonhalle Orchestra performances and hold their own concert. The sixweek residency will start in May. Brickens said Zurich felt like the perfect location because of the University’s ties to Garcia and Thomas, UT alumni who perform as a part of Zurich’s most recognized orchestras. Garcia, a solo trombonist, plays in the Philharmonia Zürich, while Thomas, a bass trombonist, plays in the Tonhalle Orchestra.

“I took a group of 24 students to Zurich back in 2012 and (it was) an amazing collaboration,” Brickens said. “We had a chance to perform both with David and Bill by ourselves and have the students participate in a series of master classes.” Jared Dickerson, one of the trombonists chosen for the residency, said he looks forward to experiencing Zurich for the first time and is most excited to reap the rewards of his and the choir’s hard work. “Maybe sometimes money is tight and auditions get me down, but I’m able to share this (opportunity) in another country and across all barriers of language,” said Dickerson, a graduate student in the Butler School of Music. Brickens said the Zurich residency provides students with vital experiences that advance their prospective careers and prepare them to be professional orchestral musicians. “This internship will give them an opportunity to go through the entire process of preparing for an audition and the inner workings of life as a performer in two of the world’s finest orchestras,” Brickens said. Jorge Rodriguez, another Butler school graduate student selected for the residency, said he views the experience as a good opportunity to learn more about European music and technique. “We’re going to get a lot of exposure to differences in style,” Rodriguez said. “It’ll be a good learning experience for those who have never experienced the difference between the American style of playing and the European style.” Brickens said the trombone choir will begin rehearsing for the trip in mid-April. This preparation includes arranging concert music, practicing for mock auditions and put-

ting together musical excerpts the choir will perform for the conductors in Zurich. Dickerson said coaching from Garcia and Thomas during the residencopyright nathaniel brickens, and reproduced with permission cy will hopefully Nathaniel Brickens (center) and UT Trombone Choir students selected for the Zurich inspire trombone residency. choir members to believe in their ability and potential to succeed as a musician successful — the highest level in anafter graduation. other country — will speak volumes to “To go there and see UT alums everyone that may have any inkling of that were (once) sitting in our chairs, a doubt that it is possible to explore studying with the professors we’re and travel the world playing the tromstudying with right now, be extremely bone,” Dickerson said.

BEYOND THE

F R AM E

Featuring the best from the photo department.

assad malik

| daily texan staff

Cars pass under the Moody Bridge, at the University of Texas at Austin. The Moody Bridge serves as a pedestrian bridge connecting two buildings within the college of communications.

ZOE TZANIS

Life&Arts Editor | @TEXANARTS

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2022

FEATURE

Student ministry gives spring breakers free rides

Hey,

Students!

By Catherine Cahn @texanarts

As a night out on South Padre Island came to an end, advertising sophomore Andrea Bazan stood among her friends, trying to decide the best way to get back to their rental house. When Bazan caught sight of UT’s Baptist Student Ministry offering free rides to spring breakers, they found the safest way home. Since 1980, students in BSM chapters across Texas have traveled to South Padre Island during spring break for their Beach Reach, an annual initiative to offer spring breakers free rides and food, as well as keep them safe. This year, UT’s BSM sent 31 students and nine staff members to South Padre for a week of group activities. The group offered rides to 1,620 spring breakers over the course of their trip. “They were super helpful,” Bazan said. “It was really convenient because they were (just) across the street. Since we were traveling in a group, it was hard to get an Uber for everybody or figure

LIFE&ARTS

out how everybody would get (back).” BSM set up tents in popular nighttime areas and gave out cards with their hotline number during the day to promote their free rides. “As Christians, our primary goal is to love God and others,” BSM staff member and 2019 alumna Jamie Richardson said. “A primary way we get to share love is by keeping college students safe.” History senior Cristian Quiroga said he sees Beach Reach as a way to use his Christian beliefs to benefit others. “I have a duty,” Quiroga said. “It’s necessary for me to go in, serve and help (spring breakers).” Richardson said she has witnessed firsthand the impact of BSM’s free rides, especially when spring breakers get separated from their friends. “There have been several times where we’ve noticed women in precarious situations where they’re going to be taken advantage of,” Richardson said. “We’re able to reconnect them with their friends. Primarily, it’s about their safety.

We get them home safe.” Bazan, who said she felt grateful to find a way to get herself and her friends home safely, appreciated the BSM volunteers engaging with the riders. “Everybody we met was a college student, so we related to them,” Bazan said. “We would talk about school, and (only) sometimes would they bring up, ‘Oh, what’s your relationship to God?’” For Richardson, the most memorable part of Beach Reach was connecting with UT students already familiar with BSM. “We got a van full (of UT students) one time, and (a girl) was like, ‘I know the BSM. We go get free lunch from Moontower.’ It’s a cool connection. I’m glad that people know us for that,” Richardson said. After spending spring break watching out for others’ safety, Richardson said she felt their work was appreciated by parents. “The larger organization got a message from a mother and a grandmother who said, ‘My kid is on South Padre Island, and y’all got her home safe last night. Thank you so much,’” Richardson said. “Those are the kind of stories that are really special.”

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LIFE&ARTS

ZOE TZANIS

Life&Arts Editor | @TEXANARTS FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2022

MUSIC

Skylark Lounge celebrates East Austin history, diversity with eclectic environment By Shama Gupta @shama7gupta

On any given evening, eccentric personalities and unique sounds find their way onstage in Airport Boulevard’s Skylark Lounge. The vivacious crowd struts and bops to the rhythm for hours at the foot of the stage, soaking in the jazz, soul and blues music of Soul Man Sam and his backing band, who are bathed in vibrant red lights. People crowd into the dimly-lit room, taking in the ambiance — some wearing cowboy hats and boots, others in Arc’teryx jackets and Allbirds shoes. This is a typical night at Skylark. While the lounge’s eclectic effervescence came about organically, owners Mary and Johnny LaTouf said the diversity is a result of the rich history of East Austin and the building it occupies. “(We focused) on the diversity of the artists we have on our stage,” Mary LaTouf said. “The decision to make sure that Black artists are represented and have an important place on our stage (was conscious).” Skylark’s sound manager Lee Redfield said East Austin was historically deemed “Black Austin” because the city was legally segregated until the 1960s. As a result of its location, the Skylark is rooted in Black culture and history. Additionally, the building was

formerly a lesbian bar called Bernadette’s. Because of this history, Mary said she intentionally fosters a safe community for the Black and LGBTQ+ community at Skylark. Mary said each musician who performs is hand picked to preserve Skylark’s eccentric and free spirit. When the LaToufs bought Skylark in 2013, they delayed their opening so that Miss Margaret Wright, a well-respected Black singer and pianist, could perform. Wright was the first person on their stage, and she played every week until the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. “She represented that spirit of talent and true generosity on the stage,” Mary said. “You can’t put those things on a profit and loss statement. Those are things that you feel when you walk into a club.” Skylark’s general manager Phil Rome said he’s proud of Skylark’s “melting pot of diversity” and the good, musical energy that it provides. Rome, who started as the general manager when the lounge reopened after the initial pandemic lockdown, said he’s excited to continue expanding on what Skylark stands for. “A lot of Black people (have) not experienced Black musicians in Austin because they don’t feel like they have a place to go to experience Black music,” Rome said. “I want to capture

Black music and diversity not only with the with 20 harmonicas tuned to different keys musicians, (but also by) hiring more people of up on stage. Previously, Bravo said the band color (to work) behind the bar.” has added a singer that they found after Jack Bravo, a molecular biosciences postrandomly inviting her up on stage from the doctoral fellow, plays as a bassist for TT Brown Skylark audience. and the Soul Expressions, a regular band at Health promotion sophomore Joshua SeilSkylark. He said their band’s frontman, TT lier, who made the trip down to Skylark, said Brown, embodies the “Skylark character.” the lounge offers a wide variety of music, peo“(He’s one of those) really interesting, ple and experiences. unique figures (who’s) been around the Aus“It’s easy to go to spots in Austin where tin soul and blues scene for a long time that you look around and feel like everyone there tend to flock to Skylark and other similar has been copied and pasted,” Seillier said. places,” Bravo said. “It’s a lot easier to get behind an establishDuring their last show, Bravo said TT ment (like Skylark) that (promotes) diversity The aNew York Times Sales Corporation Brown invited a man with briefcase filledSyndication and culture.” 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Wednesday, March 2, 2022

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HANNAH WILLIFORD

Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2022

BASEBALL

SPORTS

UT, TEXAS A&M BASEBALL RIVALRY SUSTAINED BY FANS Texas baseball fans get taste of old rivalry with mid-week A&M matchup By Katie Borchetta @texansports

ince Texas A&M left the Big 12 in 2012, Longhorns and Aggies alike have been starved of a favorite long-held sports

rivalry. But in baseball, the legacy of competition survived, with games played in seven of the 10 years since the teams split ways in conference play. On Tuesday, fans showed how their love to hate lived on in a sold-out matchup at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. Texas A&M and Texas have andrew zamora

/ the daily texan file

A Texas baseball fan cheers after a crucial home run against the rival Aggies. The Longhorns fell to Texas A&M 12--9 on March 29, 2022.

played ball 373 times in school history, with Texas winning 239 of those matchups. In recent history, the scales have tipped in the Aggies’ favor, winning four of the past five games. With A&M out of the Big 12 conference, the team’s matchups have often been reduced to weekday exchanges. But with just a two-hour drive between campuses, the highlight of the game seems to come not out on the field but in the stands. “We all know it’s gonna be a very intense game,” Texas redshirt sophomore Silas Ardoin said before the matchup. “A lot of tension between the two teams. We respect them as a team and we’re gonna go in and play our game.” Texas fans seemed to believe in the idea of the A&M rivalry, and to many students, the game still holds some significance. “This rivalry means a ton to me. I grew up in a small town where everybody and their mom goes to A&M, so anytime I can, (I) show I chose the bet-

ter university,” said architectural engineering sophomore Nick Zuniga during a tailgate before the game. “I make sure to be proud of it.” To show his support, Zuniga joined Texas Iron Spikes, a men’s spirit group that supports Texas baseball and often hosts tailgates before home games. On Tuesday, outside the field, the group set up food and music for many student fans to socialize and build excitement before the game. Another new Iron Spike, freshman Brandon Garcia, described the importance of fans in the stands at Texas baseball. “The atmosphere at a UT baseball game is like no other,” Garcia said. “This year especially, their fan base has really shown out to support our team. There is nothing better than being at the Disch watching the Horns play.” While Texas fell short to A&M with a final score of 12-9, the Texas crowd still showed out for their baseball team in the long-lasting rivalry.

SPORTS

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2022

GOLF

FORMER LONGHORN SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER WINS DELL MATCH PLAY TOURNAMENT By Lindsey Plotkin @lindseyplot

Former Longhorn Scottie Scheffler reached a major milestone in his return to Austin this weekend, becoming the top-ranked golfer in the world for the first time in his career, just five miles from his alma mater. “It’s a dream come true to play in front of my hometown fans,” Scheffler said. “I have some good memories (of) coming out and watching this tournament. I’m pleased to be playing in it, and even more happy to win.” The annual WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play golf tournament is played at Austin Country Club and features the top 64 professional golfers in the world. This year’s lineup featured two former Longhorns, Jordan Spieth and Scheffler. Spieth was a one-and-done at Texas, helping the Longhorns to a national

championship in the 2012 season before turning professional. But Scheffler took his time as a Longhorn, graduating from Texas in 2018 after four years. Scheffler was not able to follow Spieth’s footsteps of winning a national championship but finished in the second round in 2018. As a professional, Spieth wasted no time, winning his professional match in 2013 at the John Deere Classic. Scheffler started slower as a pro, earning his first win this year at the 2022 Phoenix Open. But this year has been a breakout season. In the history of the Match Play tournament, Scheffler held the record for the best finish by a former Longhorn, finishing as runner-up in 2021, before breaking his record by winning the tournament in 2022. Going into the tournament, Scheffler led the FedEx Cup, the official cumulative score of the PGA Tour, 230 points ahead of Sam Burns, a former LSU golfer who did not

compete in last weekend’s tournament. Both Scheffler and Spieth said they love coming back to Austin, mainly due to the support from fans. Austin Country Club is a unique setting, with three holes along Lake Austin, allowing fans to watch from their boats. “When you get down 12, 13, 14 and you’ve got boats full of people out there all screaming at you, that’s a unique situation for us, which is really cool,” Spieth said. “You’ve got the crowds here, and you’ve got the people in the boats there. That’s where it gets real fun.” Spieth, playing in the only group of all major champions, defeated Keegan Bradley but fell to Justin Rose and then was eliminated with a second loss to Adam Scott. Despite his defeat, Spieth said he felt at home playing in Austin. “Austin has certainly grown as a city massively, but it still feels like it’s burnt orange,” Spieth said. “We support our own,

and I feel that out here. A lot of Hook ‘em Horns. You saw it with Scottie last year as he went towards the finals, and I felt that same support.” In the semifinals, Scheffler beat Dustin Johnson to advance to the final round for the second year in a row, where he faced Kevin Kisner. Going into the final round, Kisner was the only golfer to win all of his matchups. “I would say Kevin played some pretty solid golf today,” Scheffler said. “When you build up a lead on a guy like Kevin, it never really feels safe, kind of like my lead this morning on Dustin (Johnson).” In the championship round, Scheffler won three of the first six holes, before tying seven in a row. On hole 14, Scheffler won the hole, extending his lead to four holes. Scheffler held onto his lead to become the first Texas graduate to win a professional tournament at Austin Country Club.

B A R B R A D A LY

Comics Editor | @TEXANCOMICS FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2022

COMICS