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Courtesy Xochitl Mora,

Carlos Espinosa led University of Houston Cougars to National Championship

(McAllen, Texas)-Carlos Espinosa, current director and golf pro of the City of McAllen’s Champion Lakes Golf Course was inducted into the RGV Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, June 17, 2023, at the Mission Event Center.   Espinosa competed as a professional golfer for 14 years, having played in 18 different countries, earing five international titles on three different world tours. As a member of the then-number-one collegiate golf team in the nation, Espinosa led the University of Houston Cougars to the NCAA Championship.

His career as a professional golfer allowed him to share the stage with some of golf’s greatest players, including former world number ones Lee Trevino; Seve Ballesteros; Nick Faldo; Curtis Strange; Greg Norman; and even the greatest of them all, Tiger Woods, battling with the latter for 18 holes to come in second place behind Woods. Espinosa represented Mexico on five national teams and in 1993, qualified for the U.S. Open.

Since 1999, Espinosa has been the director and golf pro for the City of McAllen municipal golf course (formerly Palm View Golf Course), where he has overseen a complete renovation of the golf course to not only improve the facilities, but also, increase the number of players and the competitive experience, all which has helped established Champion Lakes Golf Course as one of the top municipal golf courses in the region.

Espinosa was born in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico and attended McAllen High School, where he was a four-time all-district team selection; a four-time regional qualifier; and a two-time state tournament participant.

For the past 29 years, he has been married to Annette, the love of his life, and he has two daughters, Karla and Andrea.

The Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame was established in 1985 to recognize and preserve sports legends and accomplishments throughout the Rio Grande Valley.