Feb. 6, 2006
PONTE VERDE BEACH, Fla. - The UTA men's golf team fired an opening round of 21-over-par 309 to sit in eighth place after the first day of the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship at Sawgrass Country Club here Sunday.
Round two is set for Monday morning with the final round on Tuesday on the site the PGA Tour's Tournament Players Championship from 1977-81.
The Mavericks are one stroke behind three teams tied at 308 -- North Florida, South Carolina and Louisiana State. UCLA, who won three events in the fall, leads the field by 10 strokes after a two-over-par 290. Alabama is second at 300 with Texas Tech in third at 301 and Georgia State at 304.
UCLA's Erik Flores led the Bruins, and all individuals, after firing a four-under-par 68. He was one of only three players under par on the day.
The field was forced to fight through winds that gusted to as much as much as 30-miles per hour and temperatures that began the day in the low 40s. Twenty-eight players in the 78-player field shot 80 or. higher on opening day
UTA sophomore Zack Reeves (Arlington, Texas) fired a three-over 75. Senior Tyrone Mordt (Johannesburg, South Africa) and junior Ryan Zamorano (Dallas, Texas) were next at 77. Senior Jeff Murray (Odessa, Texas) survived a 42 on his first nine holes for an 80 and junior Michael Douthit (Palestine, Texas) finished with an 83.
"This is a tough golf course and today were tough conditions," said UTA golf coach Jay Rees. "We had to grind out a score today. We missed a couple of putts on the final hole or we would be in fifth place. I thought we did a good job of keeping our composure for the most part.
"We need to come out and stay focused tomorrow. The opportunity is there to make a move and be in position for the final day."
Reeves and Mordt bogeyed the Mavs' final hole of the round, the par-4, 435-yard ninth hole. UTA could not take advanatge on the easiest hole of the day, the 515-yard, par-5 eighth hole, going one-under-par with Zamorano making the squad's only birdie. UTA went two-under-par on the par-5 holes Sunday.
Flores said the key to his round was his putting. The freshman sunk a 20-foot putt on No. 6 for birdie, before recording an eagle on No. 9 and sinking a 35-foot putt on No. 13 for birdie.
- utamavs.com -
