JONESBORO, Ark. – Paced by a season-low-tying 70 from Caleb Hicks, the UT Arlington men's golf team concluded the final round of Arkansas State's Bubba Barnett Intercollegiate on Tuesday in 3rd place – continuing an extremely-strong start to the Mavericks' 2019-20 season.
 
The 2-under performance from Hicks set the tone, but all five UTA members shot between 70 and 73 in the final round as part of a 1-under 287 team total – the Mavs' sixth par-or-better round in nine opportunities so far this fall. UTA posted its third-straight top-5 finish to begin the season as its 867 (+3) total for the tournament was 13 shots clear of 4th-place South Dakota (880).
 
Host Arkansas State defended its home course as the Red Wolves used their local knowledge of the 6,565-yard RidgePointe Country Club layout to cruise to a victory with an 829 total, 27 shots ahead of runner-up Oral Roberts (856).
 
While Hicks set the low number for UTA on the day, it was Kyle Cox who finished as the team's low member for the week as the sophomore secured his second-straight top-10 finish with a tie for 9th (E, 216) following an even-par 72 in the final round. That scorecard was the sixth one turned in already this year in nine rounds which was signed at 72 or lower by Cox.
 
Close behind Cox was Zakary Jones as he capped a 2-over 218 tournament with a final-round 73, closing out a consistent week after posting opening rounds of 73 and 72 on Monday. Jones tied for 14th in the field of 74 to represent a personal career-best finish for the sophomore, bettering a T-22 he posted in the season-opening event this year.
 
Freshman Daniel Cronje settled down nicely after a couple of tough starts to his collegiate career as he tied for 15th with a 219 (+3) total after a career- and season-low 72 in the final round. The South African offset three bogeys with three birdies on Tuesday, and capped a steady week after opening with rounds of 73 and 74.
 
After beginning the tournament with a 72, Hicks rebounded Tuesday from a 2nd-round 79 with the brilliant 70 to tie for 21st overall (+5, 221). After triple-bogeying the par-4 2nd hole, the sophomore's scorecard remained at +3 heading to the 4th hole. However, Hicks rolled in birdies on 4, 5, 6 and 8 to remarkably head out in 1-under 35. Back-to-back birdies on 11 and 12 moved him to -3, but a closing bogey on 18 brought him back to -2 – still a strong rebound from how he began the morning.
 
Paul Gonzalez – who entered this week with a 69.33 scoring average through his first six rounds of the year – closed his event with a 73 as part of a 225 (+9) total. After opening with an extremely uncharacteristic 80 in the 1st round, the junior settled down with an even-par 72 in the 2nd round, and managed to scratch out a tie for 36th to still finish inside the top-half of the field.
 
UTA's performance in the final round was extremely representative as all five members were well below the 74.82 scoring average for the day. Furthermore, only two rounds out of the 15 recorded by the Mavs during the tournament were above the field average of 75.17 for the three rounds.
 
Hicks and Cronje tied for the UTA lead by each converting 14 birdies over the 54 holes, while Cox was close behind 13. Jones led the Mavs with 34 pars.
 
This was the middle tournament of a three-event-in-three-week stretch for UTA as the Mavs will conclude their fall slate next Monday and Tuesday at the Little Rock Invitational Oct. 21-22.
 
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THE NEW HOME OF UTA GOLF: Texas Rangers Golf Club
The recently-opened state-of-the-art Texas Rangers Golf Club is the new home of the UT Arlington's men's and women's golf programs. The world's only Major League Baseball-branded golf course, TRGC is the result of a $24 million renovation and updated routing of the former Chester W. Ditto Golf Course at Brown Boulevard and Collins Street, just a few miles north of UTA's campus. The Home of UTA Golf was designed by UTA alumni John Colligan and Trey Kemp of Arlington-based Colligan Golf Design. It features an expansive 23-acre practice area, and a new 33,871-square-foot clubhouse – set to open in early 2020 – will feature a full-service restaurant and bar, covered patio overlooking the golf course, pro shop, locker rooms and numerous rental and event spaces. For more information about TRGC, click here.