CHANDLER, Ariz. – Led by a pair of sub-par rounds from
Camilo Avila and
Caleb Hicks, and an even-par performance from
Paul Gonzalez, the UT Arlington men's golf team continued its strong spring play with another under-par showing in the final round of the Wyoming Cowboy Classic Tuesday at Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse.
The Mavericks shot a 1-under 287 – tied for the 3rd-best final round in the field of 20 – to wrap up the 54-hole tournament in sole possession of 6th place with a 7-under 857 total. It marks the fifth time in the last seven opportunities UTA has recorded an under-par round, and the 857 slides into a tie for the 13th-best 54-hole total in the nearly 60-year history of the program.
UCLA won the classic with an 841 (-23) total, seven shots clear of 2nd-place Cal State Fullerton (848). UTA finished just nine shots back of 2nd place in the tightly-compact top-6 leaderboard; the Mavs were six shots clear of 7th-place UC Davis (863).
Avila fired a team-low 2-under 70 in the final round and finished as UTA's low man for the event with a three-round 213 (-3) total to tie for 20th place overall in the field of 119. That total is easily the best of the senior's career as he backed up an opening-round 74 with a career-low 3-under 69 in the 2nd round.
Right behind him was Hicks, who turned in a 1-under 71 final-round scorecard and tied for 25th overall with a 214 (-2) total. That total was also easily the best of the freshman's season – five shots better than the 219 he signed for last week at Chambers Bay.
Gonzalez wrapped up his week with an even-par 72 in the final round, totaling a 216 (E) and tying for 32nd overall.
Tanner Gore – who entered Tuesday's final 18 riding a streak of seven-straight even-par-or-better rounds, including six of those which were below par – unfortunately saw that stretch come to an end with a six-over 78 as part of a 218 (+2) total and tied for 43rd.
Freshman
Kyle Cox – who came into the event as the No. 1 player in the lineup and with the team's 2nd-best stroke average for the year – uncharacteristically couldn't get much going again as he posted his second-straight 74 and finished with a three-round 226 (+10) total.
Competing as an individual,
Jacob Massengale finished his tournament with a final-round 78 and 234 (+18) total.
Avila jumped 20 spots on the leaderboard from his overnight position thanks to the 70, which nearly featured another flawless card. After going bogey-free in his 2nd round, Avila made just one bogey in the final round. Avila finished with 41 pars over the three rounds – the 2nd-most in the field (leader: 42).
Hicks, meanwhile, offset four final-round bogeys with five birdies for his second-consecutive below-par round. Hicks rolled in a team-high 13 birdies over the two days – tied for the 8th-most in the field.
While Cox couldn't get much going, he might have left Arizona with a little bit of momentum as he eagled the par-4, 337-yard 5th – his final hole of the day. It was the second eagle of the freshman's collegiate career, and also was the same hole Gore chipped in for eagle on during the 2nd round.
UTA will now turn its focus to its third tournament in as many weeks when the Mavs head to the Bayou City Collegiate Classic in Pearland, Texas, Apr. 15-16. That will mark the regular-season finale for the club, and the stretch of four tournaments in four weeks will conclude the following week at the Sun Belt Conference Championship Apr. 21-24.
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