LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Caleb Hicks posted his first-career runner-up finish thanks to a final-round 69 on Tuesday as he helped lead the UT Arlington men's golf team to a 3rd-place finish at the Little Rock Invitational from the Founders Course at Chenal Country Club.
 
Hicks posted his third-straight under-par performance in the final round and finished the event at -7 – just three shots off the pace of medalist Guillaume Fanonnel from ULM.
 
As a team, UTA finished the 54-hole event at -16 (848) behind a final-round 287. That 848 total is the 7th-best score in program history. Host Little Rock blitzed the field with a torrid final-round 270 (-18) to overtake overnight leader Arkansas State for the tournament title with an 829 total (-35). The Red Wolves settled for 2nd place, just shots ahead of UTA at 846 (-18).
 
Paul Gonzalez continued his extremely-consistent play with a tie for 10th on the strength of a season-low 69 in the final round. The senior secured a 3-under 213 for the week, and in the process secured his sixth top-10 in the last nine tournaments, dating back to the beginning of last season.
 
Collectively, UTA tied for the tournament lead in birdies for the week with 69. The Mavs finished 2nd in par-4 scoring (4.12, +21). Individually, Hicks helped fuel that average by tying for 2nd in the field of 86 in par-4 scoring average at 3.90 (-3). Zach Cole – who held the overnight lead – led UTA and tied for 4th in the field with 15 birdies over the three rounds.
 
This was the second of UTA's only two fall tournaments during the 2020-21 COVID-impacted season. The Mavs expect to have a more full spring slate.
 
Below is a breakdown of UTA's six-player lineup (top-4 scores count).
 
T-2 – Caleb Hicks: -7 (70-70-69: 209)
Hicks started his day with a bogey on the par-4 3rd, but after that he put just one more square on his card the entire round. He converted five birdies to offset those bogeys en route to his third-career top-10 finish.
 
His showing marks a 28-shot improvement from last week at Arkansas State, and he improved his position by 55 spots. The 209 total also represents a career-best for him, bettering a 210 showing set this past March.
 
T-10 – Paul Gonzalez: -3 (71-73-69: 213)
Gonzalez moved up the leaderboard 16 spots from his 2nd-round position thanks to the final-round performance. Identical to Hicks, Gonzalez rolled in five birdies and made two bogeys on the 7,115-yard layout.
 
T-18 – Zach Cole: -1 (68-67-80: 215)
Holding the aforementioned overnight lead, Cole unfortunately stumbled in the final round as he was only able to record one birdie on the day. However, despite the tough day, the redshirt senior still secured his best 54-hole total (previous: 222) and also his best-career finish (previous: 21st).
 
T-24 – Jacob Massengale: E (70-72-74: 216)
Opening the final round with a double bogey, Massengale settled down and played the final 17 holes at even par to turn in the final-round 74 – which until Monday's two performances was his career-low round.
 
The T-24 and 54-hole 216 are also both career bests for the senior, bettering a T-27 and a 231 set in 2017 and this past March, respectively.
 
T-64 – Zakary Jones: +11 (71-80-76: 227)
Jones recorded UTA's only eagle of the day on the par-5 9th; however, he made just one birdie and seven bogeys on his way to the 76.
 
T-67 – Daniel Cronje: +12 (79-74-75: 228)
Cronje wrapped up his event with a 3-over 75 which featured 12 pars, a pair of birdies but four bogeys or worse.
 
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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 later this fall – 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.