DALLAS – Kyle Cox turned in an impressive even-par 71 in the final round to lead the UT Arlington men's golf team on Tuesday as the Mavericks wrapped up the Trinity Forest Invitational with their lowest round of the week at Trinity Forest Golf Club.
 
UTA posted a final-round 294 – four shots better than either of its first two rounds – and completed its opening spring event in 14th place with a 54-hole 898 (+46) total.
 
Cox signed for UTA's only even-par round of the invite on the former PGA Tour course which played at 7,330 yards this week. Starting on the back 9, Cox – who was making his 2020-21 season debut – rolled in two birdies, made two bogeys and penciled in 14 pars to finish as UTA's low man for the week at +7 (220).
 
Host and #13 SMU won the event as the only team in the competitive field under par with an 835 (-17) total, 27 shots ahead of runner-up UTSA (862, +10). Every team aside from the Mustangs was double-figure shots over par, and the field featured five schools ranked in the top-40 of the nation.
 
UTA LINEUP SCORES (No. 10 Start)
T-26) Kyle Cox: 74-75-71: 220 (+7)
T-42) Daniel Cronje: 74-74-76: 224 (+11)
53) Zach Cole: 74-79-73: 226 (+13)
T-58) Caleb Hicks: 76-78-74: 228 (+15)
72) Daniel Steinarsson: 80-79-77: 236 (+23)
 
INSIDE THE SCORES

• Cox's 14 pars on the day brought his three-day total to 36, good for a team high and tied for the 5th-most in the 75-player field. The junior also played the par-4 holes at +4 (4.12) for the week, tied for the 16th-best in the field.
   
• Cronje led the Mavs after 36 holes, and while he didn't record anything higher on his card than one square, he had seven bogeys and two birdies to finish the week with a +5 round. Still, the sophomore closed the invite tied for the 12th-best par-3 scoring average at 3.08 (+1).
   
• Cole began his round with eight pars before make a double bogey on the par-4, 502-yard 18th, which played as the toughest hole on the course in the final round. The redshirt senior then came in with an even-par 36 on the front side thanks to a pair of birdies offsetting two bogeys.
   
• Hicks did nearly the same, but in opposite order of Cole, on his front 9 as he made a double bogey on the 11th but recorded eight pars on that side. The Arlington native came in with a 1-over 37 after three bogeys and two birdies on the front side.
   
• Concluding his first collegiate tournament, freshman Steinarsson had a roller coaster of a front 9 en route to a 41, but settled down and ended his week on a strong note with nine-straight pars on the front for a 36 – matching Cole for the team's best score on that side in the final round.

THIS AND THAT

• Cox, Cole, Hicks and Steinarsson all had their best rounds of the tournament on Tuesday as the scoring average for the field was its lowest of the week (73.01) compared with 74.59 for Sunday's 1st round and 75.13 for Monday's 2nd round.
   
• Hicks was responsible for one of only seven birdies by the field on the par-4, 420-yard 6th, while Cole recorded one of just 10 on the par-4, 505-yard 9th and Cronje and Cox had two of the 10 on the par-4, 429-yard 16th.
   
• After just four combined holes played under par the first two rounds, four holes averaged under-par scores during Tuesday's final round.

NEXT ON THE TEE
The Mavs will head to Austin to compete in UT's George Hannon Invitational Mar. 14-16.
 
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ABOUT TEXAS RANGERS GOLF CLUB
Opened in February of 2019, the state-of-the-art Texas Rangers Golf Club is the new home of UTA'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.
 
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 – which just opened in March of 2021 – features 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.