PALM DESERT, Calif. – Kyle Cox led the UT Arlington men's golf team with a final-round 72 on Friday to post a top-10 individual finish as the Mavericks wrapped up the three-day Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate from the Classic Club Course.
 
After opening the tournament with a 1-under round of 287, UTA posted its second-straight over-par round with a final-round 294 (+6) as the shorthanded Mavs finished in a tie for 9th place for the week at +10 (874).
 
UTA was without Hiroki Miya in the final round as he sustained an ankle injury before the round began and was forced to withdraw. The New Zealand native was UTA's 2nd-best player in terms of leaderboard position following action Thursday, and he began his event with a 1-under 71.
 
As for Cox, the lefty recorded the best finish of his season with a tie for 8th at -3 with rounds of 68, 73 and the aforementioned 72.
 
UTA only finished nine shots out of a top-3 showing as only two squads in the 20-team field – six of which are ranked in the Golfstat top 100 – posted under-par scores for the week. Charlotte (-25) ran away from the pack with a blistering 18-under 270 final round to win by 18 shots over Nevada (-7). Host Wyoming and New Mexico State both tied for 3rd at +1.
 
UTA SCORES
Team
T-9) UT Arlington: 287-293-294 (+10)
 
Lineup
T-8) Kyle Cox: 68-73-72 (-3)
T-61) Caleb Hicks: 75-73-75 (+7)
T-68) Paul Gonzalez: 73-79-73 (+9)
T-73) Zak Jones: 80-72-74 (+10)
114) Hiroki Miya: 71-75-WD
 
T-56) Ind. Daniel Steinarsson: 75-69-78 (+6)
 
INSIDE THE SCORES
 
Cox

• Opening his round on the par-5 4th in a shotgun start, Cox began his day with a birdie as the start of an up-and-down first six holes which included two more birdies, a par, a bogey and a double bogey. He settled down from there with seven pars on an even 36 on the back-9 before making the turn to the front and finishing par-birdie-bogey. For the day, Cox posted five birdies.

Hicks

• Hicks carded four birdies as part of his 3-over round which also included five bogeys and a double as the only two-hole stretch in which he didn't birdie or bogey a hole came on the 7th and 8th.

Gonzalez

• Gonzalez – who started on the 5th – converted 12 pars over his first 13 holes before finishing birdie-par-double-birdie on holes 1-4.

Jones

• Jones registered 13 pars during a relatively consistent round which included two birdies, a pair of bogeys and a double.

Steinarsson

• After posting a career-low-tying 69 in Thursday's 2nd round, the Icelander couldn't muster a birdie in the final round playing as an individual.

THIS AND THAT
With two birdies, Gonzalez moved within three of tying program all-time leader Bobby Massa with 387 … the Mavs played the par-5 holes in 18-under par (4.68) to rank as the 3rd best in the field … Cox led that charge as he tied for 3rd individually in par-5 scoring at -7 (4.42) … Cox's 13 birdies for the week were tied for the 4th most in the field.
 
NEXT UP
The Mavs – who just completed first of five spring regular-season tournaments – will have a week off before teeing it up in the Grand Canyon Invitational in Phoenix Mar. 14-15.
 
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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 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.