HOUSTON – Daniel Cronje finished tied for 6th at -6 to lead the UT Arlington men's golf team to a season-best performance at the Bayou City Collegiate Classic from Westwood Golf Club following final-round action on Tuesday.
 
Cronje backed up a pair of 3-under 69s on Monday with an even-par 72 on Monday to post UTA's best score of the week at 210. He led the Mavericks to a 5th-place showing as UTA carded a 6-under 858 total after a final-round 290 on Tuesday.
 
That 858 total is 12 shots better than its previous best 54-hole score this year, which was an 870 in the season opener at Fresno State's Nick Watney Invitational in September.
 
UTA's 5th-place leaderboard placement is its 2nd-best this season. That was aided by a pair of 284s in the 1st and 2nd rounds which represented season lows for the Mavs.
 
Sam Houston won the 16-team tournament at -25 (839), nine shots clear of runner-up Houston (-16). UTA was just three shots out of 3rd place, which was a tie between Lamar and Oral Roberts at -9.
 
Zak Jones notched UTA's other top-15 showing of the week as the Spring, Texas, native sat at -6 entering the final round, but registered a 4-over 76 during his closing 18. However, that still left him at -2 for the week and in a tie for 12th overall – his third top-15 of the year.
 
UTA SCORES
Team
5) UT Arlington: 284-284-290: 858 (-6)
 
Lineup
T-6) Daniel Cronje: 69-69-72: 210 (-6)
T-12) Zak Jones: 68-70-76: 214 (-2)
T-46) Hiroki Miya: 79-71-71: 221 (+5)
T-46) Caleb Hicks: 68-74-79: 221 (+5)
84) Alberto Menacho: 79-83-71: 233 (+17)
 
INSIDE THE SCORES
CRONJE
The South African was on pace for career-best finish as after 13 holes the junior resided at -4 on the strength of six birdies. Unfortunately, a stretch of bogeys and a double impacted the round late, causing Cronje to finish at even-par 72.
 
MIYA
In the final round, the New Zealand native able posted a second-straight 71. Carding three birdies on the first seven holes, Miya was on track for a career-low round, but unfortunately a double and a bogey to finish the front nine derailed the early push. He made one birdie coming in on the occurring on the very next hole, the par-4, 392-yard 10th hole, and then capped his day with eight-consecutive pars.
 
JONES
Jones began his day with a birdie on the par-5 1st hole, but after that couldn't get anything going and made three bogeys and a double on his way to the 76.
 
HICKS
Hicks bookended his day with birdies on the par-5s 1st and 18th, but in-between he played in +9, and was unable to improve off is solid rounds of 68 and 74 on Monday.
 
MENACHO
In the final round, Menacho improved from a rough day one as he was the only Maverick to not card a double. He signed for his first under-par performance as well since the final round of the Nick Watney Invitational in September. The Peru native was -4 through 14 holes, but proceeded to finish his last five holes with three bogeys to finish at 71 for the day.
 
THIS AND THAT
UTA led the field in birdies (60) and posted the best par-5 scoring average (4.73) … however, ranked last in total pars … Cronje led the Mavs and was 4th in the field in par-4 scoring average (3.90) … Miya ranked 11th in par-5 scoring average (4.58).
 
NEXT UP
The Mavs will make the road trip to sunny California to participate in the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate from the Classic Club Course in Palm Desert next Wednesday-Friday, Mar. 1-3.
 
FOLLOW THE MAVS SOCIALLY
For up-to-date news, photos and videos of the UTA men's golf program, follow us on Twitter: @UTAMavsMGolf, Instagram: @UTAMavsMGolf and Facebook: /UTAMavsMGolf.
 
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.