GREENVILLE, N.C. – After not posting a single top-6 finish in its first four tournaments this year, the UT Arlington men's golf team will be in search of a fourth-straight top-6 showing beginning Monday when the Mavericks commence the East Carolina University Intercollegiate from Brook Valley Country Club.
UTA LINEUP (Tee Times CT)
1) Hiroki Miya – 7:40 AM
2) Daniel Cronje – 7:30 AM
3) Caleb Hicks – 7:20 AM
4) Zak Jones – 7:10 AM
5) Cameron Beck – 7 AM
Ind.) Trent Griessel – 8 AM
The two-day, 54-hole tournament will begin with tee times off the 1st hole for the Mavs on Monday, starting at 7 a.m. Central (8 a.m. local Eastern), and will conclude with the final round on Tuesday at 7 a.m. CT.
TOURNAMENT INFO
This will be UT Arlington's first appearance at the ECU Intercollegiate. The historic Brook Valley CC, built in 1966, featured an exhibition between Ben Hogan and Sam Snead. McConnell Golf bought and renovated the course extensively in 2015 and produced one of the top courses in North Carolina.
PARTICIPATING TEAMS
Barton, Cleveland State, Dartmouth, Francis Marion, Gardner Webb, James Madison, Marshall, Northern Kentucky, Oakland, Ohio, Presbyterian, Purdue-Fort Wayne, Queens, UT Arlington and Temple.
LAST TIME OUT
UTA moved up five spots on the leaderboard over the final two rounds to post a T-6 finish at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate earlier this month from Palm Desert, Calif.
LINEUP INFORMATION
- Miya – now qualifying for his eighth-consecutive tournament – will look to bounce back from his worst score of the year at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate (223: 75-70-78). Still, the New Zealand native leads the Mavs in average score this season at 72.90, and also boasts a team-best nine par-or-better rounds.
- South African Cronje made the biggest move up the leaderboard in California, jumping from a T-41 spot after the 1st round to a closing T-15 to represent his four-consecutive top-20 showing dating back to October. Included in that surge up the leaderboard was a final-round 68 (-4) to mark a season low. He ranks 2nd on the Mavs with a 73.15 scoring average and paces UTA with four rounds in the 60s.
- 5th-year Hicks led UTA in Palm Desert by finishing in a season-best 14th place. The Arlington native broke his recent slump by contributing a 216 (E) to the Mavs' total, helping them place T-6. Hicks has seven par-or-better rounds this year, a scoring average of 73.80 and will look to continue his success at the 'shorter' 6,830-yard Brook Valley CC.
- Graduate student Jones struggled at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate, posting his worst score (226), since the Little Rock Invitational (235) in October. However, Jones did card a final-round 73 (+1), which could help spark momentum entering this week. Jones has six par-or-better rounds this season and carries a 74.10 scoring average.
- Freshman Beck will tee it up in just the second tournament of his collegiate career, and first of the 54-hole variety (one-day, 36-hole Baylor Bear Brawl on Halloween).
- Sophomore Griessel will participate as an individual. This will be the third tournament for the Redmond, Wash., native this year, but first not as a member of the team lineup. His best score this season is a 77 in the 2nd round of The Temptest Collegiate in October.
NEXT UP
The Mavs will head to Phoenix for the Wyoming Cowboy Classic from Whirlwind Golf Club Apr. 3-4. This will be UTA's first time returning to Whirlwind GC since April of 2019.
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.
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.
