BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Former UTSA men's golfers Zander Lozano and Gibby Martens have qualified for the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica with top-35 finishes at a PTLA Qualifying Tournament earlier this week.
Lozano, who completed his senior season in 2018, tied for 19th place in the 88-man field. The Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas, native carded a 1-under-par 287 on the par-72 Canuelas Golf Club layout during the four-day event.
The Roadrunners' first-ever two-time NCAA qualifier, Lozano opened with a 2-over 74 on Tuesday but improved his score with each subsequent round. He carded an even-par 72 that was highlighted by four birdies — all on the back nine — on Wednesday and then posted a 1-under 71 on Thursday on the strength of four birdies and an eagle on the par-5 fifth hole.
Lozano, who was a two-time All-Conference USA selection, closed with a 2-under 70 that was buoyed by five birdies on Friday to move up four spots on the leaderboard and into a three-way tie for 19th. He is the UTSA record holder for low-54 hole total (202) and sub-70 rounds (25).
Martens, who starred for the Roadrunners from 1999 to 2002, finished in a tie for 34th with a 5-over 293 to also make the qualifying cut. He bounced back from a 78 in the opening round with a 74 on Wednesday before matching Lozano with a 71-70—141 over the final two days. His third round featured a four-hole stretch that began with an eagle on the par-5 fifth and was followed by three straight birdies. He wrote down four more birdies en route to his 2-under final round on Friday.
Martens, who played in three PGA TOUR events in 2002-03 and also appeared in a Web.com Tour tournament, now has qualified for the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica for the third straight year. He has played in 29 career PTLA events, including 15 during the 2018 season that featured a pair of top-25 finishes. Martens was a three-time All-Southland Conference performer and he ranks second in the UTSA record book for low 36-hole total (135) and 54-hole score (203) and third for sub-70 rounds (13).
This is the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica's eighth season since it began operation in 2012. The 2019 season opener — the Buenaventura Classic — is scheduled for March 24-30 at Panama's Buenaventura Golf & Beach Resort in Rio Hato. This tournament will mark the beginning of the Bupa Challenge, a multi-tournament competition that also includes events in the Dominican Republic and Brazil.
For more information about the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, please visit https://www.pgatour.com/la/en.html.
