LAKE CHARLES, La. — Behind a trio of top-20 finishers, the UTSA men's golf team finished in third place with the second-best 54-hole score in school history at the Lake Charles Invitational, which concluded Tuesday at The Country Club at The Golden Nugget (par 72/7,007 yards).
UTSA finished with a 24-under-par 840, the second-lowest 54-hole scorecard in program history behind an 836 posted at the 2014 Price's "Give 'Em Five" Invitational. The Birds carded a 4-under 284 and 14-under 274 — the fourth-best round in program annals — on Monday before closing with a 6-under 282 Tuesday.
Sean Meehan tied for 13th place and Christian Fanfelle and Chad Sewell were part of a tie for 16th, and Michael Rome joined that trio by also finishing under par to help lead the Roadrunners to their third straight top-five finish and their second third-place performance in the last month.
The Roadrunners ended up four shots ahead of a tie for fourth between Lamar and ULM, six in front of McNeese State and Texas State and seven strokes better than 18th-ranked Arkansas State, which finished eighth (847). UTSA finished eight shots back of No. 10 Texas Tech (832) in the 18-team field won by No. 43 TCU (817) behind individual medalist David Ravetto (64-66-67—197).
Meehan posted a 6-under 210 to finish in a three-way tie for 13th place, the fourth top-20 showing of his senior season. The San Antonio Johnson High School product followed Monday's 72-68—140, which featured three eagles and four birdies, with a 2-under 70 on Tuesday on the strength of five more birdies. The 210 marks the fourth-best tournament score of his career and he now owns 17 sub-70 rounds, second all-time at UTSA.
Sewell turned in the Roadrunners' low round of the final day with a 3-under 69 that was highlighted by four of his team-high 13 birdies, including three in a row on Nos. 12-14. After opening with a pair of 71s on Monday, the sophomore from Conroe tied for 16th — his third consecutive and fourth overall top 20 of the campaign — with his second straight 5-under 211, matching his career best in the process.
Fanfelle also shared 16th place, which eclipsed his previous season-best finish of 19th at last week's Border Olympics, and his 5-under 211 marks the top score of his debut season. The San Antonio native wrote down five birdies en route to a 1-under 71 in the final round after opening with a 68-72—140 on Monday, and he finished the event with 12 birdies to rank second on the squad.
Michael Rome also finished with a red number, as he posted a 2-under 214 to tie for 32nd. The sophomore from Austin followed Monday's 73-68—141 with another 73 behind a trio of birdies, including back-to-back on the first and second.
Collin Clark rounded out the UTSA lineup in a tie for 43rd at even-par 216. The junior out of Mansfield closed with a 72 that featured four birdies — three during a four-hole stretch on the back nine — after bouncing back from a 77 Monday morning with a career-best 67, the team's low round of the event.
The Roadrunners will return to the course on April 15-16 when they travel to Pearland, Texas, for the Bayou City Intercollegiate.
