PALM DESERT, Calif. — Michael Rome tied for eighth place to lead the UTSA men's golf team to an eighth-place finish at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate, which wrapped up on Friday at the Classic Club (par 72/7,305 yards).
Rome posted a 3-under 213 to guide the Roadrunners to a 9-over-par 873. After opening with a 300 on Wednesday, UTSA posted back-to-back rounds below par, including a 2-under 286 that was highlighted by Hunter Bott's 69 on Friday, to climb seven spots in the team standings over the final two days. The Roadrunners ended up one shot ahead of a tie for ninth place between Colorado and UT Arlington and two strokes ahead of Seattle U in the 20-team field.
Rome logged the third top-10 finish of his senior season with his best 54-hole total versus par of the campaign. A product of Austin Westlake High School, he posted one-shot improvements each day, opening with an even-par 72 before turning in a 71 on Thursday and a 70 in a bogey-free final round that featured a pair of birdies. He paced UTSA with 36 pars and shared the team lead of 11 birdies with Christian Fanfelle and David Harrison for the week.
Fanfelle finished in the top 30 for the sixth time in as many events this season, tying for 29th with a 2-over 218. The senior all-conference performer bounced back from a 77 in the first round with a career best-tying 67 on Thursday before closing with a 74 that was headlined by an eagle on the 560-yard, par-5 14th hole and a birdie on No. 8.
Jack Wehman recorded a 7-over 223 to tie for 61st. The Austin native carded a 1-over 73 behind a trio of birdies on the front nine in Friday's final round after opening with a 76-74—150.
Bott registered UTSA's best scorecard of the final day with a 69 that featured five birdies, including three straight on Nos. 16-18 and four total as part of a 4-under 32 on the back. The Montgomery native ended up with a share of 73rd place (80-77-69—226).
Harrison closed out the UTSA lineup one shot behind Bott in a tie for 76th (75-75-77—227). The Trophy Club product wrote down four of his 11 birdies in the final round, including back-to-back on Nos. 5-6.
Charlotte claimed the team title with a 25-under 839 behind individual medalist Ben Woodruff (206), followed by 45th-ranked Nevada (857), New Mexico State (865), Wyoming (865) and Long Beach State (866) in the top five.
The Roadrunners will return to action on March 14-15 at the Louisiana Classics.
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