CHANDLER, Ariz. — Michael Rome is in contention for the individual title after the opening day of the Wyoming Cowboy Classic on Monday at The Cattail Course (par 72/7,334 yards) at Whirlwind Golf Club.
With the second of three rounds suspended due to darkness after most of the field made it through 15 holes, Rome has a share of seventh place at 6-under par, four shots off the pace of 10-under set by Long Beach State's Isaac Rodea.
Rome opened the 54-hole event with a 7-under 65, which put the senior in a tie with Rodea for the individual lead. He recorded seven birdies in his bogey-free first round and his 65 is tied for second-best score in program history, trailing only 64s recorded by Luke Healy in 2001 and Derek Steinbruck in 1990. The Austin Westlake High School product joins seven other Roadrunners who have posted a 65, including Hunter Bott in the second round of the season-opening Jim Rivers Intercollegiate last September.
Rome currently is 1-over through 17 holes of the second round on the strength of two more birdies, and his 10 circled numbers so far stand as the second-best total in the 128-man field.
Behind Rome, the Roadrunners are in a tie with Cal State Fullerton, Gonzaga and TCU for 15th place at 2-over, one shot ahead of Colorado and only four strokes out of the top 10 in the 25-team field led by San Diego State (-24).
Jack Wehman is the next-highest Roadrunner, as the freshman is in a tie for 28th at 2-under. The Austin native posted an even-par 72 that featured three birdies and an eagle on the 560-yard, par-5 17th hole in his morning round. He then birdied six of the nine holes as part of a 31 on the front nine en route to a 2-under 70 as one of a dozen players who finished the second round before darkness set in.
David Harrison also finished both rounds on Monday and has logged eight birdies overall to settle into a tie for 91st at 5-over 149 (75-74).
Bott is one shot behind Harrison in a tie for 95th at 6-over, as the Montgomery native is even through 16 holes in round two after opening with a 78.
Christian Fanfelle rounds out the UTSA lineup in 126th (85-73—158).
The field will resume the second round on Tuesday morning followed immediately by the final 18 holes.
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