PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Hunter Bott and Brock Blais are in the top 11 players and the UTSA men’s golf team stands fourth after the opening day of the Sea Best Invitational, which teed off Monday at TPC Sawgrass Dye’s Valley (par 70/6,873 yards).
Bott has a share of fifth place and Blais is tied for 11th to help the Roadrunners settle into fourth place in the 15-team field with 18 holes left to play.
UTSA opened the 54-hole event with a 297 before firing an even-par 280 in the second round to move up six places into sole possession of fourth with a 577, three shots behind Louisville (574) and eight back of North Florida (569). The Roadrunners are one stroke in front of FGCU (578) and four ahead of Lipscomb (581) in the team race led by Florida (562).
Bott is part of a three-way tie for fifth at even par 140. The senior from Montgomery, Texas, opened the week with a 1-over 71 before he posted a 1-under 69 in the afternoon on the strength of four birdies, including back-to-back on Nos. 16-17. He is three shots off the pace set by Florida’s Ian Gilligan (70-67—137).
Playing in his hometown, Blais bounced back from a 4-over 74 in the morning with a 2-under 68 that featured four birdies, including three on a five-hole stretch on the front nine. The freshman moved up 23 places following his second round into a five-way share of 11th at 2-over 142 in the 84-player field.
David Harrison is in a tie for 44th after carding a 76-72—148, while Jack Wehman is one shot back in a tie for 52nd (78-71—149). Christian Rodriguez rounds out the UTSA lineup in a tie for 74th (76-79—155).
The final round is scheduled for 7 a.m. CT Tuesday.
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