CHOUDRANT, La. — Making his UTSA debut, freshman Joshua Hong fired a 2-under-par 70 to pace the Roadrunners in the opening round of the Argent Financial Classic on Sunday at Squire Creek Country Club (par 72/7,105 yards).
Hong registered four birdies in his first round as a Roadrunner to earn a share of 10th place with 36 holes left to play. He is one shot out of a tie for fifth and two strokes behind a share of second in the 99-man field led by Louisiana’s Malan Potgieter, who carded a 7-under 65.
Starting on No. 10, Hong wrote down his first birdie on the 356-yard, par-4 13th hole before settling for a pair of bogeys on two of the final four holes on the back nine. He then moved to the front side of the course where the Guadalajara, Mexico, native circled his number on Nos. 1-2 to get back to 1-under par. Hong then reeled off six straight pars before closing out a 33 on the front with a four on the 546-yard ninth.
Logan Vargas is two shots behind his teammate in a tie for 35th at even par. The senior from Lubbock registered a team-high six birdies in the first round, including back-to-back on Nos. 12-13 and again on Nos. 1-2. He also birdied the 438-yard, par-4 fourth and the ninth to round out his 72.
Brayden Bare and Francisco Solorza each turned in a 75 for the other two counting scores on Sunday, earning a share of 70th, while Jacob King is in 89th (78).
UTSA posted a 4-over 292, good for 13th place, two shots ahead of Middle Tennessee, three in front of Lamar and four better than North Texas. The Roadrunners trail UAB and ULM by one stroke.
Louisiana holds the day-one lead at 8-under 280, followed by Rice (-7) and South Alabama (-6).
The second round is slated for Monday and the Roadrunners will tee off from No. 10 starting at 8:20 a.m.
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