SAN ANTONIO — Joshua Hong is in sole possession of second place and UTSA is in fourth after the first day of the Military City Collegiate presented by USAA, which got underway Monday at TPC San Antonio’s Canyons Course (par 72/7,106 yards).
Hong is one shot off the lead after posting a 3-under-par 141 through 36 holes, while the Roadrunners are through two rounds and sitting at 6-over 582 (300-282).
Play began 90 minutes late due to a frost delay and then was suspended at 6:45 p.m. with some of the field not finished with the second round. Play will resume at 8 a.m. Tuesday followed immediately by the final round.
Hong opened the tournament with a 3-under 69 that featured five birdies, including four over his first eight holes. The freshman from Guadalajara, Mexico, registered back-to-back birdies on his opening two holes and then bounced back from a bogey on the fourth with birdies on the 565-yard, par-5 sixth and the 165-yard, par-3 eighth. After reeling three consecutive pars, he birdied the 532-yard, par-5 12th before settling for bogey on the 13th. He closed with five pars in a row en route to matching his season-low round first logged in the final round of his collegiate debut at the Argent Financial Classic last September.
In the afternoon, Hong carded an even-par 72 that included four more birdies, including repeated circled numbers on the first and 12th holes. He also birdied the 362-yard, par-4 seventh and the 423-yard, par- 11th. He trails only Middle Tennessee’s Maddox Crowder, who posted a 4-under 140 (71-69).
Francisco Solorza is part of a four-way tie for 13th place at 2-over 146. The redshirt freshman bounced back from a 75 in the opening round with a 1-under 71, a season-best scorecard for the native of Guadalajara. After recording three birdies in his first round, he circled his number five times in the second round including four as part of a 35 on the front nine.
Sam Acharya also bounced back from a tough opening round with the best score of the day posted by a Roadrunner. The true freshman from Nepal settled for a 79 in the morning before firing a 4-under 68 in the afternoon. He wrote down six birdies in the second round including back-to-back on Nos. 3-4 and again on his final two holes, the 15th and 16th. He has a share of 17th place at 3-over for the week.
David Martinez has a share of 26th at 5-over 149. The sophomore out of Houston countered a 78 in the first round with a 71 in the afternoon, riding 15 pars and a pair of birdies to match his season-best score.
Logan Vargas is one shot back in a tie for 33rd at 6-over 150. The senior from Lubbock carded a 72 in the second round with the help of three birdies after opening with a 78.
In the team standings, UTSA sits only five shots behind third-place UTRGV, seven back of Abilene Christian and eight shy of Middle Tennessee. The Roadrunners hold an eight-shot advantage ahead of ULM in the 12-team field.
Playing as an individual, Brayden Bare is part of a tie for 17th. The redshirt junior from Waco started his week with an even-par 72 on the strength of three birdies. He made it through 14 holes of his second round and is sitting at 3-over for the event.
Jacob King is tied for 54th (78-78—156) while also competing outside the lineup.
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