Joshua HongJoshua Hong
Vashaun Newman/UTSA Athletics
Men's Golf

UTSA shatters school record en route to runner-up finish at Golden Nugget Invitational

LAKE CHARLES, La. — UTSA shattered the school record for best 54-hole team score en route to a runner-up finish at the Golden Nugget Invitational, which wrapped up Tuesday at The Country Club at Golden Nugget (par 72/7,000 yards).

The Roadrunners registered a 38-under-par 826 to finish second by only three shots to host Lamar, smashing the previous school standard of 28-under 836 set at the 2014 Price’s “Give ‘Em Five” Invitational in El Paso. UTSA also logged its third consecutive top-three finish one week after winning the Military City Collegiate and a month following a third-place showing at the Compadres Collegiate.

Entering the final round in third place in what evolved into a three-team race with Lamar and Tarleton, as all three teams were separated by just two shots through 36 holes, the Roadrunners carded a 9-under 279 on Tuesday to end up two shots ahead of Tarleton and just three back of the host Cardinals. UTSA opened the week with an 18-under 270 on Monday morning, marking the second-best team score in program history, before turning in a 277 in round two.

Individually, Joshua Hong, Sam Acharya and Brayden Bare all finished in the top five to lead the way.

Hong finished in sole possession of third place with the second-best 54-hole total by a Roadrunner, a 13-under 203 that ended up just one shot shy of Zander Lozano’s 14-under 202 posted at the 2016 Price’s “Give ‘Em Five” Invitational. A week after collecting his first collegiate victory, the true freshman started his week on fire with an 8-under 64 that matched the program standard held by two others. He then posted a 70 on Monday afternoon to match Gibby Martens’ 36-hole school record of 10-under 134 before rounding out the event with a 3-under 69 that featured three birdies. The Mexico native finished only three strokes behind the individual winner, Alvaro Pastor of Tarleton. He now owns 14 par-or-better scorecards, including four sub-70 rounds, and a 71.33 stroke average over 21 rounds during his debut campaign.

Acharya ended up in fourth place by himself with a 10-under 206, the best finish and 54-hole tally of his young UTSA career. The freshman from Nepal fired a collegiate best 6-under 66 in the opening round and then followed with a pair of 70s, including a final-round scorecard that included a trio of birdies to give him 15 for the week.

Bare also notched his top collegiate finish and 54-hole total by tying for fifth with a 9-under 207. The redshirt junior out of Waco posted a pair of 70s sandwiched around a 5-under 67 on Monday afternoon that marked his best score as a Roadrunner. He logged an eagle in the second round and wrote down 14 birdies for the week, including six over his final 18 holes, on his way to his second straight and fourth career top 10.

Francisco Solorza ended up with a share of 19th at 4-under 212. The redshirt freshman from Mexico opened the tournament with back-to-back 70s before closing with an even-par 72 on Tuesday behind three birdies over a five-hole stretch on the back nine. It marked his third straight top-20 showing of the season.

Logan Vargas recorded a 2-under 214 to tie for 30th and log his second-best finish as a Roadrunner. The senior from Lubbock started his week with 72s in both of Monday’s round before turning in a 2-under 70 that was highlighted by four of his 13 total birdies.

Playing as an individual, Jacob King joined Vargas in the tie for 30th with a 2-under 214. The senior from Boerne logged a 4-under 68 in round one — his best round at UTSA — and then bounced back from a 74 with an even-par scorecard that included five birdies, all on the back nine.

Also competing outside of the lineup, David Martinez posted UTSA’s best overall score in the final round with a collegiate best 4-under 68 that was headlined by six birdies. The sophomore from Houston ended up with a share of 43rd with a 1-over 217 (74-75-68).

The Roadrunners will be back in action March 16-17 at the Arizona Thunderbirds Intercollegiate in Tucson.

-UTSA-