Men's Golf | 9/18/2024 5:35:00 PM
Utah Tech used a pair of record-breaking performances to post a runner-up finish at the 2024-25 season-opening Colorado State Ram Masters Invitational, which was played on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Fort Collins Country Club in Fort Collins.
Utah Tech's runner-up finish on Wednesday was the best overall team finish in the program's NCAA Division I era, and was the best overall team showing since the Trailblazers won the 2019 NCAA Division II West/South Central Regional championship.
The Trailblazers got off to a solid start in their opening round on Tuesday morning, going out in a combined 3-under par 277 to stand in fourth place overall.
Utah Tech then flipped the switch during its afternoon loop, blistering the course for 22 total birdies and two eagles, including a hole in one, as the Trailblazers fired a 10-under 270 to vault atop the leaderboard at minus-13 547.
Utah Tech's combined 547 score shattered the program's school 36-hole record by a whopping 12 shots, while the Trailblazers' second round 270 was the second-lowest 18-hole score in program history.
The program's previous 36-hole record was 559 (278-281) set at the 2019 RMAC Men's Golf Championships, which is also where the Trailblazers carded the 18-hole school scoring record with a final round 268.
The Blazers entered Wednesday's final round with a four-shot lead on both Colorado and the host Rams. Utah Tech and CSU managed to separate themselves from the field in the early going, and the two sides swapped the lead back and forth during most of the back nine.
However Utah Tech (277-270-275-822; -18) could not overcome Colorado State (273-278-267-818; -22) shooting an event-low 13-under 267 as the Rams bested the Blazers by four strokes to claim the team title.
Colorado (268-283-280-831; -9) and Long Beach State (274-283-274-831; -9) tied for third place on the team leaderboard, while Rice (284-277-271-832; -8) finished a shot back in fifth to round out the top-five.
The Trailblazers' three-round final score of minus-17 822 eclipsed the previous 54-hole school record by five shots (827), which was also set at the 2019 RMAC Championships.
Junior
Tanner Telford made the most of his Trailblazer debut as finished third overall at minus-8 202, which tied for the second-lowest individual 54-hole score in program history.
Telford (69-67-66) rolled in four birdies and recorded an eagle in each of his first two rounds on Tuesday, then followed that up with five more birdies as part of a 4-under 66 on Wednesday to pace the Trailblazer effort.
Meanwhile, sophomore
KJ Ofahengaue followed up an opening 3-over 73 with a collegiate career-low 5-under 65 (t-3
rd all-time at Utah Tech) on his second loop. Ofahengaue penciled in seven of his 15 total birdies during that second round and recorded his first collegiate hole-in-one on the par-3 14
th hole.
The sophomore then closed with five more birdies as part of a 1-under 69 to finish in a four-way tie for 10
that minus-3 207.
Fellow sophomore
Jackson Rhees enjoyed a breakout tournament, during which he led the Trailblazers with 17 total birdies over his 54 holes played. Rhees bounced back after beginning with a 1-over 71 with rounds of 2-under 68 with six birdies, and a final round 69 with seven birdies, to place solo 14
th at minus-2 208.
Junior
Zach Felts was solid over his three rounds, recording eight birdies, two of which came as part of an opening 2-under 68. Felts tallied three more birdies in each of his next two rounds, an even par 70 and a final round 73, to tie five others for 24
th at plus-1 211.
Sophomore
Ashton McArthur, who was also making his Trailblazer debut, rolled in nine birdies and a final round eagle as he wound up in an eight-way tie for 39
th at plus-3 213. McArthur opened with a 69, which he followed with 3-over 73, and a final round 71.
The Trailblazers will stay in the "Centennial State" through the weekend as they will head south to the Colorado Springs to play in the 54
th-Annual Air Force Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational this Saturday-through-Monday.
