Men's Golf | 9/23/2024 7:50:00 PM

Utah Tech men's golf wrapped up its season opening two-event trip to Colorado with an eighth-place finish at the 2024 Air Force Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational on Monday afternoon at the USAFA Eisenhower Blue Golf Course in Colorado Springs. 
 
The Trailblazers found themselves in sixth-place on the 22-team leaderboard after combining to fire an eight-over par 296 in their opening 18 holes. Utah Tech bettered that effort by four shots with a 4-over 292 on its second loop on a chilly Sunday afternoon, but the Blazers saw themselves fall four spots to t-10^th overall at plus-12 588.

Utah Tech would save its best for last as the Trailblazers carded a 3-under 285 on Monday to climb up two spots to eighth-overall with a team total of plus-9 873.  

Colorado State (286-281-283-850; -14), which was the only team to post red numbers in all three rounds, led wire-to-wire to claim the team title. Utah State (290-285-284-859; -5) wound up nine shots back on its way to runner-up honors, two shots clear of third place UC Davis (303-275-283-861; -3). 

A trio of Trailblazers wound up in a six-way tie for 28^th-place overall on the player leaderboard at plus-3 219. 

Junior Zach Felts posted scores of 1-over 73 and 2-over 74 in his first two loops, during which he penciled in three birdies and an eagle in each of those rounds. Felts then closed with an even par 72 with two birdies and 14 pars, which allowed him to climb up nine spots on the board. 

Sophomore Ashton McArthur rebounded from an opening 6-over 78 with two birdies and 15 pars on Sunday en route to a 1-under 71. McArthur went on to roll in a team event-high seven birdies on Monday on his way to a 2-under 70, that helped vault him 18 spots up the leaderboard. 

Sophomore Jackson Rhees wrote in three birdies on his card in each of his first two rounds, during which he posted scores of 72 and 73, then finished with a 74 with one more birdie on Monday.

Junior Tanner Telford, who led the team with 11 total birdies over the three days, also bounced back from an opening 6-over 78 with a 74 in round two. Telford went on to fire a team-best 3-under 69 on Monday, in a round that included four birdies and 13 pars, which helped him join three others tied for 39^th at plus-5 221. 

Meanwhile sophomore KJ Ofahengaue, who rolled in three birdies in each of his three rounds, opened with a 73 and 74 before a final round 5-over 77 moved him to t-51^st at plus-8 224. 
 
The Trailblazers will now enjoy a three-week break before heading to NorCal to play at the Pacific Visit Stockton Invitational. The three-day, 54-hole event will be played on Oct. 14-16, at The Reserve at Spanos Park in Stockton, Calif.