EDMOND, OKLA. – The UT Tyler men's golf team matched their low team total of the 2021-22 season and sit in fifth place after opening rounds of 306-287 on Monday at the Oak Tree Invitational in Edmond, Okla.
The Patriots moved up four spots on the leaderboard after an opening round 306 with an afternoon score of 287, an effort that matches the best round of the year for the team from back in the fall semester in the first round of the NCAA South Central/West Region Preview on Oct. 4
th. Freshman
Jackson Naeger shot the low round of the day for the field and the low round of his Patriot career with a second-round 66 on the East Course at Oak Tree Country Club to move into a tie for 9
th after 36 holes of play.
The Patriots bettered Lone Star Conference foe West Texas A&M, as well as a host of traditional powers in NCAA Division II men's golf in Central Missouri and Southwestern Oklahoma State for the day. Oklahoma Christian will hold the overnight lead into tomorrow's final round with a 573 (292-281) total, and were led by individual leader Alejandro Armijo, who posted rounds of 73-68.
Naeger made seven birdies in that round of 66 on Monday afternoon to help pace UT Tyler to the third best round of the field in the second 18 holes of the day. Naeger combined with sophomore
Garrett Honeycutt, who carded a one-over round of 71 in round two, to help spur the Patriots to the afternoon turnaround.
Honeycutt sits in a tie for 12
th place with rounds of 75-71 and a 146 total. Sophomore
Jackson Powers stayed steady in both of his rounds on Monday, carding scores of 76 in the first round and 75 in round number two on the day to sit in a tie for 37
th place with a 151 total.
UT Tyler made the third most birdies in the field through two rounds of action on Monday with 24, and ranked fourth in the field in both par four (4.33) and par five (4.90) scoring as a team. Four out of the five UT Tyler representatives on the scoring team improved their scoring from round one into round two.
Sophomore
Carter Lewis was one of those Patriots that fired a better number in the second round, posting an afternoon 75 to combine with a 78 in round one to finish the day with a 153 total and a tie for 46
th place. Freshman
Alex Kopenhaver rounded out the scoring for the counting team with a pair of 77's and sits in a tie for 49
th place.
Freshman
Ryan Willis matched Kopenhaver with those rounds of 77's as an individual competitor in the event.
UT Tyler will be in the hunt for their second top-five finish in as many events in the spring semester in tomorrow's final 18 holes of action at Oak Tree Country Club. Play in that final round will get started with a 9 a.m. shotgun start.
