Barcos, Watts in Top 10 for Utah Golf at Bandon Dunes

Men’s Golf | 3/12/2023 8:02 PM

BANDON DUNES, Ore. – Both Braxton Watts and Javier Barcos can claim spots inside the top 10 and the University of Utah men’s golf team is just four shots off the lead at the conclusion of the first round of the Bandon Dunes Championship, which started on Sunday with 18 holes at the Bandon Dunes Course.
 
“It was a really tough day for golf,” said head coach Garrett Clegg. “The wind was blowing and the course was a major challenge. I think we were fairly solid today and we are in a good position with two rounds still to play.”
 
Barcos had an up-and-down start to his round, which began on the seventh hole. He logged a pair of early birdies before encountering a few difficult holes on the early part of the back nine. Starting on the 15th, however, Barcos regained his form and played even golf over his final 10 holes, allowing him to enter the clubhouse at 2-over and tied for eighth.
 
One of the players sharing that eighth spot with Barcos is Watts, who carded an identical 74 after beginning his day on the ninth hole. Watts immediately logged a birdie before adding another on the 13th and managed to avoid posting a score higher than bogey during his first trip around the course. Watts and Barcos will enter day two four strokes behind Oregon’s Owen Avrit and Fresno State’s Joseph Lloyd, who are currently tied for first.
 
Just a single shot behind Watts and Barcos and in a deadlock for 16th is Brandon Robison, who teed off for the first time on Sunday from the eighth hole. Robison’s five birdies in round one were the most by any Ute and tied for the round’s second highest total among all golfers. Three of those came over his final nine holes, a stretch during which Robison played even golf, enabling him to end the day at 3-over.
                                                                                                          
Martín León collected a team-high 13 pars and finished 5-over and tied for 36th. Go Nakatsukasa is one of six players sharing 76th while Tanner Telford, playing as an individual, is tied for 111th.
 
As a team, the Utes are 12-over and that score has them even with Oregon State in third place. Just four shots ahead of Utah…