Howe Shoots 4-under on Day One of Thunderbird Collegiate

PHOENIX – Hunter Howe matched his lowest 18-hole score as a Ute in back-to-back rounds and owns a share of 12th with one day of golf in the books as the University of Utah men’s golf team competed in the first two rounds of the Thunderbird Collegiate, both of which were played on Friday at the Papago Golf Course.
 
“I’m really excited about how Hunter played!” said head coach Garrett Clegg. “We have been waiting for him to play at this level and hopefully this is just the starting point for him. As a team, we have to be better!”
 
Howe finished the day with a pair of 69’s to his credit, replicating the score he posted during the first round of the Oregon State Invitational in October. The Ogden, Utah native opened the tournament on the 10th and immediately logged a bogey, but was 4-under over his next nine holes, a stretch capped by an eagle on the par-5 first. He overcome a few hiccups later in the round by birdieing the seventh, then putting up another eagle on the ninth for a mark of 2-under.
 
Howe’s second trip around the course included a stretch six holes in which he rattled off five birdies, including four-in-a-row at one point. His second consecutive 2-under 69 moved him six spots up the leaderboard and he’ll enter Saturday’s final round four shots off the lead at 4-under.
 
Utah’s second-lowest score belonged to Javier Barcos, who started the competition with a 1-under 70 that included five birdies. Barcos’ last birdie in round one came on his final hole, putting him 1-under on the front nine and also securing his sixth round of the season with mark of 70 or better. The junior from Estella, Spain recorded a 72 in the afternoon, leaving him even for the day and tied for 34th.
 
Go Nakatsukasa sliced five strokes off his first-round score, shooting a 72 in round two to finish 7-over and tied for 69th. Braxton Watts is in a tie for 74th, while Brandon Robison is sitting in 78th. Davis Johnson, who is playing as an individual, owns a share of 59th after carding a 5-over 147. Utah’s team score is 9-over, putting them in 11th.
 
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