LIHUE, Kaia’i – Braxton Watts and Sergio Jimenez both collected top 10 finishes while the University of Utah men’s golf team finished in a tie for seventh on Saturday, the final day of play at the John A. Burns Invitational, which was held at the Ocean Course Hokula in Lihue, Kaia’i, Hawaii.
“We have some great moments to build off of this week,” said coach Garrett Clegg. “Sergio had an outstanding second round and Braxton was rock solid all week long! Gabriel played a fantastic first and third round. There were a lot of really good moments for us to build from and I’m excited to see what this spring has in store for our team.”
Watts had one of the best days for the squad on Saturday, offsetting a few rough patches by racking up five birdies on his way to an even par 72. That number allowed the junior from Utah to complete the tournament at 4-under and in a tie for eighth, the third top 10 finish of his Utah career, two of which have come in Hawaii.
One of those players who entered the clubhouse sharing eighth with Watts was Jimenez, who recorded his first top 10 finish as a member of Utah’s lineup. Jimenez played his best golf of the final 18 holes on the back nine, putting up an even score and ending the afternoon at 3-over.
Gabriel Palacios was responsible for the lowest mark in Utah’s lineup on Saturday, shooting 1-under and climbing all the way from 63rd into a tie for 44th. Palacios was 3-under on the front nine and carded four total birdies to conclude his day with a 71, matching the second-best score of his freshman season, surpassed only by his 69 on Thursday. Brandon Robison finished in a tie for 81st, while Javier Barcos landed in 88th.
Go Nakatsukasa, competing as an individual, logged the best round of any Ute during round three with a 4-under 68 that sent him from 47th all the way up to grab a share of 18th. The San Diego native piled up seven total birdies, including two stretches of three in four holes to notch his first top 20 finish of the season and the lowest score of his sophomore season so far. Also playing as an individual was Davis Johnson, who tied for 50th.
UP NEXT
The Utah golf spring season continues with a trip to Duluth, Ga., for the Invitational at the Ford on Feb. 26 and 27. This is the first time that the Utes will compete in the tournament.
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