First-Place Jimenez, Utah Golf Break School Records at Palouse Collegiate

PULLMAN, Wash. – The University of Utah Men’s Golf team dominated at the Palouse Collegiate on Tuesday to open its season, setting new school records led by Sergio Jimenez who sits atop the player leaderboard with two other Utes ranked inside the top seven spots. As a team, the Utes lead the team rankings through the first two rounds of play shooting 35-under. 

It was a historic first day of golf at the Palouse Collegiate tournament in Pullman, Wash., as the Utes collected a handful of new school records. The team tied the school record for the lowest team score in a single round, posting an 18-under 266 to match the performance from the Pat Hicks Thunderbird Collegiate in 2021. Keeping the momentum rolling, the team then recorded a 17-under 267 in the second round to rank third in the same category. Overall, the Utes shattered the previous 36-hole team score school record, putting together a score of 533 to outshoot the former record by 11 strokes.  

Jimenez was the catalyst for Utah’s exceptional play at the Palouse Ridge Golf Course, setting two new school records on his own. In the first round, Jimenez carded a score of 10-under 61 to earn himself the lowest 18-hole individual score in Utah golf history. The sophomore started his season with back-to-back birdies before adding another pair of red marks on the second half of the course and finishing with an eagle on the 18th hole. Across his final seven holes, Jimenez added two more birdies before tallying another eagle on the final hole of the first round to place himself first on the player leaderboard. The efficient work of the Spaniard continued into the next 18 holes, totaling four birdies against just one bogey to conclude the second round 3-under while still holding the best overall score of the field. Jimenez set a new 36-hole school record with his 13-under 129, dethroning Blake Tomlinson’s 131 at the Thunderbird Collegiate in 2021.  

Gabriel Palacios also shined in his season debut for the Utes, catapulting up 16 spots from round one to round two to finish the day tied for third place. To start the tournament, Palacios recorded two birdies in his first four holes before getting hit with a double bogey at the start of the back half of the course. The sophomore responded with an eagle on the 15th hole and later added a bogey. With a chance…