M-golf finishes 6th in Hawaii
The Arizona men’s golf team finished in sixth place in a field of 15 teams at the John A. Burns Intercollegiate, a tournament hosted by the University of Hawaii in Honolulu.
Texas A&M and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, were tied for the lead after the third and final round, but UNLV won the first playoff hole to clinch the title.
Andrea Pavan of Texas A&M took home the individual crown after shooting a 12-under-par 204, including a final round of 65 (-7). UA’s highest finisher was Philip Bagdad (-2) who finished in a tie for 18th.
Four of the Wildcats’ five golfers finished the tournament above par, five of six including Tom Conran, who competed as an individual. UA was consistent throughout the week — finishing all three rounds between 281 and 287 — but lacked the breakout round that often leads to a tournament win.
Although the Wildcats entered the week full of confidence and familiarity with the golf course, they were unable to replicate the play found in their runner-up finish in the Arizona Intercollegiate, their most recent tournament.
Up next for Arizona is the Bravehart Classic, a two-day event hosted by the University of California, Riverside.
W-Golf set for only home tournament
The Arizona women’s golf team is set to host the Wildcat Invitational, a three-round, two-day event that is the only home tournament of the season.
Arizona hopes to build off of a strong fall season in which it recorded two top-three finishes in four events played, including a first-place finish in the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown, UA’s most recent tournament.
Sherlyn Popelka, who posted a 72.67 scoring average in three events played, including an individual victory at the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown, leads the Wildcats into the weekend’s tournament at Arizona National Golf Club.
Popelka, a freshman from Zurich, Switzerland, is one of five foreign-born players on the Wildcat roster, including the UA’s top three scorers.
Of the 16 teams participating in the tournament, six of the latest Golfweek/Sagarin top-10 teams are included.
— Alex Williams
