Sports

Coogs in 12th after first day

Cougar Sports Staff

If they never see Texas golfers in another tournament itill be too soon for the UH golf team.

Pin Lim/The Daily Cougar

Senior Brett Callas shot a 2-over-par 74 on the first day of competition at the U.S. Collegiate Championships in Tucson, Ariz., to muscle his way into a 10-way tie for 18th place. As solid as that opening round was, it was seven strokes off the lead as Texas golfer Jason Hartwick finished Sunday atop the leaderboard with a 5-under-par 67.

It also wasnit followed by similar performances by the rest of the Cougars.

Senior John Wine hit a 4-over-par 74 to tie for 34th; freshmen Zach Mowbray and Kevin Newman tied for 46th place with 5-over-par 77s; and senior Simon Robinson hit a 6-over-par 78 to finish in an eight-way tie for 53rd. The Cougars combined for an 18-over-par 304 to finish Sunday in 12th place out of 14 teams. Only the top four scores factor into team scoring.

Callas double-bogeyed the 11th and 13th holes and had to hit a birdie on the 14th and 19th holes to get back to 2-over. Wine led the Cougars with five birdies, but it took those scores to get him back to 4-over.

Newman was in good shape and cruising with a 1-under-par until he hit back-to-back bogeys on the sixth and seventh holes. A pair of double-bogeys on the ninth and 10th holes sent him reeling to the bottom half of the board.

Defending champion Texas was in first place after the first round with a 1-over-par 289. Texas Christian, the only other Conference-USA school at the tournament, was tied for third with a 6-over-par 294. Competition ends Tuesday.

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