SAN ANTONIO — Led by top-20 showings from Christian Fanfelle and Chad Sewell, the UTSA men's golf team, beat five nationally ranked teams, including No. 1 Arizona, in finishing eighth at the Cabo Collegiate at TPC San Antonio.
Facing a field that included 12 top-50 squads — nine of which are in the top 25, including six in the top 10 — the Roadrunners placed eighth with a 16-over-par 880. They ended up five shots ahead of No. 31 Arkansas and nine strokes in front of the top-ranked Wildcats, the first time UTSA has beaten a No. 1 team. The Roadrunners were just one stroke behind No. 10 Texas and only two back of eighth-ranked Oklahoma State, and they finished double-digit shots ahead of No. 27 Baylor (891), No. 23 Houston (895), California (906), 30th-ranked Stanford (920), Abilene Christian (922) and Rice (950).
After opening with a 309 on Monday, UTSA posted back-to-back red numbers with Tuesday's top team round of 2-under 286 followed by a 285 on Wednesday to close out the 54-hole tournament held at the 7,034-yard, par-72 Oaks Course, also the site of next month's Valero Texas Open.
"I am so proud of my guys this week," head coach John Knauer said. "Monday's round the wind and cold were a struggle all day, but they hung tough to stay in the mix. Firing the low round of the day in a field this strong on Tuesday was awesome to watch, and then capping off the event today by beating number one Arizona and a host of other ranked teams was a great way to close out the tournament.
"We have been saying we are capable of being a top-25 team this year, but until you prove it, it's just talk. This week we showed we belong in that group. Most of all, I am so happy that our players got to reap the fruits of all the hard work they have poured in over the last year."
Individually, Fanfelle finished in a four-way tie for 13th place at 1-over 217, placing ahead of 10 top 100-ranked players in the process. After bouncing back from an opening-round 77 with a 3-under 69 on Tuesday, the junior all-conference performer fired a 1-under 71 that featured five birdies, four as part of a 2-under 34 on the back nine. In closing with birdies on three of his final five holes, the San Antonio native ended up with 13 for the week, the third-best total in the field.
Meanwhile, Sewell carded a 2-over 218 to settle into a five-way share of 17th that included Arkansas' Julian Perico, the 20th-ranked player in the country. The senior from Conroe countered a 77 in the first round with a 2-under 70 on Tuesday and then closed with a 71 on Wednesday on the strength of an eagle on the 553-yard, par-5 14th hole and a birdie on the 550-yard, par-5 18th. He was one of two Roadrunners to record an eagle and his nine birdies were the second-best total on the team behind Fanfelle.
Hunter Bott and Michael Rome finished in a tie for 43rd at 9-over 225.
Bott closed out his week by firing a 1-under 71 that was highlighted by a trio of birdies as part of a 3-under 33 on the back nine. The sophomore from Montgomery opened with an 80-74—154 before matching his season-low scorecard on Wednesday.
Rome also battled back from an 80 in the opening round by posting a 73 on Tuesday before carding an even-par 72 on the final day. The redshirt junior from Austin wrote down three birdies on the back nine on Wednesday, including on the par-5 18th to round out a 2-under 34 on that side.
Collin Clark rounded out the UTSA lineup in a tie for 60th (229). The senior from Mansfield opened with a 75 and bounced back from an 81 with a 1-over 73 on Wednesday that included birdies on his first and last holes.
No. 7 Oklahoma (860) held off fourth-ranked Florida State (861) by one shot for the team title, while No. 15 Texas A&M (863), No. 21 Texas Tech (872) and third-ranked Arizona State (874) rounded out the top five.
Sam Bennett of Texas A&M claimed the individual crown and an exemption into this year's Valero Texas Open by turning in a 5-under 211 (74-70-67).
The Roadrunners will travel to Dallas for the Trinity Forest Invitational next Sunday-Tuesday, March 7-9.
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