León Posts Utah Golf’s Top Score After Day One of Burns Intercollegiate

Thursday, February 16

Lihue, HI

All Day

University of Utah

John Burns Intercollegiate

León Posts Utah Golf’s Top Score After Day One of Burns Intercollegiate

2/17/2023 12:04 AM | Men's Golf

Round One Results

Utes are 2-under after day one in Hawaii

LIHUE, KAUA'I, Hawaii. – Martín León owns a score of 3-under and the University of Utah men's golf team is 2-under after one day of play at the John Burns Intercollegiate, which began on Thursday at the Ocean Course of Hokuala.

"Overall, we played the really challenging holes great," said head coach Garrett Clegg, "however we played the easy holes poorly. If we can get after it on the par 5's tomorrow, we can turn things around. There is hopefully a lot of golf remaining!"

León started the opening round by going par, birdie, bogey, then shot 2-under over his next 12 holes, collecting consecutive birdies on the 3rd and 4th before finishing with a 1-under 71. He was even better through the first 11 holes of round two before play was halted, adding three more birdies, two of which came on the 1st and the 2nd and helped him move up nine spots. León will start Friday owning a share of 22nd.

The second-best score in Utah's starting five belonged to Braxton Watts, who shot an even-par 72 in round one, putting up three birdies along the way. Watts shook off an early second-round bogey by birding the 14th and 15th and was 1-under and tied for 39th when round two was suspended.

Playing as an individual, Go Nakatsukasa also ended Friday sharing 39^th, thanks in large part to a 2-under 70 in the opening round. Nakatsukasa put himself in the red by rattling off four birdies, two of which came over his final five holes, and added two more in the second round. His total of six birdies tied León for a team-high on day one.

Javier Barcos, who is tied for 62nd, and Brandon Robison, who owns a share of 92nd, are both tied for the tournament lead in pars with 22. Hunter Howe will enter Friday in a tie for 100th. As a team, the Utes play in the second round moved them up two spots and they are in a deadlock with California in 12th. The 288 Utah posted in round one matched their fourth-lowest mark of 2022-23.

The tournament's first day was originally scheduled to include 18 holes, but was extended to include the second round due to forecasts of inclement weather on Friday and Saturday. The competition was suspended before round two could be completed and will be resumed at 8:30 a.m. HT on Friday.

UP NEXT
The second round will resume on Friday at 8:30 a.m. HT.

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