Starting their season with an enviable opening, the University of Utah Men's Golf team, currently ranked number 25 in preseason, led the pack at the inaugural Wohali Classic. According to UtahUtes.com, the Utes had an outstanding performance, navigating through high winds to secure the top spot after 36 holes at the challenging Wohali Golf Course.
Despite nature’s bluster, one of Utah’s own, redshirt senior Davis Johnson shot a 3-under (68) to start, followed by a 4-under (138) for the day, which includes a bogey-free 4-under (31) front-nine extravaganza. His efforts did not go to waste, as he sits pretty in second place, three strokes behind the individual leader, Connor Williams of Arizona State. The Utes, not just relying on Johnson's prowess, saw other team members step up. Gabriel Palacios shook the leaderboard with a rise of over 20 places, finishing tied for fourth overall, thanks to his 3-under (68) afternoon round.
Brandon Robison and Sergio Jimenez also had their moments of glory, snagging 1-over and 2-over on the day, respectively. Robison tied Johnson’s first-round team-low of 3-under (68), though he stumbled a bit with a 4-over (75) in round two, while Jimenez's 1-under (70) opening was sclerotic, by comparison, due to a 3-over (74) subsequent round. The team rally resulted in an impressive 6-under (278) and a 3-over (287) in rounds one and two, which catapulted them past Arizona State and BYU to make them one of only two teams breaking par.
The 14 teams participating in the Classic will be watching the Utes closely as they gear up for the final 18 holes on Tuesday, Sept. 16. After the dust settles at Wohali, the Utes are slated to appear next at the Tindall Invitational in Washington just six days later.
