Complete Results
TUCSON, Ariz. - Propelled by a team-best 69 (-3) courtesy of junior Garrison Smith through the third and final round, the NM State men's golf team posted a seventh-place finish on the last day of the Arizona Intercollegiate Tuesday at the Tucson Country Club.
NM State's final team score of 859 (-5) through the two-day, 54-hole tournament, equaled or bettered the final team score of two top-40 teams. The Aggies finished tied for seventh-place among the 14-team field with 39th-ranked Duke (859, -5) and finished nine strokes better than 30th-ranked San Francisco (868, +4).
Arizona (829, -35) narrowly beat out New Mexico (830, -34) for the Arizona Intercollegiate team title. Rounding out the top three teams at the event was fifth-ranked Arkansas who carded an 835 (-29) through the three-round tournament.
SECOND ROUND
• Like the opening day, frost on the course delayed the start of day two. After darkness suspended play Monday evening, the 14-team field teed off a little after 9:00 a.m. Tuesday morning.
• With the Aggies' five-man contingent all needing to complete at least five holes to close out the second round, it was Aidan Thomas who finished with the team's best score of the middle frame. Thomas penciled a 71 (-1) on his scorecard at the conclusion of the round, using a trio of birdies to shoot one shot under par.
• Both Smith (73, +1) and Alvaro Morales (76, +4) fired in four birdies through the second round, but each also had one double-bogey, too, to hurt their chances at finishing under par.
• Matthew Jackman (75, +3) and Joseph Robson (74, +2) shot in two birdies each before the second round was in the books.
THIRD ROUND
• After shooting a 293 (+5) collectively in the second round, NM State used some strong starts in the final round to begin shaving strokes off of its score.
• Three of the five Aggies on the links went for par or better on each of their first three holes. That run was highlighted by the field of two eagles in the round by Smith as he needed just two shots to sink it in on hole 15.
• Smith's early eagle was complimented by two birdies as well as an additional eagle on his third to last hole of the round. His 69 (-3) made the Mansfield, Texas, product one of three Aggies who shot at par or below through the last 18 holes. That 69 (-3) made Smith move up 10 spots in the final standings.
• Thomas finished just a single stroke behind Smith in the final round, posting an eagle on his last hole of the invitational to card a 70 (-2) in the round. One of three NM State players who rose up the individual standings in the third round, Smith elevated his final standing by six spots by the time all the scorecards had been turned in.
• A four-birdie round by Jackman allowed the Chorley, England, product to serve as the second-biggest riser of the day among NM State's contingent. Jackman hiked his final standing by seven spots by carding a 72 (E) over the course of the last round.
• Robson went birdie-bogey on the last two holes of the round, narrowly missing out on what would have been his second round at or below par of the tournament. Robson fired a 73 (+1) in the final round.
• For Morales, a triple-bogey on 18 overshadowed a pair of birdies and left him sitting at a 75 (+3) at the end of the round.
COMING UP NEXT
• NM State won't take part in another tournament until the calendar flips to February. The Aggies' next action takes place in the Lone Star State as they head to Laredo, Texas, to participate in the University of Houston-hosted Border Olympics at the Laredo Country Club. that two-day tournament is scheduled to run from Monday-Tuesday, Feb. 14-15.
Arizona Intercollegiate | NM State Final Results
T7. 282-293-284=859 (-5)
Individual
T15. Garrison Smith | 69-73-69=211 (-5)
T24. Aidan Thomas | 72-71-70=213 (-3)
T47. Joseph Robson | 71-74-73=218 (+2)
T57. Alvaro Morales | 70-76-75=221 (+5)
T61. Matthew Jackman | 76-75-72=223 (+7)
++NM State++
