Ute Golfers Return to Arizona for Desert Mountain Intercollegiate

Saturday, March 3

Scottsdale, AZ

All Day

University of Utah

Desert Mountain Intercollegiate

Ute Golfers Return to Arizona for Desert Mountain Intercollegiate

3/1/2018 11:18 AM | Men's Golf

UTAH MEN'S GOLF at the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate
DATE: Saturday and Sunday, March 3-4, 2018
LOCATION: Desert Mountain's Outlaw Course | Scottsdale, Ariz.
PAR/YARDAGE: Par 72 / 7,107 yards
LIVE SCORING: GolfStat.com
WEEKLY NOTES: Utah Men's Golf Notes

THIS WEEK
The Utah men's golf team heads back to the state of Arizona to compete in the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate this Saturday and Sunday, March 3-4. The two-day, 54-hole event will take place at Desert Mountain's Outlaw Course in Scottsdale, Ariz.

THE FIELD
Utah will compete in a field of 12 teams this weekend at the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate. Along with the Utes and tournament host, Michigan, the field includes Fresno State, Kansas, Lipscomb, Miami (Ohio), Nebraska, Oregon State, Purdue, Saint Mary's, San Diego, and Washington State.

THE COURSE
Desert Mountain's sixth and final course, the Outlaw Course, is on a spectacular desert landscape with many subtle terrain features such as rolling hills and natural washes. The par 72, 7,107-yard course has a traditional Scottish links design and sits on a 176-acre site neighboring the Tonto National Forest. Being one of Jack Nicklaus' signature golf courses, Desert Mountain sets the standard for championship desert golf like no other.

UTAH'S LINE-UP
Utah's line-up this week will consist of: Junior Kyler Dunkle, freshman Blake Tomlinson, sophomore Jordan Costello, junior Nathan Wunderli, and freshman Tristan Mandur.

TOURNAMENT DETAILS
Participants will start the first round of play on Saturday, March 3, with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. MST. Following the first 18-holes, golfers will begin the second round of action following the completion of the first round.

The final 18-holes of the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate will begin with tee times off holes No.1 & 11 beginning at 8:30 a.m. MST on Sunday, March 4. Final round pairings and tee times will be based on the team standings following the second round of play.

LIVE SCORING
Live scoring for this week's Desert Mountain Intercollegiate can be found at www.GolfStat.com or by clicking the "Live Stats" link on the Utah Golf schedule page at www.UtahUtes.com.

LAST TIME OUT
The Utes saw action at the National Invitational Tournament this past Sunday and Monday, Feb. 25-26. Utah struggled to get things going on the first day of action, but would record a season-low round of 276 in the final 18-holes to climb the standings on the final day. Utah finished in a tie for ninth place with a combined score of 8-under par (291-289-276=856) at the OMNI Tucson National in Tucson, Ariz.

Freshman Blake Tomlinson and Kyler Dunkle led the Utes in Tucson after both golfers finished in a tie for 19^th place. Tomlinson carded 6-under par (66) in the final round, matching his career-low round, to finish the event at 5-under par (76-69-66=211). Dunkle continued his consistent play throughout the two-day event, notching all three rounds under par and finishing with a score of 5-under par (71-69-71=211).

GOING LOW
•Freshman Blake Tomlinson notched 66 in the third round of the NIT, which matched his career-low round that he previously recorded back in September during the second round at the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational. Tomlinson's round of 66 ranks second among the Utes this year, solely behind teammate Kyler Dunkle's round of 64 during the Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational.
•Freshman Tristan Mandur also recorded a career-low round at the NIT, registering a third-round score of 69. The round of 69 marked the freshman's first round in the 60's.
•Sophomore Jordan Costello registered a season/career-low round of 67 during the second round of the John A. Burns Intercollegiate two weeks ago. The round of 67 marked the sophomore's first round in the 60's on the season and the first since he notched a round of 68 during the PING Cougar Classic in April of 2017 during his freshman campaign.

AROUND THE GREEN
Junior Kyler Dunkle's season/career-low score of 64, which he recorded in the final round of the Mark Simpson Invitational, ranks tied for 28th in the nation for low round on the season. Dunkle also ranks 33rd in the nation with a 3.97 average on par-4's this season and ranks tied for 67^th in the nation with a -0.87 versus par score.

QUOTABLE
"We have a short turn around which should help us stay sharp," said Utah head coach Garrett Clegg. "The boys had a great final round on Monday and we hope to continue that type of play this weekend in Scottsdale. Three of our players played in this tournament last year and have a good feel for the golf course. As long as we keep the ball out of the desert, we will have a great chance this week."

UP NEXT
The Utes will travel to the Northwest to take part in the Bandon Dunes Championship next Sunday through Tuesday, March 11-13. Hosted by Gonzaga, the three-day tournament will take place in Bandon, Ore.