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The University of Utah Athletics
Utah Men’s Golf Reaches New Heights in Record-Setting Season
6/2/2025 11:00 AM | Men's Golf
The Utes totaled four team titles while reaching their highest ranking in program history
HISTORIC MARKS
The University of Utah Men's Golf team had a record-setting season that saw four team titles and six individual crowns, each the most in program history under a single season. Before this season, the program had totaled eight team tournament titles in its 34-year history. After Sergio Jimenez (Palouse Collegiate), Davis Johnson (The Tindall), Gabriel Palacios (John Burns, The Goodwin), and Brandon Robison (Arizona Thunderbird) all captured their first collegiate individual titles throughout the season, the entire Utah lineup earned an individual crown after Braxton Watts won the NCAA Bremerton Regional. The Utes finished inside the top three in seven of their 13 tournaments this season.
FALL SLATE
Palouse Collegiate – 1st // Sept. 10-11
It was an action-packed fall schedule for the Utes to begin their season, starting their new campaign with a tournament victory at the Palouse Collegiate. Utah tied the school record for the lowest team score in a single round of play during the first round (266) and later added the third-lowest team score in program history during the second round (267). This led to the Utes breaking the previous 36-hole team score school record, putting together a score of 533 to outshoot the former record by 11 strokes. After another exceptional final round, the Utes shattered the 54-hole school record, totaling a score of 800 to dethrone the 823-team score at the Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational in 2021. Additionally, Jimenez grabbed his first collegiate crown after starting the season off with a 10-under 61 to earn himself the lowest 18-hole individual score in Utah golf history.
The Tindall Invitational – 1st // Sept. 23-24
The momentum continued into the Tindall Invitational just two weeks later as the Utes steamrolled through the field, taking home another first-place title by 14 strokes, the second-largest difference between two teams in the final standings of the tournament. This was the first time in school history that Utah won back-to-back tournaments in a season. On the individual side, all five Utes finished inside the top 30, while three Utes ranked inside the top 5. Johnson secured a share of first place with an 11-under 202 to grab his first career title. It's just the fourth time in school history that multiple Utes have won a regular-season title in the same season.
Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational – 6th // Sept. 30 – Oct. 1
The Utes then jumped the Rocky Mountains for the Mark Simpson Invitational in Erie, Colo., where a cold start plagued Utah early. Through the first round, the Utes ranked in a tie for seventh after shooting 3-under. However, in the second round, every Ute posted a score lower than or the same as the opening round total. To end the tournament on a high note, Utah put together its lowest round by four strokes to finish in sixth while Robison cracked the top 10.
Big 12 Match Play – 7th // Oct. 7-9
With the first season in the Big 12 conference underway, the Utes traveled to Hockley, Texas, for Big 12 Match Play. The No. 3-seeded Utes finished second in Group C after earning a 1-1-1 record. Utah fell in its first matchup of bracket play, losing to No. 2-seeded Oklahoma State in a tiebreaker. The Utes' first-ever Big 12 Match Play concluded with a victory, downing Cincinnati to secure seventh overall on the team leaderboard.
The Preserve Collegiate – 7th // Oct. 28-29
In the final tournament of the fall, Utah competed in The Preserve Collegiate in Carmel-By-The-Sea, Calif. The Utes remained consistent throughout the tournament, posting scores no more than just two strokes apart in each round. The team finished in seventh while Robison recorded another top 10 finish.
SPRING SLATE
John Burns Intercollegiate – 1st // Feb. 13-15
To begin the spring season, the Utes traveled to Hawaii for the John Burns Intercollegiate. The team was steady throughout the tournament, posting a 7-under 273 in each of the first and third rounds while tallying its best score with an 8-under 272 in the second round. With just one hole remaining in the tournament, the Utes trailed by one stroke before Palacios drilled a birdie to thrust the team towards a first-place tie and gave himself his first collegiate individual crown, tying with UNLV's Zach Little. It was the third team title of the season to give the Utes three on the season, the most in a single season at the time.
Desert Mountain Collegiate – 2nd // March 8-9
In the ensuing tournament, the Utes took on the Desert Mountain Collegiate in Scottsdale, Ariz., where they finished in second place after a great third-round showing. After posting a 4-under in the first round, a 6-over second round required a strong third round to climb the leaderboard. The Utes carded their best round of the tournament with an 8-under mark to finish in second place behind Mississippi State. Watts shined in Scottsdale, tying for second place on the individual leaderboard with a 9-under 207.
Arizona Thunderbirds Intercollegiate – 3rd // March 17-18
The Utes stayed in the Grand Canyon State for their next tournament, heading south to Tucson for the Arizona Thunderbirds Intercollegiate. After the first round, Utah shot 2-under to sit in the top third of the field before finishing 8-over across the next 36 holes to conclude the tournament in third. The Utes ranked near the top of the field in many statistical categories, such as collecting the third most birdies (41) and the most eagles (3) while shooting second-best in par 3s (+10) and par 5s (-16). The star of the tournament was junior Robison, who earned his first collegiate individual crown with a 5-under 211, which was spurred by his 5-under second round. Robison was just one of seven golfers to finish under par as all 13 teams shot over par for the tournament.
Schenkel Invitational – 1st // March 22-23
Just three days after the conclusion of the Arizona Thunderbirds Intercollegiate, the team traveled to Statesboro, Ga., for the 45th annual Schenkel Invitational. The Utes arrived on the course with hot swings in their first participation in the tournament, shooting even in round one before totaling an 11-under 277 in each of the final two rounds to win the tournament. The Utes fought off a tough Florida squad, which they were tied with heading into the final round, but a one-stroke difference decided the champion. Three Utes ranked inside the top 10 as Watts led the team with a fifth-place finish.
The Goodwin – 7th // April 11-12
After an exciting victory on the East Coast, the Utes returned to The Goodwin in Stanford, Calif., a mere 2,650 miles from the Schenkel Invitational. In a deep 30-team field that included 13 teams inside the top 40, the Utes jumped out to a 4-under mark in the first round to sit in third. The second round caused some problems as the Utes shot 7-over in the second round and 2-over in the third round to finish 5-over for the tournament and in seventh. While the team couldn't bring home more hardware, Palacios secured yet another individual title. The sophomore shot 2-under in the first round, even in the second round, and posted a 3-under in the third round to tie with four other golfers for first place. The big stretch came with four holes left as Palacios tallied two birdies against zero bogeys to better his score. It was the second individual title of the season for the sophomore after taking the John Burns Intercollegiate. Palacios became the second Ute to win The Goodwin in three years as Watts secured his first collegiate title at the tournament in 2023.
ASU Thunderbird Collegiate – 3rd // April 11-12
Returning to Arizona, the ASU Thunderbird Collegiate included a tough 10-team field which was led by a top 5 team in Arizona State. Every team got out to a first round under par while the Utes remained consistent throughout the tournament, shooting 8-under, 9-under, and 6-under to secure third place. Palacios shined once again for the Utes, posting a 10-under 203 to grab a share of fourth place on the final leaderboard.
Big 12 Championships – 7th // April 22-24
To open the postseason, the Utes took on the Big 12 Championships for the first time in program history. The three-day 72-hole tournament got off to a slow start, shooting 15-over in the first round and 19-over in the second round. After the tough start, the Utes settled in and shot 6-over in the third round before putting together their best performance of the championships with a 3-under fourth round to place seventh for the tournament. The 3-under 277 ranked as the third-best round by any team at any point during the tournament and provided some momentum heading into the NCAA Regionals.
NCAA Bremerton Regional – 6th // May 12-14
The Utes cemented their presence in the NCAA Regionals with another selection, totaling four appearances in the last five seasons. Utah was placed as the No. 3 seed in the regional behind No. 1 Arizona State and No. 2 Florida. The Utes were damaged by a slow start, shooting 3-over in the first round and 5-over in the second round, but only sat two strokes out of NCAA Championships territory heading into the final round. To climb out of the hole, the team needed a strong third round and provided just that. The Utes put together a 7-under 281 as the back nine saw nine birdies to just one bogey to climb up the leaderboard. Despite the comeback, the Utes came up just one stroke shy of the top five advancing teams and were unable to force a playoff. While the team's season ended in the NCAA Regionals, Watts picked up his second career individual crown and first of the season. The senior captain won the regional with back-to-back rounds of 6-under 66 as the final hole of the tournament was tapped in for a birdie to take sole possession of first. The effort allowed Watts to advance to the NCAA Championships as an individual. Watts was unable to make the 54-hole cut at the final tournament in Carlsbad, Calif.
IN THE RANKS
The Utes began the season ranked No. 54 in the country after last season's NCAA Regionals appearance and shot up the rankings following a hot start. By October, the Utes were ranked inside the top 15 for the first time in program history. In the Oct. 23 edition of the NCAA Scoreboard Rankings, Utah reached No. 10 for the first time in the program's history. For the next 22 weeks through the conclusion of the season, the Utes sat inside the top 20 while reaching the top 10 again in February following a tournament victory at the John Burns Intercollegiate. The Utes finished one of four Big 12 programs inside the top 20 with National Champion Oklahoma State, No. 3 Arizona State, and No. 19 BYU. In the individual rankings, Palacios concluded the season as the No. 49 men's college golfer in the country while Jimenez ranked at No. 57.
FOLLOW THE UTES
For an inside look at the Utah Golf program along with tournament, roster, and news updates, fans can follow the Utes on social media (X: @UtesGolf | Instagram: @UtesGolf).
The University of Utah Men's Golf team had a record-setting season that saw four team titles and six individual crowns, each the most in program history under a single season. Before this season, the program had totaled eight team tournament titles in its 34-year history. After Sergio Jimenez (Palouse Collegiate), Davis Johnson (The Tindall), Gabriel Palacios (John Burns, The Goodwin), and Brandon Robison (Arizona Thunderbird) all captured their first collegiate individual titles throughout the season, the entire Utah lineup earned an individual crown after Braxton Watts won the NCAA Bremerton Regional. The Utes finished inside the top three in seven of their 13 tournaments this season.
FALL SLATE
Palouse Collegiate – 1st // Sept. 10-11
It was an action-packed fall schedule for the Utes to begin their season, starting their new campaign with a tournament victory at the Palouse Collegiate. Utah tied the school record for the lowest team score in a single round of play during the first round (266) and later added the third-lowest team score in program history during the second round (267). This led to the Utes breaking the previous 36-hole team score school record, putting together a score of 533 to outshoot the former record by 11 strokes. After another exceptional final round, the Utes shattered the 54-hole school record, totaling a score of 800 to dethrone the 823-team score at the Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational in 2021. Additionally, Jimenez grabbed his first collegiate crown after starting the season off with a 10-under 61 to earn himself the lowest 18-hole individual score in Utah golf history.
The Tindall Invitational – 1st // Sept. 23-24
The momentum continued into the Tindall Invitational just two weeks later as the Utes steamrolled through the field, taking home another first-place title by 14 strokes, the second-largest difference between two teams in the final standings of the tournament. This was the first time in school history that Utah won back-to-back tournaments in a season. On the individual side, all five Utes finished inside the top 30, while three Utes ranked inside the top 5. Johnson secured a share of first place with an 11-under 202 to grab his first career title. It's just the fourth time in school history that multiple Utes have won a regular-season title in the same season.
Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational – 6th // Sept. 30 – Oct. 1
The Utes then jumped the Rocky Mountains for the Mark Simpson Invitational in Erie, Colo., where a cold start plagued Utah early. Through the first round, the Utes ranked in a tie for seventh after shooting 3-under. However, in the second round, every Ute posted a score lower than or the same as the opening round total. To end the tournament on a high note, Utah put together its lowest round by four strokes to finish in sixth while Robison cracked the top 10.
Big 12 Match Play – 7th // Oct. 7-9
With the first season in the Big 12 conference underway, the Utes traveled to Hockley, Texas, for Big 12 Match Play. The No. 3-seeded Utes finished second in Group C after earning a 1-1-1 record. Utah fell in its first matchup of bracket play, losing to No. 2-seeded Oklahoma State in a tiebreaker. The Utes' first-ever Big 12 Match Play concluded with a victory, downing Cincinnati to secure seventh overall on the team leaderboard.
The Preserve Collegiate – 7th // Oct. 28-29
In the final tournament of the fall, Utah competed in The Preserve Collegiate in Carmel-By-The-Sea, Calif. The Utes remained consistent throughout the tournament, posting scores no more than just two strokes apart in each round. The team finished in seventh while Robison recorded another top 10 finish.
SPRING SLATE
John Burns Intercollegiate – 1st // Feb. 13-15
To begin the spring season, the Utes traveled to Hawaii for the John Burns Intercollegiate. The team was steady throughout the tournament, posting a 7-under 273 in each of the first and third rounds while tallying its best score with an 8-under 272 in the second round. With just one hole remaining in the tournament, the Utes trailed by one stroke before Palacios drilled a birdie to thrust the team towards a first-place tie and gave himself his first collegiate individual crown, tying with UNLV's Zach Little. It was the third team title of the season to give the Utes three on the season, the most in a single season at the time.
Desert Mountain Collegiate – 2nd // March 8-9
In the ensuing tournament, the Utes took on the Desert Mountain Collegiate in Scottsdale, Ariz., where they finished in second place after a great third-round showing. After posting a 4-under in the first round, a 6-over second round required a strong third round to climb the leaderboard. The Utes carded their best round of the tournament with an 8-under mark to finish in second place behind Mississippi State. Watts shined in Scottsdale, tying for second place on the individual leaderboard with a 9-under 207.
Arizona Thunderbirds Intercollegiate – 3rd // March 17-18
The Utes stayed in the Grand Canyon State for their next tournament, heading south to Tucson for the Arizona Thunderbirds Intercollegiate. After the first round, Utah shot 2-under to sit in the top third of the field before finishing 8-over across the next 36 holes to conclude the tournament in third. The Utes ranked near the top of the field in many statistical categories, such as collecting the third most birdies (41) and the most eagles (3) while shooting second-best in par 3s (+10) and par 5s (-16). The star of the tournament was junior Robison, who earned his first collegiate individual crown with a 5-under 211, which was spurred by his 5-under second round. Robison was just one of seven golfers to finish under par as all 13 teams shot over par for the tournament.
Schenkel Invitational – 1st // March 22-23
Just three days after the conclusion of the Arizona Thunderbirds Intercollegiate, the team traveled to Statesboro, Ga., for the 45th annual Schenkel Invitational. The Utes arrived on the course with hot swings in their first participation in the tournament, shooting even in round one before totaling an 11-under 277 in each of the final two rounds to win the tournament. The Utes fought off a tough Florida squad, which they were tied with heading into the final round, but a one-stroke difference decided the champion. Three Utes ranked inside the top 10 as Watts led the team with a fifth-place finish.
The Goodwin – 7th // April 11-12
After an exciting victory on the East Coast, the Utes returned to The Goodwin in Stanford, Calif., a mere 2,650 miles from the Schenkel Invitational. In a deep 30-team field that included 13 teams inside the top 40, the Utes jumped out to a 4-under mark in the first round to sit in third. The second round caused some problems as the Utes shot 7-over in the second round and 2-over in the third round to finish 5-over for the tournament and in seventh. While the team couldn't bring home more hardware, Palacios secured yet another individual title. The sophomore shot 2-under in the first round, even in the second round, and posted a 3-under in the third round to tie with four other golfers for first place. The big stretch came with four holes left as Palacios tallied two birdies against zero bogeys to better his score. It was the second individual title of the season for the sophomore after taking the John Burns Intercollegiate. Palacios became the second Ute to win The Goodwin in three years as Watts secured his first collegiate title at the tournament in 2023.
ASU Thunderbird Collegiate – 3rd // April 11-12
Returning to Arizona, the ASU Thunderbird Collegiate included a tough 10-team field which was led by a top 5 team in Arizona State. Every team got out to a first round under par while the Utes remained consistent throughout the tournament, shooting 8-under, 9-under, and 6-under to secure third place. Palacios shined once again for the Utes, posting a 10-under 203 to grab a share of fourth place on the final leaderboard.
Big 12 Championships – 7th // April 22-24
To open the postseason, the Utes took on the Big 12 Championships for the first time in program history. The three-day 72-hole tournament got off to a slow start, shooting 15-over in the first round and 19-over in the second round. After the tough start, the Utes settled in and shot 6-over in the third round before putting together their best performance of the championships with a 3-under fourth round to place seventh for the tournament. The 3-under 277 ranked as the third-best round by any team at any point during the tournament and provided some momentum heading into the NCAA Regionals.
NCAA Bremerton Regional – 6th // May 12-14
The Utes cemented their presence in the NCAA Regionals with another selection, totaling four appearances in the last five seasons. Utah was placed as the No. 3 seed in the regional behind No. 1 Arizona State and No. 2 Florida. The Utes were damaged by a slow start, shooting 3-over in the first round and 5-over in the second round, but only sat two strokes out of NCAA Championships territory heading into the final round. To climb out of the hole, the team needed a strong third round and provided just that. The Utes put together a 7-under 281 as the back nine saw nine birdies to just one bogey to climb up the leaderboard. Despite the comeback, the Utes came up just one stroke shy of the top five advancing teams and were unable to force a playoff. While the team's season ended in the NCAA Regionals, Watts picked up his second career individual crown and first of the season. The senior captain won the regional with back-to-back rounds of 6-under 66 as the final hole of the tournament was tapped in for a birdie to take sole possession of first. The effort allowed Watts to advance to the NCAA Championships as an individual. Watts was unable to make the 54-hole cut at the final tournament in Carlsbad, Calif.
IN THE RANKS
The Utes began the season ranked No. 54 in the country after last season's NCAA Regionals appearance and shot up the rankings following a hot start. By October, the Utes were ranked inside the top 15 for the first time in program history. In the Oct. 23 edition of the NCAA Scoreboard Rankings, Utah reached No. 10 for the first time in the program's history. For the next 22 weeks through the conclusion of the season, the Utes sat inside the top 20 while reaching the top 10 again in February following a tournament victory at the John Burns Intercollegiate. The Utes finished one of four Big 12 programs inside the top 20 with National Champion Oklahoma State, No. 3 Arizona State, and No. 19 BYU. In the individual rankings, Palacios concluded the season as the No. 49 men's college golfer in the country while Jimenez ranked at No. 57.
FOLLOW THE UTES
For an inside look at the Utah Golf program along with tournament, roster, and news updates, fans can follow the Utes on social media (X: @UtesGolf | Instagram: @UtesGolf).
Players Mentioned
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