Utah men’s golf, led by Sergio Jimenez and Gabriel Palacios, took the crown at the Palouse Collegiate tournament in Pullman, Washington. 

A team score of 52-under catapulted the Utes to a runaway tournament win, securing a relatively stress-free title.

“The boys were incredible. All week was an amazing performance from everybody, one through five in the lineup,” head coach Garrett Clegg  said. “It’s just a great way to start the year. It’s been a few years since we’ve won so to come out and start the season with a big time win just really sets the tone for what we want to accomplish. It’s a great way to get going.” 

There was no shortage of broken records this week in Pullman. Utah accomplished three separate milestones including individual and group efforts. Tying the school record for lowest team score in a single round on day one, 266, got the Utes off to a hot start. Rolling the momentum over to day two allowed the Utes to shatter the previous record of 544 across two days with their score of 533. 

Jimenez was undoubtedly the headline of the week for the Utes, securing his first collegiate individual title while breaking the school’s record for the best 54-hole score. A round of 61 on his first 18 got the wheels rolling that didn’t slow down until the end. 

Palacios was another key to victory for the Utes, finishing the tournament shooting 15 shots under par. If not for Jimenez and his record-breaking week, Palacios would be the owner of the program’s lowest three-day stretch in history. The two combined their efforts as the number one and two individuals overall to make a statement as the Utes began the season.

The festivities don’t end there. Brandon Robison and Davis Johnson each finished top 21 in the 90-man field. Shooting 6 and 8 under par respectively strengthened the overall lineup for Utah. Braxton Watts finished the tournament with an overall score of 3-under-par, placing him 32nd overall. Five of the top 32 golfers is always something to strive for, and Utah took advantage of this feat. Peter Jung was taking swings as an individual in this tournament. He bounced back nicely in his final round, claiming the 72nd overall spot. 

Overall, a rock solid team performance from the Utes became a historic start to the season. Moving forward, the Utes take a week off before returning to Washington for the Tindall Invitational. The tournament will be played in Sammamish from Sept. 23-24 at the Aldarra Golf Club. 

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