UCLA men’s golf concluded play at the U.S. Collegiate Championship on Sunday, finishing tied for fifth place.
Through one day of play at the tournament, the UCLA men’s golf team found itself in fifth place with a team score of 286, seven shots back of the leading team, Georgia Tech, which paced the field with a collective score of nine-under.
Sophomore Jonathan Garrick and junior Matt Pinizzotto led UCLA with a pair of two-under scores for the day.
UCLA moved up to third place Saturday with another steady effort, posting a team score of 287, and a two-day total of three under 573. The Bruins trailed only the leader and eventual winner Oklahoma State (11-under, 565) and Georgia Tech (10-under, 566) through two rounds of play.
Garrick posted a one-under par for the day to move to three-under for the tournament, good for 10th place. Meanwhile, sophomore Lorens Chan and Pinizzotto were tied at 13th, each posting a two-under headed into the final day of play.
However, Sunday would prove to be a mixed bag for UCLA.
Though the start of play was delayed an hour due to fog, Chan got right to business, birdieing two of the first five holes to move himself to four-under for the tournament. The sophomore climbed to as high as third overall before a double bogey on the 17th hole moved him down to one-under on the day. However, Chan responded with a birdie on the final hole, moving him back to four-under for the tournament, good for a fourth place finish.
In contrast to Chan’s solid outing, Garrick and Pinizzotto struggled at times, as both finished the day over par. Pinizzotto in particular had a rough outing, as the junior double-bogeyed both the 13th and 14th holes, finishing the day seven-over. Still, Pinizzotto and Garrick’s earlier efforts this weekend earned each a top-40 finish, with the former placing 39th and the latter 13th.
Additionally, redshirt junior Manav Shah recovered strongly after Friday’s three-over performance, as he finished even for Sunday’s round, good for 36th. Sophomore Jake Knapp also showed improved play over the weekend, posting lower scores each day, finishing 14-over for the tournament.
UCLA would finish three-over for the day and even for the tournament, good for a fifth-place tie with Texas A&M.; The Bruins’ next play is the Gifford Collegiate in Newport Beach, Calif. beginning Nov. 4.
Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruins Sports senior staff.