The final tournament of the 2024 season for Utah Men’s Golf was played across Oct. 28-29. A seventh-overall finish at The Preserve Golf Club wasn’t what head coach Garrett Clegg and company had hoped for going into the week, but a few solid performances limited the damage.
When asked about the team’s performance, Clegg said, “It wasn’t the tournament we wanted to have and would have loved to have finished the season a little bit better, but we had a great fall overall. I’m really proud of the fall that we’ve had, and we’re looking forward to taking a little bit of a break and then getting back to work and getting prepared for the spring.”
Brandon Robinson led the way for the Utes. The Junior from Centerville, Utah, ended the tournament tied for 10th, shooting 213 across his three rounds. Robinson consistently shot 1-under-par, giving him scores of 71 in each of his rounds.
Sergio Jimenez was next up in the standings for the Utes. Jimenez, like Robinson, remained consistent throughout his three rounds. Recording scores of 73 gave him an overall total of 219, finishing tied for 28th in the field.
Gabriel Palacios placed just behind Jimenez with a score of 220. Jumping three spots on his final day allowed him to complete the week tied for 31st overall. Finishing middle of the pack has been unfamiliar territory for Palacios this year. The sophomore from Guatemala has been atop the leaderboards in most tournaments this season, and his usual success is something the Utes missed out on in California.
Braxton Watts and Davis Johnson rounded out the tournament for the Utes shooting 228 and 229 respectively.
Utah’s individual competitor Peter Jung had a solid tournament, finishing eight over par. Unfortunately, the Utes weren’t able to use Jung’s score as an individual, but it shows positive signs of depth within the program.
Looking forward, the Utes will have a long break before starting tournament play back up on Feb. 13-15 at the John Burns Intercollegiate in Lihue, Hawaii.
