UNLV MEN’S GOLF FINISHES NINTH AT NIT
Rebels shoot final-round 5-over, Kitayama turns in top individual finish in a tie for 22nd in Tucson
The UNLV men’s golf team shot a final-round 5-over-par 293 on Sunday and finished in ninth place at the Don Puckette National Invitational Tournament, which was played at Omni Tucson National Golf Club (par 72, 7,200 yards).
New Mexico fired a 9-under 279 during the final round to win the event by a shot at 20-under 844. TCU finished second at 19-under, while Oklahoma State finished third at 12-under. Arkansas was fourth at 9-under, followed by Texas A&M in fifth at 5-under. UNLV’s 54-hole total was 5-over 869.
TCU’s Julien Brun shot 3-over 75 during the final round, but hung on to win the individual title at 8-under 208. Texas A&M’s Ben Crancer finished second, one shot back, at 7-under.
UNLV sophomore Kurt Kitayama shot 2-under 70 on Sunday to lead the Rebels with a tie for 22nd at even-par 216. Senior Kevin Penner finished 28th at 1-over 217 after a final-round 2-over 74. Sophomore Carl Jonson tied for 35th at 3-over, freshman AJ McInerney tied for 39th at 4-over, and junior Blake Biddle tied for 58th at 9-over.
The tournament featured 16 teams and 92 individuals. UNLV will be back in action April 5-7, at the ASU Thunderbird Invitational in Tempe, Ariz.