Men’s Golf Finishes Second at Rice Intercollegiate

HOUSTON – The University of Houston Men's Golf program opened its spring season with a second-place finish Monday at the Rice Intercollegiate at Westwood Country Club.
 
The Cougars fired back-to-back sub-par rounds at 282-287 for a 36-hole total of 569 to finish six strokes behind Baylor on the 7,184-yard, par-72 course. Sam Houston State (582), Lamar (588), host Rice (606) and Houston Baptist (607) rounded out the field.
 
Individually, sophomore Austyn Reily posted back-to-back sub-par rounds to tie for third at 3-under-141. The Pottsboro, Texas, native opened the tournament with a 70 and recorded a 71 in the afternoon round.
 
Starting his day off No. 4, Reily opened the tournament with two birdies on his first three holes and overcame his first bogey of round at No. 13 with a birdie on No. 15 and his final one of the First Round on the par-5 18^th hole.
 
In the afternoon session, he overcame a triple-bogey 7 on No. 7 with consecutive birdies on Nos. 8-9. Despite his final bogey of the day on No. 13, Reily added three birdies in the final six holes for a career-best finish.
 
Making his Houston debut, sophomore Trip Morris fired a 69 in the Final Round to tie for fifth at 2-under 142. Starting off No. 18, the Studio City, Calif., native drained four birdies in his first six holes and overcame a bogey on No. 7 with his final birdie of the round on No. 10.
 
Senior Alexander Frances posted the team's low round of the day with a 69 in the morning session and finished eighth at 1-under 143.  Beginning off No. 1, the Stege, Denmark native made birdie on the 537-yard, par-5 first h ole and made three birdies in a four-hole stretch at Nos. 5-8. He added his final birdie of the day on No. 13.
 
Senior Andrew Gibson tied for ninth at 145, while seniors Matt Cole and Logan Young tied for 13^th at 147. Junior Braxton Watkins and senior Laurence Crea each tied for 16^th at 148 with Watkins tying Frances for low score of the day with a 69 in the Second Round, while senior Luke Long tied for 26^th at 152.
 
Baylor teammates Johnny Keefer and Colin Kober tied for medalist honors at 5-under 139. Reily tied with Baylor's Grider for third at 141, while Morris tied with William Holcomb (Sam Houston State) and Dino Capazario (Lamar) for fifth at 142.
 
UP NEXT
Following the Rice Intercollegiate, the Cougars will play host to their own All-American Intercollegiate on Feb. 14-16 at Golf Club of Houston.
 
Houston will compete against an impressive field, featuring Baylor, Georgia State, Lamar, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, New Mexico, New Mexico State, North Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Rice, Sam Houston State, Texas, Texas A&M, ULM, UT Arlington and UTSA.
 
From there, the Cougars will continue their hosting duties, this time at the Border Olympics at Laredo Country Club in Laredo, Texas, on Feb. 22-23. There, Houston will face Abilene Christian, Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Houston Baptist, Illinois State, Kent State, Little Rock, Louisiana, Michigan, New Mexico State, Rice, Sam Houston State, Texas, ULM and UTSA.
 
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