Mandur Qualifies For NCAA Golf Championships; Team Ties For Seventh At Regionals

CLE ELUM, Wash. – The University of Utah Golf team recorded its highest finish at the NCAA Regionals in program history today, placing in a tie for seventh overall with junior Tristan Mandur qualifying for the NCAA Championships as an individual.

Mandur is the third player for the Utes to qualify for the NCAA Championships as an individual since 1990 and the second in the past three seasons. Mandur, who tied for fourth in the Cle Elum Regional, is Utah's highest individual finisher at an NCAA Regional tournament after Dustin Pimm (tied for fifth) and Kyler Dunkle (tied for sixth), also qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2006 and 2019, respectively.

The Utes started the tournament strong by shooting 1-under in the first round, racking up 17 birdies as a team through 18 holes. In the second round, Utah shot 1-over, but rounded out the day inside the top-five heading into the final round of play.

Utah fell in the third round, falling out of the top-five as the Utes were unable to qualify as a team, shooting 15-over through 54 holes (867). Utah's tie for seventh place is a program-best after placing 17th in 1991 and 15th in 1992.

INDIVIDUAL BREAKDOWN
Mandur was consistent from start to finish for the Utes, shooting 6-under for the tournament (Career-low 207) to tie for fourth overall. In the first round, Mandur shot a 68 after securing birdies on four of his last five holes, tying for fourth after 18 holes.

In the second round, Mandur's composure was key as he birdied four holes on the front nine, stumbling on two of the first three on the back nine, then getting two birdies in a row to be in third place after 36 holes. His final round he shot 71 after recording three straight birdies on holes 14-16, then shooting even on nine of his last 10 holes to secure his spot at the NCAA Championships.

All-Pac-12 Newcomer Team selection Javier Barcos placed in a tie for 39th overall in his first NCAA Regional, shooting 7-over (220). His best round came in the first 18 holes when he shot even (71), finishing the tournament with eight birdies overall.

Senior Mitchell Schow tied for 47th overall after shooting 9-over through three rounds (222). After struggling in the first round, Schow came back in the second round to shoot even (71) to climb into the top-50 for a final placing.

Junior Blake Tomlinson also secured a top-55 finish after tying for 51st overall, shooting 10-over (223). Tomlinson was solid in the first round, shooting 2-under while sitting in the top-15. He finished the tournament with eight birdies and an eagle.

Freshman Jesper von Reedtz rounded out Utah's competitors, tying for 58th overall after shooting 13-over (226). His lowest round came in the second, shooting 2-over with four birdies through those 18 holes.

THOUGHTS FROM HEAD COACH GARRETT CLEGG
"I'm extremely excited for Tristan. What an incredible week he has had and an amazing accomplishment to qualify for the NCAA Championships."

"It was a tough day for the team, but you learn a lot from these moments and today will be a hard one for the guys. I am really proud of how the team pushed forward all week long. Overall, it has been a great season, and I am excited for the future of our golf program. Great things are ahead."

UP NEXT
Mandur will compete as an individual at the 2021 NCAA DI Men's Golf Championship, May 28-June 2. The tournament will take place at the Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The NCAA Championships will consist of three days of stroke play (54 holes), after which the top-nine individuals not on an advancing team will be determined. Those nine will then compete on the final day with 18 holes to determine the 72-hole individual champion.

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