University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Monday, February 11
St. George, Utah
University of Northern Colorado
at
Pizza Hut Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational Day 1
@UNC_MensGolf leads after first day of spring competition
2/11/2019 6:55:00 PM | Men's Golf
UNC men's golf leads after the first day of competition at the Pizza Hut Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational
St. George, Utah – Northern Colorado men's golf began its spring season with a strong opening round at the Pizza Hut Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational. Through 18 holes, UNC leads the tournament by two-strokes over Middle Tennessee State by shooting a 282.
The duo of Joshua Matz and Coby Welch led the charge for the Bears by shooting a 68 and 70, respectively. The 4-under 68 by Matz put him atop the individual leaderboard, one stroke ahead of Cooper Sears of Middle Tennessee State. Welch is in a five-way tie for third place with the 2-under 70.
It was not just Matz and Welch who helped UNC get out to the strong start, but senior Li Chen and freshman Jack Castiglia each shot an even-par 72 to be tied for 14th.
Both Marcus Tait and Nick Sharp are playing in the field as well. Tait shot an opening round 77 and Sharp finished with an 80.
Prenzlow's perspective
"The guys played with great enthusiasm and desire to compete today. Joshua (Matz) and Coby (Welch) were excellent all day and other than a few errant shots would have both shot in the mid-sixties. We made a ton of critical putts and hit a lot of quality golf shots. This team has all the ingredients to be exceptional. We just need to keep the desire to keep getting better."
What's ahead
The Bears will look to secure their first tournament win since last season's Big Sky Championship during the second and final round Tuesday. The final round starts at 10 am.
To stay up to date on all things UNC men's golf, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Twitter at @UNC_MensGolf.
The duo of Joshua Matz and Coby Welch led the charge for the Bears by shooting a 68 and 70, respectively. The 4-under 68 by Matz put him atop the individual leaderboard, one stroke ahead of Cooper Sears of Middle Tennessee State. Welch is in a five-way tie for third place with the 2-under 70.
It was not just Matz and Welch who helped UNC get out to the strong start, but senior Li Chen and freshman Jack Castiglia each shot an even-par 72 to be tied for 14th.
Both Marcus Tait and Nick Sharp are playing in the field as well. Tait shot an opening round 77 and Sharp finished with an 80.
| Name (Place) | Round 1 | Total |
| Northern Colorado (1st) | 282 | 282 |
| Joshua Matz (1st) | 68 | 68 |
| Coby Welch (T3rd) | 70 | 70 |
| Li Chen (T14th) | 72 | 72 |
| Jack Castiglia (T14th) | 72 | 72 |
| Marcus Tait (T35th) | 77 | 77 |
| Nick Sharp (T50th) | 80 | 80 |
Prenzlow's perspective
"The guys played with great enthusiasm and desire to compete today. Joshua (Matz) and Coby (Welch) were excellent all day and other than a few errant shots would have both shot in the mid-sixties. We made a ton of critical putts and hit a lot of quality golf shots. This team has all the ingredients to be exceptional. We just need to keep the desire to keep getting better."
What's ahead
The Bears will look to secure their first tournament win since last season's Big Sky Championship during the second and final round Tuesday. The final round starts at 10 am.
To stay up to date on all things UNC men's golf, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Twitter at @UNC_MensGolf.
Players Mentioned
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