Upperclassmen lead BYU on first day of Tucker Intercollegiate

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico – Led by junior Joe Parkinson, BYU men’s golf ended the first two rounds in a tie for sixth place at the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate on Friday.

“I’ve been really impressed by the guys,” BYU head coach Bruce Brockbank said. “They stand really though throughout the round. Even when we get behind, we keep fighting. They’ve been mentally tough.”

New Mexico, the host of the tournament, was in first place at the end of the first day at 22-under-par. After a tough first round, the Cougars played well in the second round, finishing the day in a tie for sixth place with Colorado at 15-over-par.

Parkinson, playing in his first tournament of the season, shot 70 in the second round to make a big jump in the rankings. He finished the day tied in 17th place, shooting one-over-par.

“I just made less mistakes and started making more putts and gave myself more chances to help the team,” Parkinson said. “I was finally able to get going.”

Seniors Jordan Rodgers and Cole Ogden both tied for 24th place after the first two rounds, shooting three-over-par.

Junior Tommy Higham finished in a tie for 55th place, shooting eight-over-par. Senior Mike Jurca shot 11-over-par and tied for 74th place. In his second career tournament, freshman Austin Banz shot 14-over-par and ended the day in a tie for 81st place.

The Cougars will finish the third round starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday. Live scoring will be available on the BYU schedule page. 

William H. Tucker Intercollegiate - Sept. 26, 2014