USAFA, Colo. -- Senior Ryan Han drained six birdies on the front nine en route to a 3-under-par 69 to lead UC Davis on the first day of the 50th Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational men's collegiate golf tournament at the Eisenhower Golf Club Friday. As a team, UC Davis ranks fourth among the 16-team field, finishing the opening round with a 2-under total of 286.
Han wrapped up his first day of the 2018-19 season in a four-way tie for third place on the individual leaderboard. Aggie sophomore Thomas Hutchison followed closely behind with a 1-under 71 on the day, with birdies on the fifth, sixth, seventh and 11th bringing his score to as low as 4-under by the late morning. He sits in a sizable tie for 10th.
Freshman Daniel Kim made his collegiate debut with an even-par 72 while senior Jesse Bratz carded a 2-over 74 to round out the scoring for the Aggies. UC Davis is only two strokes off the leader, New Mexico State, and one behind Weber State and Colorado.
Individually, New Mexico State's Tadhg Campbell and Mike McGilton hold the top two places in the medalist race.
The Falcon Invitational, held on the par-72, 7511-yard Blue Course, continues through Sunday. The Aggie fivesome of Shane Muldowney, Bratz, Kim, Hutchison and Han will tee off beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday.
50TH GENE MIRANDA FALCON INVITATIONAL
Eisenhower Golf Course (USAFA, Colo.)
TEAM SCORES (through 18 holes)
1. New Mexico State, 284
t2. Weber State, 285
t2. Colorado, 285
4. UC Davis, 286
5. Wyoming, 287
6. Air Force, 288
t7. Abilene Christian, 289
t7. Utah State, 289
t9. Northern Colorado, 292
t9. Texas State, 292
11. Utah Valley, 294
12. Missouri State, 296
13. SIU Edwardsville, 298
14. Southern Utah, 299
15. Northern Iowa, 301
16. Drake, 303
INDIVIDUALS (through 18 holes)
Leader plus UC Davis competitors
1. Tadhg Campbell, NMSU, 67
t3. Ryan Han, 69
t10. Thomas Hutchison, 71
t21. Daniel Kim, 72
t47. Jesse Bratz, 74
91. Shane Muldowney, 83
ABOUT UC DAVIS: Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 6-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.
AGGIE EVO: Established in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.
