Perez’s 72 Paces Lobo Men’s Golf Team in Vegas

SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS SCOREBOARD

Teams:
1. UNLV (+16)
2.Stanford (+18)
T3. UCLA, Alabama (+22)
T12. New Mexico (+41)

Individuals:
1. Patrick Rogers, Stanford (-1)
2. Jonathan Garrick (+1)

UNM scores:
T8 Victor Perez (+4)
T16. Gavin Green (E)
T63 Sam Saunders (+16)
T66 Andrej Bevins (+17)
T70 Sean Romero (+18)

 In Las Vegas, Nev., a day after junior Gavin Green kept the University of New Mexico men’s golf team afloat, junior Victor Perez did the same thing.

Perez shot an even-par 72 to climb into a tie for eighth place after the second round of the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters on Saturday.

Thanks to Perez, the 19^th-ranked Lobos improved upon their first-round score by three strokes, shooting a 19-over 307 on Saturday in the event that features 15 Top-50 teams competing. Because of the quality of competition, however, UNM dropped three spots and finished tied for 12^th place with No. 2 Georgia Tech at 41-over 617.

Host and 37^th-ranked UNLV retained its lead, shooting a 15-over 303 on Saturday for a two-round total of 16-over-par 592. The Rebels lead ninth-ranked Stanford (297-297=594) by two strokes heading into Sunday’s final round.

No. 1 and defending national champion Alabama is tied for third with No. 20 UCLA at 22-over 598, and third-ranked Oklahoma State is fifth at 25-over 601.

The Lobos are just two strokes out of ninth place, shared by No. 17 Texas and No. 30 Arizona State.

Perez is 4 over after 36 holes and moved ahead of his Lobo teammate Gavin Green, who followed his opening-round 72 with a 5-over 77 on Saturday. Green is tied for 16^th at 5-over 149.

Stanford’s Patrick Rogers is the lone golfer in the 81-player field under par after 36 holes. The nation’s 12^th-ranked individual golfer sits at 1-under 143 after posting the low score of 3-under 69 in the second round. He leads UCLA’s Jonathan Garrick (71-74=145) by two strokes.

UNM juniors Sam Saunders, Sean Romero and true freshman Andrej Bevins each improved from their first-round score. Saunders and Romero both shot 7-over 79s Saturday. Saunders is tied for 63^rd at 16-over 160. Romero is tied for 70^th at 18-over 164.

Bevins shot an 8-over 80 on Saturday and is tied for 66^th at 17-over 163.

Live scoring for Sunday’s final round is available at Golfstat.com.