Completed Event: Men's Golf at John A. Burns Intercollegiate on February 12, 2026 , , 13th of 19
M Golf
at John A. Burns Intercollegiate
13th of 19
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Zorzetto rallies to GCU Invitational lead
3/12/2024 6:31:00 PM | Men's Golf, Paul Coro
Lopes hold 11-stroke edge over Cal State Fullerton entering final round
When Grand Canyon golfer Tommaso Zorzetto began the GCU Invitational with consecutive bogeys Tuesday, the senior did not recognize how he was playing and could not imagine where he would finish.
Zorzetto, a starkly different golfer than two years ago, also made an in-tournament turnaround in his game Tuesday after the opening bogeys to wind up as the 93-player field's leader entering Wednesday's final round at GCU Golf Course.
Zorzetto finished the two-round Tuesday at 12 under par, giving the Italian a three-stroke lead in the medalist race and helping GCU shoot a tournament-leading 22 under par. The Lopes hold an 11-shot edge on second-place Cal State Fullerton in the 16-team field.
As a junior, Zorzetto's only under-par tournament in the regular season came at the GCU Invitational, where he finished 10th at 3 under. With his mother, Antonella, visiting from their hometown of Padova, Italy, for the first time, Zorzetto scorched the course after his auspicious start.
"I started really weird," Zorzetto said. "It felt like I was in offseason still. It was like, 'Wait, I'm actually in a tournament. Let's figure this out. Wake up, brother.' "
Zorzetto came alive with birdies on two of his next three holes. He moved below par by the first-round turn and stayed under par through an 18th-hole eagle. The momentum carried to the second round, when he did not have a bogey for his second 6-under round.
"Coming from sophomore year and not even playing in my home tournament because I wasn't performing as well as I should have to now being in this position and improving so much is so important to me," Zorzetto said. "The job's not done, but today was a good day."
GCU holds the lead with a big boost from senior Craig Passmore, the Englishman who stepped into the lineup with junior Sam Murphy out injured.
Passmore is tied for fifth place, also shaking off five bogeys on his front nine in the first round. He climbed back to 1 under by the end of the first round and followed with a 5-under 66 in the second round, when he birdied three consecutive holes (Nos. 12-14).
GCU freshman Gavin O'Neill bounced back from having his first round not count toward the team score to carding a 2-under 69 in the second round. He is tied for 32nd place, but the biggest comeback might have come from senior Nicky Kling in a tie for 39th.
Kling suffered a quadruple-bogey on the par-3 eighth hole of the second round but showed tremendous resolve for five birdies on the back nine.
"I'm really happy for the guys," said GCU head coach Mark Mueller, who has paired with assistant coach Mike Schaloum to guide the Lopes to a program-best No. 63 national ranking. "They really bounced back after a rough start. Nicky helped us as a team bigtime. Tommaso had an unbelievable day.
"It's been really fun to watch Tommaso. He's a really fierce competitor, and he's matched that with his work ethic."
Zorzetto followed the two opening bogeys with a 40-foot birdie on No. 3 and came inches short of making a second eagle on the 18th hole Tuesday.
"On this course, you have to play solid and know where you want to miss," Zorzetto said. "You put one foot in front of the other and wait for the right holes to birdie and don't rush into it. I trusted the process, and the second round was a continuation of the confidence I built."
The GCU Invitational will wrap up Wednesday with an 8 a.m. shotgun start at GCU Golf Course.
Zorzetto, a starkly different golfer than two years ago, also made an in-tournament turnaround in his game Tuesday after the opening bogeys to wind up as the 93-player field's leader entering Wednesday's final round at GCU Golf Course.
Zorzetto finished the two-round Tuesday at 12 under par, giving the Italian a three-stroke lead in the medalist race and helping GCU shoot a tournament-leading 22 under par. The Lopes hold an 11-shot edge on second-place Cal State Fullerton in the 16-team field.
As a junior, Zorzetto's only under-par tournament in the regular season came at the GCU Invitational, where he finished 10th at 3 under. With his mother, Antonella, visiting from their hometown of Padova, Italy, for the first time, Zorzetto scorched the course after his auspicious start.
"I started really weird," Zorzetto said. "It felt like I was in offseason still. It was like, 'Wait, I'm actually in a tournament. Let's figure this out. Wake up, brother.' "
Zorzetto came alive with birdies on two of his next three holes. He moved below par by the first-round turn and stayed under par through an 18th-hole eagle. The momentum carried to the second round, when he did not have a bogey for his second 6-under round.
"Coming from sophomore year and not even playing in my home tournament because I wasn't performing as well as I should have to now being in this position and improving so much is so important to me," Zorzetto said. "The job's not done, but today was a good day."
GCU holds the lead with a big boost from senior Craig Passmore, the Englishman who stepped into the lineup with junior Sam Murphy out injured.
Passmore is tied for fifth place, also shaking off five bogeys on his front nine in the first round. He climbed back to 1 under by the end of the first round and followed with a 5-under 66 in the second round, when he birdied three consecutive holes (Nos. 12-14).
GCU freshman Gavin O'Neill bounced back from having his first round not count toward the team score to carding a 2-under 69 in the second round. He is tied for 32nd place, but the biggest comeback might have come from senior Nicky Kling in a tie for 39th.
Kling suffered a quadruple-bogey on the par-3 eighth hole of the second round but showed tremendous resolve for five birdies on the back nine.
"I'm really happy for the guys," said GCU head coach Mark Mueller, who has paired with assistant coach Mike Schaloum to guide the Lopes to a program-best No. 63 national ranking. "They really bounced back after a rough start. Nicky helped us as a team bigtime. Tommaso had an unbelievable day.
"It's been really fun to watch Tommaso. He's a really fierce competitor, and he's matched that with his work ethic."
Zorzetto followed the two opening bogeys with a 40-foot birdie on No. 3 and came inches short of making a second eagle on the 18th hole Tuesday.
"On this course, you have to play solid and know where you want to miss," Zorzetto said. "You put one foot in front of the other and wait for the right holes to birdie and don't rush into it. I trusted the process, and the second round was a continuation of the confidence I built."
The GCU Invitational will wrap up Wednesday with an 8 a.m. shotgun start at GCU Golf Course.
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