Upcoming Event: Men's Golf at William H. Tucker Intercollegiate on September 19, 2025
M Golf
at William H. Tucker Intercollegiate
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: Jack Gilday
Strong 1st-day ending pushes GCU to 3rd vs. top field
4/11/2025 5:29:00 PM | Men's Golf
Lopes stand at 20 under through 2 rounds of ASU Thunderbird Collegiate
Grand Canyon surged up a loaded leaderboard Friday to reach a tie for third place after the first day of the ASU Thunderbird Collegiate in Phoenix.Â
Three of five lineup Lopes carded birdies on the last of the day's 36 holes to put GCU at 18 under par, just three strokes behind second-place Houston and 13 strokes behind leader and host Arizona State at Papago Golf Club.
Entering Saturday's final round, GCU is ahead of four top-50 teams in the tournament and field with another, Colorado, with graduate Tommaso Zorzetto leading the way for the Lopes.
Zorzetto played a bogey-less second round to finish the two-round day at 6 under par, which tied him for eighth place. The Italian shot 5 under in the second round, when GCU was 10 under as a team.
Lopes freshman Matthew Diehl and sophomore Gavin O'Neill played the best first rounds for GCU with Diehl sinking birdies on four of his first six holes Friday. Starting his first round on No. 19, Diehl ended the round with a ninth-hole birdie for a 6-under round that tied for the third-best first round. O'Neill is tied for 13th at 5 under with the help of a par-5 eagle on his first round's final hole. Diehl is tied for 22nd at 3 under.
The Lopes played Papago's par-5 holes at 16 under, the second-best score in the field to ASU's 17 under. O'Neill was responsible for 5 under of that par-5 team total.
GCU senior Kiko Coelho rebounded from a 4-over first round to shoot 4 under in the second round, when he played his final nine holes at 3 under to reach even for the day.
Lopes freshman Nixon Laurtizen also helped the team score in the second round, shooting 2 under. He was 4 over after the first three holes of his second round but was 6 under for the rest of the round with a 3-under final nine (on the course's front nine).
Coelho, Diehl and Zorzetto each birdied GCU's 36th hole Thursday to push the Lopes into third place.
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Three of five lineup Lopes carded birdies on the last of the day's 36 holes to put GCU at 18 under par, just three strokes behind second-place Houston and 13 strokes behind leader and host Arizona State at Papago Golf Club.
Entering Saturday's final round, GCU is ahead of four top-50 teams in the tournament and field with another, Colorado, with graduate Tommaso Zorzetto leading the way for the Lopes.
Zorzetto played a bogey-less second round to finish the two-round day at 6 under par, which tied him for eighth place. The Italian shot 5 under in the second round, when GCU was 10 under as a team.
Lopes freshman Matthew Diehl and sophomore Gavin O'Neill played the best first rounds for GCU with Diehl sinking birdies on four of his first six holes Friday. Starting his first round on No. 19, Diehl ended the round with a ninth-hole birdie for a 6-under round that tied for the third-best first round. O'Neill is tied for 13th at 5 under with the help of a par-5 eagle on his first round's final hole. Diehl is tied for 22nd at 3 under.
The Lopes played Papago's par-5 holes at 16 under, the second-best score in the field to ASU's 17 under. O'Neill was responsible for 5 under of that par-5 team total.
GCU senior Kiko Coelho rebounded from a 4-over first round to shoot 4 under in the second round, when he played his final nine holes at 3 under to reach even for the day.
Lopes freshman Nixon Laurtizen also helped the team score in the second round, shooting 2 under. He was 4 over after the first three holes of his second round but was 6 under for the rest of the round with a 3-under final nine (on the course's front nine).
Coelho, Diehl and Zorzetto each birdied GCU's 36th hole Thursday to push the Lopes into third place.
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