ST. GEORGE, Utah – Junior Josh Pehrson shot a 2-under 70 in the final round of the Pizza Hut/Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational, helping Utah State's golf team to a third-place finish on Sunday at Sunbrook Golf Course.
 
Pehrson was one of two Aggies to place in the top 10 as he tied for fourth with a career-best-tying 54-hole score of 6-under 210 (66-75-70) on the par-72, 6,781-yard course. It marked the best placing of his career.
 
Sophomore Julio Arronte Sanchez, playing as an individual, recorded the best finish of his career as he placed seventh with a career-best 4-under 212 (70-70-72). John Cook, who was tied for first heading into Sunday's final round, ended tied for 19th at 1-over 217.
 
Utah State led Utah Valley by six strokes heading into the final round, but the Wolverines shot a final-round 16-under 272 to win the tournament by 20 strokes at 22-under (280-290-272=842) over second-place Weber State (292-288-282=862). The Aggies (278-286-299=863) finished a stroke back of the Wildcats at 1-under.
 
Utah Valley's Brady McKinlay took home medalist honors at 9-under 207, including a final-round 7-under 72.
 
Utah State sophomores Esteban Jaramillo (219, +3) and Luis Gerardo Cantu (225, +9) tied for 23rd and tied for 38th, respectively. Junior Javier Vazquez also tied for 38th, and sophomore Nathan Preslar (229, +13), playing as an individual, tied for 46th.
 
NEXT UP
 
The Aggies are back in action on Monday and Tuesday, March 27-28, at the UC San Diego Invitational, at Torrey Pines in San Diego, California.
 
For more information on the Utah State golf program, follow the Aggies on Twitter at @USUMensGolf, on Facebook at USUMensGolf and on Instagram at USUGolf.

Pizza Hut/Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational
Date: Feb. 10-12
Host Course: Sunbrook Golf Course
Par: 72
Yardage: 6,781

TEAM RESULTS
1. Utah Valley – 280-290-272=842 (-22)
2. Weber State – 292-288-282=862 (-2)
3. UTAH STATE – 278-286-299=863 (-1)
4. Gonzaga – 295-287-284=866 (+2)
5. Stephen F. Austin – 289-295-287=871 (+7)

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1. Brady McKinlay, UVU – 68-74-65=207 (-9)
2. Jack Anderson, TSU – 65-74-69=208 (-8)
3. Joseph Glenn, UVU – 72-71-66=209 (-7)
T4. Josh Pehrson, USU – 66-74-70=210 (-6)
T4. Tanner Telford*, UU – 76-67-67=210 (-6)

UTAH STATE INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
T4. Josh Pehrson – 66-74-70=210 (-6)
7. Julio Arronte Sanchez* – 70-70-72=212 (-4)
T19. John Cook – 69-70-78=217 (+1)
T23. Esteban Jaramillo – 72-73-74=219 (+3)
T38. Luis Gerardo Cantu – 77-71-77=225 (+9)
T38. Javier Vazquez – 71-72-82=225 (+9)
T46. Nathan Preslar* – 77-78-74=229 (+13)
 
* = Playing as an individual

-USU-