TUCSON, Ariz. – University of Arizona senior men's golfer Kolton Lapa competed in the Northern Trust Open Collegiate Showcase (NTO) at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades in California on Monday. Lapa was one of 14 current collegiate golfers the opportunity to compete for a spot in the 2016 Northern Trust Open field.
Lapa posted a 72 (+1) to tie him at fourth place only four strokes behind the winner.
“Today was an amazing opportunity,” Lapa commented. “Overall, the goal was to win and make my first start in the PGA Tour. Unfortunately I did not do that but looking back on the day it was truly amazing. Riviera is one of the best golf courses that I have ever played and putting myself in contention was a true honor all day. Ricky Barnes is a great player and an even better person. He was very personable and overall made the experience one that I will never forget. The wheels are now up and I am excited to join my team in Hawaii. This trip was a dream come true.”
Competing alongside Lapa was Arizona alumni and current PGA Tour golfer Ricky Barnes and amatures Jeremy DeFalco and Tim Garigan.
“This is one of the most fun Monday events on the course that we can play in,” commented Barnes. “Watching a college kid play for a spot in a PGA tour event is such an awesome feeling. I was rooting for him so hard, but hid it along the way. It just makes me feel like I am right there with him as a teammate, with everyone in your group being from the same college. I hope to play in many more of these and that our Arizona Wildcats become a team to be looking at in the years ahead.”
The team carded a 63 to give them a share of second place three strokes behind the tournament champion Texas.
“Today is one of the most fun days of the year,” said head men's golf coach Jim Anderson. “Pairing a member of our team with a former player alongside longtime supporters of Wildcat Golf is what it is all about. To add to it, we get to play Riviera Country Club on a perfect day. Ricky is a pro in every sense and watching him teaches us things about our team member's games. It was great to spend time hearing about his memories from college. Tim and Jeremy played well and we couldn't ask for better support from great Wildcats like them. Kolton had a solid day and I was so proud of his demeanor and composure on the course. He certainly played well and I think this opportunity opened his mind to realizing he is a very capable competitive golfer. He teed it up on a PGA Tour golf course, without a practice round and posted a very respectable score. Now we will use this confidence to have another great outing in Hawaii.”
For more information and updates about the University of Arizona Men's Golf Team, follow @UAWildcatsGolf on Twitter, @uawildcatsgolf on Instagram and like us on Facebook at facebook.com/ArizonaWildcatsGolf.
