FRESNO, Calif. - Senior Darien Zhao and freshman Jason Tang led the UC Irvine men's golf team with top-10 finishes at the season-opening Nick Watney Invitational Tuesday at Fort Washington Country Club.
 
Zhao claimed runner-up honors, coming in five strokes behind Connor Reis of Saint Mary's. Zhao, who set a school record with a 62 in yesterday's second round, closed out the tournament with a career-best 13-under 200 (66-62-72).
 
Tang continued a stellar start to his collegiate career with six birdies and an eagle on the par-5, 531-yard 12th for a third-round 64 (-7). He climbed 14 more spots in the standings to tie for sixth at 10-under 203 (74-65-64). Tang's 64 is tied for third in program history.
 
Sophomore Yaoting Zou tied for 59th with a 220 (75-72-73), while classmate Rei Harashima was one stroke back in a tie for 62nd (71-76-74). Junior Joshua Lane rounded out UCI's 5-count-4 lineup in a tie for 80th.
 
As a team, the Anteaters combined for a 54-hole score of 8-under 844 (286-275-283) to finish seventh overall. Saint Mary's claimed both the team and individual titles.
 
UC Irvine will be back in action, Oct. 9-10, when it heads to The Saticoy Club in Somis, California, for the Bill Cullum Invitational.