In a brutal round one due to windy, gusty conditions, UNLV men’s golf senior Caden Fioroni got into the “flow state” and recorded a stunning round of 5-under par 67 to lead the way at the Southern Highlands Collegiate played at prestigious Southern Highlands Golf Club. He matched the 67 in round two and leads by five shots over Auburn’s Josiah Gilbert with one round left to play on Tuesday, March 4.
As a team, UNLV trails Auburn by three and is in second place.
“I was just having fun out there and focusing on what my mental coach (Dr. Mark Guadagnoli) was telling me to do and just breathe, be aware of my breathing and stay calm,” Fioroni said. “When I get calm, I’m in the flow state. As much as there was wind blowing left and right, I didn’t hear it. I didn’t even feel it. I was just trying to execute the shot. I’m trying to think about my own race right now. It’s nice when everything is going well.”
UNLV Head Coach Jean-Paul Hebert said the round of 67 was really even much better, given the conditions.
“Two great rounds by Caden, 67 67,” Hebert said. “Yesterday’s 67 was like a 63, honestly. And the second round was a really clean round. He is a very, very good player and knows this golf course. He is a senior, and I know he wants to win it badly. I just want him to keep playing good golf and not overthink it. There’s another good round out there for him.”
Full scores for the Southern Highlands Collegiate