Everything is bigger in Texas, including the difficulty on the links.

UCLA men’s golf tied for eighth at the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational across Monday and Tuesday, placing in the middle of the pack in a stacked 16-team tournament at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth. The Bruins shot a 22-over 862 in a tournament that saw the majority of teams struggle in the Texas heat.

Across the entire field, only two teams were under par in the second round of Monday’s affair. On Tuesday, not a single team shot under par.

For UCLA, a 1-under 279 on the first 18 holes quickly evaporated, as a 14-over 294 and 9-over 289 proved the difficulty of the course in the sweltering environment.

“It was hot all day, for 36 holes,” said junior Baylor Larrabee. “That was a lot of the hard part about the second round, same with the difficulty of the pins.”

The Colonial Country Club, which has hosted PGA Tour events in the past, challenged the entire field of competitors. The blazing weather, which peaked at 95 degrees Monday, did no favors.

However, the Bruins pushed forward with confidence.

“The team did a pretty good job of keeping each other motivated out there and supporting each other,” said sophomore Josh Kim. “We had a solid third day.”

Challenging weather and stiff competition is no surprise in golf. Nonetheless, for veterans like Larrabee, results such as these leave much to be desired, and it is critical for the team to react appropriately and with character.

“I had a pretty tough break where I hit a ball just off the fairway, and I lost it and got a two-shot penalty,” Larrabee said. “It is just about trying to be a leader and showing the other guys it happens to everyone.”

Larrabee led the Bruins across the three rounds, heading into the clubhouse tied for 14th with a 2-over 212. Kim followed suit, tying for 20th after shooting 4-over 214. Fellow sophomore Tyler Loree came in a tie for 32nd with his 7-over 217, and senior Alex Papayoanou and freshman Matthew Hull rounded out the Bruins’ lineup in ties for 57th and 64th, respectively.

Coach Armen Kirakossian praised Hull for his quick adjustments to the collegiate level after just his second start for UCLA.

“He is handling it well,” Kirakossian said. “He is learning quickly, and I do not suspect it will be long before he has a big time breakout tournament coming up here.”

Luckily for Kirakossian and UCLA, they no longer have to mess with Texas. A quick turnaround sees the squad traveling to Indiana to compete in another tournament later this week.

“We just want to make sure (our schoolwork and other assignments) are in check.” Larrabee said. “So then, when we leave on Friday, we can go there and strictly focus on golf.”

The Bruins return to action in Notre Dame, Indiana, for the Fighting Irish Classic. The two-day event kicks off Sunday.