CU Men's Golf: Final Summer Notes - University of Colorado Athletics

CU Men’s Golf: Final Summer Notes – University of Colorado Athletics

Posted by Admin August 22, 2024 Golf

  Classes get underway Monday and team members are either in Boulder on their way back into town. Here’s a wrap-up of late summer top performances, along with the usual alumni nuggets:

ACADEMIC HONORS

               For the seventh time in the last nine years, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) has recognized Colorado on its All-Academic Team listing. To receive the honor, the team must have a combined cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher; CU’s 10 student-athletes owned a 3.22 cumulative GPA through the spring 2024 semester.

U.S. AMATEUR RECAP

               Senior Dylan McDermott made some history in becoming the first Buffalo to make it into the match play portion twice in U.S. Amateur play. For the second straight year, he advanced out of stroke play only to draw the world’s top-ranked amateur, Luke Clanton, in the first round. He battled before falling 4 & 3; last summer, he also advanced but lost in the first round (1-up) to Auburn’s Jackson Koivun, who is now the third-ranked amateur in the sport. McDermott also joined Steve Irwin, Scott Petersen and Derek Tolan as CU’s three-time participants in the world’s most prestigious amateur event.

               Sophomores Brandon Knight (73-70—143, +1) and Ty Holbrook (70-76—146, +4) missed the cut, Knight by just one shot and had to wait it out as he was on the bubble, eventually finishing in a tie for 68th when the top 64 make it to match play.

COLORADO OPEN REPRISE

               Four Buffaloes made the cut in July’s Inspirato Colorado Open on the 7,253-yard, par-71 Green Valley Ranch course in northeast Denver.

             CU associate head coach Derek Tolan (’09) had a solid performance, tying for 10th with a 13-under par effort (68-67-68-68—271). He had 19 birdies and just six bogeys overall. Derek Fribbs (’13) tied for 31st (7-under 277), he also had 19 birdies with 12 bogeys on his cards.

               Senior Tucker Clark finished as the third low amateur (tied for 57th overall), three back of the amateur best, with a 70-69-74-68—281 performance; he wrapped things up with back-to-back birdies out of his 16 total to finish on a good note. Pat Grady (’09) finished as the fourth low amateur with a 1-under 283 effort.

OTHER LATE SUMMER RESULTS OF NOTE

Senior Tucker Clark tied for both low amateur honors and fourth overall in the Arizona Open on July 31, as he recorded a 10-under 67-66-67—200 scorecard on Scottsdale’s Papago Golf Course.

In the Western Amateur at Moraine Country Club in Dayton, Ohio, McDermott just missed by a shot advancing to the third round of the stroke play, as he turned in an even-par 69-73—142 effort (tying for 55th; the top 44 plus ties made the cut). Biwer was not far behind, as he posted a 3-over 73-72—145 score.

In late July, Zeqian “Michael” Fang, who has competed in his native China all spring and summer, tied for first in the Gionee Series 6 event (67-69-69—205, -8), but lost in a playoff. Fang, an incoming freshman, in eight CLPGQ Gionee and Xiamen Series events, he finished in the top 10 five times and in the top 20 in all, including two wins. He averaged 71.5 strokes for those 24 rounds.

Before heading back over to the U.S., senior Freddy Eisenbeis ended his amateur play in impressive fashion. He placed second in Germany’s Preis von Refrath (70-69-72—211, -5) and tied for third in the Dutch Amateur Championship (70-70-67-70—277, -11).

LATEST WORLD AMATEUR RANKINGS
               In the latest World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), three Buffaloes are in the top 200 as of August 21: McDermott (#96), Biwer (#188), and incoming freshman Zeqian “Michael” Fang (#171); he competed in his native China all summer but now is on campus (as is CU’s other new frosh, Parker Paxton). Other Buffs in the top 1,000 include Swanson (#410), Clark (#922) and Knight (#977, CU’s big-mover this summer, up over 300 spots since mid-June).

CGA AMATEUR RECAP
               Three Buffaloes played well in the 88th annual Colorado Amateur (formerly known as the state’s stroke play championship), which was contested in Colorado Springs August 1-4.

               Sophomore Ty Holbrook tied for third after posting a 69-72-71-67—279 scorecard, 9-under par on Air Force’s Eisenhower Blue Golf Course (7,570 yards, par-72). His final round 67 was the second-best score in Sunday’s final round (and just one of two in the 60s). He had 15 birdies and an eagle over the four-day event.

               Junior Hunter Swanson placed seventh with a 6-under 71-71-69-71—282 effort; he, too, had 15 birdies and an eagle. Alum Pat Grady (’09) tied for 13th with a 70-71-77-71—289 (1-over) score, also with 15 birdies. He was derailed by one bad nine, on the back side in the third round when he had six bogeys after making the turn at 1-under.

               The Buffaloes combined for three of just 12 under par scores in the final round (out of 43 who made the cut).

ALUMNI NOTES

Mike Brenneman (’04) won the Arizona Southern Amateur on July 21, recording a 70-68—138 scorecard (8-under), claiming victory by three strokes in the open division. In the Arizona State Stroke Play Championship on August 11, he tied for 14th (71-72-70-72—285, +1) in a field that drew over 100 players.

Mark Crabtree (’78) tied for fifth in the CGA’s “Super Senior Amateur Championship” with a 69-77—146 (+4) effort at Eaton Country Club (Aug. 12-13).

Derek Fribbs (’13) shot a sizzling 11-under 61 in the final round of the Utah Open to claim the title with a 19-under 197 total; he had made the turn with a 29 and had three eagles and six birdies in the final round overall. He won the same event in 2021 and collected a nice $22,000 for his victory. “Fribby” believed his 61 was the best in a professional competition.

Steve Jones (’81). Returned to competition in the Boeing Classic (Aug. 9-11) in Snoqualmie, Wash.; he entered the third round with a 76-74—150 scorecard, but withdrew during the third round. He is playing in the Ally Challenge this weekend (Aug. 23-25 in Grand Blanc, Mich.) and plans to in the PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach (Sept. 20-22). He is also considering the Constellation Furyk & Friends in Jacksonville in October.

Jeremy Paul (’17) tied for 20th in the NV5 Invitational presented by Old National Bank in Glenview Illinois; he was 17-under par with a 66-67-67-67—267 scorecard, which was still eight back of the leader. A week later, he had four more scores in the 60’s (67-69-69-66—271), finishing 13-under in the Utah Championship; the final round 66 vaulted him 21 spots into a tie for 49th. He’s coming off tying for 41st in the Magnit Championship (281, -7) and is playing this weekend starting Thursday in the Albertson’s Boise Open.

Yannik Paul (’18) tied for 43rd last Sunday in the D&D REAL Czech Masters (278, -10); he was on fire in the middle rounds, his 65-67—132 for rounds two and three tied for the best in the field. He’s in the Danish Golf Championship which is underway in Aurhus, Denmark.

Five CU alums played in the U.S. Mid-Amateur Qualifier No. 1 on July 29 at Lake Valley GC in Boulder, with Matt Zions (’02) coming up just one stroke short with an even-par 70. Pat Grady (’09) turned in the next-best score (72), with John Luoma (’95) carding a 76, Steve Irwin (’97) a 77 and Matt Call (’01) a 79.

Zions tied for second in Aug. 11 in the CGA Western Championship, as he recorded a 6-under par 210 (68-70-72) at Battlement Mesa Golf Club.

15TH ANNUAL COLORADO GOLF DAY MONDAY

The 15th annual Colorado Golf Day, the team’s major fundraiser that annually has brought together coaches, current and former players and supporters of the program, is this Monday (Aug. 26) at Boulder Country Club. There are still a few spots left for anyone interested in signing up as the event approaches.

Head coach Roy Edwards created the popular event in 2010. There is still time to register a foursome to play in the event, which features a 1:30 p.m. shotgun start with a “shamble” format. Each group will be paired with a CU golf celebrity: team members, coaches, staff and others. Lunch precedes play, with awards and heavy appetizers post-golf.

To register (please sign up online and if you need help registering online please contact Ashley Pauly at Ashley.pauly@colorado.edu). Sign up by purchasing a sponsorship, a team of four, an individual, or purchase a hole sign sponsorship here at this link: https://cvent.me/85P5lv.