GOLFERS, WEBBER WIN WESTERN INTERCOLLEGIATE

Monday, March 22

Santa Cruz, Calif.

TBA

Colorado

All Rounds

2004 Western Intercollegiate Champions -- Mark Simpson

Photo by: CUBuffs.com

March 23, 2004 | Men's Golf

By: David Plati, Associate AD/Sports Information

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. ? The University of Colorado men's golf team, behind Kane Webber's first collegiate victory, won its first major tournament in four years here Tuesday, as the Buffaloes edged No. 12 California and No. 4 Georgia Tech to win the 58th Annual Western Intercollegiate.

The Buffs, ranked No. 43 in the latest GolfStat rankings released Monday (No. 41 in Golfweek) played steady in much tougher conditions on Tuesday, using a 10-over par final round score of 290 to break a three-way tie with the Golden Bears and the Yellow Jackets as the three entered the final round tied for the lead at 2-over par. Colorado won with an 852 team score, while California finished second, two back of the Buffaloes at 854 and Georgia Tech third at 855 on the 6,445-yard, par-70 Pasatiempo Golf Club course layout.

Webber recorded a 2-under par 68 in the final round, giving him a 4-under 206 total for the meet, tying the fourth lowest winning score in the history of the Western. It was his seventh top 20 and third top 10 finish this season, but ironically the first time in 2003-04 he has finished in the top 5. The Lismore, Australia native had two previous second place finishes in his career, in CU's 2001 Stevinson Ranch Invitational and in the 2002 Ohio State Kepler Intercollegiate.

Webber birdied four of his last 10 holes, rebounding from a double bogey on No. 2, when he hit his tee shot out of bounds on the left side. He was one of only three players in the 78-man field to record two subpar rounds in the meet as he won by two strokes over Long Beach State's Bret Lederer, who also closed with a 68 for a 208 total.

I felt pretty strongly that Kane was going to get a victory somewhere along the line this year,” said CU head coach Mark Simpson. “You never know for certain, but I felt good that he was going to get it done.”

“That's as good as it gets in college golf, to win as an individual and your team wins the tournament,” Simpson said of the seventh “sweep” in school history. Webber joins Keith Alexander (twice), Mike Hogberg, John Lindberg, Jonathan Kaye and Tobias Forsgren as players claiming medalist honors in leading CU to a team win, with Forsgren the last to do it at the 1999 Colorado State Invitational.

Simpson is obviously pleased that his team was able to finish on top of the leaderboard, especially at this point of the year with the most important meets coming up.

“It's big. That's what we wanted to accomplish as a coaching staff at the start of the year, to teach them how to win,” Simpson said. “But we changed it from learning how to win to learning the art of winning. Tiger (Woods) said that at a press conference in Hawaii about Michelle Wie, because that's a whole process in of itself. So this is a big step for our team, because we learned how to win. It's surprising how many times you can meet your expectations, both with Kane and the whole team. That's why this tournament is especially gratifying. I'm sure we've learned some things, but we're also humble enough to know that we can keep on learning.

“It really hasn't soaked in,” Webber said of his victory. “I think it probably will when I speak to my mother back in Australia. It's a check mark on a goal list, sure, but everything is for my Dad (whom he lost to colon cancer his sophomore year). That's when everything will sink it, when I call my Mum.”

The 2003 Colorado Golf Association's Player-of-the-Year, Webber finally broke through for that elusive first collegiate win after setting the stage for his senior year by becoming the first player in 30 years to win back-to-back state stroke play titles.

“I felt comfortable and everything was there, but each week, I just wasn't putting it together; something was always lacking,” Webber said of breaking through for the first time. “I can't say that I played perfectly out there, but I played smart when I got into trouble. So it's a good feeling.

“I got myself in play off the tee, and that's what you have to do here,” he continued. “You have to pick the right times to attack the flag, and my short game was really good this week. I tried to control my ball into the green, limit the spin on a lot of the approach shots and use it when it was smart to.”

CU's other senior captain, Jeff Hanson, did not play in this meet as he works out some putting techniques, but he made the trip to play in CU's own Colorado-Stevinson Ranch Invitational next week in central California. He walked the final round with Webber, and that proved to be a big plus as well.

“That was really helpful, to have a friend like Jeff to walk around with you,” Webber said. “For me, I needed to get away from things between shots. He was great support, clapping and cheering me on. He gave me a lot of confidence.”

Colorado last won in the fall of 2000, claiming the rain-shortened Colorado State Ram Intercollegiate, which it won two straight years under the same circumstances. The Buffs' last win in a 54-hole event came in February 1999 in the Southwestern Classic in Victoria, Texas, and last won a meet that included several ranked teams in the fall of 1991 at the Stanford Invitational (now known as “The Nelson”).

The Buffs accomplished the win not only because their senior captain set the tone with his triumph, but the four sophomores in their five-man lineup also contributing up and down the line as well.

Edward McGlasson recorded his top career finish, tying for ninth with a final round 73 for a 214 total. How good was that 3-over effort? Only eight players broke par Tuesday and 10 others shooting one or two over as moderate breezes and cooler temperatures, combined with tough pin placements made things tougher than on Monday. Blake Moore also scored a 73 Tuesday for a 220 total, tying for 33rd, while Derek O'Neill shot 76, his high round for the meet, as he logged a 217 total that pegged him in 21st-place tie. Kenny Coakley rounded out the CU sophomore quartet, struggling to a final round 79 for 222 overall and tying for 41st, though his 68 in the second round proved to be key.

“The whole team contributed, different guys stepped up for us,” Simpson added. “Edward finishing in the top 10 was a big factor for us, Blake shooting a 73 the last day was a big factor, and so on and so on. Kane needed some breaks to win, but you have to have those. He had a few bad ones too, but made the best of each break, whether good or bad, and that's how you win. That's how the team wins.”

It was the fourth time CU competed in the Western, the oldest men's college golf tournament west of the Mississippi, with the Buffs best finish here prior to this year, 10th, coming in their last appearance in 1992.

The Buffs will remain in California as it's spring break week back in Boulder; after a few days off, the team will reconvene next Monday and Tuesday in Stevinson, Calif.

Buffalo Individuals

1. Kane Webber........... 71-67-68?206

T 9. Edward McGlasson...... 71-70-73?214

T21. Derek O'Neill......... 70-71-76?217

T33. Blake Moore........... 74-73-73?220

T41. Kenny Coakley......... 75-68-79?222

Team Scores

1. COLORADO............ 286-276-290?852

2. California.......... 284-278-292?854

3. Georgia Tech........ 284-278-293?855

4. UC-Riverside........ 279-287-297?863

5. Long Beach State.... 288-282-294?864