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McGlasson Wins At Tunica, Dedicates Win To Simpson
November 01, 2005 | Men's Golf
McGlasson, who started the day at even-par after 36 holes and one shot out of the lead, shot a final round 76 for a 4-over par total of 220 to win by a stroke over Tulane's Michael Thompson.
In leading CU to a sixth place finish in the team standings, McGlasson, who hails from Orange, Calif., had three previous top five and six top 10 finishes before earning his first win. He has been close in the past, most recently in CU's last two tournaments, where he had a chance to win on the final day before finishing fourth and 17th.
This time, he found that extra edge and rallied for the win, dedicating the victory to Colorado head coach Mark Simpson, who remained back in Boulder undergoing treatments in a second battle against what was originally lung cancer within the last year.
Last week, Simpson learned he had more malignant tumors in other areas of his body and would thus immediately step up chemotherapy beginning this week. Assistant Brad Neher coached the team here, as he has done for all four of CU's fall tournaments.
“The first hour of the day was just miserable,” Neher said. “We worked out before our tee time, and it looked as if we had been standing in the rain for four hours before we even got started. Then we're out there in off and on heavy rain that didn't break for the first four or five holes, so you really have to admire how Ed got his round started. His focus and determination was off the charts; he was just 1-over for his first six holes when it was just nasty out there.
“So you have to tip your hat to Eddie Mac, he really persevered out there in touch conditions on a tough, tough golf course. We had the worst of it because of our tee time; the other leaders didn't have nearly the weather situation we endured, so that's a testimony to how he just dug in his heels and focused on every single shot.”
“It?s an amazing feeling,” McGlasson said. “It feels really good to break through, but it was kind of a Catch-22 situation, since the team finished sixth. This would have felt a lot better had the team won, but nevertheless, it does feels good to finally get a win.”
“But what's more important to me is that I need to take this victory and dedicate it to coach Simpson,” McGlasson said. “Without his coaching, his wisdom and input into my game, there is no way I would be the golfer that I am today. I am praying for him every day, and I'm hoping that this win in his name can provide whatever inspiration it can in his battle against cancer.
“I think he was a like a cloud in my mind all week,” he continued in referring to CU's golf coach since 1977. “Deep down, it lightened my mood. Golf is a game; it's a sport, an activity. So it was cold and raining sideways, big deal. I just battled through it and hope that he can battle cancer in the same fashion. I am just so thankful for everything that he has done for me?not only as a player, but as a person. I wish he could have been here to share this with me.”
“It's so true,” Neher added. “Ed and Mark always worked together a lot, and they have a lot of things in common. It's good because I told the guys I wanted us to win this to give him a boost when he might need one after the news Mark received last Friday. We couldn't do it as a team, but Ed overcame all kind of obstacles here in winning it for him. I am really proud of Edward, because of what he wants and how hard he works and what this means for him and for our program at this particular time.”
McGlasson's win and dedication to his ailing coach might just be the pinnacle of one of the most successful five-day periods in CU athletic history. Last Friday, the men's and women's cross country teams won their respective Big 12 titles; that same evening, the women's soccer team closed the regular season with a 5-0 win at Texas Tech and earned the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament; the next day, Mason Crosby's 50-yard field goal with six seconds left gave the football team a 23-20 win at Kansas State and sole possession of first place in the North Division; and that night the women's volleyball team upset No. 8 Missouri on the road in five games.
The 7,204-yard, par-72 Tunica National Golf Club course layout provides quite the challenge when the weather is fine, as evidenced by the average score for the two rounds Monday being 78.7. That jumped to 79.2 for the final round.
Redshirt freshman Derek Tolan made his own statement, ending the fall with a 1-under 71, just one of two subpar scores posted in the final round. He tied for ninth with a 227 scorecard, giving him three top 10 finishes (out of four meets) in his first fall in the collegiate ranks. Tolan eagled his final hole to get it under par when his approach shot hit the flagstick and dropped in.
Sophomore Jim Grady (87?243), freshman Justin Bardgett (81?246) and senior Kenny Coakley (78?247), finished tied for 60, 68th and 70th, respectively, to round out the Buff contingent here.
“Now we're all hoping that he can get well and join us in the spring,” Neher concluded. “It wasn't the same without Mark out here this fall, there was a most definite void. The number of people in golf that asked about him must have numbered in the hundreds, if not the thousands. We all want him back out here.”
SMU led from wire-to-wire and won with a 905 score, with Belmont recording the best round of the tournament, a 3-over 291, to finish second two strokes back. The Buffs had a 924 total after a 306 Tuesday?the day's sixth best score?tying for sixth overall with Mississippi State.
The Buffs are now idle until February, when the season resumes with the Hawaii-Hilo Invitational at Waikoloa, February 8-10.
BUFFALO INDIVIDUALS 1. Edward McGlasson...... 72-72-76?220 T9. Derek Tolan........... 77-79-71?227 T60. Jim Grady............. 80-76-87?243 T68. Justin Bardgett....... 77-88-81?246 T70. Kenny Coakley......... 84-85-78?247 TOP FIVE INDIVIDUALS 1. Edward McGlasson, Colorado....... 72-72-76?220 2. Michael Thompson, Tulane......... 71-76-74?221 3. Logan Young, Mississippi State... 67-76-79?222 T4. Will Dodson, SMU................. 76-74-73?223 T4. Jeff Lanier, Belmont............. 75-76-72?223 TEAM SCORES 1. SMU........................... 300-302-303?905 2. Belmont....................... 306-310-291?907 3. Alabama-Birmingham............ 302-304-305?911 4. Kent State.................... 301-310-306?917 5. UNC-Greensboro................ 309-306-305?920 6. COLORADO...................... 306-312-306?924 6. Mississippi State............. 315-298-311?924 8. Tulane........................ 310-311-306?927 9. Lamar......................... 307-316-308?931 10. Mississippi................... 308-312-313?933 11. Louisiana State............... 317-319-298?934 12. North Florida................. 312-316-308?936 13. South Alabama................. 316-307-317?940 14. Guilford College.............. 316-325-327?968 15. Jackson State................. 330-323-325?978
