Grady Leads CU Golfers To Record Win

Monday, September 15

Denver, Colo.

All Day

Colorado

All Rounds

September 16, 2008 | Men's Golf

By: David Plati, Associate AD/Sports Information

DENVER ? The University of Colorado men's golf team had won tournaments before, 26 to be exact, but never like it did on Tuesday as the Buffaloes cruised to a record win in the Ron Moore Invitational.

CU shattered the school record for the best score in a 54-hole meet with an 825 score, some 39 strokes under par, with Air Force a distant runner-up at 859.

And senior Patrick Grady captured his first collegiate win, leading from wire-to-wire as his final round 68 gave him a 12-under total of 204 for the tournament, tying the individual school record for the most strokes under par. He needed that effort to hold off teammate and fellow senior Derek Tolan, who shot a 67 to finish second at 11-under 205 in his effort to win a second straight event. That's just the fourth score of 11-under or better in school annals.

The Broomfield, Colo., product matched John Lindberg's score in the 1989 BYU Classic in Provo; the Swede posted scores of 66, 71 and 67 en route to his 12-under 204.

Grady tied for the most birdies in the tournament, 16, and had just four bogeys and no doubles in 54 holes of play while playing the par-4 holes a tourney best 8-under. Tolan led the field with 41 pars and played the par-4s 7-under ON the 7,239-yard, par-72 Green Valley Ranch layout.

All seven Buff golfers competing here, the five designated scorers and two playing individually, finished in the top 26. The end result was the 825 total and 39-under par effort, besting the old marks of 840 (24-under) in the 2005 Taylor/Made Waikoloa Intercollegiate. It was just the sixth time CU finished at 10-under in a tournament.

The Buffs closed with a 13-under 275, and when combined with Friday's 276-274?550 effort, marked the first CU has ever recorded three sub-280 rounds in its history.

Junior Luke Symons finished sixth after a final round 70, giving him a 210 scorecard, or 6-under par. That matched the 11th best ever effort by a Buffalo in CU golf annals.

Freshman Kevin Kring, who owned share of the tied after each of the first two rounds, struggled Tuesday to a 4-over 76, but still finished ninth with a 4-under 212 score. CU redshirt frosh Sebastian Heisele closed with a 74 for a 214 total, 1-under par, placing 14th. He played as an individual this week.

Sophomore Michael Imperato also was competing here individually and closed as well with a 74 for a 217 score (1-over), the sixth Buff in the top 20. Junior Justin Bardgett bounced back with his best round of the young season, a 2-under 70, to tie for 26th with a 3-over 219 score.

“I really, really like the guys,” head coach Roy Edwards said. “They're a great group who care deeply for one another, and they have some talent. That's all you can ask for as a coach. They do a real good job of listening and I'm just really proud of all of them.

“After the first round, the guys are hearing that everyone else played really well,” he continued. “So we knew we had a great chance to post an exceptional 36-hole score and it carried it into today. So I believe to a degree it was a little bit contagious.”

Colorado led the tournament in par 3 (+4), par-4 (-15) and par-5 (-19) scoring, a unique accomplishment, led the field in birdies with 60 and tied for the edge in pars with 180.

It's a little hard for Edwards to conceal his glee with his team's start, the best in school history (CU was second last week in the San Francisco Intercollegiate), but CU's third-year coach knows there is a long road ahead.

“We don't know what's going to happen until it happens, but we have some depth,” he said. “The key is not to rest on your laurels and think you've got it all figured out, You have to keep trying to get better and better and help each other out along the way. It's a great group of guys in general, they feed off each other, they want to help each other, but they still want to beat each other. We have great senior leadership and we're off to a great start.

“But we also know we're going to a tournament next week we've never won.” This was the third win by the Buffs in their last

As for Grady, he was in his comfort zone playing in Colorado.

“Knowing the course, playing in my home state makes things a lot more comfortable,” he said. “I hit the ball so good this week, not only off the tee, but hitting wedges close.

“I woke up at 3 a.m. this morning and didn't fall asleep after that,” Grady said. “I was really nervous for some reason, and I don't usually get that way. I guess I didn't know what to expect. But I came out and had a solid round, four birdies and no bogeys.

“Everybody did well this week and it's really nice to have a major tournament in your own state. Things are so much easier. We played great golf but we all know the course, and it's really not an easy one. But when you are familiar with it, and you're playing great, it can add up to, what, 39-under par and a satisfying win.”

“This was definitely my biggest win,” he added. “I was very happy for Derek last week (Tolan was co-medalist, his first win), but it also made me more determined to go out there and get a win. It's great to be in a position to feed off each other.

“Every time Derek calls me “No. 2 man” it just fuels the fire,“ he joked.

In two tournaments this season, CU golfers have already recorded 10 rounds in the 60s and 16 subpar rounds overall; the team had 14 and 29, respectively, all of last season in which the team did earn an NCAA Championships berth.

The Buffs return to action in just about two weeks, heading to Albuquerque for the New Mexico Tucker Invitational scheduled for Sept. 26-27. Colorado has played in all 53 tournaments, with two runner-up finishes as its best team efforts over the years.

BUFFALO INDIVIDUALS (*?competing individually)

1. Patrick Grady.................................. 67-69-68?204

2. Derek Tolan.................................... 70-68-67?205

T 6. Luke Symons.................................. 72-68-70?210

T 9. Kevin Kring..................................... 67-69-76?212

14. *Sebastian Heisele......................... 67-73-74?214

T18. *Michael Imperato.......................... 71-72-74?217

T26. Justin Bardgett................................ 72-77-70?219

TOP 5 INDIVIDUALS

1. Patrick Grady, Colorado................ 67-69-68?204

2. Derek Tolan, Colorado.................. 70-68-67?205

T 3. Tom Whitney, Air Force.................... 68-71-68?207