Colorado University Athletics
Golfers In 11th At Aggie Invitational
April 17, 2010 | Men's Golf
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The University of Colorado men's golf team is getting in its final tune-up on some unfamiliar grasses this weekend, and the Buffaloes stand in 11th place after the first two rounds here Saturday of the Texas A&M Aggie Invitational.
Host and No. 6 Texas A&M is running away with its own meet, as the Aggies have a 23-under par team score of 697, good for a 15-shot advantage over No. 1 Oklahoma State, as the Cowboys finished the day with a 712 total. No. 14 Texas Tech (713), No. 30 San Diego State (718) and No. 7 Texas (727) rounded out the top five. Colorado, ranked No. 90, holds down the 11th spot with a 744 score; the Buffaloes were in 11th after the first round, but bounced back to record the seventh best score in the second to pull to within range of a top five or six finish.
The Buffs were 16-over par for the morning round, and the five scorers were 8-over par just five holes into the afternoon session. But from that point on, the quintet who would post scores for CU's second round score played the remaining 13 holes collectively even par on the 7,146-yard, par-72 Traditions Golf Club course layout.
Five top 20 and nine top 50 teams are competing here this weekend, with almost all the schools using it as the final preparations ahead of upcoming conference championships.
Redshirt frosh Jason Burstyn and sophomore Kevin Kring are pacing the Buffaloes through 36 holes, as both are tied for 34th in the standings with 3-over 147 totals. Burstyn recorded the second most birdies by a Buff Saturday with six, also recording 23 pars, five bogeys and a double on his way to opening with a 3-over 75 and closing with an even-par 72.
Kring had four birdies and seven bogeys with the rest pars en route to also posting a 3-over 75 in the morning and an even 72 effort in the afternoon. He has been one of the steadiest Buffs, as for his last 144 holes, he's recorded just two scores worse than bogey, both doubles in Wyoming's Cowboy Classic earlier this month.
Senior Justin Bardgett and sophomore Sebastian Heisele are both tied for 44th with 5-over 149 totals. Bardgett opened with a 76 and closed with a 73, enduring a "9" he had to count in both rounds. Otherwise, he led the Buffs with 10 birdies, to go with 19 pars, four bogeys and one double. Heisele had CU's best first round effort with an even-par 72, thanks to three birdies and 12 pars, but had to count an 8 in his second round on his way to a 77; that was his only hole worse than a bogey on the entire day, as he finished with five birdies, 23 pars and seven bogeys.
Freshmen Derek Fribbs is tied for 57th after a 78-74-152 (8-over) effort, punctuated with 24 pars Saturday, the second most by a Buff. He also logged three birdies, seven bogeys and two doubles. Junior Michael Imperato is in a tie for 71st after recording an 80-77--157 scorecards (13-over); he had two birdies, 23 pars, seven bogeys and four doubles for his day.
BUFF BONUS: Former CU golfer Hale Irwin ('67) is playing in his 1,000 tour event this weekend in the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am, being held just outside of Tampa, Fla. In his 341st start on the Champions Tour, Hale is 14 shots out of the lead after rounds of 74 and 73, but nonetheless had reached quite a milestone this weekend. He had 659 starts on the PGA Tour.
"We had to swallow a couple of uncharacteristic big numbers," head coach Roy Edwards said. "Justin had two nines and Sebastian had an eight and we had to count all three of those, but otherwise we played pretty solid. We played a lot better in the afternoon, and I'm proud that Jason put two pretty good rounds together."
Those three holes actually were triple, quadruple and quintuple bogeys, collectively accounted for 12 strokes over par. Had pars been made, CU would be in sixth place; however, Edwards expected some troubles here as its one of CU's rare tournaments on southern grass.
"One of the goals here was to be competitive, though we do enter every tournament with the goal to win it, but the main purpose at this location is really to get acclimated and comfortable with Bermuda grass," Edwards noted. "We don't see it much, so we wanted to get some play on it ahead of next week's Big 12 Championships."
Those are set to begin Friday in Trinity, Texas, about 60 miles from College Station. The course for the Big 12's, Whispering Pines, also features Bermuda grasses.
As for what he hopes his team can accomplish Sunday, Edwards said, "We just need to keep doing the things we've been doing for the most part, and those are to play smart, take care of business inside of 125 yards with our wedges and try to be a little more confident. We're in position to beat a few teams tomorrow and gain some momentum, so that's what we'll go out and try to do."
There was a three-way tie for the individual lead, with Tom Berry (San Diego State), Geoff Shaw (Texas A&M) and Kevin Tway (Oklahoma State) all tied at 6-under 138. But the scorecard of the day belonged to Kent State's Brett Cairns; after opening with a 78 in the morning, he had an eagle and nine birdies en route to an afternoon 62. He is in sixth.
The Buffaloes will be paired with Baylor and Texas-San Antonio for Sunday's final round, and will tee off on No. 10 between 7:40 and 8:30 a.m. mountain time.
BUFFALO INDIVIDUALS
T34. Jason Burstyn................................ 75-72--147
T34. Kevin Kring.................................... 75-72--147
T44. Justin Bardgett.............................. 76-73--149
T44. Sebastian Heisele........................... 72-77--149
T57. Derek Fribbs.................................. 78-74--152
T71. Michael Imperato............................ 80-77--157
TOP 5 INDIVIDUALS
T1. Tom Berry, San Diego State............. 70-68--138
T1. Geoff Shaw, Texas A&M.................. 67-71--138
T1. Kevin Tway, Oklahoma State........... 72-66--138
T4. Jordan Russell, Texas A&M............ 70-69--139
T4. Tyler Weworski, Texas Tech............ 70-69--139
6. Brett Cairns, Kent State.................... 78-62--140
TEAM SCORES
1. Texas A&M............................... 346-351--697
2. Oklahoma State......................... 355-357--712
3. Texas Tech................................. 354-359--713
4. San Diego State......................... 356-362--718
5. Texas........................................... 359-368--727
6. New Mexico............................... 364-369--733
7. TCU............................................ 375-363--738
8. Kent State.................................. 374-365--739
9. SMU........................................... 366-374--740
10. Baylor......................................... 366-377--743
11. COLORADO........................... 376-368--744
12. Texas-San Antonio.................. 377-377--754
