Golfers In Fifth After First Round At Bandon Dunes

Friday, March 13

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort: Bandon, Ore.

All Day

Colorado

Bandon Dunes Championship

Golfers Remain In Third at Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate

March 13, 2015 | Men's Golf

By: David Plati, Associate AD/Sports Information

BANDON, Ore. — The University of Colorado men's golf team had a decent but not great opening round here Friday as the Buffaloes are in fifth place in the Sixth Annual Bandon Dunes Championship.

The Buffaloes, at No. 36, are the top ranked team in the field, turned in a 2-under par 286 team score. That's five shots behind No. 66 UC Davis, which opened with a 7-under 281; St. Mary's (283), No. 61 Duke and Missouri (both 285) are also ahead of Colorado through 18 holes of the 54-hole meet.

It was CU's first tournament competition in over a month, sans a dual match against No. 5 Arizona State two weeks ago (ASU won, 7-2).

“We got some rust off, back into the swing of tournament competition,” CU head coach Roy Edwards said. “It was a good day to score weather-wise, but a lot of rain is expected the next couple of days with temperatures in the low-to-mid 50s. But we often play our best in poor conditions, and we're in a good position, and everybody expects a little bit more. We're not unhappy with our performance today, but we know we can do better.

“I think everybody is motivated to go out tomorrow and play to our ability.”

Colorado did lead the field in par-5 scoring (9-under), and was third in birdies (17). Though just scoring two double bogeys with 17 bogeys, the Buffs percentage of holes of par or better (78.9) was two points higher than their season average going in.

The Buffs were paced by junior Philip Juel-Berg and sophomore Jeremy Paul, who both carded 2-under par 70s on the 6,830-yard, par-72 Bandon Dunes Course layout. The pair, tied for sixth individually, had similar rounds: Juel-Berg had five birdies, 11 pars, a bogey and a double, while Paul had four birdies, 12 pars and two bogeys. Juel-Berg played the par-5s eighth-best in the field, and opened with three straight birdies; he would have cracked 70 had he not doubled No. 17 late in his round. Paul, CU's stroke average leader at 71.4, played the par-4s second-best.

Sophomore Ethan Freeman fashioned an even-par 72 to stand tied for 25th; he had a steady day with four birdies, 10 pars and four bogeys; he spent almost the entire round at even or 1-under par.

Senior David Oraee is tied for 44th after a 2-over 74; he couldn't get many putts to fall as he had two birdies and 12 pars against four bogeys.

Sophomore Yannik Paul carded a 4-over 76 to tie for 59th, as he ran the gamut Friday in scoring an eagle with two birdies, eight pars, six bogeys and a double. He rode a bit of a rollercoaster at the beginning and end of his day: he opened with four bogeys on his first five holes, and then played his next 10 at 2-under; but he doubled the par-3 15th, and then endured two more bogeys before closing his day with an eagle on No. 18 – one of just four eagles in the entire field Friday.

“Philip, Jeremy and Ethan all had decent overall rounds, not spectacular, but very solid, but David and Yannik struggled a bit on the greens,” Edwards said. “But they'll figure them out, and with the rain coming, they'll be slower.”

San Jose State's Cody Blick is the individual leader, using a blistering 30 on the back nine for a 7-under par 65, good for a two-stroke lead over Washington State's Michael Anderson.

The second round of the tournament is set for a 9:30 a.m. MDT shotgun start on Saturday, with the final round scheduled Sunday, also at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Colorado will be paired with Washington State, Utah Valley and Stephen F. Austin.

BUFFALO INDIVIDUALS

T6.	Philip Juel-Berg	32-38—70
T6.	Jeremy Paul	33-37—70
T25.	Ethan Freeman	35-37—72
T44.	David Oraee	36-38—74
T59.	Yannik Paul	39-37—76

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

1.	Cody Blick, San Jose State	33-30—65
2.	Michael Anderson, Wash. St.	34-33—67
3.	Patrick Soli, UC Davis	32-36—68
T4.	Brayden Eriksen, Utah Valley	35-34—69
T4.	Maclayne Marr, St. Mary's	34-35—69

TEAM STANDINGS

1.	UC Davis	281
2.	St. Mary's	283
3.	Duke	285
3.	Missouri	285
5.	COLORADO	286
6.	Washington State	288
7.	Utah Valley	289
8.	Stephen F. Austin	290
9.	Army	291
9.	San Jose State	291
11.	Loyola-Marymount	292
12.	Gonzaga	296
13.	Missouri-Kansas City	298
14.	Hartford	299
15.	UNC-Wilmington	302
16.	CSU-Northridge	303