Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
Round Three
CU Golfers Finish Second At Air Force Falcon Invitational
September 14, 2015 | Men's Golf
USAFA, Colo. — The University of Colorado men's golf team led most of the third and final round in the 47th Annual Gene Miranda Air Force Falcon Invitational here Sunday, but faltered a bit down the stretch giving rival Colorado State an opening to rally for the win as the Buffaloes finished second.
Comfortably ahead by anywhere from three-to-five strokes most of the day, the four Buffs who would count in the team score collectively played the last six holes at 7-over par, while CSU's quartet played the same holes at even. When all was said and done, Colorado State posted an 849 team score to best CU by three shots (852), with Wyoming finishing third at 863.
CU and CSU were the only schools to shoot under par as a team in the third round.
"It was a solid event here, especially considering the circumstances,” CU head coach Roy Edwards said. “We certainly are disappointed with not winning but I am very proud of the guys' effort and competitiveness. Unfortunately, we had to count a 76, a 77, and a 78 in our overall team score and it is incredibly difficult to win tournaments without better rounds coming from those spots. This week in general was certainly a good start to the season."
Senior Philip Juel-Berg paced the Buffaloes by claiming medalist honors, his first college win. He tamed the tough Eisenhower Blue Golf Course configuration this week with a 69-67-68—204 scorecard on the 7,443-yard, par-72 track to win by five strokes. He tied the school record for the most strokes under par (minus-12) in a 54-hole tournament, previously done on two occasions.
"We are very excited for Philip and his win; he played really well here,” Edwards said. “He played great all summer and it has carried through to the start of our season. It has been incredible to see his development over the last several years. He has been so important for us in many team wins and he has been a great ambassador to CU and to our team. To see him get his first collegiate victory is very special."
Juel-Berg is the 10th Buffalo to win the Air Force meet, joining Jim English (1969), Murl Hendrickson (1970), Blake Stirling (1973), Matt Potter (1984), John Lindberg (1987), Mike Glaesel (1988), John Nyuli (1990), Jonathan Kaye (1992) and Jason Burstyn (2012). Earlier this week, Jeremy Paul won the Ballyneal Challenge (a two-round, one day affair in Holyoke).
Though disappointed that the team couldn't hold on for the team victory, Juel-Berg was pleased with how he played and that he finally broke through for his first collegiate win; he previously had two top five finishes, including a second place last Tuesday in the Ballyneal Challenge which the Buffaloes won as a team, alluding to Edwards' comment about CU's play to open the fall season.
“It means everything, I was super excited obviously winning my first tournament, especially as a senior,” Juel-Berg said. “We have a young team with a lot of potential, so it's important for the older guys to get off to a good start. Myself, Ethan and Jeremy need to so we can make it easier on the new guys. I am sure they were disappointed in how they played today, but the older guys showed what we're capable of.
“We just need to go in with the right mentality and a good plan to get off to a better start in the first round, being so young and inexperienced,” he added. “But that will come. I believe in this team, but it will take time to replace the good players we lost from last season. There's going to be a lot of competition this year with nine guys instead of six (last season). We all like competing and do a lot of drills and games in practice that's going to make us better. I'm really looking forward to my senior season and it feels real good to play the way I have to start it off.”
In five rounds last week, he averaged 68.0 strokes per round and has logged four straight in the 60s, one shy of the school record. At Air Force, he led the entire field with 15 birdies, was in the top five in pars (36) and had the fewest bogey holes or worse (just three) in also leading in both Par-4 and Par-5 scoring.
Junior Ethan Freeman recorded his first top five collegiate finish in a 54-hole event, tying for fifth with a 76-67-69—212 effort; he had 13 birdies and 34 pars in a solid performance here. Junior Jeremy Paul tied for seventh with a 213 total, closing with a 73 with 11 birdies and 35 pars on the weekend.
“Jeremy was solid and Ethan had great second and third rounds,” Edwards noted.
Freshman Ross Macdonald finished up with a 78, his opening round score though he sandwiched a 4-under 68 in the middle; his 224 total tied him for 52nd. Sophomore John Souza rallied to play Sunday from back spasms that forced him to withdraw after just four holes on Saturday. He was one of CU's five designated scorers here and managed to shoot a 77 in the final round.
Playing here as individuals were freshman Pierce Aichinger and sophomore Kade Crossland. Aichinger closed with a 72 for a 3-over 219 total that earned him a 28th place finish; he had CU's lone eagle this weekend with eight birdies and 33 pars in his first 54-hole collegiate event. Crossland wrapped things up with a 5-over 77 to a 226 total, tying him for 53nd; he also had eight birdies in the meet.
Colorado will return to action in two weeks at the New Mexico Tucker Invitational in Albuquerque on Sept. 25-26, and then two days later will host the Mark Simpson-CU Invitational at Boulder Country Club.
| BUFFALO INDIVIDUALS |
| 1. | Philip Juel-Berg | 69-67-68—204 |
| T5. | Ethan Freeman | 76-67-69—212 |
| T7. | Jeremy Paul | 71-69-73—213 |
| 28. | *Pierce Aichinger | 74-73-72—219 |
| T52. | Ross Macdonald | 78-68-78—224 |
| T52. | *Kade Crossland | 73-74-77—224 |
| 86. | John Souza | WD-WD-77 |
| INDIVIDUAL LEADERS |
| 1. | Philip Juel-Berg, Colorado | 69-67-68—204 |
| 2. | Devon Purser, Weber State | 68-68-73—209 |
| 3. | Frederik Dreier, UTEP | 68-70-72—210 |
| 3. | Dominic Kieffer, CSU | 70-71-69—210 |
| 5. | Ethan Freeman, Colorado | 76-67-69—212 |
| 5. | Antoine Rozner, UMKC | 70-69-73—212 |
| TEAM STANDINGS |
| 1. | Colorado State | 286-282-281—849 |
| 2. | COLORADO | 294-271-287—852 |
| 3. | Wyoming | 287-288-288—863 |
| 4. | Weber State | 284-291-291—866 |
| 5. | Texas-El Paso | 290-286-291—867 |
| 6. | Nevada | 298-286-291—875 |
| 7. | Northern Colorado | 286-299-292—877 |
| 7. | Missouri-Kansas City | 297-288-292—877 |
| 9. | William & Mary | 296-289-293—878 |
| 10. | Utah State | 292-287-300—879 |
| 11. | Air Force | 300-291-290—881 |
| 12. | Boise State | 301-288-296—885 |
| 13. | Abilene Christian | 303-289-294—886 |
| 14. | Utah | 295-292-299—886 |
| 15. | Southern Utah | 310-317-317—944 |
