Colorado University Athletics
Junior Spencer Painton tied for 20th in last weekend's Pac-12 Championships.
Golfers Headed Back To NCAA Championship Regionals For Fifth Straight Year
May 04, 2017 | Men's Golf
Buffaloes a No. 6 seed for Central/Purdue Regional
BOULDER — The University of Colorado men's golf team was invited to the NCAA Championships for the fifth straight season Thursday, as the Buffaloes will participate in the Central/Purdue Regional which begins Monday, May 15, in West Lafayette, Ind.
Colorado, ranked No. 32 in the nation (GolfStat; No. 26 Golfweek) is the No. 6 seed in the field, its highest since the regionals went to six sites in 2009, when the Buffaloes were a No. 7 seed. The five straight years is the second-most in CU history, trailing only a seven year span (1989-95).
"We are very excited to be headed to Indiana for the NCAA Regional at Purdue," CU head coach Roy Edwards said. "I've coached in the NCAA Finals there in 2008 and the NCAA Regional in 2004 and it is a great spot for us, just a spectacular course. It is long and tough and will be a tremendous test for the field. We are a good fit for the Kampen Course."
Edwards has coached in Indiana in the postseason more than any other location: as an assistant with Kansas, he was with the Jayhawks for the 2004 regional at Purdue and the 2005 event at Notre Dame; he escorted CU's Derek Tolan to Purdue in 2008 when he advanced to the finals as an individual; and he took the Buffaloes to Noblesville two year ago, where CU led after the first round but eventually finished sixth and missed advancing by one spot.
Florida, ranked fifth nationally, is the top seed in the Purdue regional, followed by No. 8 Illinois, No. 17 UNLV, No. 20 Auburn, No. 28 South Carolina, No. 32 Colorado, No. 38 and host Purdue, No. 44 New Mexico, No.52 Augusta, St. Mary's, Campbell, Richmond and Cleveland State. The 13-team field will compete at the Kampen Course at the Birck/Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, a 7,411-yard, par-72 links-style layout that presents a challenge for golfers with large-bent grass greens, vast sand bunkers, native grasslands, ponds and a natural celery bog. Kampen has been rated one of the top collegiate courses in the nation and is ranked as one of the most difficult golf courses in Indiana.
The Buffs have lined up this year against teams in the Purdue regional 12 times, going 6-4-2 (including a 20-15-1 mark in individual rounds). CU has lined up against Auburn (2-0), Campbell (1-0), New Mexico (1-1-1), St. Mary's (1-1), Augusta (0-0-1) and UNLV (1-2).
Edwards hasn't finalized his squad for the regional, but expects to do so in the coming days before final exams start this weekend. Senior Ethan Freeman and juniors Spencer Painton, Yannik Paul and John Souza have been on the travel squad all year, with the last spot to be decided between sophomore Wilson Belk and freshman Victor Bjorlow. All six competed in the Pac-12's and were separated by a total of seven strokes over 54 holes. Freeman, Paul and assistant coach Patrick Grady will compete in U.S. Open Qualifying at the Walnut Creek Golf Reserve (formerly the Heritage at Westmoor) this Monday as well.
Freeman is second on the team in stroke average with a 72.00 figure, followed by Paul (72.21), Souza (73.32) and Painton (73.84). The two in contention for the final spot have averages of 74.41 (Bjorlow, 22 rounds) and 75.88 (Belk, 16 rounds). The stroke average leader, Jeremy Paul (71.75) turned professional last month and thus can no longer compete.
Ten individuals from schools that did not advance as a team will also compete in West Lafayette, thus 75 total players will be in the field. Nationally, 81 teams and 45 individuals qualified for the postseason, with 12 teams from the SEC leading the way, followed by the Big 12 with nine, the ACC with eight, the Big 10 with seven and then the Pac-12 with six (the only one earning top six seeds, however). UCLA was a victim of the ".500 rule," as the Bruins were 70-79-5 against Division I competition; schools must have a .500 record or better to qualify for the postseason.
There are six regional sites and those competing will play 54 holes with the top five teams and top individual who is not a member of those squads earning the right to advance to the NCAA Championship Finals. Those are scheduled for May 26-31 at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill. (Northern Illinois is serving as the host institution).
"Several guys have had really good years on the team," Edwards said. "It is a tremendous opportunity for us to make it a great year. I fully expect this team to go to Indiana and advance to Rich Harvest Farms."
Play will begin at 6 a.m. mountain time on Monday and Tuesday, with Wednesday's final round having a 5:30 a.m. start; the Buffaloes will be paired with Auburn and South Carolina and will start on the No. 10 for the first round at 6:20.
Colorado, ranked No. 32 in the nation (GolfStat; No. 26 Golfweek) is the No. 6 seed in the field, its highest since the regionals went to six sites in 2009, when the Buffaloes were a No. 7 seed. The five straight years is the second-most in CU history, trailing only a seven year span (1989-95).
"We are very excited to be headed to Indiana for the NCAA Regional at Purdue," CU head coach Roy Edwards said. "I've coached in the NCAA Finals there in 2008 and the NCAA Regional in 2004 and it is a great spot for us, just a spectacular course. It is long and tough and will be a tremendous test for the field. We are a good fit for the Kampen Course."
Edwards has coached in Indiana in the postseason more than any other location: as an assistant with Kansas, he was with the Jayhawks for the 2004 regional at Purdue and the 2005 event at Notre Dame; he escorted CU's Derek Tolan to Purdue in 2008 when he advanced to the finals as an individual; and he took the Buffaloes to Noblesville two year ago, where CU led after the first round but eventually finished sixth and missed advancing by one spot.
Florida, ranked fifth nationally, is the top seed in the Purdue regional, followed by No. 8 Illinois, No. 17 UNLV, No. 20 Auburn, No. 28 South Carolina, No. 32 Colorado, No. 38 and host Purdue, No. 44 New Mexico, No.52 Augusta, St. Mary's, Campbell, Richmond and Cleveland State. The 13-team field will compete at the Kampen Course at the Birck/Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, a 7,411-yard, par-72 links-style layout that presents a challenge for golfers with large-bent grass greens, vast sand bunkers, native grasslands, ponds and a natural celery bog. Kampen has been rated one of the top collegiate courses in the nation and is ranked as one of the most difficult golf courses in Indiana.
The Buffs have lined up this year against teams in the Purdue regional 12 times, going 6-4-2 (including a 20-15-1 mark in individual rounds). CU has lined up against Auburn (2-0), Campbell (1-0), New Mexico (1-1-1), St. Mary's (1-1), Augusta (0-0-1) and UNLV (1-2).
Edwards hasn't finalized his squad for the regional, but expects to do so in the coming days before final exams start this weekend. Senior Ethan Freeman and juniors Spencer Painton, Yannik Paul and John Souza have been on the travel squad all year, with the last spot to be decided between sophomore Wilson Belk and freshman Victor Bjorlow. All six competed in the Pac-12's and were separated by a total of seven strokes over 54 holes. Freeman, Paul and assistant coach Patrick Grady will compete in U.S. Open Qualifying at the Walnut Creek Golf Reserve (formerly the Heritage at Westmoor) this Monday as well.
Freeman is second on the team in stroke average with a 72.00 figure, followed by Paul (72.21), Souza (73.32) and Painton (73.84). The two in contention for the final spot have averages of 74.41 (Bjorlow, 22 rounds) and 75.88 (Belk, 16 rounds). The stroke average leader, Jeremy Paul (71.75) turned professional last month and thus can no longer compete.
Ten individuals from schools that did not advance as a team will also compete in West Lafayette, thus 75 total players will be in the field. Nationally, 81 teams and 45 individuals qualified for the postseason, with 12 teams from the SEC leading the way, followed by the Big 12 with nine, the ACC with eight, the Big 10 with seven and then the Pac-12 with six (the only one earning top six seeds, however). UCLA was a victim of the ".500 rule," as the Bruins were 70-79-5 against Division I competition; schools must have a .500 record or better to qualify for the postseason.
There are six regional sites and those competing will play 54 holes with the top five teams and top individual who is not a member of those squads earning the right to advance to the NCAA Championship Finals. Those are scheduled for May 26-31 at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill. (Northern Illinois is serving as the host institution).
"Several guys have had really good years on the team," Edwards said. "It is a tremendous opportunity for us to make it a great year. I fully expect this team to go to Indiana and advance to Rich Harvest Farms."
Play will begin at 6 a.m. mountain time on Monday and Tuesday, with Wednesday's final round having a 5:30 a.m. start; the Buffaloes will be paired with Auburn and South Carolina and will start on the No. 10 for the first round at 6:20.
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