Colorado University Athletics
O'Loughlin led the Buffs in stroke average for a third straight season.
Photo by: Dan Madden
CU Men's Golf: All Four Seniors To Return In 2020-21
May 26, 2020 | Men's Golf
Daniel O'Loughlin Earns Team's "Mr. Buffalo" Award
BOULDER — Four University of Colorado senior men's golfers, who had their original senior seasons cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic, have all opted to take advantage on an NCAA ruling and will return for the 2020-21 athletic year, head coach Roy Edwards announced Tuesday.
Victor Bjorlow, Andre Leveque, Ross Macdonald and Daniel O'Loughlin all have decided to continue their collegiate careers. Bjorlow, Leveque and O'Loughlin were fourth-year seniors, while Macdonald redshirted after his freshman year and was a fifth-year performer this past year; as a result, he will have the chance to play a sixth year and letter for a fifth time; he and Bjorlow can become just the second and third players in school history to do so, joining Donald Bell, who lettered in 1941-42-46-47-48, or before and after he had military service in World War II (Leveque and O'Loughlin began their careers elsewhere and transferred in).
"When the season was cut short this spring, there is no doubt we wanted to do whatever we could to enable our 2019-20 seniors to return for the 2020-21 season," Edwards said. "There was a lot that went into these decisions from a variety of perspectives and we are glad it is going to work out for all involved. Two of the returning seniors will be pursuing graduate degrees and two will be furthering their undergraduate educations. This is an amazing opportunity for growth for our players and our golf program. We are really looking forward to the season ahead and getting back out on the golf course."
Bjorlow graduated with a degree in Finance and Marketing while Macdonald earned his diploma in Strategic Communication; both will pursue graduate degrees. Leveque (Marketing) and O'Loughlin (Geography) were in position to graduate but will enroll in additional undergraduate options.
The Buffaloes had three regular season tournaments cancelled by the pandemic, along with the Pac-12 Championships. Colorado ended the year with a No. 77 national ranking, likely on the bubble to qualify for the NCAA Championships but had those four opportunities to improve its standing and earn a berth in postseason play. The team was 64-47 against Division I competition, playing in several deep tournament fields.
CU won two tournaments this past season, defending its titles in the Air Force-Miranda Invitational and its own Mark Simpson-CU Invitational; those were the 16th and 17th major tournament wins under Edwards, who tied and then passed the old record of 16 held by Simpson's teams from 1977 until his death in 2005.
O'Loughlin was named the recipient of the team's 12th annual "Mr. Buffalo" Award, selected by his coaches and teammates for owning the best characteristics that exemplify being a Colorado Buffalo. He led the team with a 71.65 stroke average, the third time he posted CU's season best figure, joining an impressive list of seven others who did it at least thrice: Dale Douglass, Hale Irwin, Steve Jones, John Lindberg, Knut Ekjord, Kane Webber and Jeremy Paul. Jones, Ekjord and Paul all did it four times, thus O'Loughlin can shoot to join that trio next season.
O'Loughlin also owns a career average of 71.71 for 98 rounds, at present would stand as the best in CU history, topping Paul by one-one hundredth of a stroke (71.72). He is also the only player in school annals with at least two seasons with sub-72.0 stroke averages, and he has recorded three: 71.54 as a sophomore (fourth-best overall), 71.90 as a junior (tied for ninth) and 71.65 this past year (fifth-best).
Macdonald was third on the team in stroke average (72.52), with Bjorlow fifth (73.65); Leveque played the fewest rounds on the team (10) and finished with a 73.80 mark. Sophomore John Paterson had the second best average at 71.83, playing the same number of rounds as O'Loughlin and Macdonald (23). The team's stroke average of 72.91 will go down as the second-best in program history, behind the 72.51 mark set by the '17-18 team and well ahead of the 73.50 figure recorded by the '15-16 Buffs.
Edwards will determine in the coming weeks if the team's annual Colorado Golf Day, set for August 31, will go on as scheduled or if it will be postponed until a later date. The 2020-21 season at present is scheduled to begin September 9-11 with the Air Force Miranda tournament. This year's Mark Simpson-CU Invitational is scheduled as of now for September 28-29 at Boulder Country Club.
Victor Bjorlow, Andre Leveque, Ross Macdonald and Daniel O'Loughlin all have decided to continue their collegiate careers. Bjorlow, Leveque and O'Loughlin were fourth-year seniors, while Macdonald redshirted after his freshman year and was a fifth-year performer this past year; as a result, he will have the chance to play a sixth year and letter for a fifth time; he and Bjorlow can become just the second and third players in school history to do so, joining Donald Bell, who lettered in 1941-42-46-47-48, or before and after he had military service in World War II (Leveque and O'Loughlin began their careers elsewhere and transferred in).
"When the season was cut short this spring, there is no doubt we wanted to do whatever we could to enable our 2019-20 seniors to return for the 2020-21 season," Edwards said. "There was a lot that went into these decisions from a variety of perspectives and we are glad it is going to work out for all involved. Two of the returning seniors will be pursuing graduate degrees and two will be furthering their undergraduate educations. This is an amazing opportunity for growth for our players and our golf program. We are really looking forward to the season ahead and getting back out on the golf course."
Bjorlow graduated with a degree in Finance and Marketing while Macdonald earned his diploma in Strategic Communication; both will pursue graduate degrees. Leveque (Marketing) and O'Loughlin (Geography) were in position to graduate but will enroll in additional undergraduate options.
The Buffaloes had three regular season tournaments cancelled by the pandemic, along with the Pac-12 Championships. Colorado ended the year with a No. 77 national ranking, likely on the bubble to qualify for the NCAA Championships but had those four opportunities to improve its standing and earn a berth in postseason play. The team was 64-47 against Division I competition, playing in several deep tournament fields.
CU won two tournaments this past season, defending its titles in the Air Force-Miranda Invitational and its own Mark Simpson-CU Invitational; those were the 16th and 17th major tournament wins under Edwards, who tied and then passed the old record of 16 held by Simpson's teams from 1977 until his death in 2005.
O'Loughlin was named the recipient of the team's 12th annual "Mr. Buffalo" Award, selected by his coaches and teammates for owning the best characteristics that exemplify being a Colorado Buffalo. He led the team with a 71.65 stroke average, the third time he posted CU's season best figure, joining an impressive list of seven others who did it at least thrice: Dale Douglass, Hale Irwin, Steve Jones, John Lindberg, Knut Ekjord, Kane Webber and Jeremy Paul. Jones, Ekjord and Paul all did it four times, thus O'Loughlin can shoot to join that trio next season.
O'Loughlin also owns a career average of 71.71 for 98 rounds, at present would stand as the best in CU history, topping Paul by one-one hundredth of a stroke (71.72). He is also the only player in school annals with at least two seasons with sub-72.0 stroke averages, and he has recorded three: 71.54 as a sophomore (fourth-best overall), 71.90 as a junior (tied for ninth) and 71.65 this past year (fifth-best).
Macdonald was third on the team in stroke average (72.52), with Bjorlow fifth (73.65); Leveque played the fewest rounds on the team (10) and finished with a 73.80 mark. Sophomore John Paterson had the second best average at 71.83, playing the same number of rounds as O'Loughlin and Macdonald (23). The team's stroke average of 72.91 will go down as the second-best in program history, behind the 72.51 mark set by the '17-18 team and well ahead of the 73.50 figure recorded by the '15-16 Buffs.
Edwards will determine in the coming weeks if the team's annual Colorado Golf Day, set for August 31, will go on as scheduled or if it will be postponed until a later date. The 2020-21 season at present is scheduled to begin September 9-11 with the Air Force Miranda tournament. This year's Mark Simpson-CU Invitational is scheduled as of now for September 28-29 at Boulder Country Club.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
Thursday, March 26
Tuesday, August 12
Tuesday, February 06
Tuesday, February 06