Monday, May 16
Norman, Okla.
All Day
Colorado
vs
First Round
Biwer teeing off on No. 10 Monday after making the turn at 1-under.
Biwer Opens With Even Par 72 In NCAA Regional
May 16, 2022 | Men's Golf
CU freshman tied for 23rd individually
NORMAN, Okla. — University of Colorado freshman golfer Justin Biwer opened play with an even-par 72 here Monday in the first round of the NCAA Midwest/Norman Regional.
Tied for 23rd individually, to advance to the NCAA Finals, he must be the highest finisher that is not with an advancing team. He's definitely in the hunt, as the situation is most fluid, but eight players are ahead of him that meet that criteria, the lead of that group at 3-under.
On Oklahoma's Jimmie Auston Golf Club course that features a 7,452-yard, par-72 layout, Biwer recorded an eagle, three birdies and nine pars opposite five bogeys in his first college postseason round. He played the long par-5s at 4-under, tied for second best in the 75-man field; he was 1-over on the par-4s and 3-over on the par-3s.
"Justin did a really nice job after being a couple over par early," CU head coach Roy Edwards said. "He stayed focused and got right back in the round with a birdie on 7 and an eagle on 8. The golf course is in tremendous shape; the weather was warm and it is expected to be hot and windy the next two days."
Biwer's eagle was his fourth of the season and was one of nine in the first round, but just one of two on the 600-yard, par-5 No. 8. He chipped in from about 10 yards from in front of the green, landing the ball about 30 feet from the pin and the ball followed the contours directly into the hole.
He bogeyed two of the first four holes (Nos. 2 and 4), but went birdie-bogey-birdie-eagle on the next four to get into red numbers at 1-under. On the back nine, he had six pars and was even through 16. He would score a bogey on 17 but closed his day with a birdie on 18, the third time in the round he answered a bogey right away with a bird.
"It was alright, but I really didn't have my stuff today," Biwer said. "But I played well on the par-5s, especially with holing out on 8. I've got to be better on the par-3s and finding greens there. It was good to hold everything to even par considering I didn't play the way I wanted."
In all, 22 players are under par with another seven at even through 18 holes, with 10 of the subpar rounds in the 60s. The average score for 75 rounds on Monday was 73.51. Biwer wasn't alone on not mastering the par-3s, only six players were in the red on the four shorties, all at 1-under at that.
Of the 18 freshmen competing here, Biwer's 72 is tied for the fourth-best effort among them. It's also the second-best opening round score by a Buffalo frosh in an NCAA regional or final, behind only a 70 by Knut Ekjord in the 1995 Central Regional at Montgomery, Texas.
Host and No. 1 ranked Oklahoma owns the team lead with an 11-under par 277; the Sooners zoomed out of the gate to 14-under through eight holes and then came back to Earth a bit. No. 24 South Carolina is second, one stroke back, with Gamecock freshman Gene Zeigler and Auburn's J.M. Butler tied for the individual lead with 6-under par 66s.
Biwer will again tee off on No. 1 at 9:23 a.m. MDT for Tuesday's second round, and will be paired with Middle Tennessee's Michael Barnard (73 on Monday) and Kent State's Jordan Gilkinson (76). The third and final round is set for Wednesday.
NOTES: The top five teams and one individual not on those five after the 54-hole meet will advance to the NCAA Finals later this month in Scottsdale, Ariz. … Monday's round was delayed for 20 minutes for perhaps the most unique reason ever: no one at the hotel where the teams are staying could find a key to unlock the box where the valet had stored keys to all the vehicles … Temperatures reached the upper 80s and the winds peaked at about 10 miles per hour at times, but are expected to be magnified on Tuesday … Monday's round of 72 was Biwer's 23rd of par or better on the season (out of 32 rounds), adding to his freshman record.
Tied for 23rd individually, to advance to the NCAA Finals, he must be the highest finisher that is not with an advancing team. He's definitely in the hunt, as the situation is most fluid, but eight players are ahead of him that meet that criteria, the lead of that group at 3-under.
On Oklahoma's Jimmie Auston Golf Club course that features a 7,452-yard, par-72 layout, Biwer recorded an eagle, three birdies and nine pars opposite five bogeys in his first college postseason round. He played the long par-5s at 4-under, tied for second best in the 75-man field; he was 1-over on the par-4s and 3-over on the par-3s.
"Justin did a really nice job after being a couple over par early," CU head coach Roy Edwards said. "He stayed focused and got right back in the round with a birdie on 7 and an eagle on 8. The golf course is in tremendous shape; the weather was warm and it is expected to be hot and windy the next two days."
Biwer's eagle was his fourth of the season and was one of nine in the first round, but just one of two on the 600-yard, par-5 No. 8. He chipped in from about 10 yards from in front of the green, landing the ball about 30 feet from the pin and the ball followed the contours directly into the hole.
He bogeyed two of the first four holes (Nos. 2 and 4), but went birdie-bogey-birdie-eagle on the next four to get into red numbers at 1-under. On the back nine, he had six pars and was even through 16. He would score a bogey on 17 but closed his day with a birdie on 18, the third time in the round he answered a bogey right away with a bird.
"It was alright, but I really didn't have my stuff today," Biwer said. "But I played well on the par-5s, especially with holing out on 8. I've got to be better on the par-3s and finding greens there. It was good to hold everything to even par considering I didn't play the way I wanted."
In all, 22 players are under par with another seven at even through 18 holes, with 10 of the subpar rounds in the 60s. The average score for 75 rounds on Monday was 73.51. Biwer wasn't alone on not mastering the par-3s, only six players were in the red on the four shorties, all at 1-under at that.
Of the 18 freshmen competing here, Biwer's 72 is tied for the fourth-best effort among them. It's also the second-best opening round score by a Buffalo frosh in an NCAA regional or final, behind only a 70 by Knut Ekjord in the 1995 Central Regional at Montgomery, Texas.
Host and No. 1 ranked Oklahoma owns the team lead with an 11-under par 277; the Sooners zoomed out of the gate to 14-under through eight holes and then came back to Earth a bit. No. 24 South Carolina is second, one stroke back, with Gamecock freshman Gene Zeigler and Auburn's J.M. Butler tied for the individual lead with 6-under par 66s.
Biwer will again tee off on No. 1 at 9:23 a.m. MDT for Tuesday's second round, and will be paired with Middle Tennessee's Michael Barnard (73 on Monday) and Kent State's Jordan Gilkinson (76). The third and final round is set for Wednesday.
NOTES: The top five teams and one individual not on those five after the 54-hole meet will advance to the NCAA Finals later this month in Scottsdale, Ariz. … Monday's round was delayed for 20 minutes for perhaps the most unique reason ever: no one at the hotel where the teams are staying could find a key to unlock the box where the valet had stored keys to all the vehicles … Temperatures reached the upper 80s and the winds peaked at about 10 miles per hour at times, but are expected to be magnified on Tuesday … Monday's round of 72 was Biwer's 23rd of par or better on the season (out of 32 rounds), adding to his freshman record.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
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