Saturday, October 28
Maui, Hawaii
All Day
Colorado
vs
Third Round
Justin Biwer recorded CU's low single round of the fall season -- 66 -- Saturday in Maui.
Photo by: Ka'anapali Golf Course
Golfers Finish 17th In Ka'anapali Collegiate Classic
October 28, 2023 | Men's Golf
Buffaloes Post Best Single Round Score For Fall Season
LAHAINA, Maui — The University of Colorado men's golf team wrapped up its fall season here Saturday, turning in its best single round score for the fall, but could only move up one spot into a 17th place finish in the Ka'anapali Collegiate Classic.
No. 17 East Tennessee State and No. 19 Oklahoma shared the team title, as the Buccaneers and Sooners shot the same team scores all three days, including a 13-under 271 Saturday to finish with 42-under par 810 totals. Liberty, the first and second round leader, slipped into third with an 813 total, while North Florida and San Jose State tied for fourth, six back with 816 tallies.
The Buffaloes finished with a 12-under 272 team score, their best in 15 rounds this fall and the seventh-best of the 20 teams Saturday to finish with a 1-over 853 total. Slow starts in the first two round proved to be the Achilles tendon for Colorado in the event, something it corrected Saturday. The four players who scored for the Buffs logged four birdies on the first three holes and CU stayed away from big numbers all day, with 22 birdies opposite 12 bogeys and a double bogey overall by the quintet (20 and eight, respectively, by the four scorers).
The Buffaloes had three players score in the 60's Saturday, for just the second time this fall; the other time was in the season opener in the Mirabel Maui Jim. Seven other teams also had at least three, but all were in the top eight in the standings.
Sophomore Hunter Swanson led the Buffaloes here from start to finish, tying for 24th as he ended with a 4-under 67 for a 6-under 207 score on the 6,700-yard, par-71 Royal Ka'anapali Course at Ka'anapali Golf Club. It was the second time he led the team in an event in his young career, as he wrapped things up here with a clean round of four birdies and 14 pars. It was Swanson's second bogey-free round of the fall and the team's third overall. Overall for the tourney, he had an eagle, 11 birdies and 35 pars with just seven bogeys; he played the par-4 holes at 4-under, tied for 14th in the 120-man field.
Junior Justin Biwer fashioned a 5-under 66, tied for the seventh-best overall in the final round, which moved him up 25 spots into a tie for 52nd with a 2-under 211 score. He had a team-high six birdies, the most by a Buff in any single round here, with 11 pars and one bogey (the latter coming in No. 18, the toughest hole in the tournament). For the meet overall, he had 11 birdies and 34 pars, with six bogeys, a double and a triple. The 66 was both his and the team's low round of the fall, both the gross one overall and in relation to par, and was his 27th career round in the 60's and his 50th subpar round, fifth and fourth, respectively in Colorado history.
Junior Dylan McDermott rallied after an 80 in the second round to card a 4-under 67, which enabled him to finish with a 4-over 217 and tie for 80th. He had five birdies with 12 pars and a single bogey, which came on his third hole of the day after he opened with two birdies. He finished with 15 holes of par or better, including two birds in his final three holes. His 12 birdies overall tied for the most by a Buff this week.
Junior Jack Holland also ended here with his best round of the three, closing with a 1-over 72 for an 11-over 224 total that tied him for 105th. He had five birdies and seven pars opposite six bogeys, the last of which came on his final hole that cost him an even finish. He did have a run of three straight birds on Nos. 18 through 2; the 18th hole played the toughest overall for the event and his birdies on the 440-yard, par-4 was one of just 11 in the final round and one of just two by a Buff on the hole (with Swanson in the second round). Holland also birdied all three par-5's Saturday and tied for the team-high with 12 birdies overall.
Freshman Brandon Knight finished up with a 4-over 75 that also had him tie for 105th with an 11-over 224 score. He had two birdies, the second coming on his final hole of the day, the 362-yard, par-4 12th, with 11 pars for the third straight round. He had four bogeys and a double as well.
"A much better round today, closer to what we expect," CU head coach Roy Edwards said. "Justin, Dylan and Hunter responded with good rounds, and Hunter had a nice overall week.
"For the fall overall, I am proud of how we worked hard and competed despite no one really playing very consistent," Edwards continued. "It was certainly not the start to the season we expected, but that is golf and we are using it for motivation this off-season. We have an incredible spring schedule and I expect us to play great."
Edwards went on to note how three of his players have risen to the top of the team's depth, thus the all-important fourth and fifth positions are wide open for competition.
"Justin, Dylan and Hunter have really separated themselves," he said. "We have a bunch of other talented guys on the roster and it is wide open for who fills out the lineup. We've got to be better and despite all of our success, we are still a pretty young team. This fall was a tremendous opportunity for us to learn, adjust, and get better. I look forward to seeing who steps up this winter."
Oklahoma's Luke Kluver used the low score of the day – a 7-under 64 – to move from third into medalist honors with an 18-under 195 score. That turned out to be good for a three-stroke win over second round co-leader, Mats Ege of East Tennessee State, who finished up with a 68 for a 15-under 198 total.
This was CU's final competition of the fall season; the Buffaloes start the spring portion of the 2023-24 season exactly three months from Saturday in the Southwestern Intercollegiate in Westlake Village, Calif., on January 28.
NOTES: The tournament took place just a few miles north of the fires that ravaged the Lahaina area back in August …. The other time Swanson led the team was in last May's Central Regional in Norman when he recorded a 6-under 210 score to lead the Buffs to a third place finish and berth in the NCAA Finals … Biwer had the other bogey-free round in the fall, in the Mirabel Maui Jim Intercollegiate (Swanson's first was in the Maui Jim Individual) … Swanson ended the fall with 20 straight holes of par or better, carrying the third-longest streak on the team into the spring opener … McDermott has two career rounds in the 80's: his first was an 81 in the second round of last winter's Oregon Duck Invitational and rebounded with an even-par 71 in the final round; this time after an 80 in round two, he responded with the 4-under 67. The 13-stroke improvement tied for the 19th-best in school history, but the sixth-best between the second and third rounds … The average score for all 359 rounds was 71.16, with the final round norm of 70.51 the lowest for the three rounds; 62 players finished under par with five others equaling it … The Buffs finished 14th in birdies (52, Georgia had the most, 73), and were 13th in pars (153; North Florida led with 174); CU tied for 10th with two eagles (Sac State had five) … Colorado is playing the par-3 holes the best of the three configurations, at 9-over for 12th in the field; it played the par-4s the 16th best (17-over), and the par-5s the 19th best at 8-under … The 17th place finish gave the Buffs a 36-43 record (.456) against Division I competition for the fall; a team must finish above .500 to qualify for the NCAA postseason … Biwer led the team in stroke average for the fall with a 70.47 mark, with Swanson (71.07) and McDermott (71.27) right behind him; all played 15 rounds … Biwer now has 19 subpar tournaments (and one even) in 29 career events, tied for third in CU history; he trails twins Jeremy and Yannik Paul (22 each) and pulled even with Daniel O'Loughlin.
No. 17 East Tennessee State and No. 19 Oklahoma shared the team title, as the Buccaneers and Sooners shot the same team scores all three days, including a 13-under 271 Saturday to finish with 42-under par 810 totals. Liberty, the first and second round leader, slipped into third with an 813 total, while North Florida and San Jose State tied for fourth, six back with 816 tallies.
The Buffaloes finished with a 12-under 272 team score, their best in 15 rounds this fall and the seventh-best of the 20 teams Saturday to finish with a 1-over 853 total. Slow starts in the first two round proved to be the Achilles tendon for Colorado in the event, something it corrected Saturday. The four players who scored for the Buffs logged four birdies on the first three holes and CU stayed away from big numbers all day, with 22 birdies opposite 12 bogeys and a double bogey overall by the quintet (20 and eight, respectively, by the four scorers).
The Buffaloes had three players score in the 60's Saturday, for just the second time this fall; the other time was in the season opener in the Mirabel Maui Jim. Seven other teams also had at least three, but all were in the top eight in the standings.
Sophomore Hunter Swanson led the Buffaloes here from start to finish, tying for 24th as he ended with a 4-under 67 for a 6-under 207 score on the 6,700-yard, par-71 Royal Ka'anapali Course at Ka'anapali Golf Club. It was the second time he led the team in an event in his young career, as he wrapped things up here with a clean round of four birdies and 14 pars. It was Swanson's second bogey-free round of the fall and the team's third overall. Overall for the tourney, he had an eagle, 11 birdies and 35 pars with just seven bogeys; he played the par-4 holes at 4-under, tied for 14th in the 120-man field.
Junior Justin Biwer fashioned a 5-under 66, tied for the seventh-best overall in the final round, which moved him up 25 spots into a tie for 52nd with a 2-under 211 score. He had a team-high six birdies, the most by a Buff in any single round here, with 11 pars and one bogey (the latter coming in No. 18, the toughest hole in the tournament). For the meet overall, he had 11 birdies and 34 pars, with six bogeys, a double and a triple. The 66 was both his and the team's low round of the fall, both the gross one overall and in relation to par, and was his 27th career round in the 60's and his 50th subpar round, fifth and fourth, respectively in Colorado history.
Junior Dylan McDermott rallied after an 80 in the second round to card a 4-under 67, which enabled him to finish with a 4-over 217 and tie for 80th. He had five birdies with 12 pars and a single bogey, which came on his third hole of the day after he opened with two birdies. He finished with 15 holes of par or better, including two birds in his final three holes. His 12 birdies overall tied for the most by a Buff this week.
Junior Jack Holland also ended here with his best round of the three, closing with a 1-over 72 for an 11-over 224 total that tied him for 105th. He had five birdies and seven pars opposite six bogeys, the last of which came on his final hole that cost him an even finish. He did have a run of three straight birds on Nos. 18 through 2; the 18th hole played the toughest overall for the event and his birdies on the 440-yard, par-4 was one of just 11 in the final round and one of just two by a Buff on the hole (with Swanson in the second round). Holland also birdied all three par-5's Saturday and tied for the team-high with 12 birdies overall.
Freshman Brandon Knight finished up with a 4-over 75 that also had him tie for 105th with an 11-over 224 score. He had two birdies, the second coming on his final hole of the day, the 362-yard, par-4 12th, with 11 pars for the third straight round. He had four bogeys and a double as well.
"A much better round today, closer to what we expect," CU head coach Roy Edwards said. "Justin, Dylan and Hunter responded with good rounds, and Hunter had a nice overall week.
"For the fall overall, I am proud of how we worked hard and competed despite no one really playing very consistent," Edwards continued. "It was certainly not the start to the season we expected, but that is golf and we are using it for motivation this off-season. We have an incredible spring schedule and I expect us to play great."
Edwards went on to note how three of his players have risen to the top of the team's depth, thus the all-important fourth and fifth positions are wide open for competition.
"Justin, Dylan and Hunter have really separated themselves," he said. "We have a bunch of other talented guys on the roster and it is wide open for who fills out the lineup. We've got to be better and despite all of our success, we are still a pretty young team. This fall was a tremendous opportunity for us to learn, adjust, and get better. I look forward to seeing who steps up this winter."
Oklahoma's Luke Kluver used the low score of the day – a 7-under 64 – to move from third into medalist honors with an 18-under 195 score. That turned out to be good for a three-stroke win over second round co-leader, Mats Ege of East Tennessee State, who finished up with a 68 for a 15-under 198 total.
This was CU's final competition of the fall season; the Buffaloes start the spring portion of the 2023-24 season exactly three months from Saturday in the Southwestern Intercollegiate in Westlake Village, Calif., on January 28.
NOTES: The tournament took place just a few miles north of the fires that ravaged the Lahaina area back in August …. The other time Swanson led the team was in last May's Central Regional in Norman when he recorded a 6-under 210 score to lead the Buffs to a third place finish and berth in the NCAA Finals … Biwer had the other bogey-free round in the fall, in the Mirabel Maui Jim Intercollegiate (Swanson's first was in the Maui Jim Individual) … Swanson ended the fall with 20 straight holes of par or better, carrying the third-longest streak on the team into the spring opener … McDermott has two career rounds in the 80's: his first was an 81 in the second round of last winter's Oregon Duck Invitational and rebounded with an even-par 71 in the final round; this time after an 80 in round two, he responded with the 4-under 67. The 13-stroke improvement tied for the 19th-best in school history, but the sixth-best between the second and third rounds … The average score for all 359 rounds was 71.16, with the final round norm of 70.51 the lowest for the three rounds; 62 players finished under par with five others equaling it … The Buffs finished 14th in birdies (52, Georgia had the most, 73), and were 13th in pars (153; North Florida led with 174); CU tied for 10th with two eagles (Sac State had five) … Colorado is playing the par-3 holes the best of the three configurations, at 9-over for 12th in the field; it played the par-4s the 16th best (17-over), and the par-5s the 19th best at 8-under … The 17th place finish gave the Buffs a 36-43 record (.456) against Division I competition for the fall; a team must finish above .500 to qualify for the NCAA postseason … Biwer led the team in stroke average for the fall with a 70.47 mark, with Swanson (71.07) and McDermott (71.27) right behind him; all played 15 rounds … Biwer now has 19 subpar tournaments (and one even) in 29 career events, tied for third in CU history; he trails twins Jeremy and Yannik Paul (22 each) and pulled even with Daniel O'Loughlin.
| BUFFALO INDIVIDUALS | |||
| T24. | Hunter Swanson | 69-71-67—207 | |
| T52. | Justin Biwer | 74-71-66—211 | |
| T80. | Dylan McDermott | 70-80-67—217 | |
| T105. | Jack Holland | 75-77-72—224 | |
| T105. | Brandon Knight | 75-74-75—224 | |
| INDIVIDUAL LEADERS |
| 1. | Luke Kluver, Oklahoma | 66-65-64—195 |
| 2. | Mats Ege, East Tennessee State | 66-64-68—198 |
| 3. | Robbie Higgins, North Florida | 63-68-68—199 |
| T4. | Ivan Barahona, San Jose State | 64-71-66—201 |
| T4. | Caleb Shetler, San Jose State | 66-67-68—201 |
| T4. | Josh Ryan, Liberty | 65-65-71—201 |
| TEAM STANDINGS |
| T1. | East Tennessee State | 272-267-271—810 |
| T1. | Oklahoma | 272-267-271—810 |
| 3. | Liberty | 262-272-279—813 |
| T4. | North Florida | 276-269-271—816 |
| T4. | San Jose State | 269-277-270—816 |
| 6. | Georgia | 266-285-270—821 |
| 7. | CSU-Northridge | 288-280-264—832 |
| 8. | Kansas | 280-277-277—834 |
| 9. | Hawai'i | 273-278-285—836 |
| 10. | Clemson | 288-276-275—839 |
| 11. | Sacramento State | 276-281-283—840 |
| T12. | Louisiana | 280-282-280—842 |
| T12. | Boise State | 277-278-287—842 |
| 14. | Gonzaga | 285-278-284—847 |
| 15. | Connecticut | 280-290-281—851 |
| 16. | Wyoming | 284-291-277—852 |
| 17. | COLORADO | 288-293-272—853 |
| 18. | Denver | 288-291-281—860 |
| 19. | Mount St. Mary's | 290-295-283—868 |
| 20. | Air Force | 291-295-293—879 |
Players Mentioned
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