Colorado University Athletics
Friday, February 10
Palm Desert, Calif.
All Day
Colorado
vs
Day One
Jack Hughes' par putt on 17 against Wyoming clinched CU's semifinal win.
Photo by: Dan Madden
Golfers Reach Championship In Wyoming World Match Play
February 10, 2023 | Men's Golf
CU turns back South Dakota State and Wyoming
PALM DESERT, Calif. — The University of Colorado men's golf team opened its spring season in solid fashion here Friday, winning a pair of matches to advance to the finals in Wyoming's World Match Play Championship.
"It was a really nice way to open the spring today," CU head coach Roy Edwards said. "We got off to a bit of a slow start against South Dakota State. The guys really competed well and pulled away on the back nine."
The Buffaloes, who entered the spring ranked No. 46 in the nation by GolfStat and the No. 1 seed in this event, defeated South Dakota State, 4½-1½, in the morning quarterfinal round to advance to play host Wyoming in the afternoon semifinal. The Cowboys defeated Seattle University, 5-1.
Sophomore Justin Biwer was the first finisher for CU, as he defeated Matthew Schaefer, 7 &5. Both birdied the first hole on the 7,305-yard, par-72 Classic Club Course, but Biwer won No. 2 with a par and would go on to never lose a hole, as he would win six of the last nine in the match.
CU's stroke leader, sophomore Dylan McDermott, was the next to claim victory, winning a tough match with SDSU's top player, Ty Kretz, 3 and 1. Kretz was one-up through three before McDermott's birdie on No. 4 tied things, the first of four straight holes he would win. Krtez battled back and was one-down through 14, but McDermott scored a bird on No. 15 and then sealed the match when he parred 17 with Kretz bogeying.
Freshman Hunter Swanson won CU's third match in the morning, defeating Luke Honner, 4 & 3. The pair were tied through six holes until Swanson won three in a row and four the next five, scoring two birdies and three pars in the run and cruised to the win from there.
Sophomore Jack Hughes was leading Tyler Seeling, 1 up through 14 holes when it was suspended once CU clinched the team tied for 78th after scoring victory. Seeling jumped up by two holesd though four, but Hughes won the next two to tie through six; they remained squared through 10, after which Hughes won No. 11 with par and No. 12 with a birdie.
Sophomore Tucker Clark tied Jonah Dorher, as the two were all square through 18. Both bogeyed the first two holes, then Doprher won No. 3 and held that hole-advantage through 7. Clark birdied No. 8 to pull even, Dorher when back by one through 10. Clark won the next three, going birdie-par-birdie, but then Dorher came back winning Nos. 14 and 15 to tie the match for the sixth time, and it remained tied as both finished birdie-par-par.
Sophomore Jack Holland lost his morning match to Blake Schaper, 2 and 1. Schaper led from the start and was 3-up through five; Holland chipped away at the lead and eventually forced a tie through 14 holes. But Schaper birdied No. 15 to regain the lead, and a bogey by Holland on the par-3 17th ended the match.
McDermott had a much easier time in the afternoon semis, but the Buffaloes found themselves in a dogfight with their neighbors of the north, defeating Wyoming, 4-2. McDermott defeated Kirby Coe-Kirkham, 5 and 4; though down one through six, he won six of the next eight holes to be the first Buff to finish his semifinal match.
Swanson birdied the first hole and never trailed in defeating Jimmy Dales, 2 and 1; he was up a comfortable five holes at turn, but it was too much for Dales to fully come back from though the Cowboy did win three of the first four holes on the back nine.
Biwer and Jaren Calkins dueled to an all-square finish, fitting since they were tied 11 times overall. But Calkins built a two-hole lead after Biwer bogeyed Nos. 15 and 16, but CU's star sophomore rallied with a par and birdie while Calkins went bogey par to force the tie.
Clark forged another tie in the afternoon, this time going all-square with Cade McLaughlin. Clark won the first two holes, McLaughlin the next two before the pair matched wits for the remainder of the front nine; McLaughlin worked to a 1-up lead through 14, but Clark parred No. 15 while McLaughlin double-bogeyed and the duo finished par-bogey-par.
Holland and his counterpart, Patrick Azevedo matched scores hole-for-hole for the first eight before Azevedo went 1-up with a birdie on No. 9. They tied for the next four holes before Holland found himself down two through 14, but the Buff soph won the next two holes to tie the match, and the two both parred the par-3 17th. Azevedo would then claim the win with a birdie on the par- 5 18th while Holland bogeyed.
Hughes defeated Kristof Panke, 2 and 1, in the match that clinched the win for the Buffaloes. With CU ahead at the time, 3-2, the win prevented the match being decided by total number of holes won. Panke had worked to a 2-up lead through nine, but Hughes quickly tied things, going par-birdie on Nos. 10 and 11. He took the lead with a birdie on No. 14 and then sealed the win with a par on No. 17 when Panke bogeyed.
"The match against Wyoming was a battle as expected," Edwards said. "It was good to see some really nice work by the team to battle all day. We closed out the match very well to capture the win as it was close all afternoon."
Colorado would have won the tiebreaker, ahead 27 holes to 20 over the Cowboys (with 54 ties) before Hughes' made par from about eight-feet below the hole on the par-3 17th.
The Buffaloes will now face the University of San Diego in the championship final, with play commencing at 8 a.m. MST Saturday. The No. 2 seed Toreros defeated Wichita State and San Francisco to reach the final.
NOTES: Against South Dakota State, CU's sextet won 33 holes, lost 20 and tied 41 … Thus, on the day the Buffs won 61, lost 40 and tied 95.
Wyoming Desert Match Play
Quarterfinals
No. 1 Colorado def. No. 8 South Dakota State, 4½-1½
No. 2 San Diego def. No. 7 Wichita State, 5-1
No. 3 San Francisco def. No. 6 Boise State, 5-1
No. 4 Wyoming def. No. 5 Seattle, 5-1
Semifinals
No. 1 Colorado def. No. 4 Wyoming, 4-2
No. 2 San Diego def. No. 3 San Francisco (3-3; won on tiebreakers)
Semifinals (consolation bracket)
No. 5 Seattle def. No. 8 South Dakota State, 6-0
No. 7 Wichita State def. No. 6 Boise State, 4-2
Colorado def. South Dakota State, 4½-1½
#1—Dylan McDermott (CU) def. Ty Kretz, 3 & 1
#2—Justin Biwer (CU) def. Matthew Schaefer, 7 & 5
#3—Tucker Clark (CU) tied Jonah Dohrer, AS
#4—Blake Schaper (SDSU) def. Jack Holland, 2 & 1
#5—Hunter Swanson (CU) def. Luke Honner, 4 & 3
#6—Jack Hughes (CU) def. Tyler Seeling, 1 up (thru 14)
Colorado def. Wyoming, 4-2
#1—Dylan McDermott (CU) def. Kirby Coe-Kirkham, 5 & 4
#2—Justin Biwer (CU) tied Jaren Calkins, AS
#3—Tucker Clark (CU) tied Cade McLaughlin, AS
#4—Patrick Azevedo (UW) def. Jack Holland, 1 up
#5—Hunter Swanson (CU) def. Jimmy Dales, 2 & 1
#6—Jack Hughes (CU) def. Kristof Panke, 2 & 1
"It was a really nice way to open the spring today," CU head coach Roy Edwards said. "We got off to a bit of a slow start against South Dakota State. The guys really competed well and pulled away on the back nine."
The Buffaloes, who entered the spring ranked No. 46 in the nation by GolfStat and the No. 1 seed in this event, defeated South Dakota State, 4½-1½, in the morning quarterfinal round to advance to play host Wyoming in the afternoon semifinal. The Cowboys defeated Seattle University, 5-1.
Sophomore Justin Biwer was the first finisher for CU, as he defeated Matthew Schaefer, 7 &5. Both birdied the first hole on the 7,305-yard, par-72 Classic Club Course, but Biwer won No. 2 with a par and would go on to never lose a hole, as he would win six of the last nine in the match.
CU's stroke leader, sophomore Dylan McDermott, was the next to claim victory, winning a tough match with SDSU's top player, Ty Kretz, 3 and 1. Kretz was one-up through three before McDermott's birdie on No. 4 tied things, the first of four straight holes he would win. Krtez battled back and was one-down through 14, but McDermott scored a bird on No. 15 and then sealed the match when he parred 17 with Kretz bogeying.
Freshman Hunter Swanson won CU's third match in the morning, defeating Luke Honner, 4 & 3. The pair were tied through six holes until Swanson won three in a row and four the next five, scoring two birdies and three pars in the run and cruised to the win from there.
Sophomore Jack Hughes was leading Tyler Seeling, 1 up through 14 holes when it was suspended once CU clinched the team tied for 78th after scoring victory. Seeling jumped up by two holesd though four, but Hughes won the next two to tie through six; they remained squared through 10, after which Hughes won No. 11 with par and No. 12 with a birdie.
Sophomore Tucker Clark tied Jonah Dorher, as the two were all square through 18. Both bogeyed the first two holes, then Doprher won No. 3 and held that hole-advantage through 7. Clark birdied No. 8 to pull even, Dorher when back by one through 10. Clark won the next three, going birdie-par-birdie, but then Dorher came back winning Nos. 14 and 15 to tie the match for the sixth time, and it remained tied as both finished birdie-par-par.
Sophomore Jack Holland lost his morning match to Blake Schaper, 2 and 1. Schaper led from the start and was 3-up through five; Holland chipped away at the lead and eventually forced a tie through 14 holes. But Schaper birdied No. 15 to regain the lead, and a bogey by Holland on the par-3 17th ended the match.
McDermott had a much easier time in the afternoon semis, but the Buffaloes found themselves in a dogfight with their neighbors of the north, defeating Wyoming, 4-2. McDermott defeated Kirby Coe-Kirkham, 5 and 4; though down one through six, he won six of the next eight holes to be the first Buff to finish his semifinal match.
Swanson birdied the first hole and never trailed in defeating Jimmy Dales, 2 and 1; he was up a comfortable five holes at turn, but it was too much for Dales to fully come back from though the Cowboy did win three of the first four holes on the back nine.
Biwer and Jaren Calkins dueled to an all-square finish, fitting since they were tied 11 times overall. But Calkins built a two-hole lead after Biwer bogeyed Nos. 15 and 16, but CU's star sophomore rallied with a par and birdie while Calkins went bogey par to force the tie.
Clark forged another tie in the afternoon, this time going all-square with Cade McLaughlin. Clark won the first two holes, McLaughlin the next two before the pair matched wits for the remainder of the front nine; McLaughlin worked to a 1-up lead through 14, but Clark parred No. 15 while McLaughlin double-bogeyed and the duo finished par-bogey-par.
Holland and his counterpart, Patrick Azevedo matched scores hole-for-hole for the first eight before Azevedo went 1-up with a birdie on No. 9. They tied for the next four holes before Holland found himself down two through 14, but the Buff soph won the next two holes to tie the match, and the two both parred the par-3 17th. Azevedo would then claim the win with a birdie on the par- 5 18th while Holland bogeyed.
Hughes defeated Kristof Panke, 2 and 1, in the match that clinched the win for the Buffaloes. With CU ahead at the time, 3-2, the win prevented the match being decided by total number of holes won. Panke had worked to a 2-up lead through nine, but Hughes quickly tied things, going par-birdie on Nos. 10 and 11. He took the lead with a birdie on No. 14 and then sealed the win with a par on No. 17 when Panke bogeyed.
"The match against Wyoming was a battle as expected," Edwards said. "It was good to see some really nice work by the team to battle all day. We closed out the match very well to capture the win as it was close all afternoon."
Colorado would have won the tiebreaker, ahead 27 holes to 20 over the Cowboys (with 54 ties) before Hughes' made par from about eight-feet below the hole on the par-3 17th.
The Buffaloes will now face the University of San Diego in the championship final, with play commencing at 8 a.m. MST Saturday. The No. 2 seed Toreros defeated Wichita State and San Francisco to reach the final.
NOTES: Against South Dakota State, CU's sextet won 33 holes, lost 20 and tied 41 … Thus, on the day the Buffs won 61, lost 40 and tied 95.
Wyoming Desert Match Play
No. 1 Colorado def. No. 8 South Dakota State, 4½-1½
No. 2 San Diego def. No. 7 Wichita State, 5-1
No. 3 San Francisco def. No. 6 Boise State, 5-1
No. 4 Wyoming def. No. 5 Seattle, 5-1
Semifinals
No. 1 Colorado def. No. 4 Wyoming, 4-2
No. 2 San Diego def. No. 3 San Francisco (3-3; won on tiebreakers)
Semifinals (consolation bracket)
No. 5 Seattle def. No. 8 South Dakota State, 6-0
No. 7 Wichita State def. No. 6 Boise State, 4-2
Colorado def. South Dakota State, 4½-1½
#1—Dylan McDermott (CU) def. Ty Kretz, 3 & 1
#2—Justin Biwer (CU) def. Matthew Schaefer, 7 & 5
#3—Tucker Clark (CU) tied Jonah Dohrer, AS
#4—Blake Schaper (SDSU) def. Jack Holland, 2 & 1
#5—Hunter Swanson (CU) def. Luke Honner, 4 & 3
#6—Jack Hughes (CU) def. Tyler Seeling, 1 up (thru 14)
Colorado def. Wyoming, 4-2
#1—Dylan McDermott (CU) def. Kirby Coe-Kirkham, 5 & 4
#2—Justin Biwer (CU) tied Jaren Calkins, AS
#3—Tucker Clark (CU) tied Cade McLaughlin, AS
#4—Patrick Azevedo (UW) def. Jack Holland, 1 up
#5—Hunter Swanson (CU) def. Jimmy Dales, 2 & 1
#6—Jack Hughes (CU) def. Kristof Panke, 2 & 1
Players Mentioned
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