Saturday, April 29
Palo Alto, Calif.
All Day
Colorado
vs
Third Round
McDermott teeing off on the front nine Saturday en route to a 67 for the round.
Photo by: Mike Rasay
Buff Golfers Tied For First Heading Into Final Round At Pac-12 Championship
April 29, 2023 | Men's Golf
McDermott in second, challenging for medalist honors
PALO ALTO, Calif. — The University of Colorado men's golf team had a steady third round and led much of the day before settling in a tie for first place after the third round here Saturday of the 63rd annual Pac-12 Championship.
No. 4 Arizona State held a four-stroke lead over Colorado, ranked No. 57, entering the round, with defending champion and No. 37 Washington starting the day in third. The three were paired together for the third round.
The Buffaloes took over the lead after the first hole, as CU used an eagle and two birdies while Arizona State had two bogeys to turn a four-stroke deficit into a two-stroke lead. The Buffs nursed anywhere from a one-to-three stroke lead over the Sun Devils until the 16thh hole when both ASU and UW pulled even. The trio then dueled back and forth with all three assuming the lead at one point in the final hour of the round.
When the smoke cleared at the end of the day, CU and UW were tied for the lead with 17-under 1,033 team scores, with Arizona State and host and No. 9 Stanford two back at 1,035. No.22 Oregon rounded out the top five (1,038), and No. 105 Washington State is the only other team under par (8-under 1,042) and within striking distance.
The last time a Colorado team was in the lead heading into the final round of a conference championship was in 1968, when the Buffaloes led Oklahoma State by three shots heading into the final round at Lake Valley Golf Club in Boulder.
Scores were higher on Saturday as the course was playing harder for a number of reasons, including the greens being firmer with tougher pin placements, a little more wind and the rough not having been cut for a while.
One of the reasons CU is faring well here is the fact the Buffaloes have avoided big numbers on the 6,727-yard, par-70 Stanford Golf Club course layout; CU has just five holes worse than bogey (out of 324); only Washington has fewer (four) while all others have at least eight, seven of whom have 12 or more, with 123 overall by the teams combined.
Sophomore Dylan McDermott was one of three players Saturday to record a bogey-free round, his 3-under 67 giving him an 11-under total of 199 and second place, two out of the lead. In the process, he became the first player in CU history to record a 199 through 54 holes, in a three or four round event. He opened the day with CU's first (and only) eagle here, as he clubbed a 5-wood to within 16 feet of the pin and sank the putt on the 529-yard, par-5 No. 1 hole. It was McDermott's third eagle of the year and just the seventh by the field in the opening hole in three rounds. He had the eagle, one birdie and 16 pars Saturday, and takes a streak of 28 consecutive holes without a bogey into Sunday, the team-best streak this season.
McDermott is playing the par-4's the best in the 72-man field at 9-under (two better than anyone else), and is tied for ninth in pars (36) and is tied 10th with 13 birdies.
"Another really good round from Dylan," head coach Roy Edwards said. "He hit an amazing shot into 1 today for his eagle to start the day with a great up and down on 18 from a plugged lie to end it."
Sophomore Justin Biwer remained tied for 11th after carding a 1-under 69 for a 54-hole total of 5-under 205. He had four birdies and 11 pars with three bogeys in round three; 2-over through six holes, he made three birdies in a row on Nos. 7 through 9 and ended his round with his fourth bird, which enabled the Buffs to hold on to share of the lead heading into Sunday. He's also played the par-4 holes well, at 4-under, tied for fourth in the 72-man field.
Freshman Hunter Swanson turned in a 2-over 72 but remained under par for the championship with a 1-under 209 tally (tied for 24th in the standings). He had three birdies and 10 pars with five bogeys Saturday. He is playing the par-3 holes here at 2-under, tied for third best. Swanson is tied for fourth among the 19 freshmen competing here; Washington State's Sam Renner leads the rookies with a 4-under 206, followed by Oregon State's Collin Hodgkinson (207) and Arizona State's Michael Mjaaseth (208). His 12 birdies are the second-most by all frosh here through 54 holes.
Sophomore Tucker Clark recorded a third straight even-par 70 for a 210 total, which has him tied for 27th. He had five birdies and eight pars with five bogeys; he was 2-over after five holes but got back to even with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 6 and 7, and he scored two in a row again on Nos. 15 and 16 to get to 1-under before bogeying No. 17. Clark has been "Mr. Carbon Copy" now in two straight events, as last week at BYU he posted three straight 73s.
Sophomore Jack Holland had a rough back nine that led to a 5-over 75 and a 4-over 214 score, tying him for 43rd. He made the turn at 1-over but had three birdies and a double, sandwiched around a birdie to close out his round. He had three birdies and eight pars Saturday opposite six bogeys and the double. Despite the 75, he still owns the fourth-best score of the 12 players that were slotted into the No. 6 positions for their teams.
Sophomore Jack Hughes struggled to an 8-over 78, tying him for 53rd with a 217 total. He had a single birdie and nine pars against seven bogeys and a double. He was just 1-over through 10 holes, but managed just two pars down the stretch with six of the bogeys and the double.
"Justin, Hunter and Tucker had good rounds as well, with both Jacks fighting hard to get us our fifth score," Edwards said. "Everyone is looking forward to tomorrow. We need to focus on really enjoying it and staying in the present on every shot. The guys are ready for it."
Stanford junior Michael Thorbjornsen is the individual leader with a 13-under 197 score after carding a 2-under 68 in the third round; he was tied with McDermott for much of the round until he scored an eagle on the par-5 16th.
The fourth and final round is set for Sunday; Colorado will be paired with Washington and host Stanford and will begin play off the No. 1 tee at 9:42 a.m. MDT. McDermott and Thorbjornsen will be in the final threesome of the day with Washington's Bo Peng, who is tied for ninth at 6-under 204.
NOTES: The temperature reached 70 degrees with the winds gusting at times from 10-to-15 miles per hour … The highest Colorado has been in the Pac-12 title meet heading into the final round was third in 2018, when CU pressed host USC at Rolling Hills Estates and finished second, four back of the Trojans … Arizona State's Ryggs Johnson (68) and Utah's Javier Barcos (64) joined McDermott with bogey-free rounds Saturday … Biwer and Clark are tied for 10th with Biwer with the 13 birdies here … All six CU golfers are in the top 53 in the standings after all in the top 28 after two rounds; that's still the best as Arizona and Cal are next with their six all in the top 59 … McDermott broke his old record of 10-under 200 on par-70 course for 54 holes that he set when he opened the season with a win at Notre Dame's Fighting Irish Classic … McDermott's third round in the 60s here gives him 19 for the year, topping the previous CU record of 18 set by Jeremy Paul in 2015-16; he now owns the season mark of rounds or par or better with 29, which includes 10 in a row after setting the school mark of 13 last fall … McDermott also now has 23 subpar rounds, one shy of the school-best … The average score for all 216 rounds through Saturday is 70.83: the 71.36 mark for Saturday was the highest of the three rounds so far this weekend … Colorado is continuing to play the par-4's the best at 8-over (Stanford is next at plus-17); the Buffs have played the par-3s at 7-over (fifth) and the par-5s at 21-under (seventh) … The Buffs also still lead the field in birdies with 70 (Oregon follows with 68) and are eighth in pars (192; Oregon State leads with 209) … CU's last conference medalist was Bobby Kalinowski, who won back-to-back Big Eight titles in 1993 and 1994 … McDermott is 1-0 versus Thorbjornsen this season, defeating him by six strokes in Stanford's The Goodwin at TPC Harding Park in March; Thorbornsen was 2-0 against McDermott during the 2021-22 season and overall leads him 6-3-1 in head-to-head rounds.
No. 4 Arizona State held a four-stroke lead over Colorado, ranked No. 57, entering the round, with defending champion and No. 37 Washington starting the day in third. The three were paired together for the third round.
The Buffaloes took over the lead after the first hole, as CU used an eagle and two birdies while Arizona State had two bogeys to turn a four-stroke deficit into a two-stroke lead. The Buffs nursed anywhere from a one-to-three stroke lead over the Sun Devils until the 16thh hole when both ASU and UW pulled even. The trio then dueled back and forth with all three assuming the lead at one point in the final hour of the round.
When the smoke cleared at the end of the day, CU and UW were tied for the lead with 17-under 1,033 team scores, with Arizona State and host and No. 9 Stanford two back at 1,035. No.22 Oregon rounded out the top five (1,038), and No. 105 Washington State is the only other team under par (8-under 1,042) and within striking distance.
The last time a Colorado team was in the lead heading into the final round of a conference championship was in 1968, when the Buffaloes led Oklahoma State by three shots heading into the final round at Lake Valley Golf Club in Boulder.
Scores were higher on Saturday as the course was playing harder for a number of reasons, including the greens being firmer with tougher pin placements, a little more wind and the rough not having been cut for a while.
One of the reasons CU is faring well here is the fact the Buffaloes have avoided big numbers on the 6,727-yard, par-70 Stanford Golf Club course layout; CU has just five holes worse than bogey (out of 324); only Washington has fewer (four) while all others have at least eight, seven of whom have 12 or more, with 123 overall by the teams combined.
Sophomore Dylan McDermott was one of three players Saturday to record a bogey-free round, his 3-under 67 giving him an 11-under total of 199 and second place, two out of the lead. In the process, he became the first player in CU history to record a 199 through 54 holes, in a three or four round event. He opened the day with CU's first (and only) eagle here, as he clubbed a 5-wood to within 16 feet of the pin and sank the putt on the 529-yard, par-5 No. 1 hole. It was McDermott's third eagle of the year and just the seventh by the field in the opening hole in three rounds. He had the eagle, one birdie and 16 pars Saturday, and takes a streak of 28 consecutive holes without a bogey into Sunday, the team-best streak this season.
McDermott is playing the par-4's the best in the 72-man field at 9-under (two better than anyone else), and is tied for ninth in pars (36) and is tied 10th with 13 birdies.
"Another really good round from Dylan," head coach Roy Edwards said. "He hit an amazing shot into 1 today for his eagle to start the day with a great up and down on 18 from a plugged lie to end it."
Sophomore Justin Biwer remained tied for 11th after carding a 1-under 69 for a 54-hole total of 5-under 205. He had four birdies and 11 pars with three bogeys in round three; 2-over through six holes, he made three birdies in a row on Nos. 7 through 9 and ended his round with his fourth bird, which enabled the Buffs to hold on to share of the lead heading into Sunday. He's also played the par-4 holes well, at 4-under, tied for fourth in the 72-man field.
Freshman Hunter Swanson turned in a 2-over 72 but remained under par for the championship with a 1-under 209 tally (tied for 24th in the standings). He had three birdies and 10 pars with five bogeys Saturday. He is playing the par-3 holes here at 2-under, tied for third best. Swanson is tied for fourth among the 19 freshmen competing here; Washington State's Sam Renner leads the rookies with a 4-under 206, followed by Oregon State's Collin Hodgkinson (207) and Arizona State's Michael Mjaaseth (208). His 12 birdies are the second-most by all frosh here through 54 holes.
Sophomore Tucker Clark recorded a third straight even-par 70 for a 210 total, which has him tied for 27th. He had five birdies and eight pars with five bogeys; he was 2-over after five holes but got back to even with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 6 and 7, and he scored two in a row again on Nos. 15 and 16 to get to 1-under before bogeying No. 17. Clark has been "Mr. Carbon Copy" now in two straight events, as last week at BYU he posted three straight 73s.
Sophomore Jack Holland had a rough back nine that led to a 5-over 75 and a 4-over 214 score, tying him for 43rd. He made the turn at 1-over but had three birdies and a double, sandwiched around a birdie to close out his round. He had three birdies and eight pars Saturday opposite six bogeys and the double. Despite the 75, he still owns the fourth-best score of the 12 players that were slotted into the No. 6 positions for their teams.
Sophomore Jack Hughes struggled to an 8-over 78, tying him for 53rd with a 217 total. He had a single birdie and nine pars against seven bogeys and a double. He was just 1-over through 10 holes, but managed just two pars down the stretch with six of the bogeys and the double.
"Justin, Hunter and Tucker had good rounds as well, with both Jacks fighting hard to get us our fifth score," Edwards said. "Everyone is looking forward to tomorrow. We need to focus on really enjoying it and staying in the present on every shot. The guys are ready for it."
Stanford junior Michael Thorbjornsen is the individual leader with a 13-under 197 score after carding a 2-under 68 in the third round; he was tied with McDermott for much of the round until he scored an eagle on the par-5 16th.
The fourth and final round is set for Sunday; Colorado will be paired with Washington and host Stanford and will begin play off the No. 1 tee at 9:42 a.m. MDT. McDermott and Thorbjornsen will be in the final threesome of the day with Washington's Bo Peng, who is tied for ninth at 6-under 204.
NOTES: The temperature reached 70 degrees with the winds gusting at times from 10-to-15 miles per hour … The highest Colorado has been in the Pac-12 title meet heading into the final round was third in 2018, when CU pressed host USC at Rolling Hills Estates and finished second, four back of the Trojans … Arizona State's Ryggs Johnson (68) and Utah's Javier Barcos (64) joined McDermott with bogey-free rounds Saturday … Biwer and Clark are tied for 10th with Biwer with the 13 birdies here … All six CU golfers are in the top 53 in the standings after all in the top 28 after two rounds; that's still the best as Arizona and Cal are next with their six all in the top 59 … McDermott broke his old record of 10-under 200 on par-70 course for 54 holes that he set when he opened the season with a win at Notre Dame's Fighting Irish Classic … McDermott's third round in the 60s here gives him 19 for the year, topping the previous CU record of 18 set by Jeremy Paul in 2015-16; he now owns the season mark of rounds or par or better with 29, which includes 10 in a row after setting the school mark of 13 last fall … McDermott also now has 23 subpar rounds, one shy of the school-best … The average score for all 216 rounds through Saturday is 70.83: the 71.36 mark for Saturday was the highest of the three rounds so far this weekend … Colorado is continuing to play the par-4's the best at 8-over (Stanford is next at plus-17); the Buffs have played the par-3s at 7-over (fifth) and the par-5s at 21-under (seventh) … The Buffs also still lead the field in birdies with 70 (Oregon follows with 68) and are eighth in pars (192; Oregon State leads with 209) … CU's last conference medalist was Bobby Kalinowski, who won back-to-back Big Eight titles in 1993 and 1994 … McDermott is 1-0 versus Thorbjornsen this season, defeating him by six strokes in Stanford's The Goodwin at TPC Harding Park in March; Thorbornsen was 2-0 against McDermott during the 2021-22 season and overall leads him 6-3-1 in head-to-head rounds.
| BUFFALO INDIVIDUALS | |||
| 2. | Dylan McDermott | 66-66-67—199 | |
| T11. | Justin Biwer | 70-66-69—205 | |
| T24. | Hunter Swanson | 70-67-72—209 | |
| T27. | Tucker Clark | 70-70-70—210 | |
| T43. | Jack Holland | 68-71-75—214 | |
| T53. | Jack Hughes | 72-67-78—217 | |
| INDIVIDUAL LEADERS |
| 1. | Michael Thorbjornsen, Stanford | 63-66-68—197 |
| 2. | Dylan McDermott, Colorado | 66-66-67—199 |
| 3. | Javier Barcos, Utah | 69-68-64—201 |
| 4. | Pono Yanagi, Washington State | 68-66-68—202 |
| T5. | Nate Stember, Oregon | 67-70-66—203 |
| T5. | Jaden Cantafio, Washington State | 70-65-68—203 |
| T5. | Chase Sienkiewicz, Arizona | 67-69-67—203 |
| TEAM STANDINGS |
| 1. | COLORADO | 344-336-353—1033 |
| 1. | Washington | 343-343-347—1033 |
| 3. | Arizona State | 331-345-359—1035 |
| 3. | Stanford | 350-341-344—1035 |
| 5. | Oregon | 342-345-351—1038 |
| 6. | Washington State | 344-349-349—1042 |
| 7. | Arizona | 352-349-350—1051 |
| 7. | Utah | 361-348-342—1051 |
| 9. | California | 351-353-351—1055 |
| 10. | Oregon State | 351-362-352—1065 |
| 11. | Southern California | 356-354-358—1068 |
| 12. | UCLA | 366-348-363—1077 |
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
Join us for the 15th Annual Colorado Golf Day on August 25 at Boulder Country Club! ⛳
Tuesday, August 12
Buffalo Stampede WEEK 24
Tuesday, February 06
Buffalo Stampede Week 24 TUCKER CLARK
Tuesday, February 06
Afternoon Tee with Matt Thurmond
Monday, June 08