Colorado University Athletics
Saturday, November 2
Maui, Hawai'i
All Day
Colorado
vs
First Round
Justin Biwer opened with a 7-under 64 Saturday in paradise.
Photo by: CUBuffs.com
Golfers Open In Tie For Sixth In Hawai'i
November 02, 2024 | Men's Golf
Biwer's 64 Leads Four Buffs Under Par
LAHAINA, Maui — The University of Colorado men's golf team opened in a tie for sixth place here Saturday in Hawai'i's Ka'anapali Classic Collegiate, but are definitely aren't out of contention for the title by any means.
No. 2-ranked Oklahoma emerged as the day one leader with a team score of 20-under par, which is good for a two-shot lead over North Florida (266, ranked 110th). No. 5 Louisiana State and No. 67 Indiana are tied for third (12-under 268s); No. 52 Kansas rounds out the top five at 11-under 269.
Then come the 32nd-ranked Buffaloes with a 14-under 270 score, which East Tennessee State (105th) matched. The remaining highest ranked team here, No. 26 Georgia, is tied for ninth (275).
CU's effort tied the school's second-best single round on a par-71 course; the record 17-under was set here in the third round of the 2022 event. CU had 14-under 270's earlier this year, in the spring in the Southwestern Invitational and in the fall opener in the Washington State Palouse Collegiate. It was also CU's seventh straight subpar round this fall (eight of par or better), with 11 in the red overall out of 13 to date.
Senior Justin Biwer continued his stellar play as he recorded his third straight round without a bogey, a 7-under par 64 on the Ka'anapali Golf Resort's Royal Course, which plays to 6,700-yard and par-71 configuration. That has him tied for second in the race for medalist honors, one shot out of the lead. He had an eagle and five birdies with 12 pars, played the par-5s tied for the best in the field at 4-under, the par-4's at 3-under (seventh) and the par-3's even. Just 2-under through 12 holes, he played his last six of the round at 5-under, including his eagle that was one of 17 posted on the day, coming on the 460-yard, par-5 6th hole.
Sophomore Brandon Knight matched Biwer by recording a bogey-free 18, as he fired a 4-under 67 and is tied for 19th. He had a very steady round, with his 14 pars tied for the second-most in the 123-man field, and closed strong with birdies on the 485-yard par-5 9th and his last hole, the 362-yard par-4 12th. He was 2-under par on both the par-4's and par-5's. The 67 was his fourth in the 60's this young season, topping the three he had all of his freshman year, and was also his 10th of 13 scores of par or better.
Senior Dylan McDermott also carded a 4-under 67 that has him 19th as well. It was his 13th straight of par or better to open the season and eclipsing his own school record of 12 consecutive rounds he set during his sophomore year. Starting on No. 12, he parred his first two holes before he birdied five of his next six holes, which briefly had him in the tournament's lead. He then went bogey-birdie to get back to 5-under and then parred the next five holes before making his seventh birdie of the day on the par-5 9th; but a double bogey on No. 10, the only one by a Buff in the first round, kept him from finishing the day in the top 10. The seven birdies tied for the third-most on opening day.
Sophomore Ty Holbrook is tied for 74th after recording a 1-over 72; he was under par much of the round until he bogeyed three of his last six holes, which actually followed back-to-back birdies on Nos. 6 and 7. He had three birds and 11 pars overall, and played the par-4's at 1-under and the par-5's even.
Junior Hunter Swanson had rough first day here, as he shot a 5-over 76 that has him tied for 114th. He bogeyed his first hole, the 390-yard par 4 13th, and at one juncture was 6-over par, but he regrouped late, made his only birdie on the 485-yard, par-5 9th hole, and then closed with three pars. He was 1-under on the par-5's and 1-over on the par-3's, it was the par-4's that bested him on the day.
Freshman Parker Paxton is participating here as an individual and is tied for 10th after fashioning a 5-under par 66, his collegiate best to date. He had six birdies (10th-best Saturday) and 11 pars with just one bogey, as he started his day on No. 14 with four straight pars before a run where he made four birdies over the next five holes. After bogeying the par-4 5th, he came right back with a birdie on No. 6 and added his final one on No. 9 before closing once again with four straight pars. He played the par-5's ar 3-under, tied for the eighth-best on the day.
"Another very good round from Justin," CU head coach Roy Edwards said. "Parker, Dylan, and Brandon also had nice scores. Team-wise, we are in a good spot and were a fourth score from being in the lead. We just need to keep executing and staying in the present and we will continue to be in the mix."
Oklahoma's Jaxon Dowell is atop the leaderboard after firing an 8-under 63; ironically, like Paxton, he's playing here as an individual or the Sooners would have been 23-under par.
The second round is set for a 11:30 a.m. MST shotgun start on Sunday; the Buffaloes will be paired with East Tennessee, Kansas and San Jose State in foursomes beginning on the 4th tee. The third and final round that will conclude CU's fall season is Monday.
NOTES: Hawai'i is on standard time the entire year and is unaffected by tonight's moving the clocks back an hour … No weather issues until the last seven or eight holes, when the wind started gusting a few times up to 17 miles per hour; temperatures climbed into the mid-80's and it was a bit humid (57 percent) … Of the 20 teams in the tournament, CU is seeing 13 of them for the first time, including old conference rival Kansas which happens to be Edwards' alma mater … It was Biwer's sixth-bogey free round of his career, and Knight's second … The four players that wound up scoring for the team total played 28 holes before the first bogey (8 birdies, 20 pars) … The six toughest holes for the first round were, in order, Nos. 10, 15, 18, 5, 8 and 11; the six Buffaloes played them collectively at just 1-over par… The average score for all 123 rounds on Saturday was 70.50 … The course has tended to be very golfer friendly, and is once again as of the 123 players in the field, 60 players are under par with another 13 matching it on Saturday … The five Buff designated scorers had 20 birdies (tied for ninth, Oklahoma led with 30) and 57 pars (sixth, ETSU and Louisiana Tech had 60); CU had the third fewest holes worse than par with just 13 (12 bogeys, one double) … Colorado played the par-5's the best at 9-under (sixth-best, OU was minus-14), the par-3's at 3-over (tied for 11th-best, East Tennessee State leads at 4-under, with just two others in the red) and the par-4's at 3-under (tied for sixth, with North Florida atop at 10-under) … Four Buffs played the par-3's even: Biwer, Knight, Paxton and McDermott (the four holes are a combined 732 yard in length, but remember at sea level) … For Biwer and McDermott, Saturday's scores were their 40th career rounds in the 60's … Paxton's 66 now has nine of the 10 team members with career-best rounds of 66 or better; the only player yet to shoot that low is freshman Michael Fang, who has played just three rounds but already has a low of 68.
(*—competed as an individual.)
No. 2-ranked Oklahoma emerged as the day one leader with a team score of 20-under par, which is good for a two-shot lead over North Florida (266, ranked 110th). No. 5 Louisiana State and No. 67 Indiana are tied for third (12-under 268s); No. 52 Kansas rounds out the top five at 11-under 269.
Then come the 32nd-ranked Buffaloes with a 14-under 270 score, which East Tennessee State (105th) matched. The remaining highest ranked team here, No. 26 Georgia, is tied for ninth (275).
CU's effort tied the school's second-best single round on a par-71 course; the record 17-under was set here in the third round of the 2022 event. CU had 14-under 270's earlier this year, in the spring in the Southwestern Invitational and in the fall opener in the Washington State Palouse Collegiate. It was also CU's seventh straight subpar round this fall (eight of par or better), with 11 in the red overall out of 13 to date.
Senior Justin Biwer continued his stellar play as he recorded his third straight round without a bogey, a 7-under par 64 on the Ka'anapali Golf Resort's Royal Course, which plays to 6,700-yard and par-71 configuration. That has him tied for second in the race for medalist honors, one shot out of the lead. He had an eagle and five birdies with 12 pars, played the par-5s tied for the best in the field at 4-under, the par-4's at 3-under (seventh) and the par-3's even. Just 2-under through 12 holes, he played his last six of the round at 5-under, including his eagle that was one of 17 posted on the day, coming on the 460-yard, par-5 6th hole.
Sophomore Brandon Knight matched Biwer by recording a bogey-free 18, as he fired a 4-under 67 and is tied for 19th. He had a very steady round, with his 14 pars tied for the second-most in the 123-man field, and closed strong with birdies on the 485-yard par-5 9th and his last hole, the 362-yard par-4 12th. He was 2-under par on both the par-4's and par-5's. The 67 was his fourth in the 60's this young season, topping the three he had all of his freshman year, and was also his 10th of 13 scores of par or better.
Senior Dylan McDermott also carded a 4-under 67 that has him 19th as well. It was his 13th straight of par or better to open the season and eclipsing his own school record of 12 consecutive rounds he set during his sophomore year. Starting on No. 12, he parred his first two holes before he birdied five of his next six holes, which briefly had him in the tournament's lead. He then went bogey-birdie to get back to 5-under and then parred the next five holes before making his seventh birdie of the day on the par-5 9th; but a double bogey on No. 10, the only one by a Buff in the first round, kept him from finishing the day in the top 10. The seven birdies tied for the third-most on opening day.
Sophomore Ty Holbrook is tied for 74th after recording a 1-over 72; he was under par much of the round until he bogeyed three of his last six holes, which actually followed back-to-back birdies on Nos. 6 and 7. He had three birds and 11 pars overall, and played the par-4's at 1-under and the par-5's even.
Junior Hunter Swanson had rough first day here, as he shot a 5-over 76 that has him tied for 114th. He bogeyed his first hole, the 390-yard par 4 13th, and at one juncture was 6-over par, but he regrouped late, made his only birdie on the 485-yard, par-5 9th hole, and then closed with three pars. He was 1-under on the par-5's and 1-over on the par-3's, it was the par-4's that bested him on the day.
Freshman Parker Paxton is participating here as an individual and is tied for 10th after fashioning a 5-under par 66, his collegiate best to date. He had six birdies (10th-best Saturday) and 11 pars with just one bogey, as he started his day on No. 14 with four straight pars before a run where he made four birdies over the next five holes. After bogeying the par-4 5th, he came right back with a birdie on No. 6 and added his final one on No. 9 before closing once again with four straight pars. He played the par-5's ar 3-under, tied for the eighth-best on the day.
"Another very good round from Justin," CU head coach Roy Edwards said. "Parker, Dylan, and Brandon also had nice scores. Team-wise, we are in a good spot and were a fourth score from being in the lead. We just need to keep executing and staying in the present and we will continue to be in the mix."
Oklahoma's Jaxon Dowell is atop the leaderboard after firing an 8-under 63; ironically, like Paxton, he's playing here as an individual or the Sooners would have been 23-under par.
The second round is set for a 11:30 a.m. MST shotgun start on Sunday; the Buffaloes will be paired with East Tennessee, Kansas and San Jose State in foursomes beginning on the 4th tee. The third and final round that will conclude CU's fall season is Monday.
NOTES: Hawai'i is on standard time the entire year and is unaffected by tonight's moving the clocks back an hour … No weather issues until the last seven or eight holes, when the wind started gusting a few times up to 17 miles per hour; temperatures climbed into the mid-80's and it was a bit humid (57 percent) … Of the 20 teams in the tournament, CU is seeing 13 of them for the first time, including old conference rival Kansas which happens to be Edwards' alma mater … It was Biwer's sixth-bogey free round of his career, and Knight's second … The four players that wound up scoring for the team total played 28 holes before the first bogey (8 birdies, 20 pars) … The six toughest holes for the first round were, in order, Nos. 10, 15, 18, 5, 8 and 11; the six Buffaloes played them collectively at just 1-over par… The average score for all 123 rounds on Saturday was 70.50 … The course has tended to be very golfer friendly, and is once again as of the 123 players in the field, 60 players are under par with another 13 matching it on Saturday … The five Buff designated scorers had 20 birdies (tied for ninth, Oklahoma led with 30) and 57 pars (sixth, ETSU and Louisiana Tech had 60); CU had the third fewest holes worse than par with just 13 (12 bogeys, one double) … Colorado played the par-5's the best at 9-under (sixth-best, OU was minus-14), the par-3's at 3-over (tied for 11th-best, East Tennessee State leads at 4-under, with just two others in the red) and the par-4's at 3-under (tied for sixth, with North Florida atop at 10-under) … Four Buffs played the par-3's even: Biwer, Knight, Paxton and McDermott (the four holes are a combined 732 yard in length, but remember at sea level) … For Biwer and McDermott, Saturday's scores were their 40th career rounds in the 60's … Paxton's 66 now has nine of the 10 team members with career-best rounds of 66 or better; the only player yet to shoot that low is freshman Michael Fang, who has played just three rounds but already has a low of 68.
| BUFFALO INDIVIDUALS |
| T2. | Justin Biwer | 32-32—64 |
| T10. | *Parker Paxton | 33-33—66 |
| T19. | Brandon Knight | 35-32—67 |
| T19. | Dylan McDermott | 35-32—67 |
| T74. | Ty Holbrook | 38-34—72 |
| T114. | Hunter Swanson | 41-35—76 |
| INDIVIDUAL LEADERS |
| 1. | Jaxon Dowell, Oklahoma | 32-31—63 |
| T2. | Justin Biwer, Colorado | 32-32—64 |
| T2. | Gunnlauger Sveinsson, LSU | 33-31—64 |
| T2. | Matthew Troutman, Oklahoma | 33-31—64 |
| T5. | Five tied | 65 |
| TEAM STANDINGS |
| 1. | Oklahoma | 264 |
| 2. | North Florida | 266 |
| T3. | Indiana | 268 |
| T3. | Louisiana State | 268 |
| 5. | Kansas | 269 |
| T6. | COLORADO | 270 |
| T6. | East Tennessee State | 270 |
| 8. | San Jose State | 274 |
| T9. | Georgia | 275 |
| T9. | Liberty | 275 |
| 11. | Sacramento State | 276 |
| 12. | TCU | 277 |
| 13. | Louisiana Tech | 282 |
| 14. | Gonzaga | 283 |
| 15. | Connecticut | 284 |
| T16. | UC Irvine | 286 |
| T16. | Boise State | 286 |
| T16. | CSU Northridge | 286 |
| T19. | Wyoming | 287 |
| T19. | Hawai'i | 287 |
| 21. | Southern Illinois | 288 |
Players Mentioned
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