Colorado University Athletics
Monday, March 4
San Diego, Calif.
All Day
Colorado
vs
First Two Rounds
Hunter Swanson carded CU's best round Monday -- a 5-under par 67.
Photo by: CUBuffs.com
Golfers Tied For Lead In San Diego KE Lamkin Invitational
March 04, 2024 | Men's Golf
Buffaloes Vault Into Tie For Lead With Outstanding Second Round
CHULA VISTA, Calif. — The University of Colorado men's golf team, bolstered by nine scores of par or better here Monday – seven subpar – is tied for first after two rounds of the San Diego KE Lamkin Invitational.
The Buffaloes are tied with Fresno State atop the 16-team standings with 18-under 558 team scores. They rose to the top with similar scores, one round of 12-under 276 and one of 6-under 282. After the morning round, the Buffs were tied for fourth after recording its 282 tally, was six back of the Bulldogs. It was CU's best opening round in seven tournaments this season, and the third under par. All five Colorado players opened with scores of par or better, the first time that has happened this season. The 276s were the best team rounds in the field Monday.
It should be a dogfight in Tuesday's final round, as co-host San Diego and Loyola-Marymount are just one off the pace with 17-under 559 scores. Lurking in fifth is the other co-host, San Diego State, nine back at 567, with New Mexico (569) and Georgia Tech (570) within striking distance.
Colorado is coming off a team victory in the Wyoming Desert Match Play Championship, and opened the spring in a tie for sixth in the Southwestern Invitational, which was also hotly contested the last round. CU was just six strokes behind champion Ohio State and two shots out of third.
"We really had good, solid day today," CU head coach Roy Edwards said. "We actually got off to a fairly shaky start on some of the more scoreable holes. After that, however, the guys played some tremendous golf. The greatest strength of this team is maybe the most important characteristic any athlete could have – they stay in the fight no matter what."
Colorado is the only school with three players in the top 10, and San Diego joined the Buffs with four players in the top 25 after 36 holes. The Buffaloes also shined on the five toughest holes Monday – Nos. 18, 6, 3, 13 and 9 in that order – CU's quintet played those collectively at just 2-over par; for comparison, Fresno's five played those at 11-over.
Sophomore Hunter Swanson paved the way for Colorado on Monday, as he's tied for fifth after a 6-under 71-67—138 effort on the 7,033-yard, par-72 San Diego Country Club course design. He tied for the team-high with eight birdies, along with an eagle and 23 pars against just four bogeys. He was 2-over par through 15 holes in the morning and then went on a tear. He finished his first round with three straight birdies on holes 7 through 9, and then had an eagle and two birdies to get to 4-under through 13 in the second round. After his one bogey in the afternoon, he finished with two pars and two more birdies again on Nos. 8 and 9. He had a run of 18 straight holes making par or better, which turned out to be a theme of sorts for CU Monday.
Junior Justin Biwer returned to his hometown and put a 5-under 68-71—139 scorecard into the books, tying him for ninth place. He was consistent al day, with an eagle, eight birdies and 22 pars opposite just five bogeys, and at one point between his two rounds, he strung together 20 straight holes of par or better, which included five birdies and his eagle. It tied the third longest streak on the team this season. He played the tough par-4s at 3-under, fifth-best in the 95-man field Monday, with his two subpar rounds here gives him 67 career rounds of par or better, moving him into third all-time at CU.
Junior Tucker Clark is also tied for ninth, as he reversed Biwer's scores with a 71-68 effort; he had a team-high 27 pars with five birdies, and the team-low of just two bogeys and he continued his consistent play this spring. He was only over par for two holes all day, as after opening with seven pars, he bogeyed No.17, but went par-birdie-birdie and remained in the red the remainder of the day. He, too, had an impressive stretch of bogey-free holes, his run going 19 holes, and he ended his day with another eight in a row, including back-to-back birdies on Nos. 8 and 9 to end his day.
Dylan McDermott is tied for 25th after a 72-70—142 performance, or 2-under par. Staring on No. 9, he was 1-under through eight holes, but finished the back nine bogey-double to make the turn at 2-over. He bounced back with six pars and closed the morning loop with back-to-back birdies to pull back to even. He got into red numbers in the afternoon quick with a birdie on No. 10, and then eagled No. 16 to get to 3-under at that point before closing with a birdie and two bogeys. On the day, he had the eagle, five birdies and 26 pars with just the four holes worse than par with a run of 19 straight of par or better.
McDermott and Clark played the par-3s at 1-under, tied for the best in the field.
Freshman Brandon Knight is tied for 63rd after a 72-75—147 day; he had five birdies and 24 pars with six bogeys and a double. He opened each round at 1-under at one point, spending most of his morning round either at even or 1-over, but got it down to par after a birdie on the par-5 8th hole. In round two after he birdied No. 16, he went double-bogey to get on the unhappy side of par, and hanging in a 1-over, suffered bogeys on two of his last three holes. His long streak of pars or better was 11.
San Diego's Craig Ronne grabbed the individual lead through two rounds after carding a 9-under effort of 70-65—135. That leads Loyola-Marymount's Mason Snyder by a stroke; Snyder had the day's other low round 7-under 65 in the morning.
The third and final round is set for Tuesday morning; the Buffaloes will be paired with Fresno State and co-host San Diego. They will be in threesomes teeing off on No. 1 starting at 10:30 a.m. MST.
"We are all excited for tomorrow," Edwards said. "It's going to be important to continue to stay in the moment and focus on each shot."
NOTES: Light rain fell in the morning but ceased before play began; temperatures reached the low 60s with the wind picking up in the afternoon, averaging 10-15 miles per hour, occasionally gusting into the 20s … CU's 18-under 558 score tied for the eighth-best in school history in relation to par on a par-72 course configuration … The last time all five designated scorers shot par or better was in the final round of last May's NCAA Central Regional …The four runs of 18 holes of par or better (which added to 76) are four of the 10 longest streaks this season … Colorado now has five subpar team scores out of the seven second round in '23-24 … This is the sixth time the Buffaloes are playing in the Lamkin; CU is looking to top its best finish here (eighth out of 16 in 2018) … Swanson matched CU's best individual round here, a 5-under 67, that Daniel O'Loughlin shot in the 2020 event; in doing so, he lowered his second round average on the season to a team-best 69.43 … Biwer passed O'Loughlin (66 rounds of par or better), and now trails only the Paul twins, Jeremy (74) and Yannik (73) … McDermott's 68 was his 35th round in the 60s, tying O'Loughlin for third on that chart (again, only behind the Pauls—Jeremy 41, Yannik 37) … Swanson, with his eighth eagle on the season, tied the school record for the most in a single season, matching Jason Burstyn's 2012-13 total … The average score Monday for 189 rounds was 72.72 (lower in the morning – 72.27 than the afternoon – 73.18 after the winds picked up); 37 players are presently under par with five others matching it through 36 holes … The Buff led the field in pars with 122 (San Diego was next with 118), and tied for the lead in eagles (3); the Buffs tied for sixth in birdies with 33 (Fresno topped all with 45) … Colorado played the par-3's the best Monday even-par and played the par-5's at 17-under (fourth-best) and the par-4's at 2-over (tied for fourth-best).
The Buffaloes are tied with Fresno State atop the 16-team standings with 18-under 558 team scores. They rose to the top with similar scores, one round of 12-under 276 and one of 6-under 282. After the morning round, the Buffs were tied for fourth after recording its 282 tally, was six back of the Bulldogs. It was CU's best opening round in seven tournaments this season, and the third under par. All five Colorado players opened with scores of par or better, the first time that has happened this season. The 276s were the best team rounds in the field Monday.
It should be a dogfight in Tuesday's final round, as co-host San Diego and Loyola-Marymount are just one off the pace with 17-under 559 scores. Lurking in fifth is the other co-host, San Diego State, nine back at 567, with New Mexico (569) and Georgia Tech (570) within striking distance.
Colorado is coming off a team victory in the Wyoming Desert Match Play Championship, and opened the spring in a tie for sixth in the Southwestern Invitational, which was also hotly contested the last round. CU was just six strokes behind champion Ohio State and two shots out of third.
"We really had good, solid day today," CU head coach Roy Edwards said. "We actually got off to a fairly shaky start on some of the more scoreable holes. After that, however, the guys played some tremendous golf. The greatest strength of this team is maybe the most important characteristic any athlete could have – they stay in the fight no matter what."
Colorado is the only school with three players in the top 10, and San Diego joined the Buffs with four players in the top 25 after 36 holes. The Buffaloes also shined on the five toughest holes Monday – Nos. 18, 6, 3, 13 and 9 in that order – CU's quintet played those collectively at just 2-over par; for comparison, Fresno's five played those at 11-over.
Sophomore Hunter Swanson paved the way for Colorado on Monday, as he's tied for fifth after a 6-under 71-67—138 effort on the 7,033-yard, par-72 San Diego Country Club course design. He tied for the team-high with eight birdies, along with an eagle and 23 pars against just four bogeys. He was 2-over par through 15 holes in the morning and then went on a tear. He finished his first round with three straight birdies on holes 7 through 9, and then had an eagle and two birdies to get to 4-under through 13 in the second round. After his one bogey in the afternoon, he finished with two pars and two more birdies again on Nos. 8 and 9. He had a run of 18 straight holes making par or better, which turned out to be a theme of sorts for CU Monday.
Junior Justin Biwer returned to his hometown and put a 5-under 68-71—139 scorecard into the books, tying him for ninth place. He was consistent al day, with an eagle, eight birdies and 22 pars opposite just five bogeys, and at one point between his two rounds, he strung together 20 straight holes of par or better, which included five birdies and his eagle. It tied the third longest streak on the team this season. He played the tough par-4s at 3-under, fifth-best in the 95-man field Monday, with his two subpar rounds here gives him 67 career rounds of par or better, moving him into third all-time at CU.
Junior Tucker Clark is also tied for ninth, as he reversed Biwer's scores with a 71-68 effort; he had a team-high 27 pars with five birdies, and the team-low of just two bogeys and he continued his consistent play this spring. He was only over par for two holes all day, as after opening with seven pars, he bogeyed No.17, but went par-birdie-birdie and remained in the red the remainder of the day. He, too, had an impressive stretch of bogey-free holes, his run going 19 holes, and he ended his day with another eight in a row, including back-to-back birdies on Nos. 8 and 9 to end his day.
Dylan McDermott is tied for 25th after a 72-70—142 performance, or 2-under par. Staring on No. 9, he was 1-under through eight holes, but finished the back nine bogey-double to make the turn at 2-over. He bounced back with six pars and closed the morning loop with back-to-back birdies to pull back to even. He got into red numbers in the afternoon quick with a birdie on No. 10, and then eagled No. 16 to get to 3-under at that point before closing with a birdie and two bogeys. On the day, he had the eagle, five birdies and 26 pars with just the four holes worse than par with a run of 19 straight of par or better.
McDermott and Clark played the par-3s at 1-under, tied for the best in the field.
Freshman Brandon Knight is tied for 63rd after a 72-75—147 day; he had five birdies and 24 pars with six bogeys and a double. He opened each round at 1-under at one point, spending most of his morning round either at even or 1-over, but got it down to par after a birdie on the par-5 8th hole. In round two after he birdied No. 16, he went double-bogey to get on the unhappy side of par, and hanging in a 1-over, suffered bogeys on two of his last three holes. His long streak of pars or better was 11.
San Diego's Craig Ronne grabbed the individual lead through two rounds after carding a 9-under effort of 70-65—135. That leads Loyola-Marymount's Mason Snyder by a stroke; Snyder had the day's other low round 7-under 65 in the morning.
The third and final round is set for Tuesday morning; the Buffaloes will be paired with Fresno State and co-host San Diego. They will be in threesomes teeing off on No. 1 starting at 10:30 a.m. MST.
"We are all excited for tomorrow," Edwards said. "It's going to be important to continue to stay in the moment and focus on each shot."
NOTES: Light rain fell in the morning but ceased before play began; temperatures reached the low 60s with the wind picking up in the afternoon, averaging 10-15 miles per hour, occasionally gusting into the 20s … CU's 18-under 558 score tied for the eighth-best in school history in relation to par on a par-72 course configuration … The last time all five designated scorers shot par or better was in the final round of last May's NCAA Central Regional …The four runs of 18 holes of par or better (which added to 76) are four of the 10 longest streaks this season … Colorado now has five subpar team scores out of the seven second round in '23-24 … This is the sixth time the Buffaloes are playing in the Lamkin; CU is looking to top its best finish here (eighth out of 16 in 2018) … Swanson matched CU's best individual round here, a 5-under 67, that Daniel O'Loughlin shot in the 2020 event; in doing so, he lowered his second round average on the season to a team-best 69.43 … Biwer passed O'Loughlin (66 rounds of par or better), and now trails only the Paul twins, Jeremy (74) and Yannik (73) … McDermott's 68 was his 35th round in the 60s, tying O'Loughlin for third on that chart (again, only behind the Pauls—Jeremy 41, Yannik 37) … Swanson, with his eighth eagle on the season, tied the school record for the most in a single season, matching Jason Burstyn's 2012-13 total … The average score Monday for 189 rounds was 72.72 (lower in the morning – 72.27 than the afternoon – 73.18 after the winds picked up); 37 players are presently under par with five others matching it through 36 holes … The Buff led the field in pars with 122 (San Diego was next with 118), and tied for the lead in eagles (3); the Buffs tied for sixth in birdies with 33 (Fresno topped all with 45) … Colorado played the par-3's the best Monday even-par and played the par-5's at 17-under (fourth-best) and the par-4's at 2-over (tied for fourth-best).
| BUFFALO INDIVIDUALS | ||
| T5. | Hunter Swanson | 71-67—138 |
| T9. | Justin Biwer | 68-71—139 |
| T9. | Tucker Clark | 71-68—139 |
| T25. | Dylan McDermott | 72-70—142 |
| T63. | Brandon Knight | 72-75—147 |
| INDIVIDUAL LEADERS |
| 1. | Craig Ronne, San Diego | 70-65—135 |
| 2. | Mason Snyder, LMU | 65-71—136 |
| T3. | Matthew Sutherland, Fresno State | 68-69—137 |
| T3. | Riley Lewis, LMU | 68-69—137 |
| T5. | Hunter Swanson, Colorado | 71-67—138 |
| T5. | Albert Boneta, New Mexico | 67-71—138 |
| T5. | Baron Szeto, Cal Poly | 69-69—138 |
| T5. | Chanachon Chokprajakchat, SDSU | 72-66—138 |
| TEAM STANDINGS |
| 1. | COLORADO | 282-276—558 |
| 1. | Fresno State | 276-282—558 |
| 3. | San Diego | 282-277—559 |
| 4. | Loyola-Marymount | 279-280—559 |
| 5. | San Diego State | 283-284—567 |
| 6. | New Mexico | 281-288—569 |
| 7. | Georgia Tech | 283-287—570 |
| 8. | Wyoming | 291-282—573 |
| 8. | Cal Poly | 288-285—573 |
| 10. | St. Mary's | 285-289—574 |
| 11. | Washington | 285-290—575 |
| 12. | BYU | 288-289—577 |
| 13. | LSU | 286-295—581 |
| 14. | Hawai'i | 287-295—582 |
| 15. | Santa Clara | 284-299—583 |
| 16. | Colorado State | 287-301—588 |
Players Mentioned
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