Colorado University Athletics
Photo by: Mike Rasay
Biwer Closes Out NCAA Regional Play
May 15, 2024 | Men's Golf
Final Action for 2023-24 Men's Golfers
AUSTIN —University of Colorado junior Justin Biwer got off to a rocky start and wound up finishing down the line as the of the NCAA Central/Austin Regional came a close here Wednesday.
Biwer tied for 71st with a 19-over 232 overall score after finishing with a 14-over 85 on the 7,399-yard, par-71 University of Texas Golf Club course. Sidetracked early after opening with a triple bogey on No. 1, he was still just 3-over after he birdied 462-yard, par-4 7th hole, one of just 10 birdies scored on the tough dogleg left. He then struggled over the next eight holes, but to his credit, he parred the last three. That included the 517-yard, par-4 18th for the second time in three days, as it played the toughest at +0.52 over par with only five birdies all tournament.
"It was a tough day today for Justin, obviously," head coach Roy Edwards said. "He got off to a bad start and wasn't able to recover. But he had a really good year and there's a lot for him to build on for the future. Today was just one of those "blips" that all golfers experience every now and then.
Host Texas easily claimed the team title with a 27-under 825 score, with the remaining teams to advance to the NCAA Finals being Tennessee (841), Notre Dame (846), Utah (850) and Wake Forest (854; it defeated BYU for the final spot in a playoff). The Longhorns' Christiaan Maas was the medalist with a 9-under 204 after closing with a 66 Wednesday. The individual not on those teams to advance was UNC Greensboro's Kelvin Hernandez, who recorded a 6-unde 207 scorecard.
Biwer's participation in the regional was the final action for the 2023-24 edition of the CU's men's golf team, the 100th in school history; although it was just the 99th complete season after the 2019-20 campaign was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Overall, from where we started in the fall, we had a really good spring but just came up short of the .500 record qualifying rule (as a team for the NCAA postseason); we were ranked well inside the number otherwise," Edwards said. "Beating two teams that advanced to the finals at the Pac 12 show where the team is headed. I'm looking forward to seeing how the guys develop their own games over the summer and getting ready for the fall. We have an opportunity to be an incredibly good team next year."
NOTES: The Buffs had no seniors on this year's team but one sophomore, Robby Keilch, is in the transfer portal as he is looking to join a school closer to his native California … The 85 was Biwer's first collegiate round in the 80's (and just the second over a 77); his streak of 110 rounds without an 80 or higher is second all-time at CU behind 123 by Daniel O'Loughlin (2017-21) … He had seven birdies and 31 pars over the three rounds, with one of those birds on the 493-yard, par-4 3rd hole on Monday, one or just 10 on it all week … The average score for all 225 rounds was 72.80 (it was 73.77 for the final round); the course was no walk in the park, as only 14 players finished under par with five equaling it; of the six regionals, it played out as the third-hardest (though not by much) … Biwer finished the year with a stroke average of 71.86 for 37 rounds, leading the team for the second time (he also did as a freshman); that edged fellow junior Dylan McDermott (71.94) … Of the eight Pac-12 teams that qualified for regionals, four advanced to the finals: Arizona, Cal, Stanford and Utah; No. 3-ranked Arizona State and No. 10 Washington finished sixth and eighth, respectively, out of the West region.
Biwer tied for 71st with a 19-over 232 overall score after finishing with a 14-over 85 on the 7,399-yard, par-71 University of Texas Golf Club course. Sidetracked early after opening with a triple bogey on No. 1, he was still just 3-over after he birdied 462-yard, par-4 7th hole, one of just 10 birdies scored on the tough dogleg left. He then struggled over the next eight holes, but to his credit, he parred the last three. That included the 517-yard, par-4 18th for the second time in three days, as it played the toughest at +0.52 over par with only five birdies all tournament.
"It was a tough day today for Justin, obviously," head coach Roy Edwards said. "He got off to a bad start and wasn't able to recover. But he had a really good year and there's a lot for him to build on for the future. Today was just one of those "blips" that all golfers experience every now and then.
Host Texas easily claimed the team title with a 27-under 825 score, with the remaining teams to advance to the NCAA Finals being Tennessee (841), Notre Dame (846), Utah (850) and Wake Forest (854; it defeated BYU for the final spot in a playoff). The Longhorns' Christiaan Maas was the medalist with a 9-under 204 after closing with a 66 Wednesday. The individual not on those teams to advance was UNC Greensboro's Kelvin Hernandez, who recorded a 6-unde 207 scorecard.
Biwer's participation in the regional was the final action for the 2023-24 edition of the CU's men's golf team, the 100th in school history; although it was just the 99th complete season after the 2019-20 campaign was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Overall, from where we started in the fall, we had a really good spring but just came up short of the .500 record qualifying rule (as a team for the NCAA postseason); we were ranked well inside the number otherwise," Edwards said. "Beating two teams that advanced to the finals at the Pac 12 show where the team is headed. I'm looking forward to seeing how the guys develop their own games over the summer and getting ready for the fall. We have an opportunity to be an incredibly good team next year."
NOTES: The Buffs had no seniors on this year's team but one sophomore, Robby Keilch, is in the transfer portal as he is looking to join a school closer to his native California … The 85 was Biwer's first collegiate round in the 80's (and just the second over a 77); his streak of 110 rounds without an 80 or higher is second all-time at CU behind 123 by Daniel O'Loughlin (2017-21) … He had seven birdies and 31 pars over the three rounds, with one of those birds on the 493-yard, par-4 3rd hole on Monday, one or just 10 on it all week … The average score for all 225 rounds was 72.80 (it was 73.77 for the final round); the course was no walk in the park, as only 14 players finished under par with five equaling it; of the six regionals, it played out as the third-hardest (though not by much) … Biwer finished the year with a stroke average of 71.86 for 37 rounds, leading the team for the second time (he also did as a freshman); that edged fellow junior Dylan McDermott (71.94) … Of the eight Pac-12 teams that qualified for regionals, four advanced to the finals: Arizona, Cal, Stanford and Utah; No. 3-ranked Arizona State and No. 10 Washington finished sixth and eighth, respectively, out of the West region.
BUFFALO INDIVIDUAL
| T71. | Justin Biwer | 73-74-85—232 |
TOP FIVE INDIVIDUALS
| 1. | Christiaan Maas, Texas | 71-67-66—204 |
| 2. | Nathan Petronzio, Texas | 67-69-69—205 |
| T3. | Brian Stark, Texas | 68-68-71—207 |
| T3. | Kelvin Hernandez, UNCG | 67-72-68—207 |
| T5. | Michael Brennan, Wake Forest | 67-68-73—208 |
| T5. | Bryce Lewis, Tennessee | 67-71-70—208 |
Players Mentioned
Thursday, March 26
Tuesday, August 12
Tuesday, February 06
Tuesday, February 06