Colorado University Athletics
Buff Golfers Set To Host 14th Mark Simpson-CU Invitational
September 28, 2024 | Men's Golf
Colorado National GC To Host Event on Monday and Tuesday
ERIE — The 14th Annual Mark Simpson-CU Invitational, honoring the late long-time coach of the program, will be played this Monday and Tuesday here at Colorado National Golf Club, the Buffaloes' home course located about 12 miles east of campus.
There are 19 teams entered in the field, including host Colorado, many of whom have played in this field previously: Air Force, Boise State, Central Arkansas, Colorado Mines, Colorado State, Creighton, CSU Fullerton, Denver, New Mexico State, Northern Colorado, St. Mary's, Southern Utah, Tarleton State, Utah, Utah State, UTEP, Valparaiso and Wyoming. Last year's champion that defeated CU by two strokes, San Francisco, is not participating. An additional nine golfers will play as individuals, as their scores will not count toward their team totals: four more from CU, two from Wyoming, and one each from Air Force, Colorado State and Utah.
CSU and Utah have won two tournaments in the young 2024-25 season, with CU one, just last week in New Mexico's Tucker Intercollegiate. The Buffaloes come in with a 41-3-1 record against Division I competition, two of those defeats at the hands of the Rams and Utes. It's the second-best record after three tournaments in school history, a shade behind a 40-2 start in 2012.
"It's always exciting to play The Simpson," CU head coach Roy Edwards said. "We've got quite a bit of great history with the event now with a lot of really good teams and players that have played in the tournament. This year is probably the deepest field we've ever had. We've won a tournament. Utah's won twice, Colorado State's won twice. There's been a lot of other top finishes for teams coming in. The weather looks great for the tournament days as well."
Colorado was ranked 25th in Golf Channel's preseason poll, as the Buffaloes return eight lettermen from a year ago. Those include five seniors, just the third known time in program history with that many, the previous times occurring in 1990-91 and 1947-48. This team is one of the most experienced in school history, as the eight now have played 624 rounds combined in their CU careers (234 last year, 59 this season).
Nine of CU's 10 players will participate in "The Simpson," all five seniors – Justin Biwer, Tucker Clark, Freddy Eisenbeis, Jack Holland and Dylan McDermott – along with junior Hunter Swanson, sophomores Ty Holbrook and Brandon Knight and freshman Parker Paxton; Clark, Holbrook, Holland and Paxton will play as individuals. CU's other team member, Zeqian "Michael" Fang, a freshman from China, earned a berth to play in the Asia-Pacific Amateur that starts this Wednesday (Oct. 3) in Gotemba, Japan (120 amateurs from 40 countries are entered; the medalist earns an exemption into the 2025 Masters, so this is no small event).
"As far as our team goes we are in a really good spot," Edwards said. "We've had some great leadership by our senior class. It's a really tight team that enjoys each other and is highly-competitive. Justin and Dylan have just been incredible their entire careers and a lot of other guys are coming on strong."
In fact, through three events of which CU has a first, second and third place finish, the players have already combined for 14 top 20 finishes, 26 subpar rounds (20 in the 60's) and 42 round rounds of par or better (out of 66).
Play begins Monday with 36 holes of continuous play (foursomes) with a shotgun format start at 8:15 a.m. (MDT), followed by the final 18 holes on Tuesday in a staggered shotgun format (the top four teams will play in five tee times off No. 1 beginning at 8:10 a.m.; rest in a shotgun at 8:30). Colorado National's championship layout is a 7,787-yard, par-72 configuration, and the greens feature bent grass.
The tournament's namesake, the late Mark Simpson served as Colorado's head coach for 29 years (1977-2005), until he passed away at the age of 55 on Dec. 5, 2005; he was inducted earlier that year into the GCAA Hall of Fame. Edwards created this tournament in 2010 in his honor.
There are 19 teams entered in the field, including host Colorado, many of whom have played in this field previously: Air Force, Boise State, Central Arkansas, Colorado Mines, Colorado State, Creighton, CSU Fullerton, Denver, New Mexico State, Northern Colorado, St. Mary's, Southern Utah, Tarleton State, Utah, Utah State, UTEP, Valparaiso and Wyoming. Last year's champion that defeated CU by two strokes, San Francisco, is not participating. An additional nine golfers will play as individuals, as their scores will not count toward their team totals: four more from CU, two from Wyoming, and one each from Air Force, Colorado State and Utah.
CSU and Utah have won two tournaments in the young 2024-25 season, with CU one, just last week in New Mexico's Tucker Intercollegiate. The Buffaloes come in with a 41-3-1 record against Division I competition, two of those defeats at the hands of the Rams and Utes. It's the second-best record after three tournaments in school history, a shade behind a 40-2 start in 2012.
"It's always exciting to play The Simpson," CU head coach Roy Edwards said. "We've got quite a bit of great history with the event now with a lot of really good teams and players that have played in the tournament. This year is probably the deepest field we've ever had. We've won a tournament. Utah's won twice, Colorado State's won twice. There's been a lot of other top finishes for teams coming in. The weather looks great for the tournament days as well."
Colorado was ranked 25th in Golf Channel's preseason poll, as the Buffaloes return eight lettermen from a year ago. Those include five seniors, just the third known time in program history with that many, the previous times occurring in 1990-91 and 1947-48. This team is one of the most experienced in school history, as the eight now have played 624 rounds combined in their CU careers (234 last year, 59 this season).
Nine of CU's 10 players will participate in "The Simpson," all five seniors – Justin Biwer, Tucker Clark, Freddy Eisenbeis, Jack Holland and Dylan McDermott – along with junior Hunter Swanson, sophomores Ty Holbrook and Brandon Knight and freshman Parker Paxton; Clark, Holbrook, Holland and Paxton will play as individuals. CU's other team member, Zeqian "Michael" Fang, a freshman from China, earned a berth to play in the Asia-Pacific Amateur that starts this Wednesday (Oct. 3) in Gotemba, Japan (120 amateurs from 40 countries are entered; the medalist earns an exemption into the 2025 Masters, so this is no small event).
"As far as our team goes we are in a really good spot," Edwards said. "We've had some great leadership by our senior class. It's a really tight team that enjoys each other and is highly-competitive. Justin and Dylan have just been incredible their entire careers and a lot of other guys are coming on strong."
In fact, through three events of which CU has a first, second and third place finish, the players have already combined for 14 top 20 finishes, 26 subpar rounds (20 in the 60's) and 42 round rounds of par or better (out of 66).
Play begins Monday with 36 holes of continuous play (foursomes) with a shotgun format start at 8:15 a.m. (MDT), followed by the final 18 holes on Tuesday in a staggered shotgun format (the top four teams will play in five tee times off No. 1 beginning at 8:10 a.m.; rest in a shotgun at 8:30). Colorado National's championship layout is a 7,787-yard, par-72 configuration, and the greens feature bent grass.
The tournament's namesake, the late Mark Simpson served as Colorado's head coach for 29 years (1977-2005), until he passed away at the age of 55 on Dec. 5, 2005; he was inducted earlier that year into the GCAA Hall of Fame. Edwards created this tournament in 2010 in his honor.
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