Colorado University Athletics
Men's Golfers Open Season Ranked 25th
September 04, 2024 | Men's Golf
Golf Channel's Preseason Poll Released Wednesday
BOULDER — The University of Colorado men's golf team will open its 2024-25 season next week and received some good news Wednesday, as the Buffaloes are ranked 25th in Golf Channel's preseason Division I poll.
The rankings are created through Golf Channel's extensive research and conversations with coaches around the country. The last time CU was ranked in a preseason poll was prior to the 1980-81 season, when Colorado was 18th in that year's coaches polling.
"A really nice honor for our guys," CU head coach Roy Edwards said. "It is recognition of their efforts this last spring and this summer as well as to our incoming players. It's the deepest team I've ever coached and we expect to be very competitive. Our challenge to the guys is if we match our 'top 25' skill level with a 'top 25' work ethic and competitiveness every day then it is going to be an incredible season."
The Buffaloes have a 10-man roster, including five seniors, the most since the 1990-91 team also had five; otherwise you have to go back to the 1947-48 team to find another Buffs squad with five senior members.
"This group is motivated and hungry and I anticipate that will be our response," he added. "Coach (Derek) Tolan and I are really looking forward to getting out and competing this fall. Not only are they competitive but they are a lot of fun to be around and represent CU with great pride and honor."
The team is led by seniors Justin Biwer and Dylan McDermott, at present the Nos. 1 and 2 all-time stroke average at Colorado, Tucker Clark, Freddy Eisenbeis and Jack Holland. Junior Hunter Swanson, sophomores Ty Holbrook and Brandon Knight and incoming freshmen Zeqian "Michael" Fang and Parker Paxton comprise the rest of the squad.
In the latest World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), which ranked 4,835 players around the globe as of last Wednesday, the Buffaloes had five players in the top 1,000, led by McDermott who was ranked 111th (the 58th player from the U.S.). Fang was ranked 170th (the 12th player from China), Biwer 187th (the 93rd American), Clark 921st and Knight 978th.
That 1980-81 team finished second in the Big Eight to perennial power Oklahoma State (by seven strokes), and went on to finish 11th in the NCAA's. That team was led by three All-Americans, seniors Steve Jones, the 1996 U.S. Open champion, and Terry Kahl, the conference medalist that year, and junior Rick Cramer, who also spent time in the professional ranks. Depth was key as well, with seniors Trevor Jones and Barry Jennings, and freshman Michael Hogberg.
The Buffaloes begin their 102nd season of intercollegiate golf on Sept. 10-11 in Washington State's Palouse Collegiate in Pullman.
The Southeastern Conference had the most teams in the poll with 10, followed by the Atlantic Coast with six, the Big 12 with five, the Big Ten with two, and the Mountain West and West Coast Athletic with one each. The Buffaloes and Illinois are the only two schools in the poll considered "northern" schools in golf:
Golf Channel Men's Preseason Poll (Sept. 4): 1. Auburn; 2. Florida State; 3. Oklahoma; 4. Texas Tech; 5. Virginia; 6. Vanderbilt; 7. Arizona State; 8. Florida; 9. Illinois; 10. Mississippi; 11. Tennessee; 12. Texas; 13. Texas A&M; 14. Duke; 15. Arizona; 16. North Carolina; 17. Oklahoma State; 18. LSU; 19. UCLA; 20. Georgia Tech; 21. Pepperdine; 22. Stanford; 23. Alabama; 24. San Diego State; 25. Colorado.
The rankings are created through Golf Channel's extensive research and conversations with coaches around the country. The last time CU was ranked in a preseason poll was prior to the 1980-81 season, when Colorado was 18th in that year's coaches polling.
"A really nice honor for our guys," CU head coach Roy Edwards said. "It is recognition of their efforts this last spring and this summer as well as to our incoming players. It's the deepest team I've ever coached and we expect to be very competitive. Our challenge to the guys is if we match our 'top 25' skill level with a 'top 25' work ethic and competitiveness every day then it is going to be an incredible season."
The Buffaloes have a 10-man roster, including five seniors, the most since the 1990-91 team also had five; otherwise you have to go back to the 1947-48 team to find another Buffs squad with five senior members.
"This group is motivated and hungry and I anticipate that will be our response," he added. "Coach (Derek) Tolan and I are really looking forward to getting out and competing this fall. Not only are they competitive but they are a lot of fun to be around and represent CU with great pride and honor."
The team is led by seniors Justin Biwer and Dylan McDermott, at present the Nos. 1 and 2 all-time stroke average at Colorado, Tucker Clark, Freddy Eisenbeis and Jack Holland. Junior Hunter Swanson, sophomores Ty Holbrook and Brandon Knight and incoming freshmen Zeqian "Michael" Fang and Parker Paxton comprise the rest of the squad.
In the latest World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), which ranked 4,835 players around the globe as of last Wednesday, the Buffaloes had five players in the top 1,000, led by McDermott who was ranked 111th (the 58th player from the U.S.). Fang was ranked 170th (the 12th player from China), Biwer 187th (the 93rd American), Clark 921st and Knight 978th.
That 1980-81 team finished second in the Big Eight to perennial power Oklahoma State (by seven strokes), and went on to finish 11th in the NCAA's. That team was led by three All-Americans, seniors Steve Jones, the 1996 U.S. Open champion, and Terry Kahl, the conference medalist that year, and junior Rick Cramer, who also spent time in the professional ranks. Depth was key as well, with seniors Trevor Jones and Barry Jennings, and freshman Michael Hogberg.
The Buffaloes begin their 102nd season of intercollegiate golf on Sept. 10-11 in Washington State's Palouse Collegiate in Pullman.
The Southeastern Conference had the most teams in the poll with 10, followed by the Atlantic Coast with six, the Big 12 with five, the Big Ten with two, and the Mountain West and West Coast Athletic with one each. The Buffaloes and Illinois are the only two schools in the poll considered "northern" schools in golf:
Golf Channel Men's Preseason Poll (Sept. 4): 1. Auburn; 2. Florida State; 3. Oklahoma; 4. Texas Tech; 5. Virginia; 6. Vanderbilt; 7. Arizona State; 8. Florida; 9. Illinois; 10. Mississippi; 11. Tennessee; 12. Texas; 13. Texas A&M; 14. Duke; 15. Arizona; 16. North Carolina; 17. Oklahoma State; 18. LSU; 19. UCLA; 20. Georgia Tech; 21. Pepperdine; 22. Stanford; 23. Alabama; 24. San Diego State; 25. Colorado.
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