Colorado University Athletics
The Greg Norman Course at PGA West in LaQuinta, Calif.
Photo by: CUBuffs.com
Golfers Set To Open Spring In The Prestige At PGA West
February 13, 2025 | Men's Golf
CU enters the spring season as the nation’s 36th-ranked team
LA QUINTA, Calif. — The University of Colorado men's golf team arrived here late Wednesday as the Buffaloes will open the spring portion of its schedule this coming Monday in 26th annual "The Prestige" at PGA West.
The late Mark Simpson, former CU head coach, help create the tournament back in 2000, specifically for the top academic schools in college golf; this will be the 12th time the Buffaloes will play in it.
The three-day, 54-hole tournament featuring 18 of the nation's top 76 teams will be staged on the PGA West Greg Norman Course, which boasts a 7,185-yard, par-71 configuration. It's the "lowest" course CU will play on this year, as the high-altitude Buffs will try their wares on the 18-hole layout at the bottom of a prehistoric ocean bed, some 40 feet below sea level. The official practice round is Sunday, but the Buffaloes arrived a couple of days early to get a few extra rounds of practice in ahead of their first competition since the first week of November.
The initial line-up for the Buffaloes, ranked 36th in the nation through the fall season, to open the spring will be seniors Justin Biwer, Freddy Eisenbeis and Dylan McDermott, junior Hunter Swanson and freshman Michael Fang. Sophomore Ty Holbrook is also making the trip to participate in a separate event, the Prestige Individual. The Buffs shattered its previous mark for stroke average in the fall by nearly a stroke-and-a-half with a 70.5 mark, topped by Biwer (68.47) and McDermott (68.80) posting the top two fall averages in school history (both played 15 rounds). Eisenbeis' 70.50 and Swanson's 70.53 numbers cracked the last two spots in the top 10 on that same list. The 10 players on the roster combined to record 79 subpar rounds out of 111 overall, with 43 scores in the 60's, already the third-most ever at CU.
"We are certainly excited to get the spring started," Colorado head coach Roy Edwards said. "The team really has worked hard over the winter for the most part and we had some really good practices and qualifying to get ready for the Prestige. Every player on the team has shot some good scores to start practice and I anticipate a lot of good golf from the entire roster all spring. Our strength, other than Justin and Dylan obviously being two of the top players in the country, is our depth so it should provide for a lot of inter-squad competition all spring long.
"We fully expect to get to Palm Springs and be highly-competitive, both as a team and individually, he added. "We play our best when we execute what we are capable of and manage our games and emotions. The PGA West Norman Course puts a premium on ball-striking and iron play so that has been a big area of focus for the team for the past few weeks."
The 24-team field includes co-hosts UC Davis and No. 45 Stanford, along with six from the Big 12: No. 23 and defending champion Texas Tech, No. 36 CU, Baylor, No. 46 Kansas, No. 56 Iowa State and No. 65 Kansas State. The remainder of the field includes No. 6 North Carolina, No. 15 Pepperdine, No. 31 Northwestern, No. 34 Oregon, No. 35 Louisville, No. 40 Colorado State, No. 41 UNLV, No. 43 Arkansas-Little Rock, No. 55 Loyola-Marymount, No. 64 San Diego, No. 75 Princeton, No. 76 Oregon State, Florida Atlantic, Nevada, UNC-Wilmington, Washington State, Yale and hometown community college, the College of the Desert. There are 21 of the nation's top 102 golfers in the field, including Biwer (No. 81) and McDermott (No. 96).
Fourteen schools participating also have individuals playing in the Prestige Individual – 28 players among them.
Four Buffaloes enter the spring ranked among the top amateurs in the world, McDermott heading the list at No. 109 (the 65th American). Biwer is ranked No. 119 (70th from the U.S.), Fang No. 226 and Swanson No. 598.
The remaining four CU team members, seniors Tucker Clark and Jack Holland, sophomore Brandon Knight and freshman Parker Paxton will, weather-permitting, participate in CSU Pueblo's SoCo Intercollegiate at Walking Stick Golf Course on Monday, Feb. 17, and will also head to Palm Desert for Wyoming's Desert Intercollegiate, Feb. 24-26 at the Classic Club.
NOTES: The Buffaloes will tee off No. 1 on Monday at 8:45 a.m. MST to start the tourney and will be paired with UC Davis and Northwestern; Holbrook will begin at 10:30 a.m. with players from LMU and the College of the Desert in the indy event … Colorado has three top five finishes in The Prestige, its best a second place effort in 2001 when it was held in the fall (281-288-280—849, -15); Washington won that year with an 844 total … Joe Liley finished third that year (69-70-68—207, -9), CU's best individual finish among eight top 12 finishes here over the years … The Buffs last played in the event in 2021, tying for 20th out of 24 teams … CU will compete next as a full team in the Lamkin San Diego Invitational in Chula Vista, Calif., Mar. 10-11.
The late Mark Simpson, former CU head coach, help create the tournament back in 2000, specifically for the top academic schools in college golf; this will be the 12th time the Buffaloes will play in it.
The three-day, 54-hole tournament featuring 18 of the nation's top 76 teams will be staged on the PGA West Greg Norman Course, which boasts a 7,185-yard, par-71 configuration. It's the "lowest" course CU will play on this year, as the high-altitude Buffs will try their wares on the 18-hole layout at the bottom of a prehistoric ocean bed, some 40 feet below sea level. The official practice round is Sunday, but the Buffaloes arrived a couple of days early to get a few extra rounds of practice in ahead of their first competition since the first week of November.
The initial line-up for the Buffaloes, ranked 36th in the nation through the fall season, to open the spring will be seniors Justin Biwer, Freddy Eisenbeis and Dylan McDermott, junior Hunter Swanson and freshman Michael Fang. Sophomore Ty Holbrook is also making the trip to participate in a separate event, the Prestige Individual. The Buffs shattered its previous mark for stroke average in the fall by nearly a stroke-and-a-half with a 70.5 mark, topped by Biwer (68.47) and McDermott (68.80) posting the top two fall averages in school history (both played 15 rounds). Eisenbeis' 70.50 and Swanson's 70.53 numbers cracked the last two spots in the top 10 on that same list. The 10 players on the roster combined to record 79 subpar rounds out of 111 overall, with 43 scores in the 60's, already the third-most ever at CU.
"We are certainly excited to get the spring started," Colorado head coach Roy Edwards said. "The team really has worked hard over the winter for the most part and we had some really good practices and qualifying to get ready for the Prestige. Every player on the team has shot some good scores to start practice and I anticipate a lot of good golf from the entire roster all spring. Our strength, other than Justin and Dylan obviously being two of the top players in the country, is our depth so it should provide for a lot of inter-squad competition all spring long.
"We fully expect to get to Palm Springs and be highly-competitive, both as a team and individually, he added. "We play our best when we execute what we are capable of and manage our games and emotions. The PGA West Norman Course puts a premium on ball-striking and iron play so that has been a big area of focus for the team for the past few weeks."
The 24-team field includes co-hosts UC Davis and No. 45 Stanford, along with six from the Big 12: No. 23 and defending champion Texas Tech, No. 36 CU, Baylor, No. 46 Kansas, No. 56 Iowa State and No. 65 Kansas State. The remainder of the field includes No. 6 North Carolina, No. 15 Pepperdine, No. 31 Northwestern, No. 34 Oregon, No. 35 Louisville, No. 40 Colorado State, No. 41 UNLV, No. 43 Arkansas-Little Rock, No. 55 Loyola-Marymount, No. 64 San Diego, No. 75 Princeton, No. 76 Oregon State, Florida Atlantic, Nevada, UNC-Wilmington, Washington State, Yale and hometown community college, the College of the Desert. There are 21 of the nation's top 102 golfers in the field, including Biwer (No. 81) and McDermott (No. 96).
Fourteen schools participating also have individuals playing in the Prestige Individual – 28 players among them.
Four Buffaloes enter the spring ranked among the top amateurs in the world, McDermott heading the list at No. 109 (the 65th American). Biwer is ranked No. 119 (70th from the U.S.), Fang No. 226 and Swanson No. 598.
The remaining four CU team members, seniors Tucker Clark and Jack Holland, sophomore Brandon Knight and freshman Parker Paxton will, weather-permitting, participate in CSU Pueblo's SoCo Intercollegiate at Walking Stick Golf Course on Monday, Feb. 17, and will also head to Palm Desert for Wyoming's Desert Intercollegiate, Feb. 24-26 at the Classic Club.
NOTES: The Buffaloes will tee off No. 1 on Monday at 8:45 a.m. MST to start the tourney and will be paired with UC Davis and Northwestern; Holbrook will begin at 10:30 a.m. with players from LMU and the College of the Desert in the indy event … Colorado has three top five finishes in The Prestige, its best a second place effort in 2001 when it was held in the fall (281-288-280—849, -15); Washington won that year with an 844 total … Joe Liley finished third that year (69-70-68—207, -9), CU's best individual finish among eight top 12 finishes here over the years … The Buffs last played in the event in 2021, tying for 20th out of 24 teams … CU will compete next as a full team in the Lamkin San Diego Invitational in Chula Vista, Calif., Mar. 10-11.
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