Colorado University Athletics
Knight tamed Papago GC with a final round 5-under 66
Photo by: Tony Harman
Golfers Finish Sixth in ASU Thunderbird Collegiate
April 11, 2026 | Men's Golf
Knight Shines As He Leaders Buffaloes
PHOENIX – The University of Colorado men's golf team had a disappointing start here Saturday but rebounded in part to junior Brandon Knight's individual effort to finish sixth in the 53rd Arizona State Thunderbird Collegiate.
No. 20 New Mexico took over the lead in the third round and held off host and No.9 Arizona State; the Lobos finished with 32-under par 820 total. Host and No. 9 Arizona State leap-frogged No. 28 Long Beach to grab second with an 824 score, with the Beach taking third (825); NO. 48 San Diego took fourth (828), with UCLA (842) and Colorado reversing positions in the final standings, UCLA ending with a 10-under 842 and CU at 8-under 844.
Eight of the nine teams finish with subpar score, and the ninth – Utah – was even.
"That was a really nice round and tournament by Brandon. 66 today was a very good score," CU head coach Roy Edwards said. ''The team did a good job coming back after a terrible front nine. We had a lot of good moments here and thus have some good stuff to build on before we go to Prairie Dunes for the Big 12 Championship."
Knight finished seventh in the medalist race with a 7-under par 206 score; his final round 5-under 66 propelled him up 12 spots in the standings, finishing seventh overall, with a for the seventh top 10 and ninth top 20 finish of his career, the fourth of each this year as he closed with a 7-over 206 score. He was 1-under through seven, but birdied four holes on the back nine, including three in a row (Nos. 10 through 12) in recording a 31 on the back nine.
"I felt I played pretty well through the bag this week," Knight said in attacking the 7,555-yard, par-71 Papago Golf Course design. "I drove it very well and avoided hitting any shots into the desert. My irons were also solid and I had some tougher putts go in today which was good." He finished 6-under on the par-5's, 1-under on the par-4's and even on the par-3's for the event.
His 66 tied three others for the low score in the final round and was one of just 16 in the 60's Saturday, after 39 were recorded in the first two rounds. Knight hit all 14 fairways and had 31 putts, just one three-put but that was for par on the par-5 9th. It also matched his best single round score of the season and was his career low gross score in a final round after three previous 67's.
Senior Hunter Swanson tied for 19th after closing with a 1-over 72, as he was 2-under 211 overall, the 21st time he was under par in 48 career events, the latter now tied for the ninth-most in CU history. He, too, was consistent all week, with nine birdies and 38 pars – third and second by a Buff – and had just seven bogeys. He was looking at a third straight round of par of better, but opened and closed his day with bogeys – otherwise he was hanging right around even most of the day. He was 1-under on the par-3's and par-4 and even on the par-5's.
Both Knight and Swanson now have a team-high six rounds where each scored just one hole worse than par (all bogeys); they also both were even or under par on all three par configurations, the sixth time this year for Swanson and the fifth for Knight.
Junior Ty Holbrook tied for 32nd after closing with a 1-over 72, as he wound up with a 1-over 214. He had a roller coaster round to finish up here, with five birdies, seven pars, fiv3 bogeys and a double. He was five over through 11 but would birdie four of his last seven holes and helped CU remain in sixth place, as well as threaten UCLA for fifth. He scored a team-high 12 birdies here over the two days, with 11 bogeys and the double; He was 1-under on the par-4's and 1-over on the par-3's and par-5's. He made his first double on the year on a par-5 Saturday (No. 9), out of 111 he's played on the season.
Graduate transfer Jackson Rivera closed with a 4-over 75 that landed him in a tie 45th with a 4-over 217. He had seven birdies and 32 pars against 15 bogeys overall, and played the par-4's even and was 1-over on the par-5's. He was 6-over through 11 but settled down to play his last seven holes at 2-under
Sophomore Parker Paxton enjoyed a better day, closing with a final round 1-over, the same score he opened with; he tied for 54th with an 8-over 221. He started his day with a birdie on No. 1, but he tripled No. 5 and doubled No. 9 to make the turn at 4-over. He played the last seven holes at 1-under after accomplishment to open the back nine.
Paxton did have the team highlight of the day, when he made CU's lone eagle in the tourney, coming on the monster 525-yard, par-4 10th hole. He drove the ball about 330 yards and then used a 6-iron for his approach from 193 yards out; the ball landed about eight feet beneath the hole and rolled into the cup. Had the hole played its usual par-5, it would have been the first known albatross in school history. It was his second eagle on a par-4 this season and in his career and the fourth by a Buff this year.
Freshman Tyler Long played here as an individual (his scores did not count toward the CU team total), he finished with a 5-over 76 to also tie for is tied for 54th after wrapping here with an 8-over 221. He had opened with a 2-under 69 before a pair of 76's, though scoring well on the par-5's (1-under) but he had his to=roubles on the par-4's (6-over); he had nine birdies, third most on the squad, with 28 pars.
New Mexico's Johnnie Clark Turned in a second straight 5-uner 66 to win medalist honors with a 14-under 199; That was goof for a three-shot win over two others.
This was the final tune-up for the Buffaloes ahead of the Big 12 Championships later this month, which will be played at the always challenging Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan., April 27-29.
NOTES: The temperature peaked at 84 degrees when the Buffs were on the course, with sunny skies an minimal wind all day … The average score for all 180 rounds was 71.03 (the highest in the final round for the 60 players, 71.38) … CU's sextet here averaged 71.67 for its 54 rounds (70.33 in the first round, 72.33 in the second and 72.17 Saturday) … There were 26 players who finished under par and another five who ended up even … The five toughest holes, in order, over the two days were Nos. 10, 4, 8, 17 and 7 (all +0.1 or more to par); Colorado's scorers played them at 12-over par overall (but plus-10 on Saturday) … The five scoring Buffs played the par-4's at 1-under (sixth behind ASU's minus-11), the par-3's at 10-over (seventh, ASU played them 3-over) and the par-5's at just 5-under (last; Long Beach was 23-under) … No. 10 played the toughest, with Paxton scoring one of just two eagles on thole (and Knight making one of just 10 birdies) … Colorado tied for sixth in birdies (49; New Mexico led wit 68), was second in pars (170, fifth behind Long Beach's 177_ and had 46 bogeys (seventh, ASU had just 27) …With three subpar team rounds, Colorado now has 25 in 32 overall this season, tying the '17-18 team for the second most and four behind the team record of 29 set last year … Swanson's nine birdies here moved him into fourth place all-time at CU with 482, now fourth all-time behind Jeremy Paul's ('17), who had the third-most with 486 … Seven of the nine teams competing were are ranked in the latest top 50; CU beat league rival No. 32 Utah … Colorado was 3-5 here against Division I competition, giving it a season record of 139-45-4 (.750) for 11 events, still holding on to its lead with the most wins in the nation over Long Beach State, as the Beach has 138 after this tournament … CU finished 9-13-2 in single rounds here, now 376-139-26 (.719) on the season.
No. 20 New Mexico took over the lead in the third round and held off host and No.9 Arizona State; the Lobos finished with 32-under par 820 total. Host and No. 9 Arizona State leap-frogged No. 28 Long Beach to grab second with an 824 score, with the Beach taking third (825); NO. 48 San Diego took fourth (828), with UCLA (842) and Colorado reversing positions in the final standings, UCLA ending with a 10-under 842 and CU at 8-under 844.
Eight of the nine teams finish with subpar score, and the ninth – Utah – was even.
"That was a really nice round and tournament by Brandon. 66 today was a very good score," CU head coach Roy Edwards said. ''The team did a good job coming back after a terrible front nine. We had a lot of good moments here and thus have some good stuff to build on before we go to Prairie Dunes for the Big 12 Championship."
Knight finished seventh in the medalist race with a 7-under par 206 score; his final round 5-under 66 propelled him up 12 spots in the standings, finishing seventh overall, with a for the seventh top 10 and ninth top 20 finish of his career, the fourth of each this year as he closed with a 7-over 206 score. He was 1-under through seven, but birdied four holes on the back nine, including three in a row (Nos. 10 through 12) in recording a 31 on the back nine.
"I felt I played pretty well through the bag this week," Knight said in attacking the 7,555-yard, par-71 Papago Golf Course design. "I drove it very well and avoided hitting any shots into the desert. My irons were also solid and I had some tougher putts go in today which was good." He finished 6-under on the par-5's, 1-under on the par-4's and even on the par-3's for the event.
His 66 tied three others for the low score in the final round and was one of just 16 in the 60's Saturday, after 39 were recorded in the first two rounds. Knight hit all 14 fairways and had 31 putts, just one three-put but that was for par on the par-5 9th. It also matched his best single round score of the season and was his career low gross score in a final round after three previous 67's.
Senior Hunter Swanson tied for 19th after closing with a 1-over 72, as he was 2-under 211 overall, the 21st time he was under par in 48 career events, the latter now tied for the ninth-most in CU history. He, too, was consistent all week, with nine birdies and 38 pars – third and second by a Buff – and had just seven bogeys. He was looking at a third straight round of par of better, but opened and closed his day with bogeys – otherwise he was hanging right around even most of the day. He was 1-under on the par-3's and par-4 and even on the par-5's.
Both Knight and Swanson now have a team-high six rounds where each scored just one hole worse than par (all bogeys); they also both were even or under par on all three par configurations, the sixth time this year for Swanson and the fifth for Knight.
Junior Ty Holbrook tied for 32nd after closing with a 1-over 72, as he wound up with a 1-over 214. He had a roller coaster round to finish up here, with five birdies, seven pars, fiv3 bogeys and a double. He was five over through 11 but would birdie four of his last seven holes and helped CU remain in sixth place, as well as threaten UCLA for fifth. He scored a team-high 12 birdies here over the two days, with 11 bogeys and the double; He was 1-under on the par-4's and 1-over on the par-3's and par-5's. He made his first double on the year on a par-5 Saturday (No. 9), out of 111 he's played on the season.
Graduate transfer Jackson Rivera closed with a 4-over 75 that landed him in a tie 45th with a 4-over 217. He had seven birdies and 32 pars against 15 bogeys overall, and played the par-4's even and was 1-over on the par-5's. He was 6-over through 11 but settled down to play his last seven holes at 2-under
Sophomore Parker Paxton enjoyed a better day, closing with a final round 1-over, the same score he opened with; he tied for 54th with an 8-over 221. He started his day with a birdie on No. 1, but he tripled No. 5 and doubled No. 9 to make the turn at 4-over. He played the last seven holes at 1-under after accomplishment to open the back nine.
Paxton did have the team highlight of the day, when he made CU's lone eagle in the tourney, coming on the monster 525-yard, par-4 10th hole. He drove the ball about 330 yards and then used a 6-iron for his approach from 193 yards out; the ball landed about eight feet beneath the hole and rolled into the cup. Had the hole played its usual par-5, it would have been the first known albatross in school history. It was his second eagle on a par-4 this season and in his career and the fourth by a Buff this year.
Freshman Tyler Long played here as an individual (his scores did not count toward the CU team total), he finished with a 5-over 76 to also tie for is tied for 54th after wrapping here with an 8-over 221. He had opened with a 2-under 69 before a pair of 76's, though scoring well on the par-5's (1-under) but he had his to=roubles on the par-4's (6-over); he had nine birdies, third most on the squad, with 28 pars.
New Mexico's Johnnie Clark Turned in a second straight 5-uner 66 to win medalist honors with a 14-under 199; That was goof for a three-shot win over two others.
This was the final tune-up for the Buffaloes ahead of the Big 12 Championships later this month, which will be played at the always challenging Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan., April 27-29.
NOTES: The temperature peaked at 84 degrees when the Buffs were on the course, with sunny skies an minimal wind all day … The average score for all 180 rounds was 71.03 (the highest in the final round for the 60 players, 71.38) … CU's sextet here averaged 71.67 for its 54 rounds (70.33 in the first round, 72.33 in the second and 72.17 Saturday) … There were 26 players who finished under par and another five who ended up even … The five toughest holes, in order, over the two days were Nos. 10, 4, 8, 17 and 7 (all +0.1 or more to par); Colorado's scorers played them at 12-over par overall (but plus-10 on Saturday) … The five scoring Buffs played the par-4's at 1-under (sixth behind ASU's minus-11), the par-3's at 10-over (seventh, ASU played them 3-over) and the par-5's at just 5-under (last; Long Beach was 23-under) … No. 10 played the toughest, with Paxton scoring one of just two eagles on thole (and Knight making one of just 10 birdies) … Colorado tied for sixth in birdies (49; New Mexico led wit 68), was second in pars (170, fifth behind Long Beach's 177_ and had 46 bogeys (seventh, ASU had just 27) …With three subpar team rounds, Colorado now has 25 in 32 overall this season, tying the '17-18 team for the second most and four behind the team record of 29 set last year … Swanson's nine birdies here moved him into fourth place all-time at CU with 482, now fourth all-time behind Jeremy Paul's ('17), who had the third-most with 486 … Seven of the nine teams competing were are ranked in the latest top 50; CU beat league rival No. 32 Utah … Colorado was 3-5 here against Division I competition, giving it a season record of 139-45-4 (.750) for 11 events, still holding on to its lead with the most wins in the nation over Long Beach State, as the Beach has 138 after this tournament … CU finished 9-13-2 in single rounds here, now 376-139-26 (.719) on the season.
| BUFFALO INDIVIDUALS |
| 7. | Brandon Knight | 69-71-66—206 |
| T19. | Hunter Swanson | 68-71-72—211 |
| T32. | Ty Holbrook | 71-70-72—214 |
| T45. | Jackson Rivera | 73-69-75—217 |
| T54. | Parker Paxton | 72-77-72—221 |
| T54. | *Tyler Long | 69-76-76—221 |
| INDIVIDUAL LEADERS |
| 1. | Johnnie Clark, New Mexico | 67-66-66—199 |
| T2. | Alejandro De Castro, Long Beach St. | 70-64-68—202 |
| T2. | Boston Bracken, Arizona State. | 64-72-66—202 |
| T4. | Ian Maspat, San Diego | 65-70-68—203 |
| T4. | Connor Williams, Arizona State | 67-69-67—203 |
| TEAM STANDINGS |
| 1. | New Mexico | 270-274-276—820 |
| 2. | Arizona State | 268-282-274—824 |
| 3. | Long Beach State | 272-269-284—825 |
| 4. | San Diego | 273-277-278—828 |
| 5. | UCLA | 280-282-280—842 |
| 6. | COLORADO | 280-281-283--844 |
| 7. | Utah | 291-279-276—846 |
| 8. | Oregon State | 282-282-283—847 |
| 9. | Grand Canyon | 285-283-284—852 |
Players Mentioned
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