Luke Symons

Height:
6-5
Weight:
185
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Lone Tree, Colo.
High School:
ThunderRidge

Untitled Document

College?Career Notes: He played the eighth most rounds in school history (143), posting the 18th best career stroke average (74.77; 14th for those with 100-plus rounds).? He also tied for 13th in top 20 finishes (14) and tied for 15th in top 10 efforts (7).

2010-11 (Sr.): He was slowed for a while as his completed rehabilitation from two separate hip surgeries (walking and playing 36 holes in day were a challenge many couldn’t endure, but he muddled through).? Despite dealing with the issue, he still finished second on the team in stroke average (74.41, just a tenth of a stroke off the lead), as he was the only player on the team to play in all 13 tournaments.? He led the team in subpar rounds (8) and in first round stroke average (72.69), when he recorded six of those rounds below par.? He had the team’s top performance four times, including his best event in stroke count in relation to par for the season in CU’s Mark Simpson Invitational when he turned in a 70-72-72?214 (-2) scorecard.? That was one of two tournaments where he tied for seventh, the other being the Front Range Individual, where he turned in a 73-78?151 effort on Air Force’s Eisenhower Blue and CU’s Colorado National courses.? His other top 20 finish on the season was an 11th-place tie at the Barona Collegiate Cup in San Diego (70-75-74?219), with his best 54-hole tournament score in the meet that followed, a 74-67-72?213 (+3) in the Wyoming Cowboy Classic in Scottsdale; that second round 4-under 67 was his low round of the year as well as his collegiate career.? He wrapped up his time at CU by posting CU’s best score in the school’s last appearance in the Big 12 Championships, where he finished 30th (76-75-68-80?299, +19) at the always tough Prairie Dunes Golf Club in Hutchinson, Kan.? For the year, he ranked 48th in the nation in putts per round with 29.78 (41st in the fall at 29.25), and was 37th in non-sand up-and-downs with a 64.3 percent conversion rate (24th in the fall at 68.8); he was 68th in the country in total short game (59.1).

2009-10 (Sr.-RS): He missed the entire season, thus redshirting after undergoing a pair of hip surgeries to mend a chronic problem.?

2008-09 (Jr.): He played in all 13 tournaments (40 rounds), finishing third on the team in stroke average with a 74.28 figure.? He had seven subpar rounds (three in the 60s), with 33 of his rounds counting toward team scoring.? His stroke average for the spring was almost a stroke higher (74.64) than the fall, as he started to deal with a nagging, chronic hip injury.? He still had three top 25 finishes, including the team’s best performance in the NCAA West Regional where he tied for 18th with a 70-75-68?213 (-3) scorecard; he had 16 birdies in the meet, tied for the second most in the field, and in the final round, birdied five straight holes at one point (Nos. 17-3), the only player to accomplish that feat in any of the regionals.? The final round 68 matched his best score of the year.? He had been stuck in a pattern where one bad round cost him a top 20 finish, something that had occurred in the five meets prior to the regional.? His other top spring efforts were 25th place ties in the Western Intercollegiate (72-79-73?224, +14) and in CU’s Stevinson Ranch Invitational (75-71-79?225, +9).? He tied for 43rd in the Big 12 Championships, rebounding from an opening round of 85 (15-over) to play the next 54 holes at 12-over, helping CU to a second place finish.? He qualified for all six fall tournaments and enjoyed a solid semester with three top 20 and five top 32 finishes.? He averaged 73.83 strokes per round, third best among the regulars, and had 16 of his 18 rounds count toward the team’s total.? His top finish was a sixth-place tie in Denver’s Ron Moore Invitational, where he posted his best collegiate round to date (4-under par 68) in the second round on his way to a six-under 210 total.? He tied for 16th at the UNM Tucker Invitational (220; +4) and tied for 19th at Northwestern’s Windon Memorial (217; +4), the latter on one of the toughest courses that plays host in college golf (North Shore Country Club).? He closed the fall by opening with an 85 in the first round of New Mexico State’s Herb Wimberly invite, but showed his fortitude in rallying for a final round 72.? He had three eagles in the fall, tied for 33rd in the nation, and was second on the team in putts per round (30.3).?

2007-08 (Soph.): He earned PING All-Central Region honors and finished up as the No. 229 ranked player in the nation by Golfweek.? His 74.59 stroke average was second on the team, and his 74.08 spring average narrowly missed being the team best, which Michael Baird claimed at 74.05.? He was the only Buff with two top five finishes on the year, tied for the team best with four in the top 10, and was second in both top 20 finishes (6) and in rounds counting toward team scoring (83.8, 31 of 37).? Four of the top 20 finishes came in the spring, highlighted by a runner-up finish in Ohio State’s Kepler Intercollegiate (222, +9) which earned him CU Athlete of the Week honors; he tied for fifth in the Louisiana Classics (216, E) and tied for 10th in CU’s Stevinson Ranch Invitational (220, +4).? On all three occasions, he had two solid rounds but one high score in either the first or second round that may have prevented medalist honors in up to all three, but he did rally for a solid closing round all three times.? He was second in fall average (75.67), leading the team in total subpar and even rounds with four.?? He had a pair of top 20 finishes, as he led off his sophomore year with his first collegiate top 10 finish, tying for ninth in the New Mexico Tucker Invitational (216, E).? He tied for 15th the next time out in The Prestige At PGA West (217, +1), tying for the top team performance.

2006-07 (Fr.): He had an outstanding freshman season, finishing fifth on the team in stroke average with a 76.26 figure, the 11th best by a frosh in school history (ninth best by a true freshman).? In the fall, he played in four of CU’s five tournaments, posting a 76.33 stroke average (fifth on the team), with 10 of his 12 rounds counting toward team scoring.? He had an impressive start to his college career, finishing 13th in the Rich Harvest Farms Invitational, as his 228 (+12) score on a tough course helped CU to a fourth place finish; it was his best finish of the season.? His best score came at the Maxwell Intercollegiate in May, when he tied for 22nd with a 72-70-69?211 (+1) effort playing as an individual, which he did three of his five spring tourneys; the 69 was his season best.? He tied for 53rd in the NCAA Central Regional (232, +16), the second best performance by a Buff (it was on the same course the Rich Harvest Farms was played on).? His best single 18 in the fall was a final round 2-under 70 in The Prestige At PGA West (the 11th best score of the day in the 78-man field), and he closed the fall with a 27th place effort at Pepperdine’s Club Glove (234, +18).? He finished third in the inaugural Coaches Cup, created to honor long-time CU coaches Les Fowler and Mark Simpson; the award honors the player with the lowest adjusted stroke average in qualifying rounds for team tournaments, as he had a 72.58 average for both.

High School?He was the state leader in stroke average as a senior (71.9), when he was the 2005 Continental League West champion.? He finished third as a junior (2004) in the state championships at The Pinery southwest of Denver (147), and was sixth as a senior at Green Valley Ranch (81-71?152).? He earned first-team All-Continental League honors his sophomore through senior seasons, and was first-team All-State as a junior and senior.? He earned four letters in all under coach Jim McCord, as he also owned stroke averages of 74 as a freshman, 73.5 as a sophomore and 72 as a junior.

Other?2011: Tied for third in the U.S. Open Qualifier at The Heritage at Westmoor (Westminster) with a 1-under 71, advancing to Sectional Qualifying, where he did not advance (73-82?155, +15 at the Dallas Athletic Club).? 2010: Did not compete in any major amateur while completing rehab for double hip surgeries.? 2009: Reached the round of 16 in his defense of the state match play championship before succumbing on the 17th hole.? He tied for 67th in the Pacific Coast Amateur (299, +11) at The Gallery Golf Course in Marana, Ariz. He finished 29th in the Colorado Golf Association’s Stroke Play Championships at Lakewood CC (74-73-73-74?294, +10).?? 2008: Won low amateur honors at the San Juan Open (San Juan CC, Farmington, N.M.), recording a 66-72-64?202 (-8), which also allowed him to continue on to the fourth day overall; he was tied for the lead with mainly just pros remaining in the field and shot a 73 to finish with a 275 total, tying him for sixth overall.? He shot a 67 in the qualifying for the CGA Match Play championship, earning the No. 3 seed; he rode that position to the title, dispatching two senior teammates in the process, Patrick Grady in the semifinals and Derek Tolan in the finals, winning the latter two round marathon 2 and 1.? He placed sixth in the CGA’s State Stroke Play Championship, recording an even par 68-71-71?210 effort at Pinehurst Country Club in Denver.? He tied for 13th in the Colorado Open, the fourth low amateur, with a consistent 70-70-71-71?282 (-2) effort at Green Valley Ranch in Denver.? He tied for 35th in the Southwestern Amateur (228, +12), but missed the cut by two strokes to advance to the final round.? Finished sixth with teammate Tom Gempel in the CGA Two-Man Championship at Eagle Ranch Golf Course (72-74?146).? He tied for 60th in the Pacific Coast Amateur with a 75-71-71-75?292 (+12) scorecard at Royal Colwood Golf Club in Victoria, B.C.?? 2007: Won the Colorado Golf Association’s Western Chapter Championship with an 8-under par 71-65?136 score at The Links at Cobble Creek in Montrose, which was good for a four stroke win; that final round 65 set a course record.? He made the 36-hole cut at the Southwestern Amateur but was eliminated after 54 holes at Desert Mountain Golf Club in Scottsdale (73-78-80?223).? He tied for 18th in the Colorado Golf Association’s Stroke Play Championship, turning in a 74-76-73-72?295 (+7) effort at Murphy Greek Golf Course in Aurora.? Missed the cut in the Colorado Open by one stroke, as he recorded a 70-75?145 scorecard, tying him for 67th; the top 60 advanced.? 2006: He won the fourth and final qualifier for the Colorado Open by carding a 6-under par 65 at Riverdale Dunes GC in Brighton the Monday prior to the event, and then finished tied for fifth (and 31st overall) with a 69-69-73-71?282 effort.? In the 89th Annual Western Junior Championship in Wheaton, Ill., he finished seventh with a 74-74-69-71?288 scorecard on the challenging Cantigny GC layout, finishing seven shots out of the lead.? He finished second in the qualifying for the CGA Junior Match Play Championships (with a 2-under 70 at Bear Creek GC in Lakewood), and went on to reach the quarterfinals in the event.? He tied for 14th in the CGA Stroke Play Championships at Boulder CC, as he posted a 72-72-75-67?286 effort, matching the second best score in the field for the final round, and reached the third round of the CGA Match Play Championships (Plum Creek G&CC).? He tied for 37th overall in the Southwestern Amateur, as he just missed advancing to the final day of competition with a 76-75-74--225 performance; he made the 36-hole cut and missed out on playing in the final round by a single stroke.? Finished as the second alternate (fifth in the rankings though he tied for second overall) in the U.S. Amateur Sectional Qualifying at Green Gables (68-75?143).? In four AJGA events (12 rounds), he owned a 72.75 stroke average, with his 43 birdies tied for the fifth most on the circuit for the summer; he had four subpar rounds including a low of 66.? He ranked as the No. 81 junior nationally (Sagarin/Golfweek) and was ranked No. 17 for his 2006 class.? Other Years: He finished fourth in the 2005 CGA junior stroke play, and posted a pair of impressive sixth place finishes on the AJGA circuit in 2004, at the Southwestern Junior and the Lubbock Junior.? He tied for first in the ’05 Colorado Open qualifying with a 65 and finished 57th in the tournament, where he was 3-under par through 54 holes.

Best Career Round In Competition?65 (-7; July 2006, Colorado Open Qualifier, Riverdale Dunes GC; July 22, 2007, CGA Western Chapter Championship); 64 (-7, June 21, 2008, San Juan Open, San Juan CC, Farmington, N.M.);? 64 (-6; September 2007, Fowler Cup, Boulder Country Club).

Academics?He is majoring in Business (Accounting) at Colorado and will graduate in May 2010.? A member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the 2007 fall semester.

Personal?Born March 25, 1988 in Tulsa, Okla.? His hobbies include playing basketball and listening to music.? His father (Greg) played football at the University of New Mexico, and an older brother (Tyler) played golf at Texas Tech.? He made local headlines with his mother (Jeannie) when both scored holes-in-one playing in the same group at their home course (Valley C.C.) in June 2008.

	Overall					Spring			Fall
Season	Rd	Strokes	Avg	Lo	Hi	Rd	Strk	Avg	Rd	Strk	Avg
2006-07	27	2059	76.26	69	81	15	1143	76.20	12	916	76.33
2007-08	37	2760	74.59	70	84	25	1852	74.08	12	908	75.67
2008-09	40	2971	74.28	68	85	22	1642	74.64	18	1329	73.83
2010-11	39	2902	74.41	67	84	27	2016	74.67	12	886	73.83
Totals	143	10692	74.77	67	85	89	6653	74.75	54	4039	74.80

Rounds Toward Team Scoring: 112 of 132 (84.8%; 11 played as an individual).
Stroke Count In Relation To Par (+487/+3.41): +130/+4.81 (2006-07); +120/+3.24 (2007-08); +114/+2.85 (2008-09); +123/+3.15 (2010-11).
Finishes?Wins: 0? Top 5: 2? Top 10: 7? Top 20: 14? Top 25: 19

Fall 2006

Rich Harvest Farms Intercollegiate	?78-73-77?228	+12	t13th
UNM Tucker Invitational	?75-76-78?229	+13	t66th
The Prestige At PGA West	?80-75-70?225	+9	t39th
Pepperdine Club Glove	?78-79-77?234	+18	t27th

Spring 2007

Hawai’i-Hilo Intercollegiate	?79-72-74?225	+15	t88th
*CU-Stevinson Ranch Invitational	?79-81-79?239	+23	t57th
*Wichita State Shocker Classic	?75-80-81?236	+23	t54th
*Maxwell Intercollegiate	?72-70-69?211	+1	t22nd
NCAA Central Regional	?79-77-76?232	+16	t53rd

Fall 2007

UNM Tucker Invitational	?72-71-73?216	E	t9th
The Prestige At PGA West	?70-75-72?217	+1	t15th
Pepperdine Club Glove	?84-82-73?239	+23	t32nd
The Wolverine At Mission Inn	?77-78-81?236	+20	t50th

Spring 2008

Hawai’i-Hilo Intercollegiate	74-70-74?218	+8	t73rd
Louisiana Classics	76-70-70?216	E	t5th
Western Intercollegiate	70-77-76?223	+13	t17th
CU-Stevinson Ranch Invitational	80-70-70?220	+4	t10th
OSU Robert Kepler Intercollegiate	72-78-72?222	+9	t2nd
Big 12 Championships	76-73-77-74?300	+12	t28th
The Maxwell Intercollegiate	71-76-76?223	+13	t41st
NCAA Central Regional	77-76-77?230	+17	t75th

Fall 2008

USF Olympic Club Intercollegiate	75-74-73?222	+9	t32nd
DU-Ron Moore Invitational	72-68-70?210	-6	t6th
UNM Tucker Invitational	71-75-74?220	+4	t16th
Northwestern Windon Memorial	73-73-72?217	+4	t19th
The Prestige At PGA West	78-75-74?227	+11	t30th
NMSU Wimberly Intercollegiate	85-76-72?233	+20	t88th

Spring 2009

Hawai’i-Hilo Invitational	75-74-74?223	+7	t35th
Louisiana Classics	69-82-74?225	+9	t47th
Oregon Duck Invitational	73-78-74?225	+9	t35th
Western Intercollegiate	72-79-73?224	+14	t25th
CU-Stevinson Ranch Invitational	75-71-79?225	+9	t25th
Big 12 Championships	85-73-73-76?307	+27	t43rd
NCAA West Regional	70-75-68?213	-3	t18th

Fall 2010

AFA Falcon Invitational	73-74-75?222	+6	t29th
CU-Simpson Invitational	70-72-72?214	-2	t7th
UNM Tucker Invitational	71-81-79?231	+15	t54th
Alister Mackenzie Invitational	73-73-73?219	+6	t64th

Spring 2011

Hawai'i-Hilo Invitational	71-74-77?222	+6	t80th
Battle At The Beach	76-76-74?226	+16	t63rd
*Front Range Individual	73-78?151	+7	t7th
Bandon Dunes Championship	68-84-79?231	+15	t41st
Oregon Duck Invitational	71-72-75?218	+2	t23rd
Barona Collegiate Cup	70-75-74?219	+3	t11th
Wyoming Cowboy Classic	74-67-72?213	+3	t23rd
Western Intercollegiate	79-79-79?237	+27	86th
Big 12 Championships	76-75-68-80?299	+19	30th