College?This Season (Sr.): He led the team in stroke average for the fall with a 74.60 number, as he posted a team-best three top 20 finishes in having 14 of his 15 rounds count toward team scoring (also a team high). He closed the fall with a career best seventh place (tie) in The Wolverine At Mission Inn (220, +4), and tied for 15th in two other meets, the season opener in the St. Mary’s Invitational (221, +5) and in The Prestige At PGA West (217, +1), where he recorded his best single round for the semester, a 3-under 69 in the opening 18. He averaged a team best 73.8 in his first rounds, reversing his fortunes from his junior year, when he opened on average to the tune of a 75.6. He ranked 24th nationally for the fall in fairways hit (81.6 percent); he scored three eagles as well, to tie for 21st in the nation.
2006-07 (Jr.): He led the team in stroke average with a 74.23 figure for 30 rounds, and also topped the Buffs in top 20 finishes (6), subpar rounds (6) and rounds in the 60s (4), while tying for even par rounds (6) as 26 of his rounds counted toward team scoring. He often opened with higher scores, but came back to lead the team in both second round (73.0) and final round (74.1) averages. His spring scoring average, 74.25, was the team best as he had two eighth place efforts and four in the top 20 for the semester; he earned All-Big 12 Tournament team honors with one of those eighth place efforts, a 77-73-70?220 (+4) performance at the always tough Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan. He also tied for eighth at the Louisiana Classics (212, -4), shared 18th place at the Hawai’i-Hilo Intercollegiate (205, -5) and tied for 20th at Wichita State’s Shocker Classic (225, +12). He had his struggles in the NCAA Central Regional, tying for 121st in carding a 30-over 246. He was the Big 12 Conference’s Golfer of the Month for February, and earned CU’s Athlete of the Week nod for his effort at the Big 12’s. He played in two fall tournaments, with his stroke average of 74.17 the team best overall. He posted a pair of top 20 finishes, as he qualified for the last two meets of the semester and tied for 20th in The Prestige At PGA West and then for 13th at Pepperdine’s Club Glove Intercollegiate. His 86.9 percentage of fairways hit tied for the fourth best figure in the nation for the fall.
At Pepperdine (2003-06/Fr., Soph.)?He was a regular member of the traveling team for Pepperdine his redshirt freshman and sophomore years, as he played in 24 tournaments, owning a 74.50 average for 72 rounds of play. He had five top 20 tournament finishes, with one top 10 effort?a tie for 10th in the PING-Arizona Intercollegiate as a sophomore, which included his collegiate career best of 65 in the second round. His most significant round came in the third and final round of the 2006 NCAA West Regional; the Waves ode his final round 68 to a 7-under team score of 281, vaulting into a ninth place tie in the meet and thus advancing to the NCAA Finals. He fared well in the two West Coast Conference championship tournaments in which he participated: he finished 11th as a redshirt frosh (223, +7) and 12th as a soph (224, +8). He opened up the spring of his redshirt freshman year with his then-54 hole career best of 207 in the Taylor Made Big Island Invitational, which included an opening round 66; he tied for 24th overall in the tournament. He had a 74.79 stroke average for 39 rounds as a sophomore and 74.17 for 33 rounds as a redshirt frosh. He redshirted as a true freshman in 2003-04.
High School?He lettered four times for coach Larry Gearke at Douglas County High School in Castle Rock, where he was a member of the 2003 regional championship team his senior season. A three-time team most valuable player, he earned both first-team all-state honors as a junior and senior when he finished both years as the runner-up in the state championships. As a junior, he turned in a 67-68?135 scorecard and as a senior, he had a 73-71?144 effort, as only current teammate Derek Tolan bettered that performance. Earned all-league honors his freshman through senior season. Owned stroke averages of 72.5 as a freshman, 72.0 as a sophomore, 71.0 as a junior and 70.2 as a senior as he set Douglas County’s career scoring average mark. He was DCHS student of the year for 2001-02 (his junior year).
Other?2007: He won CU’s Match Play Team Championship in May in a team-only event. Finished ninth in the Colorado Golf Association Colorado Cup point standings (261.67 points in only six events). He finished second in the U.S. Amateur Sectional Qualifying at the Colorado Golf Club (72-73?145, +1), earning one of three spots in the national event. He opened strong in the stroke play at the U.S. Amateur, as he was four under through four holes including an eagle on a par-4, and was tied for 12th after the first round with an even par 70 at The Olympic Club just outside San Francisco; however, he shot an 80 and missed the cut for match play by three strokes. The medalist in the Colorado Golf Association Match Play qualifier, a 5-under 67 at Bear Creek GC in Lakewood; in the event, he lost in the second round. He lost the CGA Public Links Championship on the first playoff hole to teammate Patrick Grady; he was the second round leader at Highland Meadows GC (Windsor), and posted a 66-66-70?202 (-11) scorecard. Teamed with Derek Tolan to finish tied for second in the CGA Two-Man Championships (lost by three strokes to CU’s Grady brothers). He tied for fourth in the CGA Western Chapter Championship (1-under 143) at The Links at Cobble Creek in Montrose. Member of the 2007 Colorado Cup Team (won his singles match). He tied for sixth in the Southwestern Amateur, posting a 70-72-70-73?285 scorecard (-3) at Desert Mountain Golf Club in Scottsdale. Qualified for the match play portion of the North & South Amateur Championship in Pinehurst, N.C. with a 72-72?144 (+3, 36th) performance, but lost in the first round (1 up). 2006: A member of the Colorado Cup team, he finished second in the CGA Stroke Play Championship, as he recorded a 70-67-69-67?273 scorecard at Boulder CC; he tied for the lead with teammate Patrick Grady but lost on the first playoff hole. Placed fourth for the second straight year in the CGA Public Links Championship with a 68-67-72?207 scorecard and reached the second round of the CGA Match Play Championships (Plum Creek G&CC). He finished as the 10th low amateur (tying for 50th overall) in the Colorado Open with a 67-74-67-79?287 performance at Green Valley Ranch GC. Qualified for the match play portion of the North & South Amateur Championship in Pinehurst, N.C., with a 70-74?144 (+3, tied for 44th) performance, but lost in the second round. 2005: A member of the Colorado Cup team. With teammate Derek Tolan, he captured the CGA Two-Man championship as the duo won by four shots over fellow Buffs Kenny Coakley and Jim Grady with a 65-68?133 score (Baird was a member of the Pepperdine team at the time). He tied for fourth in the CGA Public Links Championship with a 70-65-73?208 effort. He tied for third in the CGA Stroke Play with a 68-69-68-70?275 performance. Placed eighth (in a field of 145) in the Spirit of America Tournament in Decatur, Ala., with a 70-70-72-70?282 score (team tied for second). 2004: He was the runner-up in the CGA Match Play Championships, made the cut at the Colorado Open an was an alternate for the U.S. Amateur.
Best Career Round In Competition?64 (2005 Colorado Cup matches, Rolling Hills Country Club, Golden)
Academics?He is majoring in Sociology at Colorado (he was a sports administration major at Pepperdine). A member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the fall semester as well as for the spring term of his junior year.
Personal?Born April 14, 1985 in Lawrence, Kan. Hobbies include being an avid college basketball fan. A grandfather played football at Louisiana State.
Statistics Overall--------------------------------- Spring---------------- Fall-----------------
Season Rd Strokes Avg. Lo Hi Rd Strk Avg. Rd Strk Avg.
2004-05 (at Pepperdine) 33 2447 74.15 66 80 21 1531 72.90 12 916 76.33
2005-06 (at Pepperdine) 39 2917 74.79 65 84 27 2014 74.59 12 903 75.25
2006-07 30 2227 74.23 66 85 24 1782 74.25 6 445 74.17
2007-08 15 1119 74.60 69 80 --- ------ ---.--- 15 1119 74.60
Totals 117 8710 74.44 65 84 72 5327 73.99 45 3383 75.18
At Colorado 45 3346 74.36 66 85 24 1782 74.25 21 1564 74.48
Rounds Toward Team Scoring: 91 of 117 (77.8%; at Pepperdine: 51 of 72, 70.8%; at Colorado: 40 of 45, 88.9%).
Stroke Count In Relation To Par (+337/+2.88): +92/+2.79 (2004-05); +118/+3.03 (2005-06); +88/+2.93 (2006-07); +39/+2.60 (2007-08).
Finishes?Wins: 0 Top 5: 0 Top 10: 4 Top 20: 14
Fall 2004 (At Pepperdine)
UCLA Gold Rush Collegiate.............. 78-77-74?229 + 13 t97th
PING/Golf Week NCAA Preview...... 78-78-74?230 + 20 64th
Pepperdine Club Glove Inter. ........... 77-74-74?225 + 9 t33rd
The Prestige At PGA West............... 80-79-73?232 + 16 t28th
Spring 2005 (At Pepperdine)
Taylor Made Big Island Invitational... 66-69-72?207 - 6 t24th
USC Ashworth Invitational............... 71-72-75?218 + 5 t21st
General Jim Hackler Invitational........ 77-73-76?226 + 10 t18th
Arizona National Invitational............. 72-72-74?218 + 2 t50th
ASU Thunderbird Invitational............ 73-72-73?218 + 5 t23rd
WCC Championships........................ 77-71-75?223 + 7 t11th
NCAA West Regional....................... 70-74-76?221 + 11 t66th
Fall 2005 (At Pepperdine)
Toby Cup/U.S.-Japan Intercollegiate 74-82-77?233 + 17 t45th
Pepperdine Club Glove Inter. ........... 73-81-78?232 + 16 t33rd
The Prestige At PGA West............... 77-70-73?220 + 4 t20th
UCLA CordeValle Classic................ 73-73-72?218 + 2 t23rd
Spring 2006 (At Pepperdine)
PING/Arizona Intercollegiate............. 75-65-71?211 - 2 t10th
Hawai’i-Hilo Intercollegiate............... 69-77-77?223 + 10 t67th
USC Ashworth Invitational............... 69-84-79?232 + 19 t64th
General Jim Hackler Invitational........ 76-70-78?224 + 8 t27th
Arizona National Invitational............. 77-74-73?224 + 8 t61st
Morris Williams Intercollegiate.......... 79-75-77?231 + 15 t78th
WCC Championships........................ 74-79-71?224 + 8 12th
NCAA West Regional....................... 74-73-68?215 - 1 t56th
NCAA Championship Finals............. 75-77-78?230 + 14 t132nd
Fall 2006
The Prestige At PGA West............... 73-72-72?217 + 1 t20th
Pepperdine Club Glove..................... 80-71-77?228 + 12 t13th
Spring 2007
Hawai’i-Hilo Intercollegiate............... 68-68-69?205 - 5 t18th
Houston All-American...................... 77-78-70?225 + 9 t31st
Louisiana Classics........................... 74-66-72?212 - 4 t8th
CU-Stevinson Ranch Invitational...... 74-82-79?235 + 19 t45th
Wichita State Shocker Classic......... 77-71-77?225 + 12 t20th
Big 12 Championships...................... 77-73-70?220 + 10 8th
Maxwell Intercollegiate..................... 72-72-70?214 + 4 t30th
NCAA Central Regional.................... 84-77-85?246 + 30 t121st
Fall 2007
St. Mary’s Invitational....................... 74-74-73?221 + 5 t15th
UNM Tucker Invitational.................... 74-78-73?225 + 9 t40th
The Prestige At PGA West............... 69-72-76?217 + 1 t15th
Pepperdine Club Glove..................... 79-80-77?236 + 20 t23rd
The Wolverine At Mission Inn........... 73-70-77?220 + 4 t7th
