Buffs Sixth After Two Rounds In Florida
LAKELAND, Fla. - The University of Colorado men's golf team opened its spring season here Monday, as the Buffaloes are in the hunt for the team title as they stand tied for sixth after two rounds of the Matlock Collegiate Classic.
Miami, Ohio, and Rollins College are tied for the lead with 578 team totals, but only nine shots separate the top eight teams. Colorado and Florida Southern are tied for sixth at 585; the Buffs were in third after the morning round, four shots out of the lead, and stand seven back heading into the final round.
"It was a good first day, and I'm very pleased with the guys," CU head coach Mark Simpson said. "We had a few mental errors here and there, but for the most part, their games are in pretty good shape. It's good to get the spring going, and good to be in contention right out of the gates."
The drought affecting Colorado at least afforded the Buffs more practice than in the past. "Our preparation time was hindered a little bit for about eight days, but we got four solid days in before heading here, and virtually the whole month of January, and that didn't hurt us," Simpson added.
The highlight of the morning round came when senior captain Stephen Carroll recorded the fourth hole-in-one in competition in Colorado history.
Carroll aced the 152-yard, par-3 No. 7 hole, using a 6-iron into an extremely strong wind, what Simpson called, "a two-club wind. Steve normally would hit an 8- or 9-iron from that distance without any wind. I was in position to see it, but had turned to watch a putt on the sixth green, and then I heard a couple of guys yelling, turned around and Steve was getting some high-fives. They made the motion to me that it went in."
The last hole-in-one by a Buff was in 1999, when Tobias Forsgren scored one in the Colorado State Invitational in Fort Collins. The first two were by Hale Irwin (in the 1967 NCAA Championships) and by Norton Rainey (at the 1997 Air Force Falcon Invitational).
Carroll paced the Buffs with a pair of even-par 72s for a 144 total, tying him for 14th place overall. Sophomore Mike Brenneman and freshman Edward McGlasson are tied for 31st with 148 totals, while freshmen Derek O'Neill and Shaun Justice are tied for 39th with 149 scores. Colorado is the only school with all five of its golfers in the top 55.
Old Dominion's Geoffrey Harris is the individual lead, as he shot back-to-back 69s for a six-under 138 score on the 7,065-yard, par-72 Grasslands Golf and Country Club layout.
The tournament concludes Tuesday with the final 18 holes.
Buffalo Individuals
T14. Stephen Carroll.......... 72-72--144
T31. Edward McGlasson......... 72-76--148
T31. Mike Brenneman........... 74-74--148
T39. Shaun Justice............ 72-77--149
T39. Derek O'Neill............ 76-73--149
Team Scores
1. Miami, Ohio............. 290-288--578
1. Rollins College......... 286-292--578
3. UNC-Wilmington.......... 290-290--580
4. Ohio State.............. 293-289--582
4. Tulsa................... 288-294--582
6. COLORADO................ 290-295--585
6. Florida Southern........ 294-291--585
8. Virginia Tech........... 291-296--587
9. Missouri................ 295-295--590
10. Old Dominion............ 295-296--591
11. Georgia College......... 295-297--592
12. West Florida............ 292-302--594
12. Campbell................ 305-289--595
14. Mississippi State....... 297-298--595
15. Valdosta State.......... 300-298--598
15. Virginia Commonwealth... 297-301--598
17. Richmond................ 305-308--613
18. St. Leo................. 321-324--645