Buffs Ranked 27th, Prepare For Pac-12 Preview
BOULDER – The University of Colorado women’s golf team is ranked No. 27 in the nation according to the latest Golfstat poll.
Colorado is one of six Pac-12 schools holding a spot in the top 30. The Buffs have earned their No. 27 ranking after finishing in the top five of its first three tournaments this season. It is only the third time in school history the Buffs have accomplished such a feat and first time in three years.
If Colorado maintains its top 30 ranking, it will be the Buffs’ highest rank since the 2011-12 season when they finished No. 11 in the polls.
The Buffs opened the season with a third place finish at the Ptarmigan Ram Fall Classic in Fort Collins, Colo. The team posted a 294-292-295–881 or 17-over par. Junior Alexis Keating turned in the best performance for Colorado placing third among the field and newcomer Esther Lee, the transfer from Duke University had a solid CU debut, shooting a 216 to finish sixth overall.
Colorado followed it up with another strong team effort at the Minnesota Invitational, finishing in second at 36-over par. The Buffs tied a school record with four players, (Brittany Fan, Keating, Lee and Jamie Oleksiew) finishing in the top 15. Lee led the way for CU carding a 75-76-71–222 and finished tied for eighth.
In their third event, the Buffs placed fifth at the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational hosted by fellow Pac-12 opponent Washington. The team recorded a 303-305 – 608, 32-over par and Lee, again had the best performance for CU, posting a 74-74 – 148 or four-over par.
The team returns to competition this week and will look to move up in the rankings when they play in the Pac-12 Preview to close out the fall season.
The tournament will be played at the 6,392-yard, par 73 Nanea Golf Club in Kailua Kona, Hawaii and features each Pac-12 women’s golf program as well as the University of Hawaii, the tournament’s host school. Nanea Golf Club opened in 2003 and is an exclusive, private course, co-owned by Charles Schwab and Safeway co-founder George Roberts according to GolfLink.com.
Head coach Anne Kelly will send Fan, Keating, Lee, Oleksiew and Natalie Vivaldi to represent Colorado. For Fan, it means a return home to her native Hawaii. She is from Pearl City, Hawaii and is in her first year at CU. Oleksiew is the only Buffalo on the current team that has played at Nanea before, having competed last year in the Pac-12 Preview.
The 54-hole tournament begins on Monday, Nov. 3 at 7:30 a.m. HT (10:30 a.m. MT), with the first two rounds. It will conclude with the final 18 holes on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Live scoring is available at golfstat.com.