Sunday, April 6
Franklin, Tenn.
All Day
Colorado
vs
Third Round
McDermott recorded CU's best round -- a 3-under 68 -- split between Friday and Saturday.
Photo by: CUBuffs.com
Golfers Rally To Finish Seventh In Tennessee
April 05, 2025 | Men's Golf
McDermott and Biwer go subpar to lead comeback
FRANKLIN, Tenn. – The 27th-ranked University of Colorado men's golf team turned in a better performance here Saturday and rallied to jump from 11th into as seventh place finish as the weather-challenged 22nd Annual Vanderbilt's Mason Rudolph Championship came to an earlier conclusion.
No. 2 Auburn won for the third time its last four outings, rallying with a 12-under par third round score to finish with a 38-under 814 total. That enabled the Tigers to leapfrog second round leader and No. 3 Mississippi, as the Rebels led by two shots through 36 holes but finished five back at 819. No. 18 Vanderbilt claimed third (825), but saw its streak of five straight wins in its own event come to an end.
Colorado finished with an 855 score, the first tournament this season the Buffaloes didn't finish with a subpar score (3-over) after a school record eight straight finishes in the red. CU was 4-over (288) in the first round, just the third total on the unhappy side of par in 27 rounds on the year, shot an even-par 284 for the second round spaced out over two days, and closed with a 1-under 283, its 20th subpar recording.
The seventh-place finish did end a streak of eight straight top five efforts, which was a CU school record.
The event was originally scheduled to be a three-day affair, but with a dismal weather forecast that bracketed the tournament, Thursday's practice rounds were cancelled and play on Sunday would have been called into question. Thus, the format was altered to a shotgun format with continuous play over two days, and still had to deal with wet grounds, light rain and gusting winds at times. And due to some flooding, officials had to utilize both of Vanderbilt's Legends Club's North and South courses, the first nine holes on the South and back nine on the North; combined, it still played to a par-71 and at 7,114-yards, just two yards longer than the original South Course layout.
"We had a much better day in comparison to Friday," head coach Roy Edwards said. "Everyone was competitive. We ended up finishing in the top half in a very strong field. Overall, this was a great learning experience in adapting and adjusting to many variables, so I am sure this can be something we can draw on later in the season. As we move on, we have to keep getting better with our short games and our shot variety."
After Friday's uncharacteristic disappointing performance that saw the Buffs end the day in 11th place when second round play around half finished was suspended due to darkness, Colorado rallied and returned to its near-season form. CU shot the fifth best score (1-under 283) in the final round, and was also the fifth-best team after play resumed: Auburn was a remarkable 24-under par, Kentucky and Mississippi both 11-under and Wisconsin 9-under, the only teams ahead of CU's 7-under exit.
Senior Dylan McDermott led the Buffaloes here with a tie for 18th, as he posted a 4-under 71-68-70—209 scorecard. He was steady, with 10 birdies, 38 pars – tied for the seventh-most in the field—and just six bogeys; he was 5-under the par-5's, even on the par-4's and 1-over on the par-3's. Between the second and third rounds, he had a stretch of 28 straight holes of par or better, his longest streak of the season and the team's sixth-best.
After bogeying the 467-yard, par-4 2nd hole late Friday afternoon, McDermott finished his last seven holes on the day at 2-under, then polished off the round early Saturday to the tune of 16 straight, and then played bogey-free the first 12 in round three; he made seven birdies with 21 pars in the run. Of the 12 holes that played over par for the three days, he was only 1-over on the combined 36 holes.
Senior Justin Biwer tied for 29th with a 1-over 214 effort, as after he opened with his high score of the season (a 3-over 74), he bounded back with two consecutive 1-under 70's. He was bolstered by birdying three of his final four holes in second round, and had an 11-hole stretch in his final round where he was 4-under. He led the Buffs with 11 birdies here, along with 31 pars opposite 12 bogeys.
Both McDermott and Biwer played 4-under par golf after the second round was resumed Saturday at 8 a.m. Tennessee time.
Junior Hunter Swanson tied for 37th, recording three straight 72's for a 3-over 216 total score. Though posting the same score three times, he got there by scoring one eagle, six birdies, 37 pars, nine bogeys and a double bogey. His 37 pars tied for the 11th-most in the tourney, and he was 6-under on the par-5's, tying him for sixth-best in the field.
Senior Jack Holland tied for 47th, as he wrapped things here with an even-par 71 for a 5-over 218 total. He was steady in the final round, with two birdies and a co-team-high 14 pars, with eight and 34, respectively for the meet, against 11 bogeys and a double. He played the par-4's the best of all the Buffs at 1-under, the exact same score he maintained after play resumed Saturday morning.
Sophomore Ty Holbrook finished 61st, posting two straight 3-over 74's after a first round 72 for a 7-over 220 effort. He was the only player in the 81-man field to score two eagles (of just 15 overall), and it helped him play the par-5 holes at 7-under, tied for second-best among all competitors. He otherwise had eight birdies and 28 pars – 14 in the final round – with 13 bogeys and three doubles
Sophomore Brandon Knight competed here as an individual, and also tied for 47th after posting a 5-over 71-75-72—218 scorecard. He had seven birdies and 36 pars with 10 bogeys and a double, and played the par-5's at 1-under, his best of all the configurations.
Vanderbilt's Wells Williams earned medalist honors with an 18-under par 198 score, closing with a 4-under 67; he bested Auburn's Jackson Koivun, the defending SEC champion, by two strokes.
The Buffaloes have one more test ahead of this month's Big 12 Championships, heading to Phoenix for next weekend's Arizona State Thunderbird Intercollegiate (April 11-12). At present, it's a small field with just 10 teams, as in addition CU and host Arizona State, others participating include Grand Canyon, Houston, Loyola-Marymount, New Mexico, Oregon State, Southern California, UCLA and Utah (all teams CU has competed against this season with the exception of Houston).
No. 2 Auburn won for the third time its last four outings, rallying with a 12-under par third round score to finish with a 38-under 814 total. That enabled the Tigers to leapfrog second round leader and No. 3 Mississippi, as the Rebels led by two shots through 36 holes but finished five back at 819. No. 18 Vanderbilt claimed third (825), but saw its streak of five straight wins in its own event come to an end.
Colorado finished with an 855 score, the first tournament this season the Buffaloes didn't finish with a subpar score (3-over) after a school record eight straight finishes in the red. CU was 4-over (288) in the first round, just the third total on the unhappy side of par in 27 rounds on the year, shot an even-par 284 for the second round spaced out over two days, and closed with a 1-under 283, its 20th subpar recording.
The seventh-place finish did end a streak of eight straight top five efforts, which was a CU school record.
The event was originally scheduled to be a three-day affair, but with a dismal weather forecast that bracketed the tournament, Thursday's practice rounds were cancelled and play on Sunday would have been called into question. Thus, the format was altered to a shotgun format with continuous play over two days, and still had to deal with wet grounds, light rain and gusting winds at times. And due to some flooding, officials had to utilize both of Vanderbilt's Legends Club's North and South courses, the first nine holes on the South and back nine on the North; combined, it still played to a par-71 and at 7,114-yards, just two yards longer than the original South Course layout.
"We had a much better day in comparison to Friday," head coach Roy Edwards said. "Everyone was competitive. We ended up finishing in the top half in a very strong field. Overall, this was a great learning experience in adapting and adjusting to many variables, so I am sure this can be something we can draw on later in the season. As we move on, we have to keep getting better with our short games and our shot variety."
After Friday's uncharacteristic disappointing performance that saw the Buffs end the day in 11th place when second round play around half finished was suspended due to darkness, Colorado rallied and returned to its near-season form. CU shot the fifth best score (1-under 283) in the final round, and was also the fifth-best team after play resumed: Auburn was a remarkable 24-under par, Kentucky and Mississippi both 11-under and Wisconsin 9-under, the only teams ahead of CU's 7-under exit.
Senior Dylan McDermott led the Buffaloes here with a tie for 18th, as he posted a 4-under 71-68-70—209 scorecard. He was steady, with 10 birdies, 38 pars – tied for the seventh-most in the field—and just six bogeys; he was 5-under the par-5's, even on the par-4's and 1-over on the par-3's. Between the second and third rounds, he had a stretch of 28 straight holes of par or better, his longest streak of the season and the team's sixth-best.
After bogeying the 467-yard, par-4 2nd hole late Friday afternoon, McDermott finished his last seven holes on the day at 2-under, then polished off the round early Saturday to the tune of 16 straight, and then played bogey-free the first 12 in round three; he made seven birdies with 21 pars in the run. Of the 12 holes that played over par for the three days, he was only 1-over on the combined 36 holes.
Senior Justin Biwer tied for 29th with a 1-over 214 effort, as after he opened with his high score of the season (a 3-over 74), he bounded back with two consecutive 1-under 70's. He was bolstered by birdying three of his final four holes in second round, and had an 11-hole stretch in his final round where he was 4-under. He led the Buffs with 11 birdies here, along with 31 pars opposite 12 bogeys.
Both McDermott and Biwer played 4-under par golf after the second round was resumed Saturday at 8 a.m. Tennessee time.
Junior Hunter Swanson tied for 37th, recording three straight 72's for a 3-over 216 total score. Though posting the same score three times, he got there by scoring one eagle, six birdies, 37 pars, nine bogeys and a double bogey. His 37 pars tied for the 11th-most in the tourney, and he was 6-under on the par-5's, tying him for sixth-best in the field.
Senior Jack Holland tied for 47th, as he wrapped things here with an even-par 71 for a 5-over 218 total. He was steady in the final round, with two birdies and a co-team-high 14 pars, with eight and 34, respectively for the meet, against 11 bogeys and a double. He played the par-4's the best of all the Buffs at 1-under, the exact same score he maintained after play resumed Saturday morning.
Sophomore Ty Holbrook finished 61st, posting two straight 3-over 74's after a first round 72 for a 7-over 220 effort. He was the only player in the 81-man field to score two eagles (of just 15 overall), and it helped him play the par-5 holes at 7-under, tied for second-best among all competitors. He otherwise had eight birdies and 28 pars – 14 in the final round – with 13 bogeys and three doubles
Sophomore Brandon Knight competed here as an individual, and also tied for 47th after posting a 5-over 71-75-72—218 scorecard. He had seven birdies and 36 pars with 10 bogeys and a double, and played the par-5's at 1-under, his best of all the configurations.
Vanderbilt's Wells Williams earned medalist honors with an 18-under par 198 score, closing with a 4-under 67; he bested Auburn's Jackson Koivun, the defending SEC champion, by two strokes.
The Buffaloes have one more test ahead of this month's Big 12 Championships, heading to Phoenix for next weekend's Arizona State Thunderbird Intercollegiate (April 11-12). At present, it's a small field with just 10 teams, as in addition CU and host Arizona State, others participating include Grand Canyon, Houston, Loyola-Marymount, New Mexico, Oregon State, Southern California, UCLA and Utah (all teams CU has competed against this season with the exception of Houston).
NOTES: It was cooler Saturday, temperatures hitting in the low 70s, some 12 degrees less than Friday; there was no rain, but the winds gusted regularly from 10 to 15 miles per hour; Edwards noted that it switched directions three times, from the south to the north most of the time, then back from the south, and again from the north; the storms that have ravaged the Midwest were right on the Nashville-Franklin line … Because of the tournament alterations, CU played all three rounds in foursomes with No. 2 Auburn, No. 3 Mississippi and No. 18 Vanderbilt … CU's three rounds over par out of 27 this season combined add to just 12 strokes total; its 20 subpar rounds add to 168-under … The average score for all 243 rounds was 71.87 (fairly even each round: 72.11 for the first, 71.77 for the second and 71.69 for the third); there were 25 players who finished under par and three ending up even … The Buffaloes led all teams with three eagles (three had two), and combined for 43 birdies (10th in the field, Auburn led with 67), and 168 pars (sixth; Toledo had the most, 183); CU had 51 bogeys and five doubles (none higher) … Colorado played the par-3's at 13-over (seventh; Auburn topped the field at 1-over), the par-4's at 20-over (Auburn was a stunning 16-under and the par-5's at 21-under (third; Auburn and Mississippi were both 22-under) … CU had four subpar rounds here, now with 88 on the year and closing in on the record 92 set in 2017-18) … And still an amazing factoid: of the 189 rounds played this season, CU has just one of those in the 80's (an 80 exactly); the only team in the Big 12 with just one in the 80s' … With Colorado going 7-6 here against the field, the Buffaloes are now 144-20-2, an .880 winning percentage against Division I competition; the 144 wins continue to lead the nation with the percentage fourth-best … And in single rounds, CU rallied to finish 17-19-3, with its season mark standing at 369-101-16 (.776) … Colorado was just the third team not located in the eastern or central time zones to participate in the Mason Rudolph and finished in the middle from where the first two did: Arizona State was second in 2018 and Santa Clara 11th in 2022.
The JB-DMac Friendly Duel: Biwer and McDermott continue to remain a razor-thin one-two in stroke average on the team, as through 27 rounds, only three strokes separate the duo: Biwer's average is 69.22 and McDermott's is 69.33 (which also remain on pace to be the two best for a single-season in school history). They also rank 1-2 in the Big 12 … This was McDermott's 26th career subpar tournament, one back of Biwer's team record 27; both are also 1-2 in CU annals in that category. It was McDermott's 27th event or par or better, breaking a tie for second with Jeremy Paul (2013-17), and two behind Biwer's 29 …. Mac's second round 68 was his 47th round in the 60's, moving him one up on JB's 46 … Also in the Big 12, the duo have the lowest "high" scores of all golfers, McDermott a 73 and Biwer a 74.
The JB-DMac Friendly Duel: Biwer and McDermott continue to remain a razor-thin one-two in stroke average on the team, as through 27 rounds, only three strokes separate the duo: Biwer's average is 69.22 and McDermott's is 69.33 (which also remain on pace to be the two best for a single-season in school history). They also rank 1-2 in the Big 12 … This was McDermott's 26th career subpar tournament, one back of Biwer's team record 27; both are also 1-2 in CU annals in that category. It was McDermott's 27th event or par or better, breaking a tie for second with Jeremy Paul (2013-17), and two behind Biwer's 29 …. Mac's second round 68 was his 47th round in the 60's, moving him one up on JB's 46 … Also in the Big 12, the duo have the lowest "high" scores of all golfers, McDermott a 73 and Biwer a 74.
| BUFFALO INDIVIDUALS |
| T18. | Dylan McDermott | 71-68-70—209 |
| T29. | Justin Biwer | 74-70-70—214 |
| T37. | Hunter Swanson | 72-72-72—216 |
| T47. | Jack Holland | 73-74-71—218 |
| T47. | *Brandon Knight | 71-75-72—218 |
| 61. | Ty Holbrook | 72-74-74—220 |
| INDIVIDUAL LEADERS |
| 1. | Wells Williams, Vanderbilt | 63-68-67—198 |
| 2. | Jackson Koivun, Auburn | 67-66-67—200 |
| 3. | Carson Bacha, Auburn | 68-67-66—201 |
| T4. | Brendan Valdes, Auburn | 70-66-66—202 |
| T4. | Jack Schoenberger, Kentucky | 70-65-67—202 |
| TEAM STANDINGS |
| 1. | Auburn | 276-270-268—814 |
| 2. | Mississippi | 272-272-275—819 |
| 3. | Vanderbilt | 268-272-285—825 |
| 4. | Kentucky | 283-276-281—840 |
| 5. | Charlotte | 287-274-283—844 |
| 6. | Mississippi State | 279-280-286—845 |
| 7. | COLORADO | 288-284-283—555 |
| 8. | Penn State | 288-285-284—857 |
| T9. | Toledo | 286-284-288—858 |
| T9. | Liberty | 284-286-288—858 |
| 11. | Middle Tennessee State | 286-286-297—869 |
| 12. | Princeton | 291-290-890—871 |
| 13. | Wisconsin | 298-298-277—873 |
| 14. | Ball State | 292-292-290—874 |
Players Mentioned
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