Colorado golf struggles in California; finishes fifth

Dylan McDermott aims for the green with his wedge on Tuesday. The senior led the Buffs in California with a 6-under. (Photo via cubuffs.com)

The Colorado Buffaloes men’s golf team was a shell of itself in the first tournament of the spring. 

The team finished fifth at The Prestige at PGA West on Wednesday, its first finish outside of the top three this season. 

The Buffs quintet scored a combined 7-under, their worst tournament score in stroke play this season. Dylan McDermott shot a team-low 6-under, good enough for No. 7 individually. 

The black and gold struggled early and sat at ninth on the podium through two rounds. Even par was the Buffs’ score heading into the third round. 

A huge third round from Justin Biwer, the No.73 golfer in the nation (highest on the team), propelled Colorado four spots on the leaderboard. The momentum shift for the four-year seasoned veteran was important, as he did not look like himself in the first two rounds. Despite sitting at 4-over going into the third round, Biwer still had plenty of confidence. He holed five birdies in a row on the back nine to finish 6-under on the day. Biwer had the biggest jump on the individual leaderboard of any golfer at the tournament (44 spots). 

McDermott was the only Buff under par in the second round with a 5-under. The California native shot a near-flawless round besides one bogey on the third hole. Two of the senior’s six birdies came on par-3s, which are known to be the hardest holes to birdie. 

Zeqian ‘Michael’ Fang competed in his first career team tournament for the Buffs. The freshman was left off the team score on Monday after shooting 3-over. Fang bounced back with even-par in the second round and 1-over in the third, both of which contributed to the Buffs’ combined score.  

Despite the slow start, Colorado’s grit and resilience say a lot about the team’s culture. The dominant third round was tied for the fourth-best team round score at the tournament. The Buffs have the talent to compete for a national championship, but their consistency is holding them back. 

Colorado has a five-day turnaround before it competes in the Wyoming Desert Invitational in Palm Desert, California. The three-day tournament begins on Monday.