Men's golf claims another second-place finish at Thunderbird Intercollegiate

Ty Holbrook chipping from a couple of feet off the green. The sophomore finished 7-under for the best score by a Buff. (Photo via CUBuffs.com)

PHOENIX, ARIZ. - The Colorado Buffaloes sent nine golfers to Arizona en route to a second-place finish at the Thunderbird Intercollegiate. 

The Buffs scored 27-under, 12 strokes more than first-place Arizona State. All five golfers in the quintet scored under par at the tournament. 

Ty Holbrook led the Buffs in Arizona, shooting 7-under. The sophomore got off to a blazing hot start in the first round, scoring five straight 3’s (three birdies, one eagle and one par). Holbrook finished the first and third rounds as the Buffs’ lowest-scoring member and placed ninth individually. 

“Ty had another really strong tournament,” head coach Roy Edwards said. “It’s been great to see his development, as he has been working really hard.”

Justin Biwer finished No. 14 in the tournament with a score of 6-under. The senior played his best in the second round, shooting five birdies and one bogey (-4). Biwer’s score was all over the place in the final round, including one eagle and one triple bogey. 

Upperclassmen Dylan McDermott and Hunter Swanson finished the tournament at 5-under, good for a tie for No. 17. Swanson shot 2-under in the first round, while the senior shot 2-over and was left off the team score. McDermott quickly bounced back in the second round, shooting a perfect 5-under round (no bogeys or worse). 

Tucker Clark rounded out the Buffs quintet in Arizona. The Paradise Valley, Arizona native was just over six miles from his hometown. Clark shot even par in the first two rounds and finished the tournament with a 3-under performance. The senior finished at No. 23. 

“We were very impressed with how all five guys were in every round," Edwards said. 

Colorado sent four golfers as individuals, including Brandon Knight, Parker Paxton, Michael Fang and Frederick Eisenbeis. None managed to shoot under par, and Knight had the best score among them (+3). Eisenbeis hasn’t been sent to a tournament since he competed in The Prestige at PGA West on Feb. 19. 

Colorado has played in 10 stroke-play tournaments this season and has eight top-three finishes, one win and only two outside the top three. 

The Buffs are set to compete in the Big 12 Championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The tournament will be a four-round event with the first two rounds being played on April 22.