University of Northern Colorado senior Steven Kupcho finished sixth in what was likely his final college tournament, and University of Colorado junior Jeremy Paul (pictured) posted the best CU individual showing ever at the men’s Pac-12 Championship by placing seventh on Sunday.
Kupcho, the 2012 CGA Player of the Year whose sister Jennifer recently finished runner-up in the women’s ACC tournament, closed with a 1-under-par 71 Sunday at the Big Sky tournament in Boulder City, Nev. That left him at 5-under-par 211 overall, five strokes behind individual champion Evan Russell of Hartford.
As a team, UNC ended up fourth out of eight teams in the Big Sky as the Bears’ 1-over-par 865 total was 23 back of winner Idaho.
Paul, who made an eagle and two birdies Sunday at the Pac-12 meet in Salt Lake City, fired a 2-over-par 73. His 2-under-par 282 total left him 10 behind champion Jon Rahm of Arizona State. The best previous individual finish for CU in its first four Pac-12 Championships was a 12th by David Oraee two years ago.
Team-wise, Colorado tied for six out of 12 teams on Sunday, posting a 39-over-par 1,459 total. Stanford claimed the title at 1,402.
CU will host the 2017 Pac-12 Championships April 28-30 at Boulder Country Club. It will be the first time the Buffs’ men’s golf team has hosted a conference championship since the 1972 Big Eight tournament.
Meanwhile, the Summit League Championship started Sunday in Newton, Kan., and the University of Denver sits in fourth place out of nine teams after round 1, at 18-over-par 306, leaving the Pioneers 14 shots behind leader South Dakota State. Sophomore Chris Korte, the 2015 CGA Stroke Play champion who was named a second-team All-Summit League selection, shot an even-par 72 and shares third place individually. Zach Schroeder of IPFW leads the way at 70.
Men’s Pac-12 Conference Championship
April 29-May 1, 2016 (final) in Salt Lake City, Utah
6. (out of 12 teams) Colorado 360-363-371-365–1459
7. Jeremy Paul 67-68-74-73–282; 35. Ethan Freeman 75-73-76-70–294; 36. John Souza 76-70-74-75–295; 38. Philip Juel-Berg 72-77-70-77–296; 41. Wilson Belk 74-75-78-70–297; 67. Ross Macdonald 72-77-77-84–310.
Men’s Big Sky Conference Championship
April 29-May 1, 2016 (final) in Boulder City, Nev.
4. (out of 8 teams) Northern Colorado 285-296-284–865
6. Steven Kupcho 68-72-71–211; 11. Joshua Matz 73-76-66–215; 15. Li Chen 74-74-72–220; 17. Conner Barr 70-74-77–221; 38. Sam Marley 80-78-75–233.
Men’s Summit League Championship
May 1-3, 2016 in Newton, Kan.
4. (out of 9 teams) Denver 306
3. Chris Korte 72; 11. Jake Kelley 75; 21. Arti Edelman 78; 37. Adam Ruben 81; 40. Michael Boylan 82.
Men’s Big 12 Conference Championship
April 29-May 1, 2016 (final) in Trinity, Texas
29. Coloradan Wyndham Clark, Oklahoma State 75-78-73-75–301
