The University of Colorado men held the lead briefly in the middle of the back nine of Sunday’s final round, but a strong finish by the University of Kansas relegated the Buffs to a runner-up finish out of a 20-team field at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate in Palm Desert, Calif.
The showing marked the third top-two team performance in a large-scale tournament this season by the Buffs, who tied for the title at their own Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational and were second at the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational, both in the fall.
On Sunday, CU had the second-best final-round score, an even-par 288, to put the pressure on 36-hole leader Kansas, which is coached by former Colorado State University coach Jamie Bermel. But the Jayhawks’ five golfers played the final five holes in a combined 6 under par to claim their third team title of the season.
KU posted a 2-over-par 866 total for three rounds, three shots better then Colorado.
Individually, CU senior Philip Juel-Berg (pictured), winner of the 2015 Danish International Amateur, placed third. Rounds of 72-69-71 left him at 4-under-par 212, three strokes behind champion Sean Walsh of Gonzaga.
The University of Denver placed 19th in the team race on Sunday at 914.
Wyoming Desert Collegiate
Feb. 19-21, 2016 (final) in Palm Desert, Calif.
2. Colorado (out of 20 teams) 289-290-288–869
3. Philip Juel-Berg 72-69-71–212; 11. Jeremy Paul 71-72-73–217; 35. Ross Macdonald 73-76-73–223; 76. Ethan Freeman 86-73-71–230; 101. Wilson Belk 73-81-82–236. Competing only as individuals: 14. John Souza 76-71-72–219; 101. Pierce Aichinger 82-78-77-237.
19. Denver 300-305-309–914
45. Jake Kelley 75-71-79–225; 71. Petter Mikalsen 68-81-80–229; 71. Arti Edelman 81-73-75–229; 97. Adam Ruben 77-81-78–236; 101. Chris Korte 80-80-77–237. Competing only as individuals: 76. Michael Boylan 75-80-75–230; 88. Johan Werge 76-79-78–233.
Also
39. Coloradan Cole Nygren, Cal-Poly 74-76-74–224
79. Coloradan Glenn Workman, Wyoming 78-80-73–231
