The three-time U.S. Open champion made a 15-foot birdie on the 18th hole Sunday as he and partner Wes Short tied for fourth place in the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf in Ridgedale, Mo.
It was the 211th top-10 showing on the PGA Tour Champions for Irwin. The former Coloradan is the tour’s all-time victory leader, with 45.
Sunday marked Irwin’s best finish in a Champions event since placing third in the Senior PGA Championship in May 2012. His last top 10 had come in August 2014, when he carded a ninth-place performance at the 3M Championship.
Irwin and Short (pictured, with Irwin at right) posted an 18-under-par total in the Legends of Golf, with the last two rounds being played on the Top of the Rock par-3 course. On Sunday, they carded eight birdies and a bogey. Irwin and Short ended up five strokes behind champions Woody Austin and Michael Allen.
Kupcho, the CGA Player of the Year in 2012, shot rounds of 72-68 at Sunbrook Golf Course to end up at 4-under-par 140, six strokes behind champion J.T. Simmons of Utah Valley. Kupcho carded nine birdies for the 36-hole event.
Joshua Matz also posted a top-10 finish for UNC, tying for ninth place at 142.
As a team, UNC moved up from fifth after round 1 to a runner-up showing in the 12-team field. The Bears’ second-round score of 4-under-par 284 was the best of the tournament by any team. They checked in at 579, in a three-way tie for second place, seven shots behind winner Utah Valley.
Pat Hicks Invitational
Feb. 8-9, 2016 (final) in St. George, Utah
2. (out of 12 teams) Northern Colorado 295
4. Steven Kupcho 72-68–140; 9. Joshua Matz 69-73–142; 18. Conner Barr 77-70–147; 36. Li Chen 77-73–150; 58. Sam Marley 81-76–157.