Senior Jeremy Paul, who is No. 77 in the most recent World Amateur Golf Rankings, announced Monday that he has accepted a sponsor exemption as a professional in this week’s Web.com Tour United Leasing & Finance Championship, which starts Thursday in Newburgh, Ind.

Paul, a native of Germany who has a twin brother Yannik who had been a CU teammate, competed in Web.com Q-school in the fall and advanced to the final stage. He finished 72nd in that tournament in December, giving him conditional status on the 2017 Web.com Tour. That wasn’t enough to get him into early-season events, but he landed a spot in this week’s tournament.

“Jeremy has determined turning pro at this time is in the best interest for his budding professional golf career,” CU coach Roy Edwards said.  “We respect his decision.  He has a tremendous future in front of him and we applaud him on a great CU career.  Jeremy leaves CU as one of the most decorated players in our history, (one) who seemingly always played well when his team needed it the most.  The records he holds are mind-boggling at times and those marks will be great targets for future Buffs to try and achieve.
 
“He was a pleasure to coach and he has no bigger fans than his Colorado golf family.”

Paul’s four-year stroke average at CU was a record-setting 71.72. He claimed three individual titles in his college career, and managed 21 top-10 finishes, which is also a program record. He is scheduled to earn a Business degree from CU on May 12.

Without their top player, upcoming for the Buffs are the Pac-12 Championships April 28-30 at Boulder Country Club and the NCAA Regionals May 15-17. CU is hoping to qualify for the NCAA Finals for the first time since 2002, but without Paul, that becomes a much more formidable hurdle to overcome. Paul finished seventh at last year’s Pac-12 meet.

“It has obviously been a tough decision leaving the team a few weeks early, but I believe we have a deep team this year and someone will for sure step up and fill my spot,” said Paul, an honorable mention All-American as a junior. “With that being said, I truly believe that the team will have a great chance winning the Pac-12 Championship and also making a move at the NCAAs.” 

(April 22 Update: Paul missed the cut by two in his professional debut, posting rounds of 72-78 for a 6-over-par 150 total.)

Back in September, the women’s team’s Esther Lee set the women’s NCAA record for low round in relation to par with an 11-under-par 61.

Then on Saturday at the Classic Club in Palm Desert, Calif., the CU men’s team shot the lowest single-round team score — in relation to par — in college golf this season as the Buffs posted a 22-under 266 in the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate. CU sports information director Dave Plati also said it was the lowest round in program history by five shots, relative to par.

CU put all four of its score-counting players in the 60s to move into second place, four strokes behind Coloradan Wyndham Clark’s tournamant-leading Oregon squad with one round remaining in the 22-team tournament.

Jeremy Paul (pictured with CU coach Roy Edwards) fired an 8-under-par 64 — matching the best score in team history, relative to par — despite bogeying the par-5 final hole. Fellow senior Ethan Freeman posted a 66 with an eagle, junior John Souza a 67 and junior Yannik Paul a 69. With that 266 team total, the Buffs stand at 19-under 557.

“It was one of those special days,” Edwards told CUBuffs.com. “Things kind of fell into place from start to finish, and we had a few breaks here and there. So you have to enjoy these days when they come around because you don’t shoot this low very often. Simply just a great day by the guys. They were awesome.” 

Jeremy Paul and Clark, the No. 1-ranked college player in the country, share third place individually at 7-under-par 137, sitting five strokes behind Clark’s Oregon teammate Norman Xiong (67-65). Freeman (141) is also in the top 10, sharing eighth place. Clark carded a bogey-free 7-under-par 65 on Saturday.

All of the golfers comprising CU’s team are in the top 20 individually, with Souza (12th at 142), Yannik Paul (14th at 143) and Spencer Painton (20th at 144) rounding out the five.

(Update: For the final results from the tournament, CLICK HERE.)
 

Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate
Feb. 17-19, 2017 in Palm Desert, Calif.
2. (out of 22 teams) Colorado 291-266–557
3. Jeremy Paul 73-64–137
8. Ethan Freeman 75-66–141
12. John Souza 75-67–142
14. Yannik Paul 74-69–143
20. Spencer Painton 69-75–144
25. Ryan Schmitz (competing only as individual) 76-69–145
60. Wilson Belk (competing only as individual) 79-71–150
82. Victor Bjorlow (competing only as individual) 76-77–153

13. Denver 304-293–597
25. Petter Mikalsen 71-74–145
39. Jake Kelley 75-72–147
82. Eric Hagen 79-74–153
82. Isaac Petersilie 79-74–153
124. Chris Korte X-73
90. Roy Kang (competing only as individual) 79-75–154
113. Troy Dangler (competing only as individual) 84-75–149

Also
3. Coloradan Wyndham Clark, Oregon 72-65–137
55. Coloradan Glenn Workman, Wyoming 76-73–149
 

The Buffs, shot a stellar 12-under-par round of 276 Monday afternoon and finished day 1 at 18-under-par 558. But Utah (563), Wyoming (565), Campbell (565) and Houston Baptist (565) are well within striking distance with 18 holes left.

A second CU team (574) is in sixth place, while Air Force (576) is 10th and Northern Colorado (580) 12th in the 19-team field.

Two CU players are in the top five individually after Monday’s two rounds. Freshman Morten Toft Hansen leads by one at 8-under-par 136 after posting scores of 71-65, with the 65 being bogey-free. And senior Ethan Freeman (pictured), a Colorado resident who went 69-69–138, shares fourth place.

Also in the top 10 are Air Force’s Sunwoo Choi (137, second), UNC’s Coby Welch (139, eighth), CU’s John Souza (139, eighth), Colorado State’s Logan Iverson (139, eighth) and Coloradan Tanner Jenson of Utah State (139, eighth).

Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational
Sept. 26-27, 2016 at Par-72 Colorado National GC in Erie
1. Colorado 282-276–558
1. Morten Toft Hansen 71-65–136
4. Ethan Freeman 69-69–138
23. Yannik Paul 74-68–142
47. Jeremy Paul 69-76–145
60. Spencer Painton 73-74–147

6. Colorado B 287-287–574
8. John Souza 70-69–139
47. Wilson Belk 73-72–145
54. Ryan Schmitz 73-73–146
60. Victor Bjorlow 74-73–147
94. Kade Crossland 71-83–154

10. Air Force Academy 291-285–576
2. Sunwoo Choi 69-68–137
54. Brenden Bone 76-70–146
60. Joshua Wu 73-74–147
60. Tate Tatom 73-74–147
84. Todd Millard 78-73–151

12. Northern Colorado 295-285–580
8. Coby Welch 70-69–139
37. Sam Marley 74-70–144
70. Andrew Romano 74-74–148
75. Joshua Matz 77-72–149
97. Li Chen 78-77–155

Also
8. Coloradan Tanner Jenson of Utah State 70-69–139
8. Logan Iverson of CSU 72-67–139
15. Coloradan Kyler Dunkle of Utah 67-73–140
29. Kyle Kidd of CSU 70-73–143
37. Coloradan Glenn Workman of Wyoming 68-76–144
37. Coloradan Tristan Rohrbaugh of Boise State 71-73–144
37. Joseph Crisostomo of Air Force 71-76–147
60. Alec Bone of CSU 71-76–147
82. Dane Hankamer of Air Force 76-74–150
87. Philip Lee of UNC 76-76–152
87. Turner Howe of Air Force 75-77–152
103. Anson Kuznik of Air Force 83-76–159
108. Jack Li of CU 81-NS
 

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