Golfers Open Fall Season In 10th After One Round At Air Force

USAFA, Colo. — The University of Colorado men's golf team opened the fall portion of its 2021-22 season here Friday, and after one round of the 52nd Annual Gene Miranda Air Force Falcon Invitational, the Buffaloes stand in 10th place.
 
Colorado's youngest team to ever play in a major tournament carded a 9-over 297 score, as the Buffaloes have four true freshmen and a junior veteran competing here. 
 
UC Davis owns the first day lead after turning in a 9-under 279 team score, doing so on the strength of three players shooting under par and a fourth at par.  San Jose State is second at 283, with Denver third (286), the only three teams under par.  Wyoming (1-over 289) and Nevada (290) round out the top five. 
 
Freshman Justin Biwer and junior John Paterson led the charge for the Buffaloes, as the due recorded 1-over par 73 scores, tying them for 25th overall.  Biwer tallied four birdies out of the gate in his first collegiate round, with 10 pars against three bogeys and a double.  Paterson made two birdies and 13 pars, countered by three bogeys.
 
The other three frosh newbies followed, with Frederik Eisenbeis carding a 2-over 74, Dylan McDermott a 5-voer 77 and Jack Holland a 6-over 78.  Eisenbeis had a birdie and 14 pars (three bogeys), McDermott 14 pars (three bogeys and a double), and Holland two birdies and eight pars (eight bogeys).  Holland, who is playing in the No. 1 position after topping the team qualifying earlier in the week, had a rough start with seven bogeys in his first 11 holes, but composed himself down the stretch to play the last seven holes at 1-under.
 
"The wind really kicked up early in the round, so the course played as hard as I've ever seen it," CU head coach Roy Edwards said.  "Nobody played really well, but I saw a lot of good things.  We hit a lot of really good shots but we had a tough time on the greens.  But for the four freshman getting their first taste of college golf on this course was a tough deal, but in the long run it will be good for them.  This will be a good learning experience for them."
 
Denver's Jackson Solem holds the lead after 18 holes, as he shot a 6-under 66, scoring six birdies and 12 pars en route to owning a one stroke lead over UTEP's Greg Yellin and Northern Colorado's T.J. Shehee.
 
The second round is set for Saturday, with the Buffaloes set to begin teeing off at 8:30 a.m. and paired with Wyoming, UC Davis and New Mexico State.  The third and final round on Sunday will feature a 7:15 a.m. start.  
 
INDIVIDUAL EVENT: In conjunction with the main event, Air Force is running a companion individual tournament with 45 additional players from the competing schools.  All three CU individuals carded 2-over par 74's on the 6,510-yard, par-72 Eisenhower Silver Course.  Junior Kristoffer Max had four birdies and eight pars (six bogeys); sophomore Adam Matteson and freshman Jack Hughes both had two birdies and 12 pars (with four bogeys).  San Jose State's Vijay Srinivasan shot a 4-under 68 and holds a one-shot lead over teammate Matthew Heitel head into Saturday's second round, which has a 9:30 a.m. shotgun start.