True to a time-honored tradition among many competitive golfers who double as friends, Derek Tolan (Pictured Left) and Pat Grady (Pictured Bellow) do their best to playfully needle one another.
“We both grab all we can to rub in each other’s face,” Tolan said of the relationship between the University of Colorado’s top two players. “It was a big joke at the beginning of the (season). I’d refer to him as “˜2 man’ (on the CU team). Through the fall we’d go back and forth when I’d win or he’d win tournaments, and we’d call each other “˜2 man.'”
They give each other the “needle pretty much non-stop every day,” CU coach Roy Edwards said. “It’s a very friendly needle; it doesn’t penetrate very deep. They have a lot of fun with it. They get the big picture and are very close friends.”
And Tolan and Grady have one other thing in common. Both of their illustrious amateur and college careers are quickly drawing to a close. The seniors will play their final college events next month when the NCAA Regionals and Championship Finals take place. Before that, the two will compete in their final Big 12 Conference tournament Monday through Wednesday (April 27-29) in Hutchinson, Kan.
Tolan and Grady are wrapping up strong senior seasons, with each winning two college tournaments. Only two players in CU history have won more major events in a single season: Hale Irwin (1966-67) and Kane Webber (2003-04), each with three.
Beyond winning, Tolan and Grady are in contention on a regular basis. Each has five top-five finishes as seniors. If the season ended today, Tolan’s single-season stroke average (71.88) would be No. 2 on CU’s all-time list (behind Webber’s 71.46), and Grady (72.0) would be No. 3. Both players are ranked among the top 50 collegians in the nation — the only competitors from Colorado schools currently at that level, according Golfweek magazine; Tolan is No. 42, and Grady is No. 47.
Outside of college, the two have been stellar players in the amateur ranks. Grady was named Colorado Golf Association amateur player of the year in both 2007 and 2008, while Tolan captured the award in 2005. Grady is the only player to have won all three of the CGA’s top events: the Stroke Play, Match Play and Publinks, with the 2005 match play title coming via a 38-hole victory over Tolan in the finals. In addition, Grady advanced to the round of 16 at the U.S. Amateur Publinks last year and was low amateur in the HealthOne Colorado Open.
Tolan, meanwhile, has qualified for an impressive 10 USGA championships, including the 2002 U.S. Open as a 16-year-old. Last year, he ended his jinx in CGA tournaments by winning the state Publinks — Grady was second — and he competed in the U.S. Amateur.
But both players are planning to turn pro shortly after their college careers end. Grady, in fact, is already making plans for his first pro tournament in early June.
It wasn’t by any means a sure thing that Tolan and Grady would find themselves where they are as they finish their CU careers. After all, Tolan seriously considered leaving the CU golf team 1½ or two years ago. Meanwhile, Grady defied the odds to reach the heights he has. And both endured much during their careers, including the cancer-related death of coach Mark Simpson in December 2005, and a new coach taking over at CU in 2006 (Edwards).
“I definitely feel proud of what I’ve accomplished,” said Grady, a Broomfield High School graduate. “I never got recruited and I got a 1 percent scholarship (out of high school). I thought I was going to go to (CU-Colorado Springs), but Simpson offered me a spot on the team and a 1 percent scholarship, and I couldn’t turn that down,” he said sarcastically. “I wanted to play Division I. I got killed (competitively) as a sophomore and freshman. But it made me more determined and I worked on my swing that much harder, and look what happened.”
As for Tolan, he was one of the most highly regarded recruits CU has ever landed, but there was some turmoil along the way. A major car accident in 2004 delayed his start at CU, his father John experienced some health-related scares, Simpson passed away, and he struggled with his golf game for a time.
“There were times I thought about leaving (CU),” said Tolan, a graduate of ThunderRidge High School in Highlands Ranch. “Things weren’t making sense. I was playing so bad and felt so overwhelmed that I didn’t think it would work out. My game was in total shambles and my grades were bad. The easy thing would have been to leave. But I’m proud I stuck it out and started to play better. I’m fortunate that I have a lot of positive influences in my life.”
Though Tolan didn’t live up to the extremely lofty goals he and Simpson set early on — being a four-time All-American and winning an individual NCAA title (which is still a possibility) — his game has rounded into form in the last year or so. And last year being the first CU golfer since 1993 to qualify individually for the NCAA Championship Finals was a big confidence boost.
Recently Tolan was chosen the CU athlete who would receive the Clancy A Herbst Jr. Student Athlete Achievement Award, given to an athlete who has overcome personal, academic or emotional difficulties to succeed both academically and athletically.
Grady, meanwhile, received an honor of his own, being the only CU men’s golfer to be named to the Academic All-Big 12 team. He’s scheduled to graduate with a business degree next month.
“I’m excited when I think about the impact these two have had as golfers, students, and leaders on the team,” Edwards said. “I once had a discussion with Oklahoma State coach Mike McGraw, and we were talking about a little guy with a lot of heart and competitiveness. Mike said, “˜Don’t you wish you could put heart like that into all of your guys?’ I think about that when I reflect on how much love Derek and Pat have for CU, the state, and their teammates.”
It’s little wonder why Edwards will miss Tolan and Grady. Beyond the intangibles, they flat out produce on the golf course. The Buffs have competed in 11 tournaments in which the two played this season, and in all 11 cases, either Grady (six times) or Tolan (five) has been CU’s top finisher. Tolan won two tournaments in September, and Grady one, and Grady added another victory this month at CU’s Stevinson Ranch Invitational in California. Their competitiveness has brought out the best in both of them.
“We play (a casual round) and it’s like life and death,” Grady said. “Even in practice we care about beating each other so much. Whether we’re qualifying (for a tournament) or chipping and putting, we’re grinding like it’s the U.S. Open.”
Added Tolan: “If he beats me, he lets me know it, and if I beat him I make sure he doesn’t forget it. But on Friday or Saturday we’re the first to call each other and hang out.”
Edwards couldn”˜t have asked much more given the way the two players have driven each other to new heights.
“I’m a huge believer that where there’s one really good player there’s usually two,” the coach said. “What’s awesome about college golf is that you try to beat each other every day, but it’s a friendly rivalry. Both Pat and Derek are legitimately excited when the other plays well.”
And that’s turned out to be most of the time.
