The fast-approaching spring portion of the college golf season is shaping up to be one of the most interesting in decades from a Colorado perspective.
The spring schedule starts next week for some teams — including the University of Denver men’s squad — and over the next 4 1/2 months we’ll get our answers to the following questions, each of which has a direct link to Colorado:
— Can Westminster resident Jennifer Kupcho remain No. 1 in the nation in women’s college golf?
It’s not very often that a Colorado golfer ranks No. 1 in the nation, but this is one of those times. Kupcho, a sophomore at Wake Forest, will go into the spring schedule No. 1 in women’s golf — at least according to Golfstat’s head-to-head player standings; she’s No. 4 according to Golfweek.
Kupcho, the CWGA Player of the Year the last three seasons, owned a stellar 69.25 stroke average in her four fall tournaments. After finishing eighth and fourth in her first two tourneys of the season, she won her last two fall events of the year.
Of course, arguably the most important thing is where Kupcho finishes in the NCAA Finals in May. Last year, she placed sixth there individually as a freshman.
Kupcho (left) currently sits 15th in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings.
By the way, Kupcho is just one of four “local” players who is ranked among the top 60 women’s college golfers in the nation heading into the spring. Also on that list are Hannah Wood of Highlands Ranch and the University of Oklahoma (26th according to Golfstat); and University of Colorado senior Esther Lee (31st according to Golfweek) and her freshman teammate Kirsty Hodgkins (53rd according to Golfweek).
Lee set the women’s NCAA record for low round in relation to par when she shot a season-opening 11-under-par 61 in September at the University of New Mexico’s Championship Course.
— Can Highlands Ranch resident Wyndham Clark (pictured above) remain No. 1 in the nation in men’s college golf?
If that question looks a lot like the previous one, it’s no misprint. While one Colorado resident is ranked No. 1 in women’s college golf (Kupcho), another is No. 1 in men’s (Clark). At least that’s where Golfstat’s head-to-head player standings puts the University of Oregon’s fifth-year senior, who is in the midst of his only season in Eugene after transferring from Oklahoma State. Clark, a former Big 12 Player of the Year, is No. 2 in the nation according to Golfweek.
The former CGA Amateur champion didn’t win an individual title in the fall — in fact, he has yet to claim an individual championship in his career as a college player, though he’s finished second five times. And, for the record, he was third in an October event in his home state, at the Paintbrush Invitational at Colorado Golf Club.
Overall, Clark went second, third and sixth individually in his three fall college tournaments.
— Will the 2017 NCAA champions pass through Boulder?
As we’ve noted several times in recent years, the men’s Pac-12 Conference Championships will be contested April 28-30 at Boulder Country Club, marking the first time the CU men have hosted a conference tournament since 1972.
Not only will the event feature the defending NCAA champions (Oregon), but seven of Golfweek’s top 20 players in the country figure to be on hand: Maverick McNealy of Stanford (No. 1), Clark of Oregon (No. 2), Sean Crocker of USC (No. 6), Brandon Wu of Stanford (No. 16), Rico Hoey of USC (No. 18), Jonah Texeira of USC (No. 19) and Colin Morikawa of Cal (No. 20).
Joining Clark in the top 75 of the Golfweek men’s rankings is CU junior Yannik Paul, who checks in at No. 75.
— Will any locals play in the 2017 Arnold Palmer Cup?
The Arnold Palmer Cup is the college equivalent of the Ryder Cup, with the top men’s college players from the U.S. and Europe squaring off in individual and two-man team match play competition. This year’s Palmer Cup will be held June 9-11 at Atlanta Athletic Cup. The 2009 version of the Palmer Cup was contested at Cherry Hills Country Club in suburban Denver.
Clark, who competed in the 2014 Palmer Cup, sits No. 1 in the Team USA standings. CU junior Yannik Paul, a German, is No. 10 for Team Europe.
The top six players from both the final U.S. and European standings will earn spots into the 2017 event, along with four captain’s picks for each squad.
— Will the CU men make the NCAA Finals as a team for first time since 2002?
The CU men’s golf program, host of the aforementioned Pac-12 Championships in Boulder, hasn’t advanced a full team to the NCAA Finals in 15 years, but may have the players to get over the hump this season.
The Buffs are currently ranked No. 24 in the nation, according to Golfweek. They have four players who have played at least 10 rounds this season who own stroke averages under 73: Yannik Paul (71.00), Ethan Freeman (71.75), Jeremy Paul (72.31) and Morten Toft Hansen (72.94). Senior Jeremy Paul, who owns the lowest career stroke average in CU history (71.77), advanced to the final stage of Web.com Tour Q-school and has conditional status on that circuit, but coach Roy Edwards said Thursday that Paul will compete for CU in the spring.
— Will the DU women extend their streak to 14?
The DU women don’t play in a particularly strong league by national standards, but whatever the case, winning 13 consecutive conference titles is quite a feat. Yet that’s exactly what the Pioneers have accomplished.
The run includes three Summit League championships, nine in the Sun Belt Conference and one in the WAC.
The opportunity for No. 14 in a row will come April 23-25 in Nebraska City.
Here’s a rundown of some key spring tidbits for the nine NCAA Division I teams based in Colorado:
Air Force Academy Men
National Rank — 153rd (Golfstat), 183rd (Golfweek).
Top Stroke Average at Midseason — Sunwoo Choi 72.87.
Spring Tournament Opener — Feb. 13-14, Pat Hicks Invitational, St. George, Utah.
Conference Championship — April 21-13, Mountain West, Tucson, Ariz.
CSU Men
National Rank — 60th (Golfweek), 69th (Golfstat).
Top Stroke Average at Midseason — Blake Cannon 71.53.
Spring Tournament Opener — Feb. 27-28, National Invitational Tournament, Tucson, Ariz.
Conference Championship — April 21-13, Mountain West, Tucson, Ariz.
CSU Women
National Rank — 103rd (Golfstat); 109th (Golfweek).
Top Stroke Average at Midseason — Ellen Secor 74.14.
Spring Tournament Opener — Feb. 27-28, The Gold Rush, Seal Beach, Calif.
Conference Championship — April 17-19, Mountain West, Rancho Mirage, Calif.
CU Men
National Rank — 24th (Golfweek), 28th (Golfstat).
Top Stroke Average at Midseason — Yannik Paul 71.0.
Spring Tournament Opener — Feb. 2-4, Amer Ari Intercollegiate, Waikoloa, Hawaii.
Conference Championship — April 28-30, Pac-12, Boulder CC.
CU Women
National Rank — 41st (Golfstat); 43rd (Golfweek).
Top Stroke Average at Midseason — Esther Lee 72.25.
Spring Tournament Opener — Feb. 11-12, Peg Barnard Invitational, Stanford, Calif.
Conference Championship — April 24-26, Pac-12, Tucson, Ariz.
DU Men
National Rank — 129th (Golfweek), 151st (Golfstat).
Top Stroke Average at Midseason — Chris Korte 73.25.
Spring Tournament Opener — Jan. 23-24, Arizona Intercollegiate, Tucson, Ariz.
Conference Championship — April 28-30, Summit, Newton, Kan.
DU Women
National Rank — 49th (Golfstat); 50th (Golfweek).
Top Stroke Average at Midseason — Jessica Carty 73.58.
Spring Tournament Opener — Feb. 19-21, Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate, New Orleans, La.
Conference Championship — April 23-25, Summit League, Nebraska City, Neb.
UNC Men
National Rank — 133rd (Golfstat), 139th (Golfweek).
Top Stroke Average at Midseason — Coby Welch 72.71.
Spring Tournament Opener — Feb. 15-17, John Burns Invitational, Lihue, Hawaii.
Conference Championship — April 28-30, Big Sky, Boulder City, Nev.
UNC Women
National Rank — 163rd (Golfstat); 163rd (Golfweek).
Top Stroke Average at Midseason — Janet Yeo 75.0.
Spring Tournament Opener — Feb. 13-14, Battle at Boulder Creek, Boulder City, Nev.
Conference Championship — April 21-23, Big Sky, Boulder City, Nev.
