It took until the final regular-season tournament of his career, but University of Colorado golfer Yannik Paul claimed an individual title in a major college tournament for the first time.
Paul’s only previous individual championship in a college event came in the 2016 Ballyneal Challenge, a three-team affair. But on Sunday, the senior (pictured in a CUBuffs.com photo) earned the top spot in a tournament that featured 17 teams and 85 players.
Paul actually shared the title Sunday with UNLV’s Shintaro Ban at the ASU Thunderbird Invitational in Tempe, Ariz.
“I’m really happy with my first big win,” Paul told CUBuffs.com. “I was really close the last couple of tournaments, so I was hopeful that it could happen soon.”
Paul shot rounds of 67-66-69 for an 11-under-par 202 total. The German made five birdies in the final round, including one on his next-to-last hole. Ban also birdied his 17th hole on Sunday. For the week, Paul carded 17 birdies in 54 holes, tying for most in the field.
Sunday marked Paul’s fourth top-six individual showing of the season.
“What a win for Yannik. He has been playing very well all spring and it all came together for him this week,” CU coach Roy Edwards said of Paul, the twin brother of Jeremy Paul, the Buffs’ career leader in stroke average. “This was an elite field in golf and was a huge win. He has been a great player and teammate and this is very well-deserved. I have been especially impressed with his patience all year, his game has flourished and even better golf is ahead of him.”
Three Colorado-based teams competed in the Thunderbird Invite, the final tournament before the conference championships. Colorado State finished seventh at 855, while CU was ninth at 863 and the University of Denver 10th at 868.
UNC’s Welch Fourth in El Macero Classic: Elsewhere in local college golf on Sunday, Coby Welch of Highlands Ranch recorded the best individual showing by a University of Northern Colorado golfer this season, placing fourth at the El Macero Classic in El Macero, Calif.
Welch, a sophomore, carded scores of 76-71-73 for a 4-over-par 220 total, which left him five strokes behind champion Sam Meek of Nevada.
Welch, the CJGA’s Junior Player of the Year in 2015, won an individual college title at the 2016 Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational.
UNC finished ninth in the 13-team field, while the Air Force Academy was 10th.
ASU Thunderbird Invitational
April 14-15, 2018 (final) in Tempe, Ariz.
7. (out of 17 teams) Colorado State 277-290-288–855
19. Jake Staiano 67-72-73–212
34. Parathakorn Suyasri 69-75-72–216
43. AJ Ott 71-72-75–218
43. Jack Ainscough 70-79-69–218
46. Max Oelfke 74-71-74–219
9. Colorado 287-291-285–863
T1. Yannik Paul 67-66-69–202
52. Daniel O’Loughlin 73-74-73–220
52. John Souza 75-73-72–220
64. Spencer Painton 75-78-71–224
72. Trevor Olkowski 72-78-77–227
10. Denver 292-284-292–868
34. Chris Korte 72-73-71–216
34. Eric Hagen 76-70-70–216
41. Jake Kelley 73-70-74–217
52. John Sand 71-71-78–220
82. Jackson Solem 78-77-77–232
Also
34. Coloradan Kyler Dunkle, Utah 73-72-71–216
41. Coloradan Glenn Workman, Wyoming 75-72-70–217
72. Coloradan Tristan Rohrbaugh, Boise State 74-77-76–227
El Macero Classic
April 13-15, 2018 (final) in El Macero, Calif.
9. (out of 13 teams) Northern Colorado 318-309-302–929
4. Coby Welch 76-71-73–220
48. Sam Marley 79-77-77–233
53. Joshua Matz 80-79-77–236
61. Marcus Tait 83-82-75–240
74. Andrew Romano 83-84-80–247
10. Air Force Academy 307-305-318–930
25. Bryant Falconello 77-74-76–227
45. Anson Kuznik 76-78-78–232
53. Tate Tatom 76-76-84–236
58. Joshua Wu 78-77-83–238
64. Dane Hankamer 81-81-81–243
34. Andy Germann (competing only as individual) 78-76-75–229
