PROVO, Utah — A final round of 279 (-9) carried the Wyoming Cowboy golf team to its best finish of the 2021 season on Saturday as the Pokes tied for eighth place with the University of Denver in a field of 20 teams.
Wyoming was led by three individuals who finished in the Top 25. Sophomores Kirby Coe-Kirkham and Tyler Severin each fired final rounds of 67 (-5).
Coe-Kirkham moved up eight spots in the final round to tie for 12th at 210 (-6) for the 54-hole event. Severin moved up 21 spots on the final day to tie junior teammate Bryce Waters for 25th place at 213 (-3). Waters shot a final round of 73 (+1).
For Coe-Kirkham and Waters it was their highest finishes of the 2021 season and their first Top 25 finishes of the year.
Severin notched his fourth Top-25 finish of the season. It was a balanced attack for the Cowboys, with senior Dan Starzinski shooting an even-par round of 72 on Saturday to tie for 51st place at 218 (+2). Sophomore Jared Edeen posted his third consecutive round of 74 (+2) to tie for 73rd at 222 (+6). Junior Carl Underwood played as an individual and finished in 104th place, with a three-round total of 241 (+25).
“It was good to see Kirby (Coe-Kirkham) and Tyler (Severin) really step up in the final round. They competed well,” said Joe Jensen, Wyoming Director of Golf and Head Men’s Golf Coach. “Bryce (Waters) also had a nice week, and Dan (Starzinski) and Jared (Edeen) both played consistent this week.
“It was really encouraging to see the way they all played within themselves and played with confidence. This was a good way to finish up the regular season and head into the Mountain West Championship next weekend.”
Wyoming was one of seven Mountain West schools participating in the Cougar Classic. The Cowboys (8th place) finished ahead of Nevada (10th place), UNLV (11th) and Air Force (20th). Boise State (2nd), New Mexico (4th) and Colorado State (5th) finished ahead of the Pokes.
The Top-25 ranked San Francisco Dons won the tournament by 13 strokes over second-place Boise State. Tim Widing of San Francisco and Carson Lundell of BYU tied for the individual title at 203 (-13).
Nearly half of the 20-team field (nine teams) entered the tournament ranked in the Top 75 NCAA Division I men’s golf teams (out of 290) in the most recent national rankings. The highest ranked teams were San Francisco, which was ranked No. 25 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings as of April 21 and was No. 28 in the Golfstat rankings as of April 20, and the New Mexico Lobos, who were ranked No. 30 by Golfweek/Sagarin and No. 29 by Golfstat.
The tournament was played at the Riverside Country Club in Provo, Utah. The course measured 7,142 yards and played to a par of 72.
Wyoming will play in the 2021 Mountain West Conference Championship next Friday and Saturday, April 30 and May 1 at the Tucson National Golf Course in Tucson, Ariz.
Team Standings
1. San Francisco 274-282-267=823 (-41)
2. Boise State 282-285-270=836 (-28)
3. Brigham Young 276-288-274=838 (-26)
4. New Mexico 279-283-281=843 (-21)
5. Colorado State 281-282-282=845 (-19)
6. Utah 279-290-278=847 (-17)
7. St. Mary’s 279-290-283=852 (-12)
8. Wyoming 284-290-279=853 (-11)
Denver 284-292-277=853 (-11)
10. Nevada 285-295-277=857 (-7)
11. UNLV 287-296-277=860 (-4)
12. San Diego 285-297-279=861 (-3)
13. Brigham Young (B) 279-300-284=863 (-1)
14. Loyola Marymount 290-290-284=864 (Even)
15. Santa Clara 292-295-280=867 (+3)
16. New Mexico State 291-298-293=882 (+18)
Dixie State 295-299-288=882 (+18)
18. Utah Valley 294-299301=894 (+30)
19. Gonzaga 288-316-296=900 (+36)
20. Air Force 298-315-295=908 (+44)
Wyoming Cowboys Team Members
T12 Kirby Coe-Kirkham 73-70-67=210 (-6)
T25 Tyler Severin 71-75-67=213 (-3)
T25 Bryce Waters 68-72-73=213 (-3)
T51 Dan Starzinski 72-74-72=218 (+2)
T73 Jared Edeen 74-74-74=222 (+6)
