CSU men vault into fifth place at NCAA Regionals; Coloradans Welch, Dunkle, Staiano in top 10 individually
By Gary Baines – 05/14/2019
The Colorado State University men’s golf team jumped six spots in the team standings on Tuesday and is on pace to earn a berth in the NCAA Division I national championship.
With the top five team finishers after Wednesday’s third round extending their seasons, the Rams sit in fifth place in the regional in Pullman, Wash.
CSU shot an 11-under-par 269 — the second-best score of the day — and checked in at 12-under 548, three strokes better than sixth-place UCLA. The Rams trail leader Texas A&M by 11 strokes.
The last two CGA Players of the Year — Jake Staiano (2017 and pictured above) and AJ Ott (2018) — went low on Tuesday for CSU. Staiano fired a 6-under-par 64, which left him in ninth place indivdiually at 6-under 134. And Ott carded a 66, putting him at 136 and in 17th place. Both made an eagle and five birdies on Tuesday.
Another Coloradan, junior Coby Welch of Northern Colorado, shares fifth place individually at 133 after backing up his first-round 66 with a five-birdie 67. With teammate Joshua Matz also posting a 67 on Tuesday, UNC shot a 6-under 274 and is in 12th place at 3-under 557.
Meanwhile, at the Stanford, Calif., Regional, the 2016 CGA Player of the Year and 2018 CGA Amateur champion Kyler Dunkle jumped into the top five. The University of Utah senior made six birdies and fired a 3-under-par 67 and is tied for fifth place at 4-under 136. He trails leader Isaiah Salinda of Stanford by three.
At the same site, the University of Denver holds 12th place in the 13-team field. The Pioneers continue to be led by freshman Cal McCoy from Highlands Ranch, who sits in 24th place individually at 141 after carding a 73 on Tuesday.
Coloradan Josh Seiple’s Mississippi team stands in fifth as a team in Stanford.
The top five team finishers — and the top individual not on one of those teams — from each regional will advance to the NCAA Championship Finals, set for May 24-29 in Fayetteville, Ark.
Men’s NCAA Division I Regionals
May 13-15, 2019 in Pullman, Wash.
5. (out of 14 teams) Colorado State 279-269–548
9. Jake Staiano 70-64–134
17. AJ Ott 70-66–136
35. Davis Bryant 70-70–140
35. Oscar Teiffel 71-69–140
49. Parathakorn Suyasri 69-73–142
12. Northern Colorado 283-274–557
5. Coby Welch 66-67–133
25. Joshua Matz 70-67–137
35. Jack Castiglia 70-70–140
63. Nick Sharp 77-70–147
73. Li Chen 80-81–161
Also
55. Daniel O’Loughlin, Colorado 68-75–143
60. Coloradan Dan Erickson, Texas A&M 71-75–146
May 13-15, 2019 in Stanford, Calif.
12. (out of 13 teams) Denver 288-300–588
24. Cal McCoy 68-73–141
62. Eric Hagen 71-77–148
67. Carson Griggs 75-75–150
69. Esteban Missura 76-75–151
73. John Sand 74-80–157
Also
5. Former Coloradan Kyler Dunkle, Utah 69-67–136
64. Coloradan Josh Seiple, Mississippi 79-70–149