DENVER – The University of Denver men's golf team will rely on a young core to continue the progression that saw the Pioneers just miss out on a Summit League title in 2018. The Crimson and Gold open the season on Sept. 17 in Fort Collins at Colorado State's seventh annual Ram Masters Invitational.
Denver ended the 2017-18 campaign with five top-10 finishes including sixth at the Ram Masters and second at the Summit League Championships. Head coach
Erik Billinger will turn to juniors
Eric Hagen and
Roy Kang to help guide the roster full of talented sophomores and freshmen.
"This team is young. We have three freshmen (one red-shirt freshman) and three sophomores," said Billinger. "It is awesome because they are all so coachable and eager to show what they can do. Our team values and expectations have been set and they are all in."
John Sand and
Jackson Solem return to DU for their sophomore seasons while newcomer
Jun Ho Won joins the Pioneers after transferring from Boise State and
Esteban Missura looks to make his debut this year after redshirting last season. "Jun is one of the most talented players I've seen in a long time," said Billinger. "He is extremely long and can capitalize on the par 5s." Freshmen
Carson Griggs and
Cal McCoy round out the eight-man squad for the year. "Carson is a top-100 recruit for the 2018 class and he is the real deal," voiced Billinger. "He is a player who has no fear and has the ability to go low at this level." McCoy, who hails from Highlands Ranch, excites Billinger with his impressive all-around game. "Cal is another top-100 recruit who shows no glaring weakness," he said. "He is a very thoughtful player who excels in the short game area."
The Ram Masters is a 54-hole collegiate tournament featuring 11 teams inside the top 150 of the Golfstat NCAA Division I rankings. The host course, Fort Collins Country Club, is a par 70 and stretches out to 7,218 yards. The tournament will begin with a shotgun start on Monday, Sept. 17.
DU will continue the fall season with a trip to Albuquerque, N.M. for the Tucker Invitational (Sept. 28-29) at the lengthy 7,555 yard, par 72, University of New Mexico Championship Course.
The Pioneers return home to host second annual Paintbrush Invitational (Oct. 8-9). The 12-team tournament features Oregon, Colorado State and Colorado who all rank inside the top 50 of the Golf Stat NCAA D1 rankings. Denver welcomes the field at the Colorado Golf Club, a par 72 measuring just over 7,600 yards.
"We love hosting in the fall, especially at Colorado Golf Club," expressed Billinger. "We have another great field this year and we are looking to defend our home turf with our knowledge of Colorado Golf Club and how to play that course."
The mid-winter to early-spring schedule offers Coach Billinger's squad a chance to play against solid competition at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate in Palm Springs, Calif. and The Duck Invitational in Eugene, Ore.
The Pioneers will compete in six tournaments spanning from the end of January to mid-April, all leading up to the Summit League Championship at the Sand Creek Golf Club in Newton, Kansas. "We are always looking to compete against the best in order to continue to improve and beat the best," said Billinger. "This year is no different. We will travel to the states of New Mexico, Hawaii, Arizona, Texas, California, Oregon and Utah before conference this year. This season we are taking it one tournament at a time and just focusing on how to get better each week."
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