Buffs Battle the Elements at The Prestige
LA QUINTA, Calif. - The University of Colorado men's golf team faced a tough challenge at the 26th Annual "The Prestige at PGA West." With hopes of climbing the leaderboard in Wednesday's final round, the Buffs were thwarted by Mother Nature as fierce winds forced the cancellation of play just two-and-a-half hours in.
The Buffs wrapped up the event in 16th place among 24 teams, but they never got the chance to hit the course in the afternoon due to the extreme conditions. Winds gusting over 50 miles per hour turned the greens into a moving target, with balls rolling unpredictably and even palm trees snapping under the pressure. Senior Hunter Swanson led the Buffs, tying for eighth place, marking his ninth top-10 finish and 16th top-20 in his career.
Looking ahead, the Buffaloes will stay in the Palm Springs area for some practice before taking on Wyoming's Desert Intercollegiate next week in Palm Desert. Joining them in the competition will be teams like Cal Baptist, Cal Irvine, Cal Poly, and several others, promising an exciting lineup.
The Prestige Individual: Fang's Steady Performance
Sophomore Michael Fang took on the companion event, "The Prestige Individual," at the Golf Club of Terra Lago in nearby Indio. Despite challenging conditions, Fang secured a 23rd-place finish after carding a 7-over 79 on the par-72 course. The winds weren't as punishing as those in La Quinta, but they still pushed the average score in the final round to 78.6, a notable increase from the previous day.
Fang's performance was a testament to consistency, with seven birdies, 32 pars, and a mix of bogeys, doubles, and a triple. He navigated the par-5s at 2-over, ranking 12th in the field, while finishing 5-over on par-4s and 6-over on par-3s. Stanford's Kush Arora emerged as the standout, capturing medalist honors with a 4-under 212 total, one of only two players to finish under par.
As the Buffs regroup and prepare for their next challenge, they'll be looking to harness the resilience and skill they've shown, ready to take on whatever the desert winds might throw their way.