CSU Heads to Texas For NCAA Bryan Regional May 16-18

Tournament: NCAA Regionals
Dates: May 16-18
Host: Texas A&M University
Location: Bryan, Texas
Course: Traditions Club
Course Par/Yardage: Par 72 / 7,227 yds
Host Web Site: http://www.ncaa.com
Live Scoring: https://csura.ms/2022NCAABryanRegional
Tournament Field (13): Colorado State, Texas A&M, Arizona, Boise State, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan State, Oregon State, Pepperdine, SMU, Southeastern Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas Southern

Next on the Tee: As a team, Colorado State will head to the NCAA Regionals for the third time under head coach Christian Newton to play in the 2022 NCAA Bryan Regional, May 16-18. The three-day, 54-hole event, hosted by Texas A&M University, is being played at Traditions Club (Par 72 - 7,227 yards) in Bryan, Texas. The top five teams will advance to the NCAA Championship along with the top individual from a non-advancing team. The Rams will play with Oregon State nd Southeastern Louisiana in the opening round, with the first pairing teeing off No. 10 at 8:55 a.m. CT on Monday.

Lineup for the NCAA Bryan Regional: The Rams are in the traditional play-five, count-four event this week at Traditions Club. For CSU, the lineup will be:
1.      Davis Bryant
2.     Connor Jones
3.     Rasmus Hjelm
4.     Christoph Bleier
5.     Gavin Hagstrom
Alt.   Jay Pabin

CSU History In NCAA Regionals/
Championship
(Complete history on Pages 12-13)

Par Five (+1) On NCAA Bryan Regional

This will be the Rams 20th appearance as a team in the NCAA Regionals.
CSU has advanced to the NCAA Championships twice in 1999 and 2011.
Of the players in the lineup, only senior Davis Bryant has played in a NCAA Regional for CSU, having been in the lineup in 2019 at Pullman. Junio rConnor Jones is in his second NCAA Regional, having played for Denver last year in the Cle Elum Regional.
This will be just the fifth time that CSU will have traveled east to play in a regional, the last in 2018 in Kissimmee, Fla.
A true championship course experience awaits at Traditions Club, a Jack Nicklaus and Jack Nicklaus II co-design. It has hosted several NCAA Regionals and Championships.
There will be a familiar face in another color, as former CSU head coach Jamie Bermel is currently leading Kansas at the regional.

Improving Throughout the Spring: Colorado State has made great strides in the Golfstat rankings since November. On the Nov. 15 rankings, the Rams were No. 115 in the country and were No. 101 as of Feb. 28. Since then, CSU has put together a solid spring and moved up to No. 69 heading to capture the final at-large bid to the NCAA Regionals.

Duo Named All-Mountain West: FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Colorado State men's golf received significant postseason recognition, with senior Davis Bryant and junior Connor Jones being named All-Mountain West, the league announced today. The selections were made by the conference's head coaches and bring CSU's total to 29 All-Mountain West honorees since the league was formed in 1999.

The duo were two of the key components in the leading the Rams to a runner-up finish in the Mountain West Championship and the program's 20th bid to the NCAA Regionals, the third under head coach Christian Newton. Both players won an individual title during the season, helped CSU to a pair of team tournament crowns and led the late-season surge that moved the program up more than 30 spots to earn the last at-large berth.
      "Any time you have two players named All-Conference in this league it's a great accomplishment," Newton said. "I'm happy for these two leaders of our team."

Davis Bryant: Begins postseason ranked second on the Rams' career scoring chart, averaging 72.02 strokes in 112 career rounds played and scoring versus par at +0.58 strokes per round… Played in all 11 tournaments and 33 rounds averaging 72.21 strokes per round with three top-10 and six top-15 finishes, leading the Rams to a runner-up finish in the Mountain West Championship and their third team berth in the last five years to the NCAA Regionals... Has the highest winning percentage on the team at 71.2% and has counted to the team total in a team-high 90.9 percent of rounds played… Took home his first collegiate title at the Paintbrush Invitational, finishing at 3-under 213 and leading CSU to its second consecutive team tournament win... Shot 3-under 69 and 4-under 68 in the first two rounds... That performance followed a runner-up finish at the Ram Masters Invitational under very difficult conditions on the opening day... Shot a 3-under 67 in the last round that helped solidify CSU's seventh straight win in the tournament… Shot a season-low 6-under 66 in the final round of the National Invitational Tournament.

Connor Jones: Played all 11 tournaments and 33 rounds, finishing with a 72.73 stroke average ranking third (+1.27 versus par)… Was second in win-loss percentage and counting percentage, as 89.4 percent of his rounds counted towards the team score… Had 13 rounds of par or better and nine in the 60s, both second best on the team, while recording a team-best four top-10 finishes… Earned Mountain West Championship medalist honors after finishing with a 10-under 206, including a season-low 6-under 66 in the second round… Tied for second at the Wyoming Cowboy Classic with a career-low 12-under 204, including 5-under 67s in the first and third round… Tied for fifth at the Saint Mary's Invitational at 4-under 209, including a fall-low 4-under 67 in the final round of the tournament... Tied for ninth at Paintbrush Invitational, helping the Rams win their second straight team event... Finished 11th at Ram Masters Invitational, a performance that included a 2-under 68 in the last 18 and helped CSU to the team title.

Last Time Out: Junior Connor Jones became the third Ram ever to win the Mountain West individual title as Colorado State finished as runner-up at the 2022 Mountain West Men's Golf Championship Sunday. The three-day, 54-hole tournament, was played at Gold Mountain Golf Club's Olympic Course (Par 72 – 7,115 yards) in Bremerton, Wash.
      "First of all, I'm so proud our team," head coach Christian Newton said. "They have dealt with so much adversity this season. To even put theirselves in a situation to win the Mountain West title and get a post season bid speaks volumes about their toughness. They fought all week and ultimately didn't make enough putts down the final stretch."
      "Connor has been playing so well this semester," Newton continued. "He has been a wonderful addition to our team. I'm very happy for him, and it's great see his efforts pay off."
      Jones went 1-under on the opening nine, but overcame a stumble on his back nine on Sunday with a birdie on the 17th and par on the 18th to win medalist honors by one shot over No. 44 Hugo Townsend of Boise State. This was his second collegiate individual win, first at CSU and first in a full-field event. Jones joined an elite CSU group, along with PGA tour veteran Martin Laird (2002) and Ryan Peterson (2010) to capture the title.
      CSU entered the final day with a slim two-shot lead over San Diego State and the two teams went at it shot-for-shot during the round. In the end, the Rams fell four shots short after a 4-over 292 in the final round, finishing at 18-under 846, while the No. 50 Aztecs won the title at 22-over 842. For the Rams, this was their fourth runner-up finish in history, all coming under head coach Christian Newton. In the final event to try advance to postseason play, Colorado State picked up what could be some very important wins over No. 34 Nevada (eight shots), No. 52 Boise State (10 shots) and No. 33 New Mexico (15 shots).
      Freshman Christoph Bleier had the low round of the day for CSU, a 2-under 70 and finished at 4-under 212 in a tie for ninth. Senior Davis Bryant was one shot back at 3-under 213 in a tie for 12th following a final round 2-over 74. Sophomore Rasmus Hjelm also finished in the top 20, tying for 17th at 1-under 215. Redshirt-freshman Gavin Hagstrom was the final CSU player 11-over 227, tying for 46th.

Last Time at the NCAA Regionals in 2019: Golf is a game of inches and over 54 holes of team play, Colorado State had done enough to get into a tie for fifth at the 2019 NCAA Pullman Regional. However, it was also by a matter of inches that the Rams fell in the team one-hole playoff to South Carolina for the final advancing spot at Palouse Ridge Golf Club (Par 70 – 7,232 yards) in Pullman, Wash., on Wednesday afternoon.
      Starting in the first wave off No. 10, the Rams got it rolling again in the early stages of the day, making the turn in 12-under for the day and at 24-under par. The wind had shifted in the opposite direction from the first two days and the Rams fought it in the final nine and finished at 21-under in a tie with Gamecocks. After the field finished, the two teams headed back out to the ninth hole in two waves. The two teams were tied at even after the first wave, but South Carolina managed a birdie among their final three players and CSU was unable to match, advancing the Gamecocks as the final team in the NCAA Championship field.
      Second-round leader No. 20 Texas A&M maintained its lead and won the event at 33-under 807, two shots better than No. 32 BYU at 31-under 809. No. 5 Oklahoma at 30-under 810 and No. 8 Georgia Tech at 22-under 818 also advanced out of the regional.
      CSU was led by senior Jake Staiano, who posted a 1-under 69 in the final 18 and finished at 7-under 203 in a tie for 12th. Junior AJ Ott was one shot back at 6-under 204 after a 2-under 68 in the last round and tied for 17th. Freshman Davis Bryant had the low final round for the Rams, shooting a 4-under 66 and finishing at 4-under 206, tying for 27th. Freshman Oscar Teiffel tied for 33rd at 2-under 208, while sophomore Parathakorn Suyasri tied for 47th at 2-over 212. BYU's Rhett Rasmussen was the regional medalist, finishing at 15-under 195 for the three rounds.

Hjelm Earns MW Weekly Award: Sophomore Rasmus Hjelm was named Mountain West Men's Golfer of the Week, the league announced April 14. This is the first weekly honor for Hjelm.
      Hjelm earned his highest individual finish, tying for runner-up honors as Colorado State at the 75th annual Western Intercollegiate presented by Topgolf and Titleist. Hjelm picked up wins over 10 players ranked in the top 100 nationally according to Golfstat, as he finished at 2-over 212 for the tournament, three shots behind medalist Dylan Menante of Pepperdine. He was among the leaders the entire event, played in very windy conditions. It was his first career top-10 finish and second top-20, with the previous best a tie for 20th at the 2021 PING BYU Cougar Classic.

Jones Named MW Golfer of the Week: Junior Connor Jones was named Mountain West Co-Men's Golfer of the Week, the league announced April 7. This was the first weekly honor for Jones.
      Jones had his best collegiate 54-hole placing, tying for runner-up at 12-under 204, one shot back of medalist Isaac Rodea of Long Beach State at the Wyoming Cowboy Classic. His 12-under total is tied for ninth in CSU's record book for 54-hole, under-par score, as he earned his third top-10 and fourth top-20 finish of the season. His 67s in the first and third round tied his collegiate career best and his 12-under 204 was also a career low. He led the Rams to a tie for third, as Colorado State picked up a significant number of wins against teams above them in the current rankings, including then-No. 19 Kansas, No. 53 UC Davis, No. 68 TCU and No. 78 Iowa State.

Military Tribute Bag Continues: In 2021-22, CSU is continuing its tradition of honoring those who have served our country through the military. This year, the program is again recognizing U.S. Army veteran Charles W. Williamson III, due to the shortened seasons in 2019-20 and 2020-21.
      Williamson served almost 17 years on active duty before medically retiring as a Sergeant First Class in 2007. He was part of a tank effort in Operation Desert Storm and through his first nine years of service, he was an Armor Crewman and held every position on a tank, including tank commander. During his military career, he also served as a Platoon Sergeant and Head Cadre, the instructor for the Individual Readiness Training for Bosnia rotations. He also served as a recruiter for the Army, retiring as Commander of a six-man recruiting station. From his service, he received numerous awards, bages, ribbons and commendations, including for meritorius service, His daughter Katelyn was a Folds of Honor Scholarship recipient at CSU, earning her degree in bio-medical sciences.
      The bag was carried by the top CSU finisher from the previous tournament during the 2019-20 season. AJ Ott carried it the 2020-21 season due to COVID protocols, taking it all the way to the NCAA Championships as an individual. This year, senior Davis Bryant carried the bag during the fall and Connor Jones had it for The Prestige as CSU's top finisher in the team's last fall event. Bryant again used the bag for the last three events, before Jones reclaimed it with his runner up finish at the Wyoming Cowboy Classic.
      In 2019-20, the military tribute bag debuted, honoring former golfer and late U.S. Army veteran James "Jerry" Jackson. Jackson had served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, eventually passing away from lasting effects from exposure to Agent Orange from his service.

Fast Four On The Rams:

The Rams have had representation in the last five NCAA Regionals competed -- twice by individuals (2017, 2021) and twice with a full team (2018, 2019, 2022). The 2020 regionals were not played due to COVID, but CSU was ranked in the top 30 nationally when the season ended early.
The Rams are playing in their eighth different state in this year's schedule, with 10 of them in the Mountain or Pacific time zones. The only trips out of those was the third tournament of the year, when CSU competed in the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate and the NCAA Bryan Regional.
Davis Bryant is currently second in career scoring at CSU in scoring average and versus par.
Head coach Christian Newton now has 13 tournament victories in his nine-plus years as leader of the Rams.

On the World Stage: Four Rams on the current roster are ranked among the top 800 players in the current World Amateur Golf Rankings, as of May 11. The rankings are based on their average performance in selected counting events over the past two calendar years.
Player                                   WAGR
Davis Bryant                         340
Christoph Bleier                   375
Connor Jones                      722
Rasmus Hjelm                      766

Bryant, Bleier Earn MW Monthly Awards: Colorado State Davis Bryant and Christoph Bleier have been named Mountain West Golfer and Freshman of the Month, respectively, for September, the league announced today. This is the second conference monthly/weekly award in Bryant's career and the first for Bleier.
      Bryant and Bleier led the Rams to their seventh consecutive Ram Masters Invitational in come-from-behind fashion after weather conditions on the first day led to higher-than-average scores. Bryant tied for runner-up honors in the event for the second time in his career, including a final-round 3-under 67 to help the Rams post a 5-under 275, the only under-par round of the tournament. In his first collegiate event, Bleier also shot a 3-under 67 in the last round to tie Bryant for the low score of the tournament and finish in a tie for sixth in the tournament.

Newton Named to GCAA National Advisory Board

Head coach Christian Newton was named to the Golf Coaches Association of America National Advisory Board, effective July 1, 2020. This is the first time that a CSU coach has been named to this prestigious position.
Newton was elected by his fellow coaches at the GCAA National Convention in December of 2019 and became the Third Vice President on July 1, 2020.
It is a 10-year commitment, where every two years he will move up the ranks after each President's term is up. He will become the Second Vice President from 2022-24, First Vice President from 2024-26 before becoming President in 2026-28. Following that, he will serve a two-year stint as the Past President from 2028-30.

Rams on Tour: Former Colorado State standout Martin Laird, a PGA tour veteran, made a statement in the 2021 season with his fourth career victory on tour, a playoff win at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. This was his second in in the event as he also captured the title in 2009.
      He made the cut in 14 events, with the win and two other top-25 placings as his top finishes. He earned $1.81 million last season after the 2020 season was halted due to the pandemic. In 2021, his efforts during the regular season earned him a spot in the FedExCup Playoffs for the 11th time in 13 seasons.
      This year, he has made the cut in eight of 13 events and has three top-25 placings.
      For his career, he has surpassed $20.09 million in official PGA Tour winnings and made the cut in almost two-thirds of his 339 PGA Tour starts in his 14-plus years on the top golf tour. Laird was inducted into the CSU Athletic Hall of Fame in the fall of 2017.
               Recent standout Jake Staiano earned a spot on the Korn Ferry Tour this year and made the cut in his first event at the Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard in Columbia in mid-February.

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