Bryce Waters ties for 19th place at the MW Golf Championship

TUCSON, Ariz., -- Wyoming junior Bryce Waters fired a final round of 67 (-5) on Saturday at the Mountain West Championship in Tucson, Ariz., to tie for 19th place.

Sophomore Kirby Coe-Kirkham shot an even-par round of 72 on Saturday to tie for 23rd, and the Wyoming Cowboys finished ninth as a team in the 11-team field.

Waters began the final round in 31st place, but his five-under par round of 67 moved him up 12 spots in the standings on Saturday to tie for 19th at 215 (-1).

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Coe-Kirkham’s even-par round of 72 gave him a 54-hole total of 217 (+1) to tie for 23rd. It was both Waters’ and Coe-Kirkham’s second Top-25 tournament finish of the season and the second consecutive week they each finished in the Top 25 of a tourney. Coe-Kirkham tied for 12th at the BYU Cougar Classic a week ago, while Waters tied for 25th at the Cougar Classic.

It was Coe-Kirkham’s 11th Top-25 finish of his career and Waters’ third. Waters’ 67 (-5) was the lowest round he had shot all season and tied Coe-Kirkham and Tyler Severin for the low round by a Cowboy in the 2021 season.

Senior Dan Starzinski, playing in his final collegiate tournament for the Cowboys, shot a 74 (+2) in the final round of the MW Championship to finish in 31st at 220 (+4).

Sophomore Jared Edeen shot his low round of the week, posting a 73 (+1) to tie for 40th at 224 (+8). Sophomore Severin concluded the week with a 76 (+4) on Saturday for a three-round total of 227 (+11) and tied for 44th.

Wyoming entered Saturday’s final round grouped with three other Mountain West schools within seven strokes of each other.

The Cowboys began the final round in ninth place, with Fresno State one stroke ahead of them in eighth, San Jose State was in seventh one stroke ahead of Fresno State and Colorado State was in sixth five strokes ahead of San Jose.

At the end of Saturday’s final round, all four teams remained in their same positions, with the Pokes finishing one stroke behind FSU, FSU finishing one stroke behind SJSU and SJSU finishing nine strokes back of CSU. Utah State finished 10th, and Air Force placed 11th.

The teams at the top of the standings, however, did move dramatically on the final day. Boise State held a one-stroke lead over San Diego State heading into Saturday’s final round, with UNLV in third, Nevada in fourth and New Mexico in fifth. At the end of the day, New Mexico and Nevada jumped all the way to a tie for first at 845 (-19). On the first playoff hole between the Lobos and Wolf Pack, New Mexico won the playoff and secured the team championship.

Four individuals were tied at the end of the 54 holes for the Mountain West individual crown. Sam Choi of New Mexico. Puwit Anupansuebsai of San Diego State, Hugo Townsend of Boise State and Jack Trent of UNLV all ended regulation tied at 209 (-7).

This year’s Mountain West Championship was played at the Omni Tucson National Golf Course. The course measured 7,194 yards and played to a par of 72.

Team Standings

1. New Mexico 290-286-269=845 (-19)*

Nevada 292-282-271=845 (-19)

3. San Diego State 284-287-279=850 (-14)

UNLV 289-284-277=850 (-14)

5. Boise State 280-290-281=851 (-13)

6. Colorado State 294-288-282=864 (Even)

7. San Jose State 295-292-286=873 (+9)

8. Fresno State 299-289-286=874 (+10)

9. Wyoming 296-293-286=875 (+11)

10. Utah State 305-299-292=896 (+32)