Pokes Tie for Fifth in 16-Team Field at Cougar Classic

* University of Wyoming press release

PROVO, Utah -- The Wyoming Cowboys concluded the 2023 BYU PING Cougar Classic on Saturday, with an impressive 54-hole total of 848 (-16) to tie for fifth place with St. Mary’s in a field of 16 collegiate teams.

It was Wyoming’s fifth Top-five tournament finish of the 2022-23 season.

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Wyoming was led by sophomore Patrick Azevedo and junior Jimmy Dales, who both recorded Top 25 individual finishes. Azevedo tied for 11th, and Dales tied for 17th.

BYU captured the team title, firing a three-round total of 824 (-40). Utah Valley finished second at 832 (-32). Wyoming was among five teams that had a back-and-forth battle throughout Saturday’s final round. All five of those teams finished within six strokes of each other.

Cal State Northridge finished third at 843 (-21), New Mexico State placed fourth at 847 (-17) one stroke better than Wyoming and St. Mary’s and Boise State finished seventh at 849 (-15) one stroke back of the Cowboys and Gaels.

The Cowboys entered Saturday’s final round in third place, trailing only No. 44 ranked BYU, which was leading the team competition, and second-place Utah Valley. The Cowboys held onto third place through much of Saturday’s competition before Cal State Northridge and New Mexico State edged ahead of the Pokes.

“It was another good finish for us this week,” said head coach Joe Jensen. “We shot under par again today as a team. It would have been nice to have held off Northridge and New Mexico State, but with that said it was good to be in a battle like that and feel the excitement of that close competition. Pat (Azevedo) and Jimmy (Dales) obviously finished up strong.

“It’s been a good year, and we have a good group. It was another nice top-five finish in a good tournament field. We’re looking forward to going into the Mountain West Championships and playing in what should be a great competition between a lot of good teams.”

Individually, Wyoming’s Azevedo moved up three positions in the final round. He was tied for 14th place entering the final round and moved into a tie for 11th in the final standings. Azevedo shot a 69 (-3) in the final round to finish with a 54-hole total of 209 (-7).

UW’s Dales made the biggest move of the day among the Cowboys. Dales began the day in a tie for 22nd. He shot a 68 (-4) on Saturday to move up five positions into a tie for 17th at 210 (-6).

Sophomore Jaren Calkins finished just outside the Top 25, tying for 26th at 212 (-4). Seniors Tyler Severin and Kirby Coe-Kirkham rounded out the team scoring for the Cowboys, tying for 45th and 53rd, respectively. Wyoming sophomores Kristof Panke and Cade McLaughlin competed as individuals. Panke tied for 32nd and McLaughlin tied for 68th.

The individual tournament title was won by Max Charles of Boise State. Charles finished six strokes ahead of his nearest competitor, posting a three-round total of 197 (-19). Elijah Turner of BYU and Caden Weber of Utah Valley tied for second at 203 (-13).

Wyoming’s fifth-place tournament finish on Saturday was the Cowboys’ fifth top-five tournament showing of the 2022-23 season. The Pokes have won two tournament championships this season at the Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational and the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate. UW placed fifth at the Ram Masters Invitational and fourth at the Wyoming Cowboy Classic.

The BYU Cougar Classic was played at Riverside Country Club in Provo, Utah. The course measured 7,142 yards and played to a par of 72.

Next up for the Cowboys will be the 2023 Mountain West Championship on Friday-Sunday, April 28-30. The MW Championship will be played on the Catalina Course at the OMNI Tucson National Resort in Tucson, Ariz.

Team Standings

1. Brigham Young 273-270-281=824 (-40)

2. Utah Valley 271-290-271=832 (-32)

3. CSU - Northridge 278-290-275=843 (-21)

4. New Mexico State 281-289-277=847 (-17)

5. Wyoming 276-291-281=848 (-16)

St. Mary’s 284-292-272=848 (-16)

7. Boise State 280-291-278=849 (-15)

8. Denver 291-283-278=852 (-12)

9. Nevada 276-295-282=853 (-11)

10. Hawaii 277-292-292=861 (-3)

11. Colorado 289-288-286=863 (-1)