The University of Denver men’s golf program had a successful 2008–09 campaign and is planning to tee off this season with continued success.
Last season, the team posted nine top-five finishes, one tournament win and its seventh consecutive NCAA regional tournament appearance.
The Pioneers had their strongest overall performance of the season at the 2009 Desert Shootout, where the team shot an impressive 829 (35-under par) and took home first-place. Espen Kofstad and Jeff Koprivetz both finished in the top-ten to lead Denver to an overall victory.
Denver finished six strokes behind Sun Belt Conference Champion Middle Tennessee at the SBC Championship. Their second-place finish was highlighted by Kofstad’s individual conference championship victory — Denver’s first individual SBC title since 2001.
Denver was then selected to compete at the 2009 NCAA regional tournament in Oklahoma and finished in a tie for ninth-place.
“It is unfortunate that we were unable to qualify for nationals,” says head coach Eric Hoos, the Sun Belt Conference co-coach of the year.
This season Hoos says the team is smaller but is working hard to prepare for their first tournament of the season on Sept. 19 at Air Force.
The team’s goal for the year is to have the best short game in the country, in hopes of lowering its scoring average.
“We are focusing on our short game work and playing,” Hoos says. “We’ll be spending less time at the driving range.”
The team has hit the ground running and will have a demanding tournament schedule with a tournament about every two weeks.
For more information, visit www.denverpioneers.com.