PUEBLO – Fort Lewis College senior Darren Edwards ended his Skyhawks career on a high note over the weekend, representing the blue and gold at the three-day, 54-hole 2022 NCAA South Central/West Regional Tournament at the Pueblo Country Club.
Edwards, a Colorado native from Loveland, finished tied for 15th overall after jumping 10 spots with his best round on Day 3. The mark is an improvement on his tie for 37th place in last season’s NCAA Regional.
Edwards began Round 1 with a pair of par-4 bogeys, regrouping with a par on his third hole before another bogey had him +3. He would then buckle down and card three birdies in his final three holes of the opening nine to sit even as he headed to the back half. While par 4s were his demise on the front nine, the senior held his own with four pars on the back nine. Edwards chipped in one additional birdie on a 553-yard par 5 to end the day even at 71.
On Day 2, Edwards was much sharper through his first three holes, playing even before carding a bogey on his fourth hole. He responded with a birdie and followed with his first eagle of the tournament on a 595-yard par 5, which had him -1 through nine. A bogey on his 10th hole of the day pulled him back to even before a par-5 birdie set him back to -1. That mark held until his 15th hole, where he bogeyed to end the day with another even score.
In his final round of the play, Edwards started with a 10:50 a.m. tee time and midmorning seemed to be his sweet spot. He began with a par-4 birdie, which had him -1. Two holes later, he would do it again, this time on a par 5. He picked up one more birdie for good measure to sit -3 through nine.
Edwards tripped up, only slightly, on holes 12 and 13 with back-to-back bogeys but regrouped with a clutch par-5 eagle. He carded three pars down the stretch before ending his outing with a bogey for a -2 day.
Edwards who was named First Team All-RMAC and RMAC Men's Golf Academic Player of the Year prior to competition, finished with a tournament score of -2 (211). He was elite on par five holes, finishing as the individual leader in par five average at 4.17 (-10). He was the 13th ranked golfer on par three holes at 3.07 (+1).
The senior finished with 32 pars, nine birdies, and a pair of eagles at the regional championship.
