It’s been quite a few years since Colorado golfers have distinguished themselves in USGA championships the way they have in 2009.
No Coloradans have won national titles — though there are still two non-team events left this year — but they’ve certainly come close. This week’s U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, where Greeley’s Kim Eaton (pictured) advanced to the 18th hole of the quarterfinals before losing, is but the latest example.
Previously in 2009, David Duval of Cherry Hills Village finished second at the U.S. Open in June, and Steve Ziegler of Broomfield went extra holes in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur last month. And though Kimberly Kim of Hawaii has not yet played in a tournament for the University of Denver, she finished second in both the U.S. Women’s Amateur Publinks and the U.S. Girls’ Junior.
Considering how difficult it is to win a USGA title, it’s quite a feat to come as close as Duval, Ziegler, Eaton and Kim did. In all, less than a dozen players with strong Colorado ties have ever won a USGA individual championship, and some of them did so long before establishing roots in the state.
The list includes Hale Irwin (five titles), Babe Didrikson Zaharias (four), Jill McGill (two), Barbara McIntire (two), Steve Jones (one), Dale Douglass (one), Bill Loeffler (one) and Bob Byman (one), along with post-stardom residents Hollis Stacy (six), Craig Stadler (one) and Duval (one). The last USGA event won by a “local” player was the 2000 U.S. Senior Open, where Irwin prevailed.
This year, 11 of the 13 non-team USGA events have been completed — the only ones left are next month’s U.S. Mid-Amateur and Women’s Mid-Amateur — so let’s take a look at the best finishes in each 2009 championship by players with strong Colorado ties.
U.S. Open — After having to qualify just to get into the field, Duval held a share of the lead on the 71st hole, but made a bogey there and finished tied for second behind champion Lucas Glover. It was Duval’s best finish on the PGA Tour since 2001.
U.S. Women’s Open — No Coloradans competed.
U.S. Senior Open — Mark Wiebe of Aurora led the local contingent, finishing in 22nd place.
U.S. Amateur — Ziegler, winner of both the CGA Match Play and Stroke Play in 2009, went three extra holes in his quarterfinal match, but lost to Korean Byeong-Hun An, who would go on to win the title. Earlier in the year, Ziegler made the round of 16 at the British Amateur.
U.S. Women’s Amateur — DU golfer Stephanie Sherlock lost in the second round of match play.
U.S. Junior Amateur — Fifteen-year-old Wyndham Clark of Greenwood Village advanced to the round of 16 before losing.
U.S. Girls’ Junior — Kim, the 2006 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion who will begin competing for DU next week, lost 6 and 5 to Amy Anderson of Oxbow, N.D., in the championship match.
U.S. Amateur Public Links — Air Force Academy golfer Tom Whitney advanced to the round of 32 in match play.
U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links — Kim lost in the finals of the U.S. WAPL for the second time in four years, falling 7 and 6 to Jennifer Song of La Canada, Calif.
U.S. Senior Amateur — Roger Gunderson of Aurora lost in the second round of match play.
U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur — Eaton posted the fourth-best stroke-play score, then won her first three matches by margins of 2 and 1, 5 and 4, and 4 and 2. The second of those victories came over World Golf Hall of Famer Carol Semple Thompson, a seven-time USGA champion. But Eaton bogeyed the final hole of her quarterfinal to fall 1 up to Robyn Puckett of Irvine, Calif.
As for the U.S. Mid-Amateur tournaments next month, Eaton and Jon Lindstrom of Broomfield made it to the round of 16 in their respective national Mid-Am championships last year. Both qualified for the Mid-Am again in 2009.
