A day after celebrating the first anniversary of its opening, CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora will host the first of what will be many state championships over the years.
Owned and operated by the CGA and CWGA, CommonGround will be the site of the 5A Girls State High School tournament on Monday and Tuesday (May 24-25). And while the event marks a milestone for the Tom Doak-designed course, it also presents an opportunity for the best female junior players in the state to leave their mark.
The 5A tournament is one of two that will be held Monday and Tuesday to determine the 2010 state champions. The 4A state meet will be played concurrently at The Links at Cobble Creek in Montrose. In both cases, Monday tee times run from 8:30 to 10:27 a.m.
Here are some of the key storylines at each site, starting with 5A at CommonGround:
“¢Junior Somin Lee of Overland (pictured) figures to be the pre-tournament favorite as the state high school meet is just about the only major junior title she hasn’t won in Colorado. Lee captured state championships in both the CWGA Junior Match Play and Junior Stroke Play last year, increasing to three the number of consecutive CWGA state junior titles she’s won.
Lee finished third in the 2009 state high school tournament, three strokes behind champion Bethany Buchner of Loveland, who’s now a University of New Mexico freshman playing in the NCAA Championship Finals. After winning a regional tournament to qualify for state, Lee shot a 7-under-par 137 for two rounds at Buffalo Run Golf Course in a runaway victory in a CJGA event.
“¢Senior Andi Hibbert of Lakewood is the only returning state player who finished higher than Lee last year. She shot rounds of 74-75 at Collindale in Fort Collins last season to end up second, two shots behind Buchner. Hibbert will play golf at Washington University in St. Louis beginning in the fall.
“¢In all, seven of the top 10 finishers in last year’s 5A state tournament will compete at CommonGround. Beside Hibbert and Lee, there’s Shinwoo Lee of Cherry Creek (third in 2009), Gina Larson of Skyline (sixth), Sarah Moore of Araphaoe (sixth), Patricia Lee of Highlands Ranch (eighth) and Paige Crawford of Doherty (10th).
“¢Nine players shot in the 70s at 5A regional tournaments to qualify for state. And several of the best scores came from golfers who didn’t finish in the top 10 at state last year. Shannon Lubar of Chatfield was the best of the bunch with a 73 at Fox Hollow in Lakewood. Next best were 76s by (Grand Junction) Central’s Loren Forney and Somin Lee, and 77s by Brighton’s Jessie Joachim, Coronado’s Samantha Stancato and Hibbert.
“¢In the 5A team competition, Skyline will be seeking its sixth state title in nine years as a sendoff for coach Susan Jennings, who will step down after the season to become an assistant women’s golf coach at Colorado State University.
As for the 4A tournament at Cobble Creek:
“¢Salida senior Emily Wood, who won the 2009 4A title by seven strokes, will try to add a second state championship before continuing her playing career at the University of Wyoming.
“¢Pueblo South sophomore Bryce Schroeder should give Wood plenty of competition for the title. The two competed in the same regional tournament, with Schroeder edging Wood by one stroke, 74-75.
“¢Colorado State signee Christina Spinzig of Evergreen, who placed fourth at state last year, should be in the mix again this season.
“¢Other top-10 finishers from a year ago who are back to compete for the title are Kathleen Kershisnik of Regis (second in 2009) and Lindsay McGetrick of Valor Christian (sixth).
