If there’s one thing that Jim Knous has proven over the last year, it’s that when he breaks a course record, he really breaks a course record.
Last year during the final round of the CGA Stroke Play, the Colorado School of Mines golfer went two strokes lower than anyone ever had at Boulder Country Club, firing a 10-under-par 60.
Then on Monday, the 21-year-old from Basalt did it again. In the first round of the 36-hole U.S. Amateur Sectional Qualifying, Knous bested a longstanding course record by two shots again, carding a 9-under-par 63 at Heritage Eagle Bend Golf Club in Aurora.
That gave him a big head start in eventually claiming medalist honors in the qualifying. He shot 63-70 for an 11-under-par 133 total to land one of the three available spots in the U.S. Amateur, which will be played Aug. 22-28 at Erin Hills in Erin, Wis.
Joining Knous in the national tournament will be 17-year-old Wyndham Clark of Greenwood Village and University of Colorado-bound 18-year-old Drew Trujillo of Montrose. Both players came in at 8-under 136, with Clark going 67-69 and Trujillo 69-67.
But Knous’ record round was the story of the day.
“Those are the only two (rounds) I’ve had sub-65,” Knous said of his 60 and 63 in the last year. “Today’s 63 was pretty fun. I don’t know what it is, but everything kind of just works out. I always get pretty nervous when I’m going that low, but I knew the guys in the field were really good, so I had the mentality to make more and more birdies. … When I had it going, it felt similar to the round at Boulder.”
While Clark qualified for his second straight U.S. Amateur — and fourth USGA championship overall — Knous and Trujillo will be making their first appearances in a national USGA event.
Knous made an eagle and seven birdies in his bogey-free course-record morning round, when he went 6 under par in six holes from 11 through 16, making a 15-foot eagle putt on No. 14.
“I made a 50-footer (for birdie) on No. 12 and the ball hit the back of the hole, popped up and went back in,” Knous said. “It was a pretty bad putt but it went in. Stuff like that, you have to get lucky a little bit to shoot those rounds.”
Knous then added six more birdies in his afternoon round.
Heritage Eagle Bend “actually reminds me a lot of my home course, Ironbridge,” he said. “It has the same designer (Arthur Hills) and you hit driver on every (non-par-3) hole. The fairways are huge and you can bomb it.”
The situation obviously paid dividends as Knous is headed for arguably the top amateur golf tournament in the world.
“I think it’s one of the biggest accomplishments I’ve ever had,” he said. “It feels good. I feel like this is the summer I wanted to prove myself, so hopefully I can do pretty well out there (in Wisconsin).”
Coincidentally, when Knous shot his 60 last year at Boulder Country Club, it forced a playoff with Clark, who prevailed in sudden death to win the CGA Stroke Play. Clark will defend that title Thursday through Sunday at CommonGround Golf Course.
On Monday, Clark earned a trip back to the U.S. Amateur by carding nine birdies and just one bogey on the day. At last year’s U.S. Amateur, the Valor Christian High School student narrowly missed advancing to match play, losing in a playoff for the final spots.
“This is the biggest tournament out there,” said Clark, who’s ranked among the top 20 junior players internationally. “Last year I came so close to making match play, so I really wanted to make it (to the Amateur) again. I’m really excited for the Am. Last year was such a great atmosphere.”
Clark, who earlier this year committed to play for Oklahoma State University beginning in the fall of 2012, took July completely off from tournament golf while trying to work on a swing change he’s been making. He struggled with his game in May and June, but seems to be rounding into form now.
“I felt like too many times I was searching for answers with my swing,” Clark said when asked why he went through the swing change. “I was too streaky off the tee. And when I went (to national events) where the courses were so much tougher, it seemed like it really exposed my weaknesses. I saw where my ball-striking was not where I wanted it to be if I want to be as good as I possibly can.
“But my game has gotten so much better. It’s really close.”
Trujillo, who recently placed second in the CGA Western Chapter Championship, likewise was in a groove on Monday. For the day, he finished with an eagle and nine birdies. His morning round included a chip-in for his eagle from 15 yards, and his afternoon round was bogey-free.
“This is the biggest accomplishment I’ve probably had,” said Trujillo, who will begin his CU golf career within the next month. “So I’ll move on from there and see what happens.”
Monday’s outcome certainly made Trujillo’s trip back to Montrose a lot more pleasant.
“It’s five hours (each way) for tournaments over here, so it’s kind of rough,” he said. “There are only a couple of tournaments for the CGA on the Western Slope. But this definitely makes the trip worth it.”
Cameron Harrell of Colorado Springs (65-72–137) was the first alternate in Monday’s qualifier, and Benjamin Esparza of Tucson, Ariz. (69-69–138) the second.
This was the second and final U.S. Amateur Sectional Qualifying tournament held in Colorado this year. Last week at Highland Meadows in Windsor, Zahkai Brown of Arvada and Jordan Burgess of Windsor qualified for the national tournament.
Next year’s U.S. Amateur will be played in Colorado at Cherry Hills Country Club, with CommonGround Golf Course serving as the second course for the stroke-play portion of the event.
U.S. Amateur Sectional Qualifying
At Par-72 Heritage Eagle Bend Golf Club in Aurora
QUALIFIERS
Jim Knous, Basalt, Colo., 63-70–133
Drew Trujillo, Montrose, Colo., 69-67–136
Wyndham Clark, Greenwood Village, Colo., 67-69–136
ALTERNATES (In order)
Cameron Harrell, Colorado Springs, Colo., 65-72–137
Benjamin Esparza, Tucson, Ariz., 69-69–138
FAILED TO QUALIFY
Michael Schoolcraft, Englewood, Colo., 70-68–138
Brendan Connolly, Castle Rock, Colo., 69-70–139
John Ahern, Morrison, Colo., 71-69–140
Chun-Ji Kim, Denver, Colo., 68-72–140
Brandon Bingaman, Montrose, Colo., 67-73–140
Jonathan Park, Denver, Colo., 73-67–140
Jonathan Marsico, Denver, Colo., 69-72–141
Parker Edens, Greeley, Colo., 70-71–141
Charles Chon, Aurora, Colo., 73-69–142
Dillon McDonald, Wolcott, Colo., 71-71–142
Kory Harrell, Colorado Springs, Colo., 69-74–143
Connor Klein, Lone Tree, Colo., 72-71–143
Cole Nygren, Niwot, Colo., 73-70–143
C J Kim, Denver, Colo., 72-71–143
Caleb Barker, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 70-74–144
Ray Makloski, Pueblo, Colo., 69-75–144
David Holtgrewe, Englewood, Colo., 76-69–145
William Schoolcraft, Englewood, Colo., 71-74–145
Clint Miller, Englwood, Colo., 75-71–146
Brian Morfeld, Boulder, Colo., 77-69–146
Christopher Roehrkasse, Colorado Springs, Colo., 71-76–147
Cody Kent, Castle Rock, Colo., 76-71–147
Danny Hahn, Denver, Colo., 74-74–148
Ryan Schmitz, Littleton, Colo., 71-77–148
Taylor Stamp, Colorado Springs, Colo., 72-76–148
Ryan Bent, Evergreen, Colo., 76-72–148
Jimmy Makloski, Pueblo, Colo., 76-72–148
Nicholas Sheedy, Denver, Colo., 75-74–149
Chandler Smith-Stetson, Corrales, N.M., 73-77–150
Samuel Kloenne, West Linn, Ore., 72-78–150
James Kurtenbach, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 73-77–150
Reid Howey, Centennial, Colo., 76-75–151
Tanner Jenson, Parker, Colo., 72-79–151
Blake Basham, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 80-72–152
John Fowlds, Lone Tree, Colo., 73-80–153
Jeffrey Allen, Denver, Colo., 75-78–153
Kyle Beard, Denver, Colo., 73-80–153
Kyle Thurman, Broomfield, Colo., 78-75–153
Grant Javernick, Aurora, Colo., 81-73–154
Arnold Hoy, Castle Rock, Colo., 80-74–154
Michael Love, Castle Rock, Colo., 75-81–156
Chris Longfellow, Castle Rock, Colo., 78-81–159
Cory Thelen, Castle Rock, Colo., 88-75–163
Ben Davis, Denver, Colo., 81-84–165
Kyle Tobin, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 80-85–165
Sam Mobley, Castle Rock, Colo., 84-83–167
Kyle Romero, Westminster, Colo., 88-81–169
Andy Barnes, Tucson, Ariz., 73-WD
Dean Clapp, Littleton, Colo., 72-WD
Jon Lindstrom, Broomfield, Colo., 75-WD
Austin Dean, Centennial, Colo., 83-WD
Clay Labrec, Denver, Colo., 80-NC
Danny Riskam, Broomfield, Colo., 67-WD
