Davis Bryant of Aurora has spent a lot of time around some pretty impressive golfers. After all, both his parents, Matt and Julie, work at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, which is home each year to the HealthOne Colorado Open, Colorado Women’s Open and Colorado Senior Open.
Matt is the general manager and director of golf at the club, while Julie is the executive director of The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch and director of member services for the Colorado Open Golf Foundation.
As might be expected with that being the case, Davis Bryant is often a fixture at GVR during tournament weeks. In fact, he caddied during the 2014 HealthOne Colorado Senior Open for a guy named John Elway.
But Bryant (pictured) has some game in his own right, and, despite being just 15 years old, that’s come to the forefront in recent weeks. In that period, he’s:
— Finished 10th in the CGA Junior Stroke Play.
— Shot a 69 at Flatirons Golf Course in Boulder and earned medalist honors in the boys 14-15 qualifying for the Optimist Junior Golf national championships.
— Posted rounds of 72-71 and birdied the third playoff hole at the Fox Hill Club in Longmont to earn the final spot in qualifying for the U.S. Junior Amateur, arguably the biggest junior event there is for boys.
“This is definitely my biggest accomplishment in golf,” he said after a day in which he tied for second place out of a field of 71 players. The Junior Am will be contested July 20-25 in Bluffton, S.C.
— Been named one of the CGA’s four representatives for the boys Junior America’s Cup team that will compete in Flagstaff, Ariz., July 28-30.
Then in an announcement that came on Wednesday on Golf Channel’s Morning Drive, Bryant was selected one of 81 junior golfers nationwide who will compete alongside Champions Tour players in the internationally televised Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach Sept. 25-27.
Bryant, a sophomore-to-be at Eaglecrest High School, will be one of two Coloradans headed to that Champions Tour event at Pebble Beach Golf Links, one of the top golf courses in the world, and Poppy Hills.
Also landing a spot in the pro-junior portion of the tournament was Brock Dowdy of Denver. Dowdy will represent the The First Tee of Denver, while Bryant comes from The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch.
The juniors chosen to participate in the First Tee Open were picked from First Tee chapters throughout the country based on playing ability and comprehension of the life skills and core values learned through their involvement with The First Tee.
Dowdy has been part of The First Tee of Denver for eight years. He plays golf for Denver East and made the 2014 all-league team for the Denver Prep League.
Bryant played as a freshman on his high school golf team — at Eaglecrest — and finished 30th at the 5A state meet last fall.
Bryant is the second GVR First Tee participant to be chosen to play in The First Tee Open at Pebble Beach. Austin Powell competed in 2012.
Dowdy is the sixth junior golfer from The First Tee of Denver that will play in the Champions Tour event at Pebble Beach. Previously in the field were Aaron Woodard (2004 and ’05), Elizabeth Kresock (2008), Aaron Guereca (2008), Jack Tynan (2012) and Kobe Padilla (2013).
