Three years ago, Kala Keltz of Montrose made headlines by winning the 4A state high school title, overcoming heavily favored Jennifer Kupcho in the process. Kupcho now stands 76th in the women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings and plays for Wake Forest.
On Tuesday, Keltz, now a junior at the University of Northern Colorado, moved back to the forefront, not only posting by far her best college result, but getting an individual victory in the process.
In UNC’s final tournament of the regular season, Keltz prevailed by one in a 98-player field at the Bobcat Spring Invitational in Goodyear, Ariz. And she did it despite a triple bogey on her third-to-last hole of the tournament.
Keltz (pictured) posted rounds of 71-71-77 for a 3-over-par 219 total, which was a stroke better than runner-up Alexus Song of Seattle. The result was not only Keltz’s first college victory, but her first top-five performance.
As a team, UNC placed third at 909, 16 strokes behind champion Seattle and 15 back of runner-up Wyoming.
Keltz wasn’t the only Colorado-based Division I player to notch a very impressive finish on Tuesday. Colorado State’s Dominic Kieffer was runner-up in the Ping Cougar Classic that concluded on Tuesday in Provo, Utah.
Kieffer, a senior from Byron, Minn., shot a 2-under-par 70 in the final round to card a 10-under 206 total. He finished a stroke behind champion Austin Christensen of Brigham Young University. It was Kieffer’s fourth top-six individual showing of the season.
CSU ended up fourth in the 10-team field, with BYU prevailing for the title.
Bobcat Spring Invitational
April 11-12, 2016 (final) in Goodyear, Ariz.
3. (out of 17 teams) Northern Colorado 310-307-292–909
1. Kala Keltz 71-71-77–219; 18. Janet Yeo 81-80-70–231; 23. Nicole Okada 78-82-73–233; 43. Amanda Myers 80-85-72–237; 59. Baile Winslow 81-74-86–241.
Also
31. Coloradan Taylor Dorans, Wyoming 81-79-75–235
48. Coloradan Jaylee Tait, Montana State 80-85-74–239
52. Coloradan Kathleen Kershisnik, Wyoming 81-77-82–240
Ping Cougar Classic
April 11-12, 2016 (final) in Provo, Utah
4. (out of 10 teams) Colorado State 289-287-287–863
2. Dominic Kieffer 69-67-70–206; 26. Blake Cannon 72-74-72–218; 32. Kyler Dunkle 74-75-71–220; 43. Jimmy Makloski 74-73-76–223; 43. Max Oelfke 76-73-74–223. Competing only as individual: 50. Logan Iverson 78-74-75–227.
Also
53. Coloradan Glenn Workman, Wyoming 77-78-77–232
