After nearly a decade of playing junior golf tournaments in Colorado, Mary Weinstein of Highlands Ranch in all likelihood came to the end of the line on Friday.
But while there may be some mixed feelings about leaving the junior ranks, she certainly went out on a high note.
Weinstein, who almost always has found her way to the top of the leaderboard in major Colorado girls tournaments over the last 13 months, did it again at Indian Tree Golf Club.
The 18-year-old Regis Jesuit High School graduate clawed her way back from an opening-round 77 to win the girls title Friday in the Colorado Junior PGA Championship, the second major in the inaugural season of the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado.
“I think this is my last Colorado junior tournament,” Weinstein said. “That’s really crazy because I’ve been playing in them for nine years — NINE YEARS. So it’s really special to end up champion, to go out with a bang. That’s super cool.”
Friday’s result means that Weinstein’s victories since June of last year have included the 2015 CWGA Junior Stroke Play and CJGA Junior Series Championship, and the 2016 5A state high school tournament, the Colorado Junior Amateur and now the Colorado Junior PGA Championship. She also placed 15th in the prestigious IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championships last year, marking the best finish ever by a Coloradan in the girls 15-17 age group there.
Weinstein (left and above) has won both of the girls JGAC major titles in 2016, though it’s unlikely the Regis University signee will play in the last two junior majors of the year.
“I’m just glad that all my hard work has finally paid off because I had a really rough time before (the state high school tournament) last year,” she said. “I worked really hard and got through it. Now I’m here. To have that year of success makes me really happy and really proud of how I worked hard.”
On Friday, Weinstein rallied from a two-stroke deficit by shooting a 4-under-par 31 on the front nine. And despite a double bogey on the final hole, she posted a 1-under-par 69 for the day, giving her an 8-over-par 218 total.
“My putting was on point today,” said Weinstein, who noted she put in several hours on the practice green during tournament week. “I didn’t miss a putt except for the last hole (a three-putt). Everything was just working for me.”
The victory Friday earned Weinstein an automatic berth in the national PGA Junior Championship, scheduled for Aug. 9-12 in Rumford, R.I.
Delaney Elliott (left) of Superior, a Montana State signee, played her final six holes in 1 under par on Friday to make a run at the title. The Monarch High School graduate closed with a 71 to check in at 219, one back of Weinstein.
“I’d rather be first,” Elliott said of her performance, one of the last of her junior career. “I played pretty well today, but I missed a few putts (including two 4-footers), which kind of hurts, knowing I had a couple of short ones I could have made.
“But I thought I gave it a good run. I played well down the stretch (getting up and down for pars on 15 and 18 and making a 4-foot birdie on 16). And (Mary and I) have been friends for a long time. We’ve been playing together since we were about 10.”
Fourteen-year-old Charlotte Hillary of Englewood finished third at 224 after carding a 75 on Friday.
For the interactive scores from the girls tournament, CLICK HERE.
To read about the boys tournament, CLICK HERE.
Colorado Junior PGA Championship
At Par-70 Indian Tree GC in Arvada
GIRLS
1. Mary Weinstein, Highlands Ranch, CO, 2016, 77-72-69-218 +8
2. Delaney Elliott, Superior, CO, 2016, 73-75-71-219 +9
3. Charlotte Hillary, Englewood, CO, 2020, 78-71-75-224 +14
4. Jaclyn Murray, Grand Junction, CO, 2017, 73-74-78-225 +15
5. Amy Chitkoksoong, Aurora, CO, 2019, 73-79-74-226 +16
5. Sarah Hwang, Monument, CO, 2017, 79-72-75-226 +16
7. Erin Sargent, Longmont, CO, 2016, 77-78-72-227 +17
8. Julia Baroth, Denver, CO, 2017, 79-79-71-229 +19
9. Tabitha Diehl, Highlands Ranch, CO, 2017, 79-79-74-232 +22
10. Amelia Lee, Castle Rock, CO, 2017, 77-77-79-233 +23
11. Payton Canon, Englewood, CO, 2018, 79-76-79-234 +24
12. Hannah More, Littleton, CO, 2016, 79-73-83-235 +25
13. Amisha Singh, Greenwood Village, CO, 2019, 81-77-78-236 +26
14. Reagan Robinson, Golden, CO, 2018, 80-77-82-239 +29
15. Sarah Hunt, Parker, CO, 2017, 77-79-84-240 +30
Missed Cut
Kacey Godwin, Denver, CO, 2016, +19
Kelsey Webster, Boulder, CO, 2018, +19
Shelby Poynter, Scottsbluff, NE, 2018, +20
Sydney Eye, Golden, CO, 2019, +22
Arielle Keating, Colorado Springs, CO, 2018, +24
Anju Ogi, Arvada, CO, 2021, +24
Riley McKibbon, Arvada, CO, 2017, +26
Katie Berrian, Castle Rock, CO, 2020, +26
Lauren Murphy, Carbondale, CO, 2018, +26
Carly Gallant, Louisville, CO, 2017, +29
Jenna Chun, Englewood, CO, 2018, +32
Eva Pett, Denver, CO, 2022, +37
Jihyun Roh, Broomfield, CO, 2018, +40
Isabell Deak, Colorado Springs, CO, 2018, +41
Andrea Hoos, Thornton, CO, 2016, +18 WD
