With former University of Denver golfer Chris Korte of Littleton leading the way, Colorado holds sixth place out of 15 teams after Tuesday’s opening round of the 52nd Pacific Coast Amateur at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.
The team representing the CGA posted a 3-over-par 145 total, leaving the Coloradans eight strokes behind Alberta in the Morse Cup team competition, which runs the first two days of the Pacific Coast Am.
With the best two scores from each team each day counting toward the team total, Korte contributed a 1-under-par 70, and current Colorado State University golfer Jake Staiano of Cherry Hills Village a 75. Rounding out Colorado’s scores was the 77 by two-time CGA Mid-Amateur champion Chris Thayer of Golden.
Colorado has placed 10th in each of the last four Morse Cup competitions, which features teams from the western U.S. and Canada.
After being 2 over par through 13 holes, Korte (left) birdied three of his last five to post the subpar round, which put him in a share of 14th place individually. Meanwhile, Staiano and Thayer each carded two birdies on Tuesday. Thayer’s score was derail by a quadruple-bogey 8 on the 294-yard seventh hole.
Austin Eckroat of Edmond, Okla., leads the individual competition with a 6-under-par 65.
The top three-ranked men’s amateurs in the world are in the field — Braden Thornberry (71), Justin Suh (71) and Collin Morikawa (72).
The individual competition will continue through Friday.
6. (out of 15 teams) Colorado 145
14. Chris Korte, Littleton 70
63. Jake Staiano, Cherry Hills Village 75
79. Chris Thayer, Golden 77
For all the scores from the Pacific Coast Amateur, CLICK HERE.
