A year after the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior made its debut at CommonGround Golf Course and was subsequently named the top new tournament of 2015 by the association, it’s set for championship No. 2, this time at a new venue.
Now presented by Huntington Industrial Partners, the 2016 Hale Irwin Colorado Junior will be contested at Highlands Ranch Golf Club — appropriately designed by Irwin, winner of three U.S. Opens — from Tuesday through Thursday (June 7-9). A qualifying event will be held Sunday (June 5) and a Junior-Am fundraising tourney on Monday. After Tuesday’s round, a long-drive contest is scheduled.
The 54-hole tournament will feature boys and girls divisions, and junior players age 12 and up are eligible.
A little less than half of the known field will be Coloradans. In all, it’s expected that six countries and 16 states will be represented, and that seven AJGA champions will compete.
Two Coloradans who tied for third in last year’s AJGA Hale Irwin are entered again in 2016: Jackson Solem of Longmont, the 4A state high school champion who has verbally committed to the University of Denver, and AJ Ott of Fort Collins, the Colorado State University-bound winner of the 2015 CJGA Tournament of Champions. Also in the field is 2015 CGA Junior Stroke Play champion Isaac Petersilie, a DU signee.
In the girls competition, Erin Sargent of Longmont, recent winner of the 4A state high school title, will play. And the 2015 AJGA runner-up, Ellie Szeryk, who resides in Canada, is back for a second run at the AJGA Irwin title.
For more information about the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior, CLICK HERE.
