Hailey Schalk of Erie, who just a couple of weeks ago became the first freshman since 2002 to win a girls state high school championship in Colorado, didn’t take long to add another major accomplishment to her golf resume.

On Thursday, the 15-year-old not only notched her first American Junior Golf Association victory, but she became the first Coloradan to win the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior by Transamerica.

Schalk (pictured) came from four strokes behind entering the final round at Walnut Creek Golf Preserve in Westminster to post a one-stroke victory in the girls division of the tournament.

“It’s really special,” said Schalk, who called it her biggest accomplishment in golf. “Just to win my first one in Colorado is cool. I’ve been playing really well this year so I thought it was a good tournament to try to win.”

Schalk, who just completed her freshman year at Holy Family High School, shot a 3-under-par 69 in the final round to finish at 4-under 212. She made five birdies on the final day, including an 8-footer on the 17th hole that put her ahead for good. Then she overcame a poor third shot on the 18th hole to get up and down for par.

“I just played aggressive today and I was making more putts,” said Schalk, the girls 2016 Colorado Junior Match Play champion. “I was making sure I got them to the hole even if they went 10 feet by. And I made three birdies in a row (4-5-6), which gave me confidence.”

Charlotte Hillary of Cherry Hills Village, who led after each of the first two rounds, missed a 5-foot birdie putt on the final hole that would have forced a playoff (left). Hillary, also 15, closed with a 74 after a 16-par, two-bogey day.

“I’m just super disappointed in myself,” said Hillary, who also was runner-up to Schalk in the 3A state tournament. “I had about five lip-outs so it was really hard because if at least one of them had dropped I would have been in a playoff or something. But that was the difference between today and yesterday and the day before when all of those dropped. Today not one did. 

“I could have avoided the bogeys I had — just some mental errors. But bogeys happen and you need to have birdies to even those out and I couldn’t execute. That’s why the title goes to Hailey.”

Still, it was by far the best performance in an AJGA event by Hillary, the 2016 girls JGAC Tour Championship winner. 

“My goal was top three (going into the week), but I had such an advantage going into today, it’s just really hard for me to give it up,” she said.

Trussi Li, a Chinese-born Californian, set the women’s course record with a 7-under-par 65 on Thursday to tie Hillary for second place at 213.

“That’s my best round ever,” said the 16-year-old Li. “My low was 68 before today. The front nine (a 6-under-par 30), I honestly didn’t expect that. Someone said I was bored and just throwing darts at the pin. And I made basically every putt today.” Indeed, she needed just 25 putts on the day.

In the boys tournament, Coloradans were 1-2 entering the final round, but Artem Yalovenko, a 15-year-old Russian who now lives in Florida, closed with a 67 to score his first AJGA victory.

Yalovenko made seven birdies in his final round to rally from five behind on Thursday to record a one-stroke win. He posted a 7-under-par 209 total.

Trevor Olkowski (left) of Grand Junction, a University of Colorado signee, finished second for the second straight year at the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior by Transamerica. This time, he had an 18-foot birdie attempt on No. 18 that would have forced a playoff, but he left it 2 feet short. The 18-year-old, winner of the boys JGAC Tour Championship last fall, parred his final 15 holes for an even-par 72. His 210 total gave him a share of the runner-up spot with Carson Griggs of Sand Springs, Okla., who closed with a 67.

“I wanted to win. That’s why we play it,” Olkowski said. “Second place is just not the same. I don’t like losing. 

“I’m kind of angry. I didn’t hit the ball well on the back nine today. And I missed every single putt that I looked at. It was just really frustrating.”

Second-round leader Griffin Barela of Lakewood, who’s signed to play college golf at the University of Wisconsin, placed fourth at 212 after a final-round 75.

As for Yalovenko (below left), who finished his round about 25 minutes before Olkowski and Barela, he could hardly believe that he came out on top.

“I’m speechless,” he said. “I’m so thankful for everything that happened. I didn’t really expect to win, to be honest. There’s no way that I thought the winning score would be 7 under. That’s for sure.

“This is by far the biggest win I’ve ever had in my life.”

For final results from the tournament, CLICK HERE.

So far, Colorado’s top junior golfers apparently are really enjoying the home cooking this week.

With two rounds complete and just one left at the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior by Transamerica — arguably the top junior tournament that will be held in Colorado in 2017 — in-state players stand first and second on both the boys and girls leaderboards at Walnut Creek Golf Preserve in Westminster. 

On the boys side, two NCAA Division I-bound Coloradans — Griffin Barela of Lakewood (University of Wisconsin) and Trevor Olkowski of Grand Junction (University of Colorado) are in the top two spots. Barela leads by one at 7-under-par 137 after a second-round 70 on Wednesday, while Olkowski fired a tournament-best 65 to vault into second place at 138, good for a tie with William Paysse of Temple, Texas.

“It’s awesome” to have a chance to win a second AJGA title in just over two months, said Barela (pictured), who won a tournament in early April in California. “It just shows the hard work I’ve put in these last couple of years — especially this last offseason — is paying off. Hopefully I can play another solid round tomorrow and win it.

“As a Colorado player, I would love to win this AJGA in my home state. It would be an honor to win this tournament.”

Barela, the reigning Colorado Junior Match Play champion, made four birdies in Wednesday’s round, giving him 11 in two days.

In the 24-player girls tournament, the only golfers at or better than par are two 15-year-old Coloradans: Charlotte Hillary (left) of Cherry Hills Village and girls 3A state high school champion Hailey Schalk of Erie.

Hillary, girls winner of the JGAC Tour Championship last fall (Olkowski won the boys title in that event), has shot her first two sub-par tournaments rounds of the year (69-70) to open a four-stroke lead going into Thursday’s final round. The Kent Denver student has racked up eight birdies so far.

“My putting lately has not been working. All of a sudden I come here and I just feel so confident,” said Hillary, who placed second to Schalk in the 3A state high school tournament last month. “Today I actually did not feel as comfortable with my putting. I had a three-putt on 10 that rattled me a bit, so that made me lose confidence. But I got it back. That’s been the difference between this week (and previously) this year.

“I haven’t shot under par this whole year (in a tournament), so to do it twice in a row … The putter has got to be working, right?”

Schalk, who like Hillary just completed her freshman season of high school (in Schalk’s case at Holy Family), bogeyed two of her last four holes on Wednesday to post a 73, good for a 143 total. 

“I’ll play more aggressive tomorrow, probably, and just play the best that I can,” Schalk said of her final-round plan. “I think it’s a really big opportunity. I think if I can finish in the top five that would be awesome for me.”

Behind the two Coloradans, sharing third place at 145 are Jacqueline Ha of San Ramon, Calif., and Canadian Savannah Grewal.

In the boys tournament, Olkowski, runner-up in this event last year at Highlands Ranch Golf Club, has played his last 22 holes in a remarkable 11 under par and has gone bogey-free for his last 24 holes. He had a poor stretch in the middle of Tuesday’s round — 6 over par in five holes — but other than that the 18-year-old has been outstanding.

“I had the rough stretch yesterday. That really was a setback,” said Olkowski (left). “But I’m happy with the way I’m hitting the ball.

“Today was one of the better scoring rounds I’ve had. I was really consistent and hit a lot of greens (17) and I made the putts I needed to. It was a fun round. This is exactly where I wanted to be. Today I just had to regroup and put myself in position to contend tomorrow, and that’s exactly what I did.”

Two other Coloradans, 3A state high school champion Oliver Jack of Denver and Glen-Michael Mihavetz of Montrose, are also in the top five, sharing fourth place at 141.

Barela has enjoyed considerable success at this course over the last year. Late last June, he qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur at what is now Walnut Creek, posting rounds of 72-69.

“I think this course suits me,” he said. “I played really well here at the U.S. Junior qualifier last year. Just the fact that this is a second-shot golf course, and my iron game is probarly the best part of my game, that sets up well for me. And I’m playing well right now, so that’s a good combination.”

Olkowski also qualified at Walnut Creek for last year’s U.S. Junior Amateur.

No Coloradan has won a title — boys or girls — at the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior by Transamerica in the previous two years of the tournament.

The leading girls will tee off for Thursday’s final round at 11:20 a.m., with the boys going at 12:10 p.m. PAIRINGS

For scores from the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior by Transamerica, CLICK HERE.

A Coloradan — boy or girl — has never won the title at the prestigious AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior by Transamerica, but if Tuesday’s first round is any indication, the in-staters will be giving it a run this year in the third annual event.

After day 1 at Walnut Creek Golf Preserve in Westminster, a Colorado resident (Charlotte Hillary of Cherry Hills Village) leads the girls competition, and three of the top four golfers on the girls leaderboard are Coloradans.

And on the boys side, Griffin Barela of Lakewood held the lead for most of the day before he three-putted for bogey on his final hole and his playing partner, William Paysse of Temple, Texas, eagled No. 18 from 15 feet for a 6-under-par 66.

Barela, a recent Lakewood High School graduate who won an AJGA event in California early this spring, holds second place at 67 after a seven-birdie round. He made four birdie putts of longer than 15 feet.

“Obviously, I didn’t want to bogey 18, but other than that I hit a lot of good shots and made some quality putts,” said Barela, 18, who will play his college golf at the University of Wisconsin starting in the fall.

“It’s right up there with my better rounds. It’s probably the best putting round that I can think of. I hit a couple of loose shots on the back nine, but other than that, it’s one of the best rounds I’ve played in a while.”

Hillary (pictured at top), the girls winner of the JGAC Tour Championship last fall, shot the lowest tournament score of her life, making a 5-foot birdie on her final hole for a 3-under-par 69. It was her fifth birdie of the day.

“That’s actually my best tournament round,” said the 15-year-old from Kent Denver. “To have it at an AJGA is such an honor because these tournaments are so difficult and so rigorous. There’s so much competition. To have it in Colorado and be leading after the first day makes you feel really good.”

Hillary, who sank birdie putts of 25 and 40 feet in her first four holes, didn’t make her first par of the tournament until No. 6. But after that she settled in to card two birdies and 11 pars the rest of the way.

“I really wanted to win this week,” she said. “So to have this start makes me feel really good. It makes me want to go even further.”

Not only is Hillary one of three Coloradans in the top four of the girls leaderboard, but all three are fairly young, with Hillary and Hailey Schalk of Erie being 15 and Caroline Jordaan of Denver being 16.

Schalk, winner of the girls 3A state high school title last month, and Jordaan matched 70s to share second place with Savannah Grewal of Canada.

“These tournaments, it’s everyone from around the world, so there’s definitely a lot of tough competition,” said Schalk, who made four birdies and two bogeys on the day. “I like playing well in these.”

Schalk and Jordaan tied for seventh place at last year’s AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior.

“AJGAs are really competitive junior tournaments, so I always try to do my best,” said Jordaan, winner of the North American Junior Amateur in January. “The fields are always stacked, so to have a good round feels good. It’s definitely cool because I’m from here. I’m just hoping to have two more solid rounds.”

In the boys tournament, Barela (left) is looking for his second AJGA victory in just over two months as he won the AJGA Junior at Greenhorn Creek in Angels Camp, Calif., on April 2.

“One of my goals coming into this week was to get in contention to win this event,” said Barela, the boys winner of the Colorado Junior Match Play last summer. “This event is obviously very important and I’d love to win an AJGA in my home state. To be in contention after the first round is very satisfying.”

Joining Paysse and Barela in posting sub-par rounds among the boys on Tuesday were Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins (70), Davis Bryant of Aurora (71), reigning boys 3A state high school champ Oliver Jack of Denver (71), Glen-Michael Mihavetz of Montrose (71), Calvin McCoy of Highlands Ranch (71) and Chase White of San Antonio (71).

That means six of the top eight players in the boys competition are Coloradans.

The 54-hole tournament will continue through Thursday.

2 Tourneys in 2 Days in 2 Different States for Daniel Pearson: Suffice it to say that Daniel Pearson (left) had reason to be worn out by the time Tuesday’s round ended. The golfer from Longmont competed in U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying on Monday, which in his case meant he played 36 holes in Newport Beach, Calif. And though he didn’t earn a U.S. Open berth, he shot a very respectable 75-70–145 to finish 39th out of 103 players.

But that was only the beginning of Pearson’s odyssey. With him competing in the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior by Transamerica — beginning with an 11:13 a.m. tee time in Westminster on Tuesday — it was a hectic night.

He traveled to Los Angeles International Airport, but his flight was delayed 90 minutes, then took “forever” to actually take off. And by the time he arrived at his house on Tuesday, it was 3:30 a.m.

After sleeping for about four hours, he woke up and started getting ready for Tuesday’s round at Walnut Creek.

“I’m pretty tired,” he said after shooting a 77. “But it was fun to play in Sectionals. It was definitely a challenge and good experience. I’m pretty worn out, though.”

For AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior by Transamerica scores, CLICK HERE.
 

Hale Irwin is arguably the most well-known golf figure associated with the state of Colorado.

And why not? He attended high school (Boulder HS) and college (University of Colorado) in the state. He won a state high school tournament, an NCAA individual golf title 50 years ago this month, and five CGA state championships in the 1960s. And he was quite a football player to boot, being twice named an All-Big Eight defensive back.

And in a professional golf tour career that’s spanned 49 years, he’s won 20 times on the PGA Tour, including three U.S. Opens. In fact, he remains the oldest person to win a U.S. Open after earning the title at age 45 in 1990. Then after turning 50, he’s won a record 45 times on PGA Tour Champions, 13 more than second-place Bernhard Langer.

On Sunday, Irwin returned to his old stomping grounds to conduct a junior clinic leading up to the AJGA tournament that bears his name. The AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior by Transamerica will be held Tuesday through Thursday at Walnut Creek Golf Preserve in Westminster. That’s where about 125 junior golfers and their families asked questions of the World Golf Hall of Famer and he imparted some wisdom — both related to golf and in general.

He also met with the current group that makes up the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program that’s based at CGA-owned CommonGround Golf Course. (Irwin’s son, Steve, serves on the CGA volunteer board of governors and was the CGA Player of the Year in 2004.)

Before Irwin held his clinic, coloradogolf.org had a chance to chat with Colorado golf’s favorite son. Here’s the Q&A from Sunday, the day Irwin was named one of the honorees of the 2018 Memorial Tournament that Jack Nicklaus hosts (Irwin won the Memorial twice and finished second twice in playoffs there). He turned 72 on Saturday.

Q: Compare your junior golf experience to what these kids have had.

HI: It was wildly different. The junior program back when I was a junior was sort of hit and miss. There weren’t very many tournaments — nothing organized like the AJGA or The First Tees, nothing near like that. So I think these kids are enjoying the fruits of a lot of years of people being concerned about their development and how golf can help influence their lives in a very positive way, whether they become professional (golfers) or not. And frankly I hope many of them don’t. But I do think golf will lead them in a direction that is very, very positive. Some of the best people that I’ve ever met have been involved with golf in some way, shape or form through all these years.

Back to your original question: The excitement is no different (than when Irwin was a teenager); the levels of success are vastly different. These kids are probably far better than what we as juniors used to be. You could count on maybe two hands the number of kids that played effective junior golf in the state of Colorado. Now just in that room (at Walnut Creek Golf Preserve on Sunday afternoon), you had 20 kids that are extremely good. The success of these programs is of particular importance to all kids out there that can look to golf as a life-maker.

Q: Is there anything to be said for the way you did it, which was self-taught almost completely?

HI: There wasn’t anything available when I was a kid. There were some teachers around, but not like we have today. The equipment availability … The golf course availability just wasn’t there. How could I, in Boulder, go down to Cherry Hills, for instance, and ever play? I couldn’t. You bring up a good point. Sometimes it’s best to go out and learn the hard way. The school of hard knocks is really a good school to graduate from. But at the same time, I’m not saying this (the way it’s done now) is wrong, but I think there’s a good blend. These kids are challenged, as they should be. It’s just a different world in which we live. I don’t know if one’s right and one’s wrong, but I have a hard time not encouraging these kids to learn on their own. I think it’s very important that they learn who they are and what they can do at an early age so they’ll know what to do later on in life.

Q: This month 50 years ago you won the NCAA title (while a CU golfer). Twenty-five years ago, you went into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Aside from people like me asking you questions about it, do you ever sit back and take stock of your career?

HI: On occasion, I suppose, simply because I probably use it more to prove a point to somebody else. I’m not trying to prove a point to me. Actually, I’m not trying to prove a point, I’m trying to show a point — to show what you can do coming from let’s say the background from which I came, which was not all golf-oriented. You know the history. Am I proud of that? Absolutely. You mentioned the NCAA. I was just talking to a couple of guys up at Muirfield Village (where the Memorial was concluding on Sunday) a few days ago about that. Yeah, I’m very proud of that. I’m very proud that it kind of put Colorado golf on the map, so to speak. I don’t look at it as boastful. I look at it to learn from it. Use that (so) maybe these kids can learn from an example that you don’t have to live in Florida, you don’t have to live in Arizona, you don’t have to live in California to have golf and be successful at it. It can come from anywhere. While I’m proud of those points, I don’t dwell on them because I’d rather use those as a discussion point to leapfrog others ahead in their successes.

Q: The golfer that won the CoBank Colorado Senior Open the other day was Jeff Gallagher. Unsolicited, he said, ‘Boy, I’ve made it through about 20 years on various tours.’ But he brought up Tom Watson and you, and he marveled at the longevity you’ve had (as tour players). What’s been the key to that, other than maybe good genes?

HI: I don’t really know. My parents (Hale Sr. and Mame Irwin) were of that great generation. They had great qualities instilled in them through the hard times. They went through two world wars, the Great Depression. They grew up in Oklahoma; they had the Dust Bowl. They didn’t have anything. They taught me the value of having something. What I think I was able to carry forward was that discipline to take on the task and see it through. One of the things my dad taught me long ago was, ‘Don’t start something you can’t finish.’ As I look back on his life, that’s exactly what he did: He finished things off regardless of how monumental the task may be. I think that was one of the things that got me through football (at CU). Was that something I should have done? It was the only thing that was in front of me. Did I want to play? Well, I enjoyed it. I had great friends and I still love those teammates with whom I played. But I looked at it more as, ‘That’s how I worked my way through school to play the ultimate game, which became golf.’ But I learned a lot along the way. The tasks are not easy to be successful. That level of success is not given to everybody. You have to kind of earn it. Sometimes the hard way is the best way to do it.

Q: Given what Bernhard Langer has done in the last few weeks (two wins in senior majors, giving him 32 total Champions victories, which leaves him 13 behind Irwin), do you think he has a shot at your Champions career victory record?

HI: The way he’s going, he’ll do it this year (laugh). Bernhard is playing very well; there’s no doubt about it. If he does, he does. There’s nothing I can do about it except play better myself. The best golf I played in my life was when I was 52 and 53 years old so you can have success later in life, and Bernhard is playing very, very well right now. I have a hard time answering that question. Others say, ‘No, I don’t think it’s possible.’ I don’t think he’s going to win enough tournaments this year, and then next year he’ll be 61 (in August, 2018). All I can say is, there comes a time where your performance level does start deteriorating relatively rapidly. Not that he’s there yet. I think he’s still got a couple more years in front of him, but there are some really good players out there and their games will start kicking in. He seems to be peaking right now at the best possible opportunity. But we need somebody to step up and give him that challenge. But every time that happens, he rises to the challenge. I would applaud (him breaking the record) because I know hard it is to get there. If he were to do it, I’d be the first man to shake his hand.

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Three More Coloradans Qualify for Hale Irwin Colorado Junior: Prior to Irwin’s clinic on Sunday, a qualifying tournament was held for the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior by Transamerica, and 10 juniors were added to the field, including three Coloradans.

Qualifying on Sunday were six boys: Ryan Liao of Littleton (71), Darren Edwards of Loveland (73), Hayes Haydon of Austin, Texas (73), Justin Hopkins of Danville, Calif. (74), Isaak Ramsey of Peoria, Ill. (74), Charlie Hillis of Lincoln, Neb. (74), Bridger Tenney of Evergreen (75) and Matthew Adams of Los Altos, Calif. (75).

Two girls also qualified: Noelle Song of Stevenson Ranch, Calif. (75) and Trussy Li of China and Diamond Bar, Calif. (76).

After a Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament and practice rounds on Monday, the 54-hole tournament will begin Tuesday for boys and girls competitors age 12-19.

Among the top Colorado boys in the field are three NCAA Division I letter-of intent-signees: Griffin Barela of Lakewood (University of Wisconsin), Trevor Olkowski of Grand Junction (University of Colorado) and Daniel Pearson of Longmont (University of Nebraska), though Pearson will be competing in 36-hole U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying on Monday. Also in the boys field are 2016 3A state champion Oliver Jack of Denver, 4A winner Luke Trujillo of Colorado Springs, 5A champ Kyle Pearson (5A) and Davis Bryant of Aurora, a 2015 U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier and 2016 Colorado Junior America’s Cup team member.

On the girls side, two recent winners of state high school titles are entered: Hailey Schalk of Erie (3A) and Lauren Lehigh of Loveland (4A). Also planning to compete is Charlotte Hillary of Cherry Hills Village, winner of the 2016 JGAC Junior Tour Championship.

In all, 96 players will be in the field.

For more information on the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior by Transamerica, CLICK HERE.

Three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin, who lent his name to the event, will conduct a by-invitation-only clinic and Q&A for junior golfers and their families on Sunday afternoon (June 4) on the eve of the event, which runs Tuesday through Thursday.

Irwin, a graduate of Boulder High School and the University of Colorado, has won 20 times on the PGA Tour and a record 45 times on PGA Tour Champions. Before going pro, he won a state high school individual title, five CGA championships and the 1967 NCAA title while at CU.

Irwin’s clinic (he’s pictured during the 2015 AJGA event) will take place after Sunday’s qualifying tournament. On Monday, there will be a Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament and practice rounds, and the 54-hole tournament will begin Tuesday for boys and girls competitors age 12-19.

Among the top Colorado boys in the field are three NCAA Division I letter of intent signees: Griffin Barela of Lakewood (University of Wisconsin), Trevor Olkowski of Grand Junction (University of Colorado) and Daniel Pearson of Longmont (University of Nebraska), though Pearson recently learned he’ll be competing in 36-hole U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying on Monday. Also in the boys field are 2016 3A state champion Oliver Jack of Denver, 4A winner Luke Trujillo of Colorado Springs, 5A champ Kyle Pearson (5A) and Davis Bryant of Aurora, a 2015 U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier and 2016 Colorado Junior America’s Cup team member.

On the girls side, two recent winners of state high school titles are entered: Hailey Schalk of Erie (3A) and Lauren Lehigh of Loveland (4A). Also expected to compete are Charlotte Hillary of Cherry Hills Village, winner of the 2016 JGAC Junior Tour Championship.

In all, 96 players — from 18 states and five countries — will be in the field.

For more information on the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior by Transamerica, CLICK HERE.
 

The 2016 Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado’s Junior Match Play champion chalked up a win Sunday in the AJGA Junior at Greenhorn Creek in Angels Camp, Calif.

Barela, a 2016 U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier, posted rounds of 70-67 for a 7-under-par 137 and won by three over Daulet Tuleubayev of Kazakhstan. Barela carded an eagle, nine birdies and four bogeys over the two rounds.

Barela, a Lakewood High School senior, has signed a letter of intent to play his college golf at the University of Wisconsin.

Colorado’s AJGA event, the Hale Irwin Colorado Junior by Transamerica, will be held June 6-8 at Walnut Creek Golf Preserve in Westminster.