The former Colorado State University golfer, winner of the 2013 CoBank Colorado Open, shot rounds of 65-67-65 for a 19-under-par 197 total. That tied him for the top spot after 54 holes, but Brad Hopfinger of Chicago prevailed in a playoff with a birdie on the second extra hole.
In the final round, Brown (pictured) made seven birdies and two bogeys and eagled the 378-yard, par-4 11th hole. He earned $3,300.
Another former CSU golfer, Riley Arp of Fort Collins, also posted a top-10 finish with a 10th-place showing. Arp, who went 71-68-68–207, remains atop the 2017 Dreamchasers money list with $8,850.
Arp has placed in the top 10 in all four Dreamchasers events this year.
Also this week in mini-tour action, Betsy Kelly of Denver finished sixth and Samantha Stancato of Colorado Springs was 10th in a Cactus Tour tournament, also in Litchfield Park.
Kelly, a former CSU golfer, carded scores of 75-74-71 for a 4-over-par 220 total, while Stancato went 74-73-78–225.
The former Colorado State University golfer carded rounds of 69-65-67 for a 15-under-par 201 total in Chandler, Ariz. Arp (pictured), a former CGA Public Links champion, made an eagle, 18 birdies and five bogeys for the week.
In other tournament action this week:
— Former Fort Collins resident Sam Saunders, who will likely split his season between the PGA Tour and Web.com Tour, finished very strong Wednesday to tie for eighth in the Web.com Tour opener in The Bahamas, marking his best Web showing since 2015.
Saunders posted the top-10 despite shooting 78-73-75 in tough conditions in the first three rounds, then closing with a Wednesday-best 5-under-par 67 for a 5-over 293 total. The 36-hole cut of 11-over-par 155 was the highest in Web.com Tour history.
— Betsy Kelly of Denver tied for fourth in a Cactus Tour event in Goodyear, Ariz. Kelly posted scores of 72-81-77 for a 14-over-par 230 total, which left the former Colorado State golfer seven strokes behind champion Kaylee Benton of Litchfield Park, Ariz.
— Cheyenne resident and former University of Colorado golfer Josh Creel tied for ninth in the Adams Pro Tour’s Oaks Championship in the Woodlands, Texas. After rounds of 71-70–141, Creel finished eight strokes behind winner Curtis Reed.
Former University of Denver golfer Kimberly Kim (pictured) continued to set the pace for the eight players with strong Colorado connections as she sits in 15th place through Saturday’s third round in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
The 2006 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion shot a 2-under-par 70 at the Arnold Palmer Course despite a double bogey on her 16th hole. Kim, who competed on the LPGA Tour in 2011, carded five birdies on the day. She’s four strokes out of the lead going into the final day.
Also surviving the 54-hole cut to the top 130 and ties — out of the starting field of 347 — were former University of Colorado golfer Alexis Keating and former Colorado State player Betsy Kelly. Keating finds herself in 97th place at 220 after a 76 Saturday, while Kelly is in 109th place at 221 following a third-round 72.
Meanwhile, seeing their bids end for 2017 LPGA Tour cards were five local players who missed the cut on Saturday: Samantha Stancato of Colorado Springs (228), former Coloradan Paige Spiranac (228), Lindsay McGetrick of Highlands Ranch (228), former DU golfer Isabel Southard (234) and former CU player Jamie Oleksiew (239).
The scores and positions of players with strong Colorado connections competing in Rancho Mirage:
15. Former DU golfer Kimberly Kim 68-74-70–212
97. Former CU golfer Alexis Keating 70-74-76–220
109. Former CSU golfer Betsy Kelly 75-74-72–221
Missed 54-Hole Cut
214. Samantha Stancato of Colorado Springs 73-77-78–228
214. 2015 CWGA Match Play champion Paige Spiranac 73-77-78–228
214. Lindsay McGetrick of Highlands Ranch 76-76-76–228
274. Former DU golfer Isabel Southard 79-78-77–234
311. Former CU golfer Jamie Oleksiew 79-77-83–239
For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
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