Bob Austin has scored 100 percent on the PGA/USGA Rules of Golf exam the last three times he’s taken it — and four times overall. He’s answered a question incorrectly on the exam a grand total of three times over the last eight years.
Yet, as much of a rules expert as he’s been, there he was on a beautiful Saturday morning/early afternoon a couple of weeks ago, attending the first of five rules seminars the CGA is conducting this fall.
Why?
Because, as CGA executive director Ed Mate noted early on, seldom in history have the Rules of Golf undergone as significant a chance as they’re currently undergoing. This major “Rules Modernization” will take effect on Jan. 1.
In other words, ready or not, here they come.
People like Austin — and the other 21 people who attended this particular rules seminar on Oct. 20 at Todd Creek Golf Club in Thornton — are doing their best to be proactive, trying to fully memorize and understand the new rules as well as they did the old ones.
And that’s the idea behind a couple of significant projects the CGA has undertaken this fall:
— Mate — who has played a significant role in the impending rules changes, having served on the USGA Rules of Golf Committee for the last three years — and the CGA are putting together a series of “Ready for the 2019 Rules” videos which are being released each Monday for 18 weeks this fall.
— And, complementing the videos, there are five four-hour rules seminars, accompanied by a meal, that are being conducted by the CGA. There was the aforementioned first one at Todd Creek on Oct. 20, one at Lone Tree Golf Club on Oct. 27, and another at Fossil Trace Golf Club in Golden on Saturday. Upcoming are ones at The Club at Flying Horse in Colorado Springs (Dec. 8), and at Ptarmigan Country Club in Fort Collins (Dec. 15).
And at least 10 more CGA rules seminars will be held in the spring, according to CGA director of rules and competition Robert Duke.
To access the CGA’s Ready for the 2019 Rules page, which includes both the videos and the list of seminars, CLICK HERE.
At Todd Creek, the seminar was led by Mate and Duke. With the help of a presentation program and videos, they went one by one through many of the major changes in the rules that will take effect on Jan. 1, took questions and led discussions that came up.
“When the flag went in the hole at the Mid-Am (the final individual CGA championship of 2018) and we started doing the Monday videos, we thought, ‘We ought to pair these with seminars,'” Mate said. “It wasn’t planned, but I’m really glad we did it and I think it’s worked out great.
“Nobody is an expert now. Everybody has to reprove their expertise.”
About 50 people were on hand at Lone Tree, following the 22 at Todd Creek. And there were more than 70 signed up for Fossil Trace this past weekend. Attending are rules officials, various representatives of men’s and women’s clubs, PGA professionals and plenty of others.
“Working on the rules is hard, it’s a process,” noted Austin, who typically serves as a rules official at 8-10 USGA/NCAA tournaments per year. “But even if you’re a beginner or wanted to start officiating, these (the rules seminars) would be a place to start. And I’m sure everyone benefited from listening to the conversations.”
As of Jan. 1, there will be 24 rules in the Rules of Golf, down from 34. Some of the major changes will be:
— When taking a drop, it will be done from knee height rather than shoulder height.
— Players can leave the flagstick in when putting, with no penalty for their ball hitting it.
— The search time for lost balls has been reduced to three minutes from five.
— Most green damage, including spike marks, can be repaired without unduly delaying play.
— A ball unintentionally moved during a search should be replaced with no penalty.
— A ball wedged against the flagstick and the side of the hole is deemed holed.
— It’s not permitted for caddies to line up players before they strike their shot.
— There’s no penalty when a ball unintentionally hits a player or his/her caddie or equipment.
— There’s no penalty for an accidental double hit. Play the ball as it lies.
— An expanded version of water hazards — not including bunkers — are now referred to as penalty areas.
— Loose impediments can be removed in penalty areas and in bunkers.
— Clubs can be grounded in penalty areas.
— A ball — or ball marker — moved accidentally on a putting green should be replaced with no penalty.
— A player may keep using any damaged club, no matter the nature or cause of the damage, even if the player damaged it in anger.
Of course, those are just the highlights. There’s much more to it than that. For a summary the CGA created comparing the current rules to the 2019 rules, CLICK HERE.
“If the facial expression and body language are any indication, (the seminar attendees) really do like (the rules changes),” Mate after the Todd Creek seminar. “I’m not saying they are perfect by any means. Are there still weird things that are head-scratchers? Yes. There’s always going to be nuance, but overall on a scale of 1 to 10 of intuitive, we moved it from a 3 to a 7. It’s a huge improvement. It’s just so much more logical.
“I used to say to people who were not rules experts and would say, ‘I’ve got reasonably good common sense.’ And I’m like, ‘That’s not going to help you'” understand the rules. “It doesn’t help you. There was ‘rules common sense’, and once you became a rules expert and understood the philosophy behind it then common sense in that context would work for you. But unless you understood this, it didn’t help you. Now, if you just have common sense, they make more sense — if that makes sense,” Mate said with a chuckle.
And that’s hopefully the case for people affectionately known as “rules geeks” as well as for relative novices.
Austin definitely falls into the former category. Besides being a prominent national and regional rules official in his own right, he’s married to Christie Austin, the first woman to chair the USGA Rules of Golf Committee.
“I grind on it and work at” being very knowledgeable about the Rules of Golf, Bob Austin said. “My wife says I study more than anybody who she knows. But I really enjoy the academic study of the rules. Most days I spend a half an hour or an hour just reading things, looking at things and just kind of working on it. To do it right, and to do it at a really high level, it takes a lot of work. I love the work, but you need to be diligent about it.
“Christie and I both joke about it. When we’re both studying for rules, we both have decision books on our bedside table. That’s sort of the standard joke with our rules officials. (Christie and I) will talk about situations that come up. She’ll ask me what I learned today. We actually talk about (the rules) a reasonable amount. As a past chairman of the USGA Rules of Golf Committee, she has a great knowledge also. Every time we take the test together, we have a little bit of a friendly (competition). I hope she gets 100, but we certainly have a friendly rivalry about it. She’s academically smarter than I am, and it drives me crazy because I work a lot harder at it that she does. But she can get to the same level as I am in less time. It drives me crazy, but I’m proud of her for it.”
On the other hand, there are plenty of people who want to play by the rules without having to study the topic so intensely.
The key to an effective rules seminar “is being able to give beginning, intermediate and advanced offerings,” Mate noted. “Sandy Schnitzer, who is the co-chair of our Rules Committee, I’ve seen her do rules seminars and she’s so good at teaching to a beginning audience. What we do, as people who live it every day, we hear a question and either we overthink it and try to give a much more detailed answer than is necessary or we underthink it. She’s just so good at getting (what a questioner is asking, no matter at what level).”
As many changes as will take effect on Jan. 1, it’s safe to say that not all will be set in stone. Any long-term student of the game can tell you as much.
“The Rules of Golf are very fluid,” Bob Austin said. “I was surprised by some of the changes, like when you throw a club and damage it, you can continue to play with it. I understood the reason behind each one. But the rules are fluid. And not everything in the rules are going to work out. And the next time they make (a new rules book), there will be tweaks and changes. The USGA and its rulesmakers are going to be watching and looking, and they’ll see what works and what doesn’t work. I certainly trust their judgment.”
Bob Austin helped put the Cherry Creek boys golf team in the record books, and he had a hand in removing the Bruins as well.
Austin played on two of Creek’s state title-winning teams — in 1970 and ’71 — as the Bruins went on to set the record for the most boys golf state team titles in Colorado, with eight.
But on Tuesday in the 3A state meet at Saddle Rock Golf Course in Aurora, with Austin serving as the head coach of the host Kent Denver squad, the Sun Devils took sole possession of the aforementioned record, moving out of a tie with Cherry Creek.
Kent Denver (pictured celebrating) has now won state crowns nine times since 1999, and Austin has been the coach for eight of those nine — two in Class 4A and six in 3A. (With its sixth win in the last seven years in 5A on Tuesday, Regis Jesuit joined Creek with eight state championships.)
And to double the fun for Kent on Tuesday, Sun Devils junior Oliver Jack (left) won a playoff to claim the 3A individual championship.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Austin said. “I’m really choked up. I really wanted this for these kids. We finished second the last two years. I wanted to get over that hump. The kids, I couldn’t be prouder of them. They played awesome. It was really fun. This might be the sweetest (state title) of all.”
And that was just one of the three state tournaments that concluded on Tuesday around the state. The others were just as notable:
— In the 4A meet at River Valley Ranch Golf Club in Carbondale, the individual title also was settled in a playoff, this one denying defending champion Jackson Solem of Silver Creek from becoming just the fifth two-time Colorado boys state high school champion since 1995. The first-round leader, junior Luke Trujillo of Discovery Canyon, parred the second playoff hole to defeat Solem and claim the title. And Trujillo helped Discovery Canyon win a boys state golf team championship for the first time. Three-time defending champ Valor Christian was third.
— In the 5A tournament at Bookcliff Country Club in Grand Junction, senior Kyle Pearson of Highlands Ranch put on a clinic as rounds of 66-67 gave him a 9-under-par 133 total and a six-stroke victory over Davis Bryant of Eaglecrest. Moreover, Pearson made a hole-in-one Tuesday en route to the title, acing the 136-yard 15th hole with a gap wedge. And, as noted earlier, Regis made it six 5A team titles in seven years. And perhaps the most remarkable thing about that is that each of the last two victories have come by one-stroke margins.
Back at 3A, the two players who finished tied for second in the state tournament last year were the ones in a playoff on Tuesday: Jack and Ivan Richmond of Estes Park. Richmond birdied the 17th hole in regulation to pull even, and both players bogeyed No. 18, with Jack three-putting.
But on the par-5 556-yard playoff hole, Jack hit his drive 30 yards beyond where his ball traveled on the same hole earlier Tuesday, and he had just a 7-iron for his approach into the green. Richmond, meanwhile, pulled his tee shot into a hazard and needed four shots to get to the front fringe. He three-putted from there for a double bogey. Jack, meanwhile, sank a 4-foot birdie for the victory.
“This means a lot,” said Jack, a 16-year-old who has already verbally committed to play his college golf at the University of Colorado. “A state championship is something I always wanted to win. Words can’t describe the feeling. Nothing means more to me than winning this. And it’s great for the team (too).”
Richmond (left), meanwhile, was thinking of what might have been.
“Obviously the tee shot (in the playoff) wasn’t the greatest,” he said. “Nerves and all that stuff were just going through my brain. It was bad.
“Obviously I wanted to win here. It would have been pretty special.”
Jack shot an even-par 72 on Tuesday — not counting his playoff birdie — and finished at even-par 144. Richmond closed with a 71 to get to that same total.
“I was really excited for Oliver,” Austin said. “I thought Oliver was the best player coming in, and I told him that. And I thought if we were going to win, the best player needs to win individually — and he did. He’s such an unbelievable talent and such a great kid
“(Winning both titles) was a huge thrill. The last two hours, I’m probably more nervous than I’ve ever been in my life.”
Joining Jack in the top 10 individually for Kent Denver on Tuesday were sophomore Jackson Klutznick (148, fourth place) and freshman Ben Zimmerman (153, 10th place). Rounding out the Sun Devil team was senior Jack Friedman (162, 25th place).
Placing third individually on Tuesday was Peak to Peak’s Ethan Tartaglia, who posted a 72 for a 146 total. Yale Kim of the Dawson School, the 2014 champion, shared fourth place with Klutznick at 148.
Kent Denver, which finished at 13-over-par 445, had a battle to win its eighth team title since 2006. Defending champion Peak to Peak took second place at 448.
In the 5A tournament, the team race was even closer as Regis Jesuit’s 10-over-par 436 total just edged Highlands Ranch by one.
Individually, Pearson was the only player to post two rounds in the 60s at Bookcliff. Besides his hole-in-one eagle, he made four birdies and two bogeys on Tuesday. For the two days, he racked up 10 birdies plus the eagle.
Bryant, a U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier last year, was very much in contention through 10 holes Tuesday as he had made a birdie and nine pars and stood 6 under overall. But he went 3 over par the rest of the way, shot 73, and had to settle for runner-up with a 3-under 139 total.
First-round leader Nick Caldwell of Rock Canyon was the only other player to finish under-par for two rounds, in his case at 140, good for third place. He made an eagle and a birdie on Tuesday, but also seven bogeys in a round of 75.
In 4A, Solem rallied from four behind going into the day to force a playoff in his bid for two straight individual championships. But after both players parred the first extra hole, Trujillo made a par on the second playoff hole to prevail as Solem missed his 6-foot par attempt. Both players finished at 4-under-par 140 overall, with Solem closing with a bogey-free 69 (though his blemish-free day ended on the second playoff hole) and Trujillo a 73.
Trujillo led by three strokes with four holes left in regulation, but a double bogey on 15 and a bogey on 18 forced the playoff.
Cole Krantz of Windsor was also in the thick of the title race, but back-to-back bogeys on 15 and 16 led to a third-place finish, one out of the playoff. Krantz played his first seven holes in 4 under par on Tuesday, making an eagle on the 325-yard seventh hole.
Discovery Canyon ran away with the 4A team title. Its 6-over-par 438 total was 15 strokes better than runner-up Montrose.
For scores from the state tournaments, click on the following: 5A, 4A, 3A.
]]>A tweet from the Pacific Coast Golf Association put it succinctly: “Dr. Joe Salvo, RIP to one of golf’s great volunteers. We will miss you”, adding the hashtag #bestsmileinthegame.
Indeed, Salvo will long be remembered for many things, not the least of which was his amiable manner and how he gave of himself and his time.
Salvo, a member of the CGA board of governors for 16 years and one of the top volunteer rules officials in Colorado, passed away unexpectedly on April 10 at the age of 78.
A memorial service will be held for the longtime Colorado Springs resident on May 26 at 1 p.m. at the Broadmoor Community Church (315 Lake Avenue in Colorado Springs).
Salvo passed away just a day after CGA executive director Ed Mate said goodbye to him in the Portland airport after both had attended the Pacific Coast Amateur spring meeting along with USGA regional affairs director Mark Passey. The next night, Mate received an email saying that Salvo had just died, leaving a significant void in the Colorado golf community.
“First and foremost, Joe was just a special person,” Mate said. “He collected friends everywhere he went. He had an incredible gift with people, whether it was with the CGA, the Pacific Coast, his medical practice or anywhere else. Everybody liked him because he was so sincere and so in the moment — and you can’t fake that. He touched people in a special way. We’re lucky because he was so passionate about golf and the Rules of Golf. He had a lot of passions, but golf was a focal point the last 20 years or so.”
Indeed, Salvo had been a CGA volunteer for more than 25 years, and he currently was chairman of the association’s Rules Committee. But Salvo’s golf-related volunteerism certainly didn’t stop there. He also gave of his time with the USGA, often working as a rules official at the U.S. Senior Amateur and the U.S. Senior Open; as a trustee for the Pacific Coast G.A. and its Pacific Coast Amateur; with the Arizona Golf Association as he was a part-time resident of that state; and in college golf.
In fact, Salvo was scheduled to work last week’s Pac-12 Conference Women’s Championships at Boulder Country Club. “He was looking forward to being here,” noted that tournament’s head rules official Bob Austin, while still taken aback at how Salvo passed away so abruptly.
And Salvo didn’t just volunteer a few hours here or there to golf. Indeed, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the oral and maxillofacial surgeon volunteered thousands upon thousands upon thousands of hours over the years.
Mike Boster, a fellow prominent rules official and a good friend of Salvo, estimates that Salvo — who’s held memberships at the Broadmoor, Kissing Camels and Tucson National — typically worked 70-75 days a year on the course, and that doesn’t include traveling and the like.
“Joe gave so much to the game and to every association he was with,” Boster said. “He was pretty much a year-round rules official.”
Another longtime rules official, Rich Langston, still remembers the first tournament he worked alongside Salvo — the 1994 CGA Senior Match Play at the Ranch Country Club.
“Joe was always just a super guy,” Langston said. “He enjoyed the game and always had good stories about growing up. He and I were probably the only two youngsters I know of who wore knickers when we were little — Joe because his dad was a tailor and could make a pair of knickers for a dollar, and me because that’s what my older brother had, and that’s what I wore.”
While many people knew Salvo through golf, he led an eventful life in many realms. He spent eight years in the Army, doing two tours in Vietnam; he played college golf at Tufts University in Massachusetts — where he was born; he spent 34 years in his private oral and maxillofacial practice; he was a member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America; and he was a certified pistol and personal defense instructor. And Joe and his wife, Beth, played golf in more than 35 countries on five continents.
All in all, a life well lived.
With the year drawing to a close, it’s time to play one final 18. In this case, we’ll run down the top 18 Colorado golf stories of 2012, then throw in some honorable-mention selections at the end.
And just for the sake of a little suspense, we’ll start with the 18th-biggest story.
18. Woodard Inducted into National Black Golf Hall of Fame, Voted into Colorado Golf Hall of Fame: 2012 was a big year for longtime Coloradan Tom Woodard, now the director of golf for the Foothills Park & Recreation District. In March, he was inducted into the National Black Golf Hall of Fame, then in October he was voted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, along with fellow Colorado PGA professional Alan Abrams and Jimmy Vickers. COLORADO GOLF HALL OF FAME FULL STORY, NATIONAL BLACK GOLF HALL OF FAME FULL STORY
17. Tourney Routs by Eaton, Humerickhouse: There were a couple of lopsided state tournament victories that went beyond the norm. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton prevailed by 16 shots in the CWGA Senior Stroke Play at the course on which she grew up, Greeley Country Club. STORY And in winning his third straight CGA Mid-Amateur, Keith Humerickhouse was a dozen shots ahead of the runner-up, marking the biggest margin in the event since 1991. STORY Then Humerickhouse put an exclamation mark on the year by proposing to his girlfriend in the midst of his acceptance speech for the CGA Mid-Amateur Player of the Year award.
16. A Lucky Seven Straight for Kent Denver: Kent Denver, coached by Bob Austin, set a Colorado record by winning its seventh consecutive state high school boys team championship, this time in Class 3A. STORY
15. Bertsch, Jacques, Huffer ‘Open’ the Door: Three Coloradans qualified for the top USGA championship for their respective gender. Shane Bertsch of Parker earned a U.S. Open berth for the first time since 1998. STORY And Becca Huffer and Kelly Jacques made it through qualifying at the Broadmoor to punch their tickets to their first U.S. Women’s Open. STORY Then in December, Jacques joined former University of Denver golfer Stephanie Sherlock in earning LPGA Tour status in 2013. STORY
14. Jones Joining Nicholson in Colorado Sports Hall of Fame: Former USGA president Will Nicholson Jr., was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in April. STORY And after being voted in in October, 1996 U.S. Open champion Steve Jones, a former University of Colorado golfer, will follow suit in the spring of 2013. STORY
13. Ringsby Hits the National Stage: Calli Ringsby of Cherry Hills Village had a memorable 2012 tournament season. She swept both the CWGA Junior Stroke Play STORY and Junior Match Play titles. Then she was one of just four American girls selected to compete in the USA-China Youth Golf Match. STORY
12. Lee Adds Still More Variety to Her Accomplishments: With a nine-shot victory in the CWGA Stroke Play, Somin Lee became just the second player in history to win the CWGA Junior Stroke Play, Junior Match Play, Stroke Play and Match Play. Lee joined Wendy Werley as the only golfers to capture all four of those titles during their careers. STORY
11. Colorado PGA Keeps its Streak Going: For the sixth and seventh time in six years, the Colorado PGA earned national awards from the PGA of America. Dale Smigelsky, the director of golf at Collindale Golf Club in Fort Collins, was named PGA Merchandiser of the Year for Public Facilities, while George Kahrhoff, head professional at The Country Club at Castle Pines in Castle Rock, earned the Merchandiser award for private facilities. STORY The Colorado PGA also was among the national leaders in the “Get Golf Ready” initiative in which PGA and LPGA professionals teach people everything they’ll need to know to play golf with confidence — in five lessons, usually for $99 total. The idea is to bring new and former golfers into the game as seamlessly as possible in a no-pressure environment.
10. Tolan Doubles Up in Colorado Open: Coloradan Derek Tolan won his second HealthOne Colorado Open in the last four years, this time rallying after trailing by four strokes with six holes to play. STORY
9. Bermel Departs CSU After 13 Years: After 13 successful years at the helm of the Colorado State University men’s team, Jamie Bermel resigned to take the same job at the University of Kansas. Bermel’s teams went to the NCAA regional tournament in 12 of his 13 years, and in 2011 the Rams earned a berth in the NCAA Finals for just the second time in program history. Overall, the Rams won 18 multi-team tournaments in Bermel’s tenure, including two conference titles. Former national assistant coach of the year Christian Newton succeeded Bermel at CSU. STORY
8. Near Miss in College Finale for Knous: Colorado School of Mines golfer Jim Knous finished up his college career with a flourish. After leading most of the final round of the NCAA Division II national finals, Knous finished second, losing in a playoff. STORY
7. Mallon, Neumann Will Lead the Way at Colorado Golf Club: The leadership of the competing teams for the 2013 Solheim Cup matches that will be played at Colorado Golf Club in Parker was set early this year. Meg Mallon, winner of 18 LPGA Tour events in her career, will captain the U.S. squad, while 1988 U.S. Women’s Open champion Liselotte Neumann will be her European counterpart. STORY
6. CU Women Score NCAA Breakthrough in Colorado: An NCAA women’s regional golf tournament was held in Colorado for the first time, and the University of Colorado took advantage of its host role at Colorado National by advancing to the NCAA Finals for the first time in program history. STORY
5. Kupcho Rallies from 9 Down in Final Round to Win CGA Stroke Play: After starting the final round nine strokes out of the lead and in 16th place, Steven Kupcho posted one of the biggest final-round rallies ever by a winner of the CGA Stroke Play. His final-round 66 at Fort Collins Country Club gave him the title as a 19-year-old. STORY
4. Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy Debuts: The CGA and CWGA launched a unique initiative to promote the use of caddies and foster candidates for the Evans Caddie Scholarship at the University of Colorado. The Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy at CommonGround Golf Course — which is owned and operated by the CGA and CWGA — provides a powerful incentive to use caddies by paying all of their base fees. The program’s mission is to use caddying and the game of golf to help kids learn how to succeed in life. STORY
3. Stacy Gains Spots in World Golf Hall of Fame: Part-time Colorado resident Hollis Stacy earned one of golf’s biggest honors by being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Stacy, who lives in Lakewood during the summer, won 18 times on the LPGA Tour, but particularly excelled in USGA events. She won three U.S. Women’s Opens and three U.S. Girls’ Juniors. STORY
2. Austin Departing Powerful USGA Executive Committee: Not many women preceded Coloradan Christie Austin as a member of the USGA Executive Committee, one of golf’s most powerful governing bodies. But after six years in that role, Austin will be stepping down in February. STORY
1. U.S. Amateur a Hit in Colorado: The U.S. Amateur was held in Colorado for just the fourth time, with Cherry Hills hosting and CommonGround being the second stroke-play course. The week started with Jack Nicklaus, winner of 18 major championships and two U.S. Amateurs, playing the role of spectator as son Gary competed. It continued with two players with strong Colorado ties — Michael Schoolcraft and Justin Spray — qualifying for match play. And it ended with largely unheralded and 63rd-seeded Tennesseean Steven Fox winning a final in 37 holes after being 2 down with two holes left. Fox (pictured above with his dad Alan) was the the highest-seeded player to win the U.S. Amateur since the USGA began the seeding process in 1985. About 4,500 fans attended the final day, one of the largest totals in recent U.S. Amateurs. STORY
Honorable Mention: Former University of Colorado athlete Hale Irwin followed the likes of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson in receiving the Nicholson Award given for a lifetime of commitment and dedication to the game of golf. Later in the year, the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program was launched, with the initiative designed to nurture the budding careers of exceptional young golfers in the state. … After Ray Makloski won the CGA Senior Match Play in May, son Jimmy claimed a CGA title of his own (the Junior Stroke Play) in June. Later in the year, University of Denver golfer Andy Yang qualified for the U.S. Amateur shortly after sister Jennifer advanced to the U.S. Women’s Amateur. … Former college hockey standout David Delich won the CGA Senior Stroke Play the week after placing second in the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open, which marked the best finish by an amateur in that event since 1999. … Despite dozens and dozens of entrants both years, Lone Tree Golf Club repeated as champion in the season-long CGA Team InterClub Championship. … Nicole Zhang made it to the semifinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur after qualifying for the event in Colorado. … At age 14, Jordan Sahm of Centennial qualified for U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship. … Cherry Creek’s Mackenzie Cohen, who shot 93 in the first round of the 5A state tourney in 2011, posted a score 26 strokes better in the final round of this year’s meet en route to an improbable victory. … Six-time CGA Player of the Year Rick DeWitt, who had never before competed in an event on the PGA, Champions or Web.com Tours, qualified for the U.S. Senior Open.
In the end, no matter how dominant Kent Denver’s golf team was, it couldn’t have it all Tuesday at the boys 3A state high school tournament at Pinehurst Country Club.
Most, but not all.
The Sun Devils set a Colorado high school record by collecting their seventh consecutive boys state golf championship. But there was no way to get around the fact that at least one of the team’s top two players was going to come up short in his attempt to win the individual state title.
As it turned out, senior Ben Moore closed out his high school career with his first individual state championship. But that only happened because he overcame teammate Ethan Freeman, who fell a little short in his bid to become the first Coloradan to claim three individual boys state high school titles.
“It’s bittersweet,” Freeman said. “I’m happy for Ben and I’m happy for the team, but I’d obviously like to come away with a win. But if there’s one kid I’m fine (with beating me), it’s Ben. He deserved it.”
As for possible “what-ifs” that might pass through Freeman’s mind, he doesn’t want to dwell on them.
“Coulda, shoulda, woulda,” he said. “Four team titles, two individual titles, top four (individually at state) all four years — I’ll take that.”
And Moore certainly did his part to claim the 3A individual championship, making birdies on three of the last four holes Tuesday to overtake Freeman.
The University of Colorado-bound Freeman led Moore by three strokes as he walked to the 12th tee, but he three-putted Nos. 13, 15 and 16 while Moore made his late charge to capture the title.
Moore (pictured at left), who will play college golf at NCAA Division III Emory University in Atlanta, shot an even-par 70 for the second straight day to finish with a 140 total. Freeman carded a second-round 73 to end up three behind. Faith Christian’s Jack Cummings placed third (75-72–147) for his second straight top-10 showing in the 3A tournament.
“It feels good to beat Ethan because he’s arguably the best player here,” said Moore, who finished fourth last year as Freeman won title No. 2. “I was really looking forward to playing against him today and seeing what happened. I was really excited with the way I played and the way it turned out.
“I think it was fun. Both of us probably enjoyed it; I know I certainly did. It just feels good to win.”
Certainly both players agree that it was special to lead Kent to its seventh straight team title, which breaks the record previously shared by Kent and ThunderRidge (2001-06 in 5A). The Sun Devils have won every 3A state title held in Colorado (2008-2012), along with 4A championships in 2006 and 2007. Bob Austin has coached all those teams, having taken over as head coach in 2006.
“I’m glad I just helped my team win another one and get in the record books,” Freeman said.
This year, Kent claimed the state title by 27 strokes over Holy Family. The Sun Devils finished with a 25-over-par 445 total. (Team members pictured at top are, from left, Moore, Josh Repine, Austin, Freeman and Will Fehr.)
This marked the fourth year under Austin that Kent has won both the team and individual championships. Beau Schoolcraft claimed the individual title in 2007, when teammate Matt Schovee placed second..
“To win seven is just a dream come true,” said Austin, whose Kent Denver teams have never done anything but claim state titles in his seven seasons as head coach. “I’m very blessed. When I started, in my wildest imagination I could never have imagined this. Each and every one is special and each and every one is different.”
With Kent Denver’s team title all but locked up, the only suspense coming down the stretch Tuesday was whether Moore or Freeman would prevail individually.
For quite a while, it looked like Freeman (pictured at left) would get his individual three-peat. After Moore three-putted No. 10 for bogey and Freeman birdied 11 a group ahead, the defending champ was up by three shots.
But Moore made a pivotal shot on No. 11 that helped turn the tide. With a tree on the left side of the fairway about six feet in front of him and slightly to the right, Moore had very little room for error with his approach shot to an elevated green.
If he pulled the shot, he could go out of bounds or at least end up with an awkward third. But he struck the ball perfectly, leaving him with a 20-foot birdie putt which he sunk.
“That was big,” he admitted. “I made bogey on 10 and wasn’t too happy with the way I was playing. I knew I was two or three down and I needed to make something happen. I was really happy with that approach shot.”
But Freeman still led by one while on the 15th green. With a ticklish downhill birdie putt, he ran the ball by the cup about 3 1/2 feet, then missed the come-backer. Playing in the group behind, Moore grabbed the lead with a sterling wedge shot and a 3-foot birdie putt.
On the next hole, No. 16, there was another two-shot swing with Moore making birdie and Freeman a bogey. After Freeman three-putted from 10 feet, Moore hit the green of the par-5 in two and two-putted for his birdie.
“I knew those were birdie holes and I needed to make at least one birdie, and I’m glad I made two,” Moore said.
As for Freeman, he said he put too much pressure on his putter by going long with his approach shots.
“You can’t hit it past the pin here; you’re just dead if you do,” he noted. “Almost every hole I hit it past the pin and had downhill putts.”
The four-shot swing in two holes put Moore three ahead, and the margin would get no smaller than two the rest of the way.
“As happy as I am for Ben — shooting 70-70 on this golf course is all-world — Ethan could have become the first player to ever win three,” Austin said. “He handled (finishing second) with class and dignity. He still finished second at state and he’s played on four teams that won state championships. And he finished top four (at state) all four years. I told him afterward, ‘You’ve had one of the great high school careers in (Colorado) history and I’m really proud of you.’
“It was real exciting and really fun to watch. I was rooting for both of them. I’m really happy for Ben. He just kept his emotions in check and his head in it. He never made a big mistake.”
Dunkle’s Birdie on 18 Gives Him 5A State Title: Junior Kyler Dunkle of Douglas County, who shot a 66 to qualify for the state tournament, continued his strong play by winning the 5A state title at The Club at Rolling Hills in Golden.
Dunkle birdied the 18th hole to edge Eric Chen of Legacy and Spencer Painton of Regis Jesuit by one stroke.
Dunkle shot a 1-under-par 70 to finish at 3-over 145. Chen likewise posted a 70 on Tuesday, while Painton birdied the final hole for a 71. First-round leader Donny Kinnaman of Grand Junction closed with a 75 to end up in fourth place at 147.
Regis claimed its third straight 5A team title, finishing at 20-over-par 446, eight strokes ahead of Ralston Valley.
Allenback Keeps Foot on Gas to Win 4A Championship: Senior Jacob Allenback of Pueblo Centennial went wire-to-wire in winning the 4A state championship at The Links at Cobble Creek in Montrose.
Allenback fired a 1-under-par 71 Tuesday to finish at 5-under-par 139. In 36 holes, he recorded just three scores of bogey or worse: one double bogey and two bogeys.
Josh McLaughlin of Thompson Valley placed second, two behind Allenback, after a 69 on Tuesday. Glenn Workman of Pueblo West ended up third at 142 after his second straight 71. Jack Adolfson of Silver Creek, last year’s runner-up, placed fourth at 1-under 143 after a closing 68.
Pueblo South and 2010 and ’11 state champion Valor Christian tied for the low team score with 11-over-par 443s. South then prevailed on the second hole of a playoff to earn its first boys state golf title since 1978.