Boys golf produces the first state champions of the high school athletic year in Colorado, so there’s always something special about it.
And the 2018 state tournaments didn’t disappoint in producing memorable results:
— There was Aspen, a school that uses the nickname “Skiers”, winning its first state team championship in boys high school golf as it prevailed in the 3A tournament at Boulder Country Club.
“We’ve been looking for that banner for a long time,” coach Mary Woulfe said. “We put the banners up in the gym for the state championships, and there’s been a big hole missing for us. We’ve had a lot of really good teams and we’ve had great teams in years Kent Denver has just buried us. It’s been like, ‘Wow, what do we need to do?’ But the guys knew we were on a mission for this.”
— There was senior Dillon Stewart of Fossil Ridge filling a hole on his golf resume by rallying from four shots behind on the final day to win his first state title in his final day of high school golf. That victory at the 5A meet at Colorado Springs Country Club was a fitting culmination to a golf season in which Stewart won individual and team championships at the Junior America’s Cup and notched two victories in AJGA events. And to add to Stewart’s accomplishment, he led Fossil Ridge to its first state team title in boys golf.
“It feels great, especially after what happened last year (finishing second to Davis Bryant, who’s now playing at Colorado State University),” Stewart said. “I give credit to him — he’s a good player — but I’m finally kind of doing what he did in taking second his junior year and winning his senior year. It feels good this time. And we won as a team this year, so it feels even better.”
— There was senior Jackson Klutznick of Kent Denver, once a standout tennis player, who made such a successful transition to high-level golf that he won the 3A individual title Tuesday in Boulder.
Klutznick was once the top-ranked tennis player in the state for boys age 12-14, but something his tennis coach told him caused him to give up that sport and put much more emphasis on golf.
“He told me that when I’m playing tennis, I need to be hating the person on the other side of the net,” Klutznick noted on Tuesday. “I came down to the decision, I didn’t want to do that. That’s not me. I golf, you’re telling (your playing partners) they hit a great shot or an awesome putt. You’re not trying to bring them down. I thought that was a much more positive mindset to be in than trying to hate the person I’m playing against.”
(At left, Klutznick is congratulated by coach Bob Austin.)
— And then there was Montrose sweeping the team and individual championships in the 4A meet at The Club at Flying Horse in Colorado Springs. The Indians won the team title for the second straight year, while junior Micah Stangebye prevailed by five to become the school’s first individual state champion in boys golf.
Here’s a look at how the three boys state tournaments went down on Tuesday:
— 3A AT BOULDER COUNTRY CLUB: On a day that only one player broke par — Billy Howenstein of host Dawson, with a 1-under 69 — Klutznick emerged from the battle of attrition with the individual trophy. The senior shot a 2-over-par 72, giving him a winning total of 1-under 139, good for a three-stroke victory.
“This means a lot,” said Klutznick (left), who finished fourth in the 3A state tournament each of the past two years. “I was going through a time (this past summer) where I really didn’t want to play anymore. I was done. I had too much practice with no results. I had eight or nine tournaments planned and I told my dad I’m not playing in any of them.
“But in the middle of the (high school) season, I realized it’s not so much about where you end up as it is being surrounded by people you want to be there with. These are some of the nicest guys I’ve ever played with in my life. It was unbelievably meaningful
to have my team behind me and so many good people behind me. It really meant a lot.”
Klutznick overcame a double bogey on No. 8 — where he hit a ball out of bounds — to play his final 10 holes in 1 under. He pitched to within a foot of the hole on the par-5 12th to make birdie and go ahead for good, and added another birdie on 16 before three-putting for bogey on 18 where the champion had already been decided.
“I’m so proud of Jackson,” said Bob Austin, who has coached Kent Denver to eight state team titles, though the Sun Devils finished second on Tuesday. “He’s worked as hard as anybody I’ve ever had.
“He’s a tough kid and he hits the shots when he needs to hit the shots. I’m happy to put him up there with the other Kent individual champions (Oliver Jack, Ben Moore, Ethan Freeman twice, Beau Schoolcraft and Kevin Stadler). I’ve been very fortunate to coach a lot of great players at Kent Denver, and his name is among those great players. I couldn’t be prouder.”
Klutznick won just one other individual title this high school season and has no offers to play college golf — at least not yet.
“I was very surprised” to win the state title this week, the 17-year-old from Denver said, noting that this victory stood apart as the biggest thing he’s accomplished in golf.
Junior Walker Franklin of Prospect Ridge was the last major challenger to Klutznick down the stretch on Tuesday. He was even-par for the tournament through 33 holes, but a pulled tee shot and a three-putt from 3 feet on the par-4 16th led to a triple bogey and the end of his title hopes after placing second last year.
“I don’t even know what happened,” he said of the 16th hole. “I just hit a bad tee shot, and a bad shot led into another one. Trying to make a putt, I slammed it by. I just couldn’t control my emotions.
“I’m disappointed. It’s just like a repeat of last year, just not being able to pull through. It just didn’t go my way.”
Franklin finished tied for fourth at 144 with Aspen’s Jack Pevny (left).
Jack Hughes of Aspen ended up taking second place at 142 despite drawing a two-stroke penalty for hitting a wrong ball. Hughes shot an even-par 70 on Tuesday.
Taking third place was the 2017 champion, Davis Long of Peak to Peak, who also carded a second-round 70 to check in at 143.
Peter Grossenbacher of Eaton, who carded a sterling 65 on Monday, struggled to an 82 on Tuesday to share 10th place at 147.
With Aspen (below) putting two individuals in the top four, the Skiers overcame nine-time state champion Kent Denver for the team title. Aspen — with a team comprised of Hughes, Pevny, Dawson Holmes and Dominic Lanese IV — finished with a two-day total of 14-over-par 234, which was nine better than Kent Denver. Holy Family was third at 457.
“Jack Hughes said to me (prior to the season), ‘Mary, our team is going to win a state championship this year,'” Woulfe said. “He’s an exceptional player. He’s always played very aggressively, but there were times today he pulled out an iron because it wasn’t about him, it was about his team. That’s really impressive.
“The big question (about this team) has always been, ‘Are these guys that good?’ And they just proved it today. Kent Denver is incredibly difficult to take down in 3A.”
— 5A AT COLORADO SPRINGS COUNTRY CLUB: Stewart, who will sign a letter of intent this fall to play his college golf at national powerhouse Oklahoma State, showed his stuff on Tuesday by shooting a 5-under-par 66, the best score of the tournament by two strokes.
Stewart trailed by four going into the final round, but rallied by making six birdies and one bogey on Tuesday. And he finished with a flurry, holing a 20-foot birdie from the fringe on No. 17 and getting up and down from a greenside bunker on No. 18, draining a 3-footer for birdie on the final shot of his high school career.
That gave Stewart a two-stroke victory over first-round leader Connor Jones of Mountain Range, who outdueled Stewart for the season-long league title this year.
“There was no doubt in my mind this morning that I could post a good number — and I posted the number I needed to post,” Stewart said. “I knew I had to shoot in the 60s — and not just 69.”
Jones, who was 5 under par for the tournament through 30 holes, held the advantage until well into the back nine. But he played his final six holes in 3 over par, while Stewart birdied his last two.
“The birdie putt I made on 17 was probably the biggest putt I made all week,” Stewart said. “Connor was waiting on the tee box behind us. He saw that from the tee box and was (probably) like, ‘Damn.’ So that was a really good point in the day that kind of shifted things.
“But Connor played really good all year, so I knew it was going to be tough today. Me and him went back and forth in matches all year.”
Stewart finished with a 4-under 138 total at Colorado Springs CC, while Jones checked in at 140 after a closing 72. Ty Findlow of Valor Christian placed third at 144.
Team-wise, Stewart’s Fossil Ridge squad prevailed by five for the school’s first state title in boys golf. It finished at 24-over-par 450, a handful of strokes ahead of Lakewood, six better than Arapahoe, and eight better than Regis Jesuit, which had won seven of the past eight state titles.
— 4A AT THE CLUB AT FLYING HORSE IN COLORADO SPRINGS: The big prizes went to Montrose on Tuesday at Flying Horse.
Stangebye, who led by four going into the final round, wasn’t seriously challenge as he was steady as a rock in a 1-under-par 71 day. The junior finished with four birdies and three bogeys on Tuesday, giving him a 4-under 140 total for the tournament.
Stangebye’s two rounds — 69-71 — were the best two of the week at Flying Horse.
Mac Konrad of Pondersa took second place at 145 after closing with a 72, while TJ Sheehee of Mead was third at 147 after a second-round 73.
With Montrose putting four players in the top 25 individually, the Indians successfully defended their 4A team title. This time, they finished at 19-over-par 451, six strokes better than runner-up Steamboat Springs. Palmer Ridge (468) placed third.
Here are the top team and individual finishers at the three tournament:
CLASS 5A AT COLORADO SPRINGS CC
Team
1. Fossil Ridge 229-221–450
2. Lakewood 223-232–455
3. Arapahoe 229-227–456
4. Regis Jesuit 231-227–458
5. Valor Christian 236-223–459
Individual
1. Dillon Stewart, Fossil Ridge 72-66–138
2. Connor Jones, Mountain Range 68-72–140
3. Ty Findlow, Valor Christian 74-70–144
4. Ryan Liao, Lakewood 71-74–145
5. Brandon Bervig, Liberty 72-74–146
6. Tarek Salem, Highland Ranch 73-75–148
T7. Jonas Graham, Chaparral 77-73–150
T7. Bo Wardynski, Regis Jesuit 77-73–150
T7. Ryder Heuston, Fairview 76-74–150
T10. Chris Kennedy, Smoky Hill 77-74–151
T10. Carson Kerr, Grand Junction 76-75–151
T10. Caleb Busta, Arapahoe 75-76–151
T10. Riley Rottschaefer, Arapahoe 76-75–151
CLASS 4A AT THE CLUB AT FLYING HORSE IN COLORADO SPRINGS
Team
1. Montrose 221-230–451
2. Steamboat Springs 229-228–457
3. Palmer Ridge 234-234–468
4. Ponderosa 241-236–477
5. Mullen 239-240–479
Individual
1. Micah Stangebye, Montrose 69-71–140
2. Mac Konrad, Ponderosa 73-72–145
3. TJ Shehee, Mead 74-73–147
T4. Jack Rotermund, Steamboat Springs 73-76–149
T4. Traejan Andrews, Northridge 73-76–149
6. Hunter Swanson, Northfield 77-74–151
T7. Mario Dino, Mullen 79-73–152
T7. Jake Chesler, Frederick 78-74–152
T7. Kellen Kudrna, Mead 74-78–152
T10. Oliver Rotermund, Steamboat Springs 77-76–153
T10. Drew Laake, Palmer Ridge 79-74–153
T10. Ethan Whidden, Durango 76-77–153
CLASS 3A AT BOULDER COUNTRY CLUB
Team
1. Aspen 214-220–434
2. Kent Denver 215-228–443
3. Holy Family 225-232–457
4. Eaton 235-237–472
5. The Classical Academy 242-234–476
Individual
1. Jackson Klutznick, Kent Denver 67-72–139
2. Jack Hughes, Aspen 72-70–142
3. Davis Long, Peak to Peak 73-70–143
T4. Jack Pevny, Aspen 68-76–144
T4. Walker Franklin, Prospect Ridge 71-73–144
T6. Jacob Mason, Holy Family 74-71–145
T6. Billy Howenstein, Dawson 76-69–145
T8. Jeffrey Zhou, Kent Denver 75-71–146
T8. Liam O’Halloran, The Classical Academy 72-74–146
T10. Carlo Pine, Telluride 70-77–147
T10. Westin Pals, Lutheran 75-72–147
T10. Peter Grossenbacher, Eaton 65-82–147
When Eaton senior Peter Grossenbacher bogeyed two of his first three holes to start the 3A boys state high school tournament on Monday at Boulder Country Club, he didn’t despair.
After all, he just thought about Tiger Woods, who won the 1997 Masters after playing his first nine holes in 4 over par at Augusta National.
“I had a picture of Tiger Woods on my cart. I was just looking at him,” Grossenbacher noted on Monday. “He won his first major at the Masters (despite that slow start). Even if I would have double bogeyed 1, I could have still shot low today. It was fun — really fun.”
Indeed, what’s not fun about rallying to shoot a 5-under-par 65 — the best competitive round of his life by four and the best round of any type by two — and leading after the first round of the 36-hole state meet?
Oh, and by the way … that includes a cool 6-under-par 29 on the back nine.
“I came out here in the practice rounds and had pretty good scores — 69 and 70 — but today it felt like I was just seeing it and feeling it. It was awesome,” Grossenbacher said.
“I haven’t prepared for a tournament more than I have this one. I worked so hard leading up to it the last two or three weeks. I’m just happy I made it happen. It’s the best place to do it.”
On a day that three boys state high school tournaments cranked up, Grossenbacher posted the best score at any site on Monday.
Not coincidentally, the player in second place at the 3A state tournament came out of the same first-round pairing. That would be senior Jackson Klutznick of Kent Denver, who carded a 67. And while Grossenbacher shot a 29 on the back nine, Klutznick wasn’t shabby either, with a 31. (The two are pictured at left, with Grossenbacher in the white shirt.)
“We were making a joke throughout the round that it was kind of a (Rory) McIlroy and (Patrick) Reed scenario” from the 2016 Ryder Cup, Klutznick said. “It was really a good time. We were having a bunch of fun.
“The back nine was probably one of the better rounds I’ve ever played, especially with (Grossenbacher) playing as well as he did. We definitely fed off each other.”
After making the turn at 1 over par, Grossenbacher birdied No. 10 from 15 feet. Then on the 523-yard 12th, he took such an aggressive line that he thought he may have driven the ball out of bounds, so he hit a provisional. But it turned out his original ball was just 145 yards from the flag, meaning his unleashed a drive in the 375-yard range. He ended up making eagle from 20 feet.
“Something started clicking after that eagle,” he said. “I knew I was right back in it. I was 2 over through 3, so after being 2 under, I felt I had a bunch of room to run.”
So he added birdies on 13, 15 and 16 — all from inside of 10 feet.
“It doesn’t really come as a surprise almost because I’ve been thinking about it and visualizing this course in my head for so long,” Grossenbacher said. “I told my brother I was going to shoot 66 today. It’ll be fun to call him and tell him I shot 65.
“Up until now this is definitely one of the biggest moments of my life. I really want to get it done tomorrow (and win the title). It would mean the world to me. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything this bad.”
Grossenbacher (left) has won six individual titles in eight high school tournaments this season, including his second straight regional title.
Meanwhile, Klutznick also kick-started his round with an eagle on No. 12, with his putt coming from 14 feet. He backed that up with a 6-foot birdie on No. 13 and a 10-footer at No. 14.
“(Grossenbacher) was playing absolutely lights out and he kept making these long putts,” Klutznick said. “I was realizing I had to make them too. That’s just how that works. It was just back and forth with the putting is what it came down to.
“The back nine was probably one of the better rounds I’ve ever played, especially with him playing as well as he did. We definitely fed off each other.”
The only other player to break par at Boulder Country Club on Monday was Jack Pevny of Aspen, who carded a 68.
“This course, if you’re not on your game, it’s going to eat you alive,” said Prospect Ridge’s Walker Franklin, who sits in fifth place at 71 despite a double bogey on the 12th hole that Grossenbacher and Klutznick eagled. “So being three or four back is normally like being one or two behind on another course. So it’s not that big of a difference.”
In the 3A team competition, Aspen shot a 4-over-par 214 and leads nine-time state champion Kent Denver by one going into the final round. Holy Family is third at 225.
As for the other two boys state tournaments:
— 5A at Colorado Springs Country Club: Connor Jones of Mountain Range was the only player to break par on Monday as he shot a 3-under-par 68. Jones, who finished sixth last year at state, eagled the 404-yard, par-4 third hole and added two birdies and a bogey. Jones had also holed out for eagle on the same hole in Sunday’s practice round.
Ryan Liao of Lakewood is Jones’ closest pursuer as he trails by three after an even-par 71.
Tied in third place at 72 are Dillon Stewart of Fossil Ridge and Brandon Bervig of Liberty. Stewart, who shot a 63 in winning a regional tournament, is in the midst of an outstanding season, having won the individual and team titles at the Junior America’s Cup along with two AJGA championships.
Lakewood leads the team competition at 10-over-par 223, while Arapahoe and Fossil Ridge sit at 229. Regis Jesuit, winner of seven of the last eight 5A titles, shares fourth place with Cherry Creek at 231.
— 4A at The Club at Flying Horse in Colorado Springs: Micah Stangebye of Montrose opened up a four-stroke lead by shooting a 3-under-par 69 at Flying Horse. Stangebye, who tied for fourth place last year, birdied three of the first four holes and finished the day with six birdies, a bogey and a double bogey.
Three players share second place at 73 — Traejan Andrews of Northridge, Mac Konrad of Ponderosa and Jack Rotermund of Steamboat Springs. Rotermund was 3 under par through 11 holes, but went 4 over the rest of the way.
Montrose, winner of the 4A team title last year and the runner-up in 2016, grabbed an eight-stroke lead on Monday by firing a 5-over-par 221. Steamboat is second at 229 and Palmer Ridge third at 234.
In all three state tournaments, the individual leaders will tee off for Tuesday’s final round at 10:57 a.m.
Here are the leaders at the three tournaments:
CLASS 5A AT COLORADO SPRINGS CC
Team
1. Lakewood 223
2. (tie) Arapahoe and Fossil Ridge 229
4. (tie) Cherry Creek and Regis Jesuit 231
Individual
1. Connor Jones, Mountain Range 68
2. Ryan Liao, Lakewood 71
T3. Brandon Bervig, Liberty 72
T3. Dillon Stewart, Fossil Ridge 72
T5. Noah Dibiase, Lakewood 73
T5. Tarek Salem, Highland Ranch 73
T7. Cade Kilkenny, Cherry Creek 74
T7. Ty Findlow, Valor Christian 74
T7. Walker Fuller, Regis Jesuit 74
10. Caleb Busta, Arapahoe 75
CLASS 4A AT THE CLUB AT FLYING HORSE IN COLORADO SPRINGS
Team
1. Montrose 221
2. Steamboat Springs 229
3. Palmer Ridge 234
4. Mullen 239
T5. Northridge 241
T5. Ponderosa 241
Individual
1. Micah Stangebye, Montrose 69
T2. Jack Rotermund, Steamboat Springs 73
T2. Mac Konrad, Ponderosa 73
T2. Traejan Andrews, Northridge 73
T5. Kellen Kudrna, Mead 74
T5. Ryan Lords, Montrose 74
T5. TJ Shehee, Mead 74
8. Nick Vaver, Centaurus 75
T9. Clay Whitton, Evergreen 76
T9. Ethan Whidden, Durango 76
T9. Oliver Gibbons, Green Mountain 76
T9. Rhett Johnson, Mullen 76
CLASS 3A AT BOULDER COUNTRY CLUB
Team
1. Aspen 214
2. Kent Denver 215
3. Holy Family 225
4. Eaton 235
5. Basalt 241
Individual
1. Peter Grossenbacher, Eaton 65
2. Jackson Klutznick, Kent Denver 67
3. Jack Pevny, Aspen 68
4. Carlo Pine, Telluride 70
5. Walker Franklin, Prospect Ridge 71
T6. Jack Hughes, Aspen 72
T6. Liam O’Halloran, The Classical Academy 72
T8. Davis Long, Peak to Peak 73
T8. Jacobo Arango, Kent Denver 73
T10. Dawson Holmes, Aspen 74
T10. Jacob Mason, Holy Family 74
T10. Jimmy Clark, Lamar 74
But there’s at least one major item left on his to-do list regarding Colorado junior golf, and the opportunity to check it off his list comes early next week.
The Fossil Ridge senior, who plans on signing a national letter of intent with perennial college powerhouse Oklahoma State later this fall, has yet to win a state high school title. He finished second last year as now-Colorado State University player Davis Bryant prevailed. In previous seasons, Stewart placed 16th in 2016 and 19th as a freshman in 2015.
But Stewart has certainly put together a record in recent months that point to him as the player to beat next week:
— He won the individual title at the prestigious Junior America’s Cup competition, leading Colorado to its first team championship ever in that event.
— He became the first boy from Colorado to prevail at the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior.
— He also qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur and won an AJGA event in Montana.
— And just last week at Murphy Creek Golf Course, Stewart fired a 9-under-par 63 in winning the 5A Northern Regional state qualifying tournament by five shots. He posted a 7-under 29 on the front nine and was an amazing 11 under through 15 holes before bogeying 16 and 17. He finished ith 11 birdies and two bogeys on the day.
Stewart will be among 84 players competing in the Class 5A state tournament at Colorado Springs Country Club on Monday and Tuesday. That will be one of two 36-hole state tournaments held in Colorado Springs on those days as the 4A meet is set for The Club at Flying Horse. The 3A tournament is scheduled for Boulder Country Club.
Here’s a quick look at what to expect from each of next week’s boys state tournaments:
— 5A at Colorado Springs Country Club: Stewart will be one of four top-10 finishers from the 2017 5A state tournament who will be competing in Colorado Springs. The other three — all of whom tied for sixth place, are Connor Jones from Mountain Range, Ryder Heuston of Fairview and Beam Boonta of Cherokee Trail.
Among the other qualifiers for the 5A state field are Valor Christian’s Jake Welch, who beat Stewart by two at the Colorado Junior Amateur over the summer, and U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier Chris Kennedy of Smoky Hill. Welch shot a 68 to win the 5A Central Regional at Legacy Ridge. Valor Christian played in 4A last year, when Welch placed seventh at state, but now is in 5A.
Team-wise, Regis Jesuit will be going for its fourth consecutive 5A championship, eighth in the last nine years, and 10th overall. Meanwhile, at its regional meet, Fossil Ridge shot 6-under 210 to win at Murphy Creek.
— 4A at The Club at Flying Horse: Only two players who finished in the top 10 in last year’s 4A meet are back to compete in the same tournament at Flying Horse — and both are from Montrose. That would be Micah Stangebye, who tied for fourth, and Jordan Jennings, who finished seventh. Those two players tied for the lowest 4A regional tournament scores this year, matching 69s at Indian Peak in 4A Region 4.
Others who will be competing include TJ Shehee of Mead, a 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier who won the 4A Region 3 tournament at the Olde Course at Loveland; and Kaden Ford of Discover Canyon, who competed in the Drive, Chip & Putt Nationals at Augusta National in April.
Montrose, winner of the 4A team title last year and the runner-up in 2016, figures to be a strong contender for another championship. The Indians shot a regional-best 2-under-par 214 at Indian Peaks to win 4A Region 4.
— 3A at Boulder Country Club: Davis Long of Peak to Peak will be the only 2017 individual state high school champion back to defend his title last week. Last year’s state tournament at Indian Peaks was limited to one round due to weather.
Long is one of seven top-10 finishers in the 2017 3A state tournament returning for this year’s meet. The others were Walker Franklin of Prospect Ridge (tied for second), Dominic Lanese IV and Derek Holmes of Aspen (fourth), Peter Grossenbacher of Eaton (fourth), Jackson Klutznick of Kent Denver (fourth) and Billy Howenstein of Dawson (fourth).
Along with Stewart — and current college players Bryant and Cal McCoy — Franklin was part of the Colorado team that won its first-ever Junior America’s Cup title over the summer.
Peak to Peak won’t be able to defend its team title in Boulder as the Pumas only qualified two players for state. They prevailed last year in a playoff over 2016 champion Kent Denver. It was Peak to Peak’s second team title in three years.
Meanwhile, Kent Denver will be seeking its 10th boys state championship next week.
This will be the second high school state tournament hosted by Boulder CC in the last four-plus months as the 5A girls meet was held there in late May.
For Monday’s tee times at all three state tournament sites, CLICK HERE.
Here are the teams and individuals that won regional state-qualifying tournaments last week:
5A Southern at Murphy Creek GC — Team: Arapahoe 3-over-par 219; Individual: (tie) Jack Tickle, Arapahoe, 71; Riley Rottschaefer, Arapahoe, 71; Brandon Bervig, Liberty, 71.
5A Central at Legacy Ridge GC — Team: (tie) Fairview 7-over-par 223 (won team playoff); Valor Christian 223; Individual: Jake Welch, Valor Christian 68.
5A Western at GC at Redlands Mesa — Team: Ralston Valley 9-over-par 225; Individual: Ryan Bomareto, Horizon 71.
5A Northern at Murphy Creek GC — Team: Fossil Ridge 6-under-par 210; Individual: Dillon Stewart, Fossil Ridge 63.
4A Region 3 at Olde Course at Loveland — Team: Evergreen 17-over-par 233; Individual: TJ Shehee, Mead, 71.
4A Region 1 at Shining Mountain — Team: Coronado 39-over-par 249; Individual: Andrew Merz, Coranado 76.
4A Region 4 at Indian Peaks — Team: Montrose 2-under-par 214; Individual: (tie) Micah Stangebye, Montrose, 69; Jordan Jennings, Montrose, 69.
4A Region 2 at Eisenhower’s Silver Course — Team: Ponderosa 24-over-par 240; Individual: Mac Konrad, Ponderosa 76.
3A Region 2 at CommonGround — Team: Kent Denver 2-over-par 215; Individual: Jacob Mason, Holy Family, 67.
3A Region 1 at Hollydot — Team: Colorado Academy 16-over-par 229; Individual: Cody Schrock, La Junta, 70.
3A Region 3 at Boomerang — Team: Eaton 8-over-par 224; Individual: Peter Grossenbacher, Eaton, 70.
3A Region 4 at Dos Rios — Team: Aspen 1-over-par 214; Individual: Jack Hughes, Aspen 70.
They called it the “Bryant Slam” when Davis Bryant and younger sister Emma jointly won all four Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado majors in 2017. So do you call it the “Sibling Sweep” when the pair wins both the boys and girls 5A state high school titles in the same school year?
Almost eight months after Davis Bryant claimed the 5A boys crown as a senior at Eaglecrest, Emma held up her end by capturing the 5A girls title as an Eaglecrest freshman on Tuesday at Boulder Country Club. It’s the first time two players with the same surname have won the boys and girls state individual prep championships in one school year.
“After he won state we were like, ‘Oh that would be so cool if Emma won state too. That’s never happened before.'” Emma Bryant recalled the family thinking. “I was like, ‘It could happen. I don’t know. I guess you’ve got to see where the cards fall.’ Getting the Bryant Slam was so cool, but us both winning state … He got an excellence medal at school. I probably will too. And thinking who won state this season, it’ll be, ‘Oh, Emma and Davis Bryant, they both won state.’ That’s so cool. I’m not exactly walking in his footsteps; I’m kind of building my own path a little bit. But I’m going back to his path a tad bit.”
(Emma and Davis Bryant are pictured above, while Emma celebrates with Eaglecrest teammates below.)
In helping keep the 5A high school titles all in the family, Emma Bryant became just the second freshman since 2002 to win an individual state high school title in Colorado girls golf. Holy Family’s Hailey Schalk did the honors as a freshman last season and repeated as 3A champion on Tuesday (see below, along with the 4A tournament details).
Bryant came into Tuesday’s final round three strokes out of the lead. But the 2017 Colorado Junior Match Play champion used a stellar front nine of 5-under-par 31 to shoot the first subpar round of her life on Tuesday — a 2-under 70. That led to a seven-stroke victory margin with a 1-under 143 total.
“I honestly didn’t feel like she could pull it off for two days and play as well as she did,” said Davis Bryant, the JGAC Boys Player of the Year in 2017 who followed his sister throughout Tuesday’s round. “She proved me wrong, and I’m happy she did.
“It’s like the Bryant Slam again. It’s so cool because we have a golfing family. Everybody in our family is involved with the game of golf and in the golfing community (dad Matt is PGA general manager at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club and mom Julie is the executive director of The First Tee at GVR). Everyone around us supports golf and wants the best for us. For what I was able to do last season, then Emma winning the Colorado Junior Match Play and really proving herself these last two days and taking it to another level, I’m so excited and proud. It feels awesome.”
In winning on Tuesday, Emma Bryant overcame home-club favorite Kelsey Webster of Fairview, a senior who will play her college golf at the University of Colorado beginning in the fall. Webster was 1 under par for the tournament through eight holes on Tuesday, but the par-4 ninth at her home club potentially ruined a fairytale ending to her high school career.
Webster (left) hit her second shot thin and over the green on the ninth, which features a putting surface that slopes heavily from back to front. The senior putted from the back fringe and off the front of the green and ended up taking five putts (two from off the green) to get down from 70 feet behind the hole, giving her a triple-bogey 7. And when Bryant birdied No. 9 with a big-breaking 25-footer, there was a four-stroke swing on the hole and the freshman went to the back nine with a six-stroke lead.
“Obviously it was a super disappointing day. I let my emotions get the best of me I think,” said Webster, the 5A Central Regional champion. “I couldn’t get the ball in the hole (on No. 9). I kind of played hockey. I was super duper bummed after that hole. Everybody has those holes; it’s just unfortunate that I had that hole at that time.
“I didn’t feel a ton of pressure (from playing on her home course in her final state tournament). I just wanted it really badly. That’s where my disappointment comes from. I know that I’m loved either way. It was just pressure on myself because I wanted it so bad.”
With first-round leader Katie Berrian of Regis Jesuit faltering early in the round — she was 4 over par through five holes Tuesday — Webster turned out to be the last challenger for Bryant. But the ninth hole turned things sour, and she ended up shooting a 9-over 81 and tying for third place at 8-over 152 overall. Also at that figure were Berrian, Leigha Devine of Fossil Ridge, Payton Canon of Cherry Creek and Meghan Vogt of Broomfield.
Morgan Ryan of Grandview finished second on Tuesday as a 73 put her at 6-over 150. Defending champion Amy Chitkoksoong of Grandview placed eighth at 153.
After making birdie on her first three holes on Tuesday and converting five overall on her front nine, Bryant suffered a couple of double bogeys on the back side before closing with a 10-foot birdie.
“After nine I was like, ‘I’m 5 under with nine holes to play. I can’t screw up that much, right?,'” Bryant said.
Whatever the case, the fact that her first sub-par round came in the final day at state en route to victory, it was a pretty special outcome.
“It feels so good to shoot under par,” said the 15-year-old, who picked up her fifth individual victory of the season on Tuesday. “I love it so much. I really wanted to shoot in the 60s today. Some of those holes really screwed me up (on the back nine) but I’m so happy to shoot under par.”
With some golf-related guidance over the years from her parents and Davis — with her brother particularly helping her out with the mental side of the game — the work paid dividends on Tuesday.
“Everything I’ve tried to help her with, it feels so good,” Davis said. “Days like today, everything we talked about and practiced, all the long nights of putting and chipping and a bunch of different competitions, it feels so good. It’s a great way to start a high school career, and hopefully she can continue to play as well as she did here.”
Meanwhile, Cherry Creek (left) claimed the 5A team title on Tuesday, notching victory No. 11 to the Bruins’ record total. But this was Creek’s first championship since 2013.
Cherry Creek finished with a two-day total of 46-over-par 478, two better than Grandview.
Schalk (3A) Still Undefeated in High School Ranks: Holy Family sophomore Hailey Schalk remained unbeaten in her two seasons of high school tournaments and kept alive her chances for an unprecented four Colorado girls state high school golf titles by repeating as 3A individual champion at Elmwood Golf Course in Pueblo.
Schalk, the 2017 GJAC Girls Player of the Year, came from behind on Tuesday to capture the crown. She shot a bogey-free 4-under-par 67 on Tuesday and finished at 6-under 136. She played the last 24 holes of the tournament in 8 under par.
Schalk became the eighth player to win at least two Colorado girls state high school titles, joining Lynn Ann Moretto (3), Ashley Tait (3), Jennifer Kupcho (2), Becca Huffer (2), Kelly Jacques (2), Jennifer McCormick (2) and Emily Wood (2).
First-round leader Caroline Jordaan, a junior from Colorado Academy, finished second, six strokes back of Schalk, after a second-round 74. It was Jordaan’s third straight top-three finish at state (second in 4A, third in 3A and second in 3A.
Last year’s runner-up, sophomore Charlotte Hillary of Kent Denver, placed third on Tuesday after a second-round 72 left her at 147.
Colorado Academy (62-over-par 488) claimed the 3A team title by seven over Kent Denver. It was CA’s fifth girls golf state title since 2007, and third straight.
18th Hole Pivotal in Choi’s 4A Victory: The 4A state tournament at the Country Club of Colorado proved to be a battle of attrition, with local player Maxine Choi of Cheyenne Mountain winning by one stroke at the Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs.
Choi posted rounds of 78-80 for a 16-over-par 158 total and finished a stroke ahead of defending champion Lauren Lehigh of Loveland. Choi’s 8-foot birdie on the final hole on Tuesday — combined with Lehigh’s bogey there — proved the difference. Lehigh struggled down the stretch, playing her final six holes in 7 over par in shooting 81.
Jessica Zapf of Windsor and Lauren Murphy of Glenwood Springs tied for third at 164.
Windsor captured the 4A team title by six over Glenwood Springs, while Loveland was another two back in third place. It was the Wizards’ first girls golf state team title in school history.
For scores from the three girls state tournaments, CLICK HERE.
Gary Potter, like Hamer a member of the Hall of Fame, helped organize the day for his friend, who passed away in February at age 74. Hamer and Potter won three CGA senior team championships together.
Potter said a number of Hamer’s fellow competitors from the state in the 1960s and ’70s are planning to attend, including Gary Longfellow, Larry McAtee, John Olive and Carter Mathies. After an 11 a.m. lunch gathering of the larger group, about 16 people plan to play a round of golf at BCC.
Hamer (pictured) won 10 CGA championships through the years, including the CGA Amateur (then known as the Stroke Play) in both 1969 and ’70. He’s one of just four players since 1960 to have captured that title in back-to-back years, joining Hale Irwin, Bob Byman and Kane Webber. Hamer, who played golf at both Lakewood High School and the University of Colorado, also qualified for the 1993 U.S. Senior Open that Jack Nicklaus won at Cherry Hills Country Club and he finished third in the Colorado Open in 1969, when he was named state amateur of the year. At BCC, Hamer won 15 club championships.
He was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2002.
]]>Suffice it to say that Boulder Country Club has treated Wyndham Clark pretty darn well over the years.
Considering the Highlands Ranch resident has played the BCC course a grand total of maybe a dozen times, how’s this for a resume at the club?
— He won the 2010 CGA Amateur there as a 16-year-old, becoming the youngest champion in the event since 1971.
— Then on Sunday, the now 23-year-old doubled up at BCC as he won the individual title in arguably the toughest conference in the nation (the Pac-12), and his University of Oregon squad claimed the league’s team championship.
At the Men’s Pac-12 meet, a crowd of a few hundred — many of whom were enthusiastically supporting Clark — surrounded the final green as the fifth-year senior clinched the victory. Afterward, he exchanged hugs (pictured) with more than a dozen family members and friends en route to the scoring area. Ironically, that included 2013 CGA Amateur champion John Ahern, who once outdueled Clark for a state high school title.
Sunday marked “probably the best win of my career and it couldn’t have been in a better spot, playing at home in front of friends and family, which to me was the coolest part, and also winning a team championship. It’s pretty awesome,” said Clark, the top-ranked men’s college player in the country.
“I’ve done a lot of preparation to get to this moment. I’ve thought about it, dreamed about it. Sometimes it’s a little surreal when it happens. It’s pretty awesome.”
In notching his third individual win of the college season — and his 10th top-10 in 11 tournaments — Clark shot three straight sub-par rounds at Boulder Country Club (69-68-69) for a 4-under-par 206 total. Only two other players finished under par for a tournament which featured snow and extreme cold on Friday — and no golf at all on a snowy Saturday. Rico Hoey of Southern California and Franklin Huang of Stanford shared second place at 209. Maverick McNealy of Stanford, the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, tied for fourth at 213 with Carl Yuan of Washington.
Basically, Clark beat an extremely formidable field in winning on Sunday.
“Wyndham has just been a monster all year,” said Oregon coach Casey Martin, a former college teammate of Tiger Woods. “He’s only had a couple of over-par rounds all year. He came home (to Colorado) with all the pressure here and played beautifully. He’s a grinder and I love him. I’m so grateful he’s finishing his career at Oregon” after transferring from Oklahoma State, where he was a former Big 12 Player of the Year.
Oregon, the defending national champion, ended the win streak of three-time defending Pac-12 champ Stanford, but it went right down to the wire. With three of the top 10 teams in the country competing at Boulder CC, the Ducks checked in at 1,065 for three rounds, just three shots better than Stanford. No. 1-ranked USC tied for third place with Washington at 1,082. For Oregon, the victory marked the school’s first combined-division conference championship in men’s golf.
The host University of Colorado ended up seventh in the 12-team field at 1,095. The Buffs competed without Jeremy Paul, the program’s career leader in scoring average, as the senior turned pro a couple of weeks ago so he could play in a Web.com Tour event.
“It was overall a little disappointing,” said CU coach Roy Edwards. “We were really close to actually finishing pretty well. It’s going to look a little worse on the results page than it really probably was. But anytime you’re at home we would have definitely expected a little better result.”
Senior Ethan Freeman (left), like Clark a two-time state high school champion, and junior Spencer Painton (another state prep champ) shared 20th place at 8-over-par 218 to lead CU individually.
“I’m pretty disappointed (with the day),” said Freeman, who shared sixth place individually entering Sunday. “I was in the individual race and the team was right there to have a good finish. But I finished my second round bogey-bogey and I just played bad the third round (74). I’m pretty upset, but it is what it is. We’ve got (NCAA) Regionals coming up, so we’ll try to bounce back for that.
“(The Pac-12 finish) is not what we were looking for; it’s our home course. But I still have full confidence in my team that we can make it to the national championship (tournament).”
Painton, in his first season as a Buff after transferring from Kansas, didn’t always play his best golf at Boulder CC, but relished the opportunity to compete in such a prestigious event in his home state.
“It was a total blast,” he said. “It was really nice to hit a shot and have a bunch of people around you supporting you. You don’t get that very often in tournaments. To have the support we had out here from the members and the staff here at Boulder Country Club was really, really special — something we’ll never forget.”
As for Clark (left), even though he was tied for the lead and had only two holes left in round 2 when play resumed late Sunday morning, he finished that round with a three-stroke advantage. He birdied the 17th hole — his first of the day — from 30 feet, then parred 18 before teeing off for his final round.
As it turned out, Clark would never relinquish his individual lead. However, his advantage did dwindle to one when he bogeyed the 10th hole with a three-putt after being just 50 yards from the green after his drive on the par-4.
But Clark bounced back in fine fashion, making a 12-foot birdie on No. 11, then adding another birdie on the par-5 12th. At the 12th, his tee shot came a little closer than he would have liked to the left out of bounds. Then his second shot got a favorable bounce off a tree short left of the green. And he took advantage of his good fortune to hit a stellar flop shot over a gaping bunker to six inches from the cup.
“I probably hit one of the best shots of my life on that flop shot,” he said. “Making that up and down for birdie was probably the tournament right there. I was in a bad spot, almost out of bounds (after his drive), so to walk away with a birdie was huge. It was a crazy hole, but it worked out. Then I was solid and didn’t make mistakes coming in.”
Coming up the final hole, Clark had the luxury to think back to the 2010 CGA Amateur, where he sank a 30-foot birdie putt to win a playoff over Jim Knous.
It’s funny,” Clark said. “I remember making that putt on 18 seven years ago. Finishing today, just walking up there, I reminisced on that and thought it was pretty neat. It was just cool being in a similar spot seven years later for something just a little bit bigger.”
Sunday’s win leaves Clark in a very strong position for the Haskins Award — given to the top college player in the nation — though ballots don’t go out until after NCAA Regionals.
Shoveling Out: Two or three inches of snow remained on much of the Boulder Country Club course when the sun rose on Sunday morning, but thanks to Boulder Country Club and CU staff, as well as volunteers, play resumed at 11:30 a.m. They expedited the snow melting process by running the sprinkler system at selected spots and doing quite a bit of shoveling to get the fairways clear. Some patches of snow remained in the rough, so there were a fair number of casual-water relief situations for players in the remainder of round 2 and early in round 3. But with temperatures eventually reaching the 50s, all in all it was a pleasant day for golf.
“The effort put forth by Boulder Country Club and our athletic department people was off the charts in getting the golf course ready today,” Edwards said. “It was just an incredible effort. I couldn’t be more proud of those two groups.”
Asked who helped with shoveling off the snow on the course on Sunday morning, Edwards said the group included CU athletic department staff, volunteers, Boulder Country Club members, CU golf players and coaches. “Anybody who was breathing that had a shovel,” Edwards said with a chuckle.
With Saturday’s play being snowed out, this year marked the first time since 1989 that the Men’s Pac-12 Championships was limited to 54 holes instead of the scheduled 72.
Men’s Pac-12 Championship
April 28-30, 2017 (final) at Par-70 Boulder CC
Team Scores
1. Oregon ……………………………….. 354-361-350—1065 (+15)
2. Stanford ……………………………… 363-363-342—1068 (+18)
T3. Washington …………………………. 355-369-358—1082 (+32)
T3. Southern California………………… 366 365-351—1082 (+32)
5. UCLA…………………………………… 363-372-353—1088 (+38)
6. Arizona State ……………………….. 362-374-356—1092 (+42)
7. Colorado ………………………….. 368-367-360—1095 (+45)
8. California …………………………….. 367-364-365—1096 (+46)
9. Arizona ……………………………….. 368-373-366—1107 (+57)
10. Washington State ………………….. 373-374-366—1113 (+63)
11. Oregon State………………………… 376-376-367—1119 (+69)
12. Utah …………………………………… 379-377-366—1122 (+72)
CU Individuals
20. Ethan Freeman 72-72-74–218
20. Spencer Painton 73-72-73–218
31. Yannik Paul 71-76-73–220
31. John Souza 75-75-70–220
40. Victor Bjorlow 77-76-70–223
52. Wilson Belk 79-72-74–225
Also
1. Coloradan Wyndham Clark, Oregon 69-68-69–206
71. Coloradan Kyler Dunkle, Utah 74-81-78–233
For complete scoring from the Pac-12 meet, CLICK HERE.
UNC, Welch Runners-Up in Big Sky: While Wyndham Clark, a graduate of Valor Christian High School, won the Pac-12 tournament, another former Valor golfer came close on Sunday. Coby Welch, a freshman for the University of Northern Colorado, tied for second at the Big Sky Conference Championship in Boulder City, Nev.
Welch shot a 2-under-par 70 on Sunday — despite a double bogey — to post an even-par 216 total, leaving him a shot behind champion Aaron Beverly of Sacramento State. Also placing in the top 10 for UNC was Joshua Matz, who finished sixth at 219.
In its season finale, UNC recorded a stellar final-round total of 8-under-par 280 as a team to rally for a second-place finish in the eight-school field.
With a three-day total of 874, UNC ended up 15 strokes behind winner Sacramento State.
The showing was one of the best ever for UNC at a conference championship. In 2014, the Bears claimed both the team and individual (Ben Krueger) titles in the America Sky tournament.
Men’s Big Sky Championship
April 28-30, 2017 (final) in Boulder City, Nev.
2. (out of 8 teams) Northern Colorado 306-303-280–889
2. Coby Welch 74-72-70–216
6. Joshua Matz 72-79-68–219
15. Andrew Romano 79-74-75–228
19. Li Chen 83-78-70–231
27. Sam Marley 81-82-72–235
New TPC Colorado G.M. Collins, a Former Pac-8 South Champion, on Hand: Among the spectators Friday at Boulder Country Club was Coloradan Larry Collins, the Pac-8 South co-champion in 1977 as a University of Southern California golfer. Collins, a former director of golf at Boulder Country Club and for the last 18 years the director of golf at the 27-hole Omni Interlocken Golf Club in Broomfield, on Friday was named the general manager at the under-construction TPC Colorado course in Berthoud. The semi-private TPC Colorado is expected to open in the spring of next year and is said to be in the running to host a Web.com Tour event in the future.
——————————
Snow wiped out Saturday’s action at the Men’s Pac-12 Championship at Boulder Country Club, but officials hope to resume play on Sunday, ideally completing a 54-hole tournament, down from the usual 72 holes.
A dozen players, including the indiviudal co-leaders Wyndham Clark (a Coloradan who is in his senior year at Oregon) and Carl Yuan of Washington, have not yet completed 36 holes. Everyone in the field needs to finish at least two rounds for the championship to become official.
With temperatures expected to reach the low 50s on Sunday, the second round will resume, possibly as early as 10 a.m. If the weather cooperates early enough, a third round — with a shotgun start — will follow.
Several inches of snow fell on the BCC course on Friday night and Saturday morning, and snow still covered much of the course as the sun was setting on Saturday.
The last time the Men’s Pac-12 Championship — then known as the Pac-10 — was shortened to 54 holes was in 1989 in Seattle.
Clark, the No. 1-ranked men’s college player in the nation, stands at 2 under par through 34 holes along with Yuan, a sophomore. Clark has claimed two individual titles so far this college season and won the 2010 CGA Amateur at Boulder Country Club.
Clark’s Oregon squad leads the team competition by three over Washington. The host University of Colorado is in sixth place.
For a wrapup of Friday’s play from the championship, CLICK HERE.
Men’s Pac-12 Championship
April 28-30, 2017 at Par-70 Boulder CC
Team Scores
1. Oregon +16
2. Washington +19
3. Stanford +26
4. California +31
4. Southern California +31
6. Colorado +33
7. UCLA +35
8. Arizona State +36
9. Arizona +41
10. Washington State +46
11. Oregon State +52
12. Utah +56
CU Individuals
6. Ethan Freeman +2 through 34 holes
10. Spencer Painton +5 through 36
25. Yannik Paul +7 through 36
42. John Souza +10 through 36
49. Wilson Belk +11 through 36
58. Victor Bjorlow +13 through 36
Also
T1. Coloradan Wyndham Clark, Oregon -2 through 34
67. Coloradan Kyler Dunkle, Utah +15 through 36
For live scoring from the Pac-12 meet, CLICK HERE.
UNC Men Third, Welch Fourth Individually: The University of Northern Colorado remained in third place through Saturday’s second round of the Men’s Big Sky Championship in Boulder City, Nev.
With a 33-over-par 609 total going into the final round, the Bears trail leader Sacramento State by 20 strokes.
Two UNC players are in the top 10 heading into Sunday’s final 18. Freshman Coby Welch (74-72–146) holds fourth place and teammate Joshua Matz (72-79–151) is seventh. Aaron Beverly of Sacramento State is setting the pace at 143.
Men’s Big Sky Championship
April 28-30, 2017 in Boulder City, Nev.
3. (out of 8 teams) Northern Colorado 306-303–609
4. Coby Welch 74-72–146
7. Joshua Matz 72-79–151
11. Andrew Romano 79-74–153
28. Li Chen 83-78–161
32. Sam Marley 81-82–163
On a day that featured a squall of snow in the afternoon, and sleet and wind chills that dipped into the mid-20s in the evening, perhaps it wasn’t surprising that a few Colorado kids warmed up in the cold.
Wyndham Clark of Highlands Ranch, the top-ranked men’s college player in the nation, withstood the conditions Friday at Boulder Country Club to stand 2 under par through 34 holes before play was suspended due to darkness. That was good for a share of the individaul lead with Washington’s Carl Yuan almost halfway through the Men’s Pac-12 Conference Championship.
Also in the top 10 competing in a field that includes three of the top eight teams in the nation are two other former Colorado state high school champions. The host University of Colorado’s Ethan Freeman shares sixth place at 2 over par through 34 holes, while junior teammate Spencer Painton is tied for 10th place at 5 over through 36 holes. (Clark is pictured above in green, with Freeman in gold.)
“Ethan and I for sure in high school golf have experienced stuff like these (weather conditions),” said Clark, who played the first two rounds with Freeman. “State always seemed to be 30-something degrees and maybe a snowstorm. We’ve definitely gotten our fair share of practice in this sort of thing. For guys from USC who have never seen worse weather than about 60 degrees, this is definitely a rude awakening. So it’s certainly an advantage for us.”
But that didn’t make it any more fun for the local guys.
“I’ve never played a tournament in snow,” Painton (left) said after rounds of 73-72 for a 5-over-par 145 total. “I’ve practiced in snow, but this crazy.”
CU, hosting its first men’s conference championship since 1972, sits in sixth place out of 12 teams, with one round scheduled for Saturday and another on Sunday. The Buffs are 33 over par and trail Clark’s Oregon squad — the defending NCAA champ — by 17 strokes.
That bad news is that four groups didn’t finish their second rounds on Friday, and the championship is not official until 36 holes are complete. With snow covering the ground at BCC at 9 p.m. Friday and more of the white stuff in the forecast overnight and on Saturday, the weekend is certainly problematic. If the course is ready on Saturday — which is a very big if — the second round will resume at 10 a.m. and the third at noon.
But on Friday, competitors were just trying to make the best of a bad situation. The first-round start was delayed 30 minutes by frost, and then there was a 32-minute suspension when snow started falling in the early afternoon.
“Even though you’re cold too, you have that advantage (of having more exposure to low temperatures as a Coloradan),” said Freeman, a two-time 3A state high school champ. “It just helps you push forward a little bit. The California schools had to (adjust) to the altitude and it’s cold and it’s windy. We’re already at our altitude yardages, so for us it’s one less thing to worry about, which is a big advantage.”
And it didn’t hurt for Freeman to be paired Friday with Clark, who is a friend. Clark sets a high stardard, having won the 2010 CGA Amateur at Boulder CC as a 16-year-old and capturing two individual college titles this season. The former Big 12 Player of the Year at Oklahoma State is certainly in position to notch his 10th top-10 finish of the season.
“Wyndham is a great guy,” Freeman said. “We’ve been friends forever. It’s fun competing with a good friend and also one of the best guys in the conference. You also know he’s going to be near the lead. It helps you to stay focused and know every shot really counts out there.”
Both Clark and Freeman played well during the most difficult conditions late in the day. Clark birdied three of four holes in the stretch from No. 12 through 15 in the evening, while Freeman was 3 under from 10 through 13.
“Obviously I would have loved to have finished (the second round) and be in the spot I am, just in case we can’t finish (the 72-hole tournament),” Clark said. “But I wouldn’t want to have finished and make bogeys coming in.
“It’s awesome that we’re in the lead. Oregon has never won a Pac-12 Championship (aside from divisional titles), so that’s something that’s on our minds to try and win the first championship.
“(Winning individually) would be awesome too — the cherry on top.”
As for host CU, coach Roy Edwards was happy to be in the middle of the pack after a rough start to the day. The Buffs’ six players went a combined 21 over par from the third through eighth holes of the day. They struggled somewhat on the same stretch (3-8) in round 2 — going 15 over — but other than that they very much held their own.
“I felt good,” Edward said. “We were a little tight this morning, which I expected a little bit because it’s a golf course we play all the time and it’s the Pac-12 Championship. We got off to a bit of a rough start, but since then the team’s played well.”
New TPC Colorado G.M. Collins, a Former Pac-8 South Champion, on Hand: Among the spectators Friday at Boulder Country Club was Coloradan Larry Collins, the Pac-8 South co-champion in 1977 as a University of Southern California golfer. Collins (left), a former director of golf at Boulder Country Club and for the last 18 years the director of golf at the 27-hole Omni Interlocken Golf Club in Broomfield, on Friday was named the general manager at the under-construction TPC Colorado course in Berthoud. The semi-private TPC Colorado is expected to open in the spring of next year and is said to be in the running to host a Web.com Tour event in the future.
Collins worked in the TPC network earlier in his career, as head professional at TPC Southwind, TPC Sawgrass and the former TPC at Star Pass.
State and Regional Golf Associations Pitch In: Eight state and regional golf associations, plus the USGA and the PGA of America, are helping out in various capacities at this weekend’s Pac-12 tournament at Boulder CC. The CGA and the CWGA are among them, along with folks from Northern California, Utah, Arizona, Southern California, Nebraska and the Pacific Northwest.
Notable: Senior Jeremy Paul, who holds the CU career scoring average record, was on hand Friday at Boulder Country Club less than two weeks after the school announced that he had turned pro, foregoing his eligibility for the 2017 Pac-12 tournament and the NCAA Championship. Paul missed the cut in a Web.com tournament last week… Sophomore Nathan Wunderli of Utah made a hole-in-one on the 204-yard sixth hole during the second round on Friday afternoon.
Men’s Pac-12 Championship
April 28-30, 2017 at Par-70 Boulder CC
Team Scores
1. Oregon +16
2. Washington +19
3. Stanford +26
4. California +31
4. Southern California +31
6. Colorado +33
7. UCLA +35
8. Arizona State +36
9. Arizona +41
10. Washington State +46
11. Oregon State +52
12. Utah +56
CU Individuals
6. Ethan Freeman +2 through 34 holes
10. Spencer Painton +5 through 36
25. Yannik Paul +7 through 36
42. John Souza +10 through 36
49. Wilson Belk +11 through 36
58. Victor Bjorlow +13 through 36
Also
T1. Coloradan Wyndham Clark, Oregon -2 through 34
67. Coloradan Kyler Dunkle, Utah +15 through 36
For live scoring from the Pac-12 meet, CLICK HERE.
UNC Third at Big Sky Tourney: Also starting Friday was the Men’s Big Sky Championship in Boulder City, Nev., and after round 1 the University of Northern Colorado holds third place in the eight-team field.
The Bears shot an 18-over-par 306 on Friday, leaving them three strokes behind leader Weber State.
UNC’s Joshua Matz shares the individual lead with Kyler Dearden of Weber State as both matched pars with 72s.
The tournament continues through Sunday.
Men’s Big Sky Championship
April 28-30, 2017 in Boulder City, Nev.
3. (out of 8 teams) Northern Colorado 306
T1. Joshua Matz 72
4. Coby Welch 74
16. Andrew Romano 79
25. Sam Marley 81
30. Li Chen 83
Where: Boulder Country Club (7350 Clubhouse Rd., Boulder).Ӭ
Admission: Free.
Pairings/Scoring: CLICK HERE. General Tee Times: CLICK HERE.
Format: 72 holes of stroke play: 36 on Friday and 18 each on Saturday and Sunday. For the team competition, each school counts the best five of its six individual scores each day. (Note: A completed 36 holes are needed for the tournament to become official.)
Boulder Country Club Course: 7,129 yards, Par-70.
Coloradans Expected to Compete: Ethan Freeman, Spencer Painton and Wilson Belk from the University of Colorado; Wyndham Clark from Oregon; Kyler Dunkle from Utah.
TV: Taped coverage airing May 7 at noon on Pac-12 Network.
Defending Champion: Stanford, which has won the last three years. The Cardinal claimed the title by 29 strokes in 2016. Jon Rahm of Arizona State won the 2016 individual title as a senior and has since turned professional and won on the PGA Tour.
Where Did CU Finish Last Year?: Tied for sixth.
How Did Top Returning CU Player Fare in 2016?: Ethan Freeman (35th place).
CU’s Top Team Finish Since Joining Pac-12: Fourth in 2014.
CU’s Pac-12 Lineup: Senior Ethan Freeman; juniors Yannik Paul, Spencer Painton and John Souza; sophomore Wilson Belk; freshman Victor Bjorlow.
Honorary Starters: Prior to the first round on Friday, two former Big Eight champions from CU — Terry Kahl (1981) and Bob Kalinowski (1993 and ’94) — will serve as honorary starters and hit the first tee shots, a la the Masters.
Top 25 Nationally Ranked Teams in Field: Southern California (No. 1 by Golfstat and Golfweek), Stanford (No. 5 by Golfstat and No. 8 by Golfweek), Oregon (No. 8 by Golfstat and No. 9 by Golfweek), Arizona State (No. 22 by Golfweek), CU (No. 25 by Golfweek).
Top 10 Nationally Ranked Individuals in Field: Senior Wyndham Clark, Oregon (No. 1 by Golfstat and Golfweek); junior Sean Crocker, USC (No. 3 Golfstat, No. 4 Golfweek); senior Maverick McNealy, Stanford (No. 3 Golfweek, No. 4 Golfstat); sophomore Collin Morikawa, Cal (No 6 Golfstat, No. 10 Golfweek); freshman Norman Xiong, Oregon (No. 7 Golfstat, No. 8 Golfweek).
Players in Field in Top 50 in World Amateur Golf Rankings: 1. senior Maverick McNealy, Stanford; 8. sophomore Collin Morikawa, Cal; 9. junior Sean Crocker, USC; 12. Jared du Toit, Arizona State; 18. senior Rico Hoey, USC; 29. freshman Norman Xiong, Oregon; 48. senior Wyndham Clark, Oregon.
Recent Stories on Pac-12 Championship:
— Coloradan Wyndham Clark returns to play for Pac-12 title at Boulder CC, where he won 2010 CGA Amateur; in all, 5 Coloradans expected to be in field
— This weekend’s Pac-12 Championship at Boulder CC will feature many of the world’s top amateurs
Back when the Colorado resident was in high school at Valor Christian and considering where to play his college golf, he entertained thoughts of one day being one of the top college players and/or top amateurs in the game.
“Especially walking through Oklahoma State’s Hall of Fame, you see all the guys who have received the Haskins Award and the Ben Hogan Award, and you imagine yourself doing that,” Clark said in a phone interview with coloradogolf.org last week. “But at the same time I’ve had a tough college career and I hadn’t been in the mix for that in the previous years. So it’s really humbling and exciting (to be in the running this year). I’d love to finish the year out well and at least give it a shot to potentially win, but even if I don’t it’s pretty awesome and rewarding for me just to be in the mix and considered one of the top players. It’s a pretty cool thing for me.”
When the Pac-12 Conference Championship is held Friday through Sunday (April 28-30) at Boulder Country Club, Clark could take the next step in a dream season with a strong performance in his home state. The two-time Colorado state high school champion is currently the top-ranked college player in the country, according to both Golfstat and Golfweek. And, he’s very much “in the mix” for the Haskins Award, which goes to the best college player in the nation, and the Ben Hogan Award, given to a men’s college golfer, taking into account all college and amateur competitions during the past 12-month period.
It’s quite a heady position for a player who transferred to the University of Oregon for his final season of college golf after not being included on Oklahoma State’s NCAA Championship roster last year. In his one year as a Duck, Clark has notched two individual victories (the first of his college career), three second-place finishes, one third, a fifth, a sixth, a 10th and a 13th. That’s it: Nine top-10s in 10 tournaments and nothing worse than a 13th-place showing.
“I have a really good atmosphere and great coaches. My transition to Oregon has been really great,” Clark (pictured) said in the midst of a visit to Las Vegas to work with Jeff Smith, his swing coach since July. “With the coaching I’ve gotten from (Oregon head coach Casey Martin) and having really good teammates that have helped me, it’s been a really positive atmosphere and I think that’s something that’s been really helpful to me since I’ve transitioned (from Oklahoma State). I’ve had a really good year and finally feel like I’ve started to play to my ability and talent level. It’s been a fun run.”
Oregon won the national championship last year before Clark arrived, and the Ducks currently are ranked among the top 10 teams in the nation.
“We were very fortunate to get the call from Wyndham (last) summer and he’s turned out to be our best player,” Martin, who’s played 43 events on the PGA Tour, said during the mid-season break late last fall. “He’s been an incredible blessing to the program because he’s an experienced guy and a great player.”
The Pac-12 Championship will be just the second college tournament Clark has played in his home state. He didn’t compete at all in Colorado while at Oklahoma State, but finished third in October in the inaugural Paintbrush Invitational at Colorado Golf Club in Parker.
“Pac-12s is a big deal even if it wasn’t in Colorado,” he said. “But having it in Colorado makes it that much more exciting and fun. It’s going to be great to see friends and family and be able to play a course I played before. So I’m really looking forward to it.”
By his own estimate, Clark has played Boulder Country Club about eight times, but some of those made for a memorable CGA Amateur (then known as the CGA Stroke Play) in 2010. It was at that tournament that Clark won as a 16-year-old, becoming the youngest champion of the event since 1971, when Bob Byman — who would win the U.S. Junior Amateur in 1972 and later a PGA Tour event — was also 16 but slightly younger.
Clark clinched the victory with a 30-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole — No. 18 at BCC — defeating Jim Knous, who set the BCC course record with a 10-under-par 60 in the final round.
“Having some experience there definitely helps,” said Clark, now 23. “It’s a little bit of advantage, but you still have to hit the shots. It’s not like I’ve played it that much, but I have seen it in tournament conditions, so that counts for something.”
Outside of college, Clark has an impressive record both inside and outside Colorado. Besides the 2010 CGA Amateur, he won the 2009 CGA Junior Amateur and the two state high school titles. Five times, he’s qualified for the U.S. Amateur, advancing to the round of 32 last year. In 2014 at Oklahoma State, Clark was named the Big 12 Player of the Year and earned a spot on the U.S. Arnold Palmer Cup team. Currently, he sits No. 48 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
But now, after two or three more college tournaments, it will be on to the professional ranks for Clark. Having finished ninth in a PGA Tour Canada Q-school event last month, he’s exempt for the first four events on that circuit, which begins action on June 1, immediately after the men’s NCAA Division I finals conclude. He’s also hoping for potential exemptions on the PGA Tour or Web.com Tour.
“I’ve done that (amateur golf) for so long, and I’m kind of ready for the next stage,” Clark said. “This is what I’ve always dreamed of — to play professional golf. I’m really itching to turn pro and start that process. But at the same time, I enjoyed the last year and that in itself has been a transition, switching schools and everything. So I’m trying to enjoy it a lot before I turn pro. But I’m definitely looking forward to the next stage.”
With those plans, Clark eventually intends to reside in Scottsdale, Ariz., though he may be based in Las Vegas in his initial months as a professional. In the meantime, Clark said he’ll graduate from Oregon in June with a degree in General Social Science, geared toward business.
Clark is one of five Colorado residents expected to compete in the Pac-12 meet this weekend. For the host University of Colorado, there will be senior Ethan Freeman from Denver, junior Spencer Painton from Aurora and probably either senior Ryan Schmitz from Greenwood Village or sophomore Wilson Belk from Colorado Springs. In addition, Utah’s lineup will include sophomore Kyler Dunkle, the 2016 CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year.
As big an event as the Pac-12 Championship is regardless, it’ll be even moreso for the players who have grown up in Colorado.
“It’s a real fortunate thing for them, especially guys (from out-of-state schools) that are going to come back and play,” CU coach Roy Edwards said. “Our guys have been fired up since we announced it 2 1/2 years ago. There are only a few guys that will ever get this experience of playing (a conference championship) in their home state or on their home course. I think that’s a really cool experience.”
Clark, Freeman, Painton and Dunkle have each won at least one state high school title in Colorado.
“It means a lot being a Colorado kid and to come up and represent your state, represent your school and compete against some of the best teams and best players in the country,” said Painton, who transferred to CU in 2016 after two seasons at Kansas.
Besides Coloradans playing in the tournament, one head coach from a Pac-12 school has Colorado roots. Dustin White from Pueblo West, the 2006 winner of the Colorado Open and a U.S. Open qualifier that same year, is in his first season at the Washington State helm after previously being a WSU assistant. White played his college golf for the Cougars from 1999-2003.
————————————————————————————
Men’s Pac-12 Conference Championship: Just the Essentials
When: April 28-30 (April 27 practice rounds). Tee times begin at 7:30 a.m. on April 28, 10 a.m. on April 29, and 8 a.m. on April 30.
Where: Boulder Country Club (7350 Clubhouse Rd., Boulder).
Admission: Free.
Format: 72 holes of stroke play: 36 on April 28 and 18 each on April 29 and 30. For the team competition, each school counts the best five of its six individual scores each day.
Boulder Country Club Course: 7,129 yards, Par-70.
Coloradans Expected to Compete: Ethan Freeman and Spencer Painton from the University of Colorado, along with probably either Ryan Schmitz or Wilson Belk; Wyndham Clark from Oregon; Kyler Dunkle from Utah.
TV: Taped coverage airing May 7 at noon on Pac-12 Network.
Defending Champion: Stanford, which has won the last three years. The Cardinal claimed the title by 29 strokes in 2016. Jon Rahm of Arizona State won the 2016 individual title as a senior and has since turned professional and won on the PGA Tour.
Where Did CU Finish Last Year?: Tied for sixth.
How Did Top Returning CU Player Fare in 2016?: Ethan Freeman (35th place).
CU’s Top Team Finish Since Joining Pac-12: Fourth in 2014.
CU’s Pac-12 Lineup: Senior Ethan Freeman; juniors Yannik Paul, Spencer Painton and John Souza; freshman Victor Bjorlow; and probably either senior Ryan Schmitz or sophomore Wilson Belk.
Honorary Starters: Prior to the first round on April 28, two former Big Eight champions from CU — Terry Kahl (1981) and Bob Kalinowski (1993 and ’94) — will serve as honorary starters and hit the first tee shots, a la the Masters.
Top 25 Nationally Ranked Teams in Field: Southern California (No. 1 by Golfstat and Golfweek), Stanford (No. 5 by Golfstat and No. 8 by Golfweek), Oregon (No. 8 by Golfstat and No. 10 by Golfweek), Arizona State (No. 22 by Golfweek), CU (No. 25 by Golfweek).
Top 10 Nationally Ranked Individuals in Field: Senior Wyndham Clark, Oregon (No. 1 by Golfstat and Golfweek); junior Sean Crocker, USC (No. 2 Golfstat, No. 4 Golfweek); senior Maverick McNealy, Stanford (No. 3 Golfweek, No. 4 Golfstat); freshman Norman Xiong, Oregon (No. 7 Golfstat, No. 8 Golfweek); sophomore Collin Morikawa, Cal (No 8 Golfstat, No. 9 Golfweek).
Players in Field in Top 50 in World Amateur Golf Rankings: 1. senior Maverick McNealy, Stanford; 8. junior Sean Crocker, USC; 9. sophomore Collin Morikawa, Cal; 13. Jared du Toit, Arizona State; 17. senior Rico Hoey, USC; 34. freshman Norman Xiong, Oregon; 48. senior Wyndham Clark, Oregon.
Stanford Coach Conrad Ray on Senior Maverick McNealy, the World’s Top-Ranked Amateur: “He’s almost at that stage where he’s in rare air. He’s tied with Tiger Woods and Patrick Rodgers for career wins at Stanford with 11. It would be neat for him to (do that) at the Pac-12s. It’s hard to put into words (what he’s meant to the program). It’s pretty neat to see him operate. He’s been a great leader for our team. He really flourishes within this environment; college golf at a really high level and high-level academics at the same time can coexist. They’re not mutually exclusive. He’s a great example of that. He’s a mechanical science and engineering major and he has a GPA north of 3.5. He’s doing great things and he’s a really good kid on top of it all. He’s very thoughtful and very humble to a fault sometimes when you talk to him. He’s had an immeasurable impact on our program, no question.”