With cold and rain and snow forecast for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the CGA called off the Four-Ball Championship that was set for Legacy Ridge Golf Course in Westminster those three days.

The association’s tournament committee is exploring the possibility of rescheduling the championship in the late summer or early fall, and will make a determination shortly.

(Updated April 29) Also called off this weekend due to the weather were the inaugural Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado tournaments, scheduled for Pueblo Country Club and Elmwood Golf Course in Pueblo. This marks the second time this spring that the start of the first JGAC season has been delayed by the weather.

Now the first JGAC events are scheduled for May 14-15 at Todd Creek Golf Course in Thornton.

(Updated May 2) Meanwhile, the CGA Senior Four-Ball, originally set for Monday through Wednesday (May 2-4) at Black Bear Golf Club in Parker, is still on, though the event is now shortened to 36 holes, all to be played on Wednesday.

Fifty-eight two-man teams are signed up for the scratch better-ball event at Black Bear.

Bob Beiersdorf of the Ridge at Castle Pines North and Rick Kelly of Foothills Golf Course are scheduled to defend the Senior Four-Ball title that they won by three strokes last year at Todd Creek Golf Club.

Also in the field at Black Bear are 2014 champions David Delich of The Broadmoor and Bruce Hogg of Patty Jewett. Delich was the CGA Senior Player of the Year in 2015 after winning the CGA Senior Match Play and qualifying for the U.S. Senior Open.

Other former champs entered are Kelly Crone and Larry Netherton (2009 and ’13), John Applegate (2011, playing this year with Jim LeMar), Sean Forey and Scott Radcliffe (2003; Forey also won in 2008), and Robert Polk (2005 and ’07, playing with 2015 CGA Senior Stroke Play champ Bill Fowler).

For the CGA Senior Four-Ball pairings, CLICK HERE.
 

It will be four-ball galore over the next two weeks, both locally and nationally.

Between now and May 13, four big four-ball championships will be contested in Colorado or by the USGA, with Colorado competitors involved. First up are the separate CGA Four-Ball and Senior Four-Ball tournaments, the first CGA championships of 2015, set for Friday through Sunday (May 1-3). Then the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball will be held May 2-6 in San Francisco. Last but not least, the first U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball will be played May 9-13 in Bandon, Ore.

(It should be noted that though the CWGA won’t have a four-ball event in the next couple of weeks, it holds three four-ball tournaments annually: the Mashie, Brassie and Niblick.

The men’s and women’s U.S. Four-Balls are the first additions to the USGA championship schedule since 1987.

Here’s a brief rundown of the four-ball events — which are essentially two-person better-balls, either in stroke play or match play — that are set for the next two weeks:

— CGA Four-Ball at Legacy Ridge Golf Course in Westminster and CGA Senior Four-Ball at Todd Creek Golf Club in Thornton, each 54-hole event running Friday through Sunday (May 1-3).

A total of 92 players (46 teams) are registered for the Four-Ball at Legacy Ridge. While 2014 champions Keith Humerickhouse and Jared Bickling won’t return as a team — Humerickhouse is in the field for the U.S. Four-Ball — Bickling will play at Legacy Ridge with new partner Stephen Baxter.

Other former champions in the field are Jon Lindstrom (2002 and ’12), Steve Irwin (2004 and ’09), Alex Buecking (2009), Dave Johnson (2006), Jim Doidge (2005) and Pat Diaz (2004). Irwin will team with Diaz again this year. Doidge will partner with Michael Harrington, the 2014 CGA Player of the Year.

In the Senior Four-Ball at Todd Creek, 102 competitors (51 teams) 50 and older are signed up. Included are defending champions David Delich and Bruce Hogg, who prevailed by three strokes last year. Also back are 2013 winners Kelly Crone and Larry Netherton, who also claimed the title in 2009.

Other former champs in the field are Daniel Dymerski (2012), John Applegate (2011), Sean Forey (2003 and ’08) and Scott Radcliffe (2003). Forey and Radcliffe will team up again this year.

To access scoring over the weekend, click on the following: OPEN DIVISION, SENIOR DIVISION.

— U.S. Amateur Four-Ball at the Olympic Club in San Francisco May 2-6.

A total of 4,468 golfers (2,234 teams) submitted entries, and qualifying was held at 51 sites from last August through March.

The field at the Olympic Club will feature 128 teams, which will play 36 holes of stroke play, with the top 32 teams advancing to match play beginning on May 4.

Five teams in the championship include at least one Coloradan:

Robert Polk of Parker and Bill Fowler of Lakewood

Alex Kephart of Colorado Springs and former Colorado Springs resident Nick Tarasiewicz

Keith Humerickhouse of Eagle and Tom Abell of Oregon, Wis.

Jeff Chapman of Denver and Andrew Tapia of Raton, N.M.

Gus Lundquist of Parker and Trevor Sluman of Rochester, N.Y.

Polk and Fowler, both 50-somethings, shared medalist honors in qualifying at Colorado Golf Club with Kephart and Tarasiewicz last September. (The four are pictured together above.) Polk, 59, will be the oldest player in the field at the Olympic Club.

Lundquist and Sluman are University of Louisville teammates, playing for coach Mark Crabtree, a Colorado Golf Hall of Famer. Sluman is a nephew of Champions Tour player Jeff Sluman. They were medalists in an Oct. 8 qualifier in Mason, Ohio.

Humerickhouse and Abell were medalists in an Oct. 1 qualifier in Hartford, Wis.

— U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball at Bandon Dunes in Oregon May 9-13.

Qualifying for the inaugural Women’s Four-Ball took place at 28 sites from August through March.

Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster and Gillian Vance of Lakewood (left) will take a break from the high school season to play in the national championship. They shared medalist honors last October in a qualifier at Heritage at Westmoor in Westminster.

Kupcho, the 2014 CWGA Player of the Year, will play college golf at Wake Forest in the fall, while Vance will be on the University of Colorado roster.

All told at Bandon, 64 teams will play two rounds of stroke play, with the low 32 teams advancing to match play, which begins May 11.
 

David Delich said he doesn’t drink much alcohol — and very rarely partakes while playing golf. But he was compelled to make an exception on Saturday during the CGA Senior Four-Ball Championship at Legacy Ridge Golf Course in Westminster.

When partner — and fellow Colorado Springs resident — Bruce Hogg birdied five times in a 10-hole stretch at the beginning of Saturday’s second round, Delich was taken aback.

“He had me so pumped up yesterday I had to have a beer at the 9 just to settle down because my adrenaline was pumping so hard,” said Delich, a former Colorado College hockey standout and the 2012 CGA Senior Player of the Year. “I needed something to quiet the adrenaline. I said, ‘Hoggie, I can’t even keep the ball on the green when I’m putting I’m so excited for you. Then I had the beer and I birdied three of the next four holes. I settled down. I needed some alcohol.”

Said Hogg: “That’s kind of a funny thing because I’ve never seen him act like that. He was jumping out of his skin. I said, ‘Calm down.'”

The 9-under-par 62 the twosome shot on Saturday was the tournament’s best score by three strokes. They followed it up on Sunday with a 66 to win the Senior Four-Ball title by three.

Delich, from the Broadmoor Golf Club, picked up his fifth CGA championship and first team title, while Hogg, from Patty Jewett Golf Course, won a CGA crown for the first time. They rallied from one down on Sunday to earn the win. (Delich, in blue shirt, is pictured with Hogg above.)

“This is my first team win anywhere,” Delich said. “I bet I’ve been runner-up a dozen times in four-ball. I kept telling Bruce it’s hard to win these things if both players don’t really contribute. And he did such a great job the last three days covering me when I was down, making a birdie at a critical time when we needed a lift. We both ham-and-egged really well. He played outstanding and that’s what it took. You can’t win these things as an individual. You have to have two guys really doing a job.”

After Bill Fowler of the Club at Rolling Hills birdied Nos. 10 and 11 to pull even on Sunday, Hogg chipped in from 60 feet for birdie on No. 13 to take the lead on Fowler and partner Jim Reynolds of Bear Creek Golf Club. Then Hogg holed a 6-foot birdie at No. 17 to provide some cushion.

He and Delich were bogey-free in playing their final 45 holes in 15 under par. The 57-year-old partners went 71-62-66 for a 14-under 199 total and a three-shot victory margin over Fowler and Reynolds, who had led after each of the first two days.

So what got Delich and Hogg going after playing the first nine holes of the tournament in 1 over par?

“I said to Bruce (early in Saturday’s round), ‘We can play this golf course with blinders on.’ We just need to trust ourselves,” Delich said.

Whatever the catalyst was, Hogg was very happy with the results.

“This is very special to me,” Hogg said of his first CGA title. “I’ve played in a lot of CGA events since turning 50; I’ve tried not to miss any of them. I’m very appreciative of Dave and the way he plays golf. I’m just glad I was part of it and contributed in a big way on a few holes.

“It’s a big deal for me to win a CGA championship. I look at the CGA as a one of the best organizations in the country when it comes to golf, and it’s very nice to put my name on a trophy.”

Three teams tied for third place at 203, including defending champions Kelly Crone and Larry Netherton of Highlands Ranch Golf Club. Those two closed with a 67 for a three-stroke win in the super-senior division for players 60 and older. Earning second place, following a final-round 66, was Kary Kaltenbacher of Glenmoor Country Club and Rod Walters of Heritage at Westmoor. (Netherton and Crone are pictured at left.)

For the CGA Four-Ball Championship story, CLICK HERE.

For CGA Senior Four-Ball score details, CLICK HERE.

CGA Senior Four-Ball Championship
At Par-71 Legacy Ridge GC in Westminster

David Delich,Broadmoor GC/Bruce Hogg,Patty Jewett GC–71-62-66–199
Bill Fowler,Club at Rolling Hills/Jim Reynolds,Bear Creek GC–66-66-70–202
Guy Mertz,Fox Hill CC/Tony Workman,Fox Hill CC–71-65-67–203
Larry Netherton,Highlands Ranch GC/Kelly Crone,Highlands Ranch GC–70-66-67–203
Tad Willenbrock,Glenmoor CC/Eric Hoos,Highlands Ranch GC–69-65-69–203
Owen Ellis,Flatirons GC/Robin Bradbury,Legacy Ridge GC–66-72-66–204
Mike Lohse,West Woods GC/Len Mize,West Woods GC–69-67-68–204
Robert Burke,Twin Peaks GC/John Sostmann,Raccoon Creek Men’s Club–70-69-65–204
Grant Porter,CommonGround GC/Jim LeMar,The Meadows GC–70-67-69–206
Rod Walters,Indian Tree GC/Kary Kaltenbacher,Glenmoor CC–70-70-66–206
Randal Gaddis,Lone Tree GC/Jerry Beren,Lone Tree GC–67-70-70–207
Scott Radcliffe,Club at Rolling Hills/Sean Forey,Club at Rolling Hills–68-69-70–207
Lance Balthaser,Broken Tee Englewood/Rob McLelland,Blackstone CC–70-70-67–207
Carter Mathies,GC at Redlands Mesa/Frank Wilkinson,Lincoln Park GC–72-70-67–209
Pat Bowe,CommonGround GC/Dave Brown,RMGCSA GL–74-67-68–209
Tom Ritchie,Meridian GC/David Merritt,Meridian GC–66-71-72–209
Richard Kelly,Fox Hollow GC/Bob Beiersdorf,Ridge at Castle Pines North–69-68-72–209
Robert Sherrill,Columbine CC/Gary Keogh,Columbine CC–69-72-69–210
Brent Timm,Pinery CC/John Boyles,Pinery CC–68-72-70–210
Dennis Lucero,Lincoln Park GC/Phil Herrera,Lincoln Park GC–71-71-69–211
Jim Collins,CC at Castle Pines/Joe Morrill,Eagle Ranch GC–72-68-71–211
Rick George,Castle Pines GC/Chuck Delich,Eisenhower GC–71-71-70–212
John Applegate,Meadow Hills GC/Keith Masters,Meadow Hills GC–69-72-71–212
Mark Hirsch,Lone Tree GC/Michael Davis,Meadow Hills GC–70-72-70–212
Brian Harris,Denver CC/Reed Myer,Denver CC–70-72-70–212
Gary Albrecht,CommonGround GC/Bob Chandler,CommonGround GC–73-68-71–212
Thomas Roos,Spring Valley GC/Dennis Fields,CommonGround GC–73-69-70–212
Doug Moore,Lone Tree GC/Raymond Kelley,Lone Tree GC–71-71-71–213
Mark Franz,Saddle Rock GC/Charlie Post,Colorado GC–69-73-71–213
Thomas McGeary,Highlands Ranch GC/Mark Brown,Highlands Ranch GC–72-72-69–213
Ken Sady,Eagle Ranch GC/Harry Johnson,Eagle Ranch GC–74-70-70–214
Jerry Kidney,Overland Park MC/Daniel Dymerski,Columbine CC–69-71-74–214
Larry Wood,Perry Park CC/Ken Tai,Perry Park CC–72-71-72–215
Bradley Becker,Plum Creek G & CC/Steve Kass,Meadow Hills GC–71-71-73–215
Craig Gardiner,Denver CC/Steve Bell,Denver CC–69-71-75–215
Al Sellers,Pine Creek GC/Ken Schweitzer,Eisenhower GC–73-72-70–215
Jeffrey English,Avid Golfer Passport/Bill Bolgar,The Ridge at Castle Pines North–74-74-68–216
Bob Kubiak,South Suburban GC/Tom Coates,South Suburban GC–72-70-74–216
Tim Kromer,Inverness GC/Tony Tormey,Inverness GC–70-72-74–216
Art Cudworth,Raccoon Creek MC/Scott Crone,Pinehurst CC–73-70-73–216
John Ingram,Colorado GC/Daniel Scherman,Colorado GC–73-72-71–216
Steve Bailey,Legacy Ridge GC/David Dines,Highlands Ranch GC–72-72-74–218
Daryl Fengler,Murphy Creek GC/Jeff Sweet,Murphy Creek GC–74-72-73–219
Chuck Fisher,Riverdale GC/Glenn Hyde,Riverdale GC–70-73-76–219
Bob Sims,Canongate Colorado/Bruce Hayes,Heritage at Westmoor–76-71-72–219
Bob Cloud,Bear Creek GC/Lawrence Covell,CC at Castle Pines–71-78-70–219
Ed O’Gallagher,Silver Spruce GC/Tony Goodman,Silver Spruce GC–72-77-71–220
Jake Jacobson,Lakewood CC/Wyck Brown,Lakewood CC–74-71-75–220
Louie Lee,The CC at Castle Pines/Mike Giarratano,The CC at Castle Pines–78-72-71–221
Dave Bell,Hiwan GC/Jack Egender,Hiwan GC–71-75-75–221
Frank Carson,Meridian GC/Scott Anderson,Harmony GC–74-76-72–222
Andy Callahan,Lakewood CC/Tom Lawrence,Lakewood CC–76-73-74–223
Tom Warren,Fossil Trace GC/Bartley Corfee,Fossil Trace GC–74-75-74–223
Mark Barkley,Canongate Colorado/Mark Runyan,Canongate Colorado–76-74-74–224
John Wilkinson,CommonGround GC/Robert Mandeau,CommonGround GC–77-71-76–224
William Kinn,Colorado Springs CC/Paul Yoon,Colorado Springs CC–75-76-74–225
Bill Peterson,Highlands Ranch GC/Doug Lair,Highlands Ranch GC–75-76-77–228
Bob Harris,Lake Arbor GC/Don Berthiaume,Bear Creek GC–77-76-76–229

Three holes earlier, Keith Humerickhouse had uncharacteristically bladed a bunker shot over the green. Now, on the 18th hole at Todd Creek Golf Club in Thornton, with the CGA Four-Ball Championship on the line, the left-hander remembered his poor shot all too well.

With a narrow strip of green running away from him, a big lake on the other side of the putting surface, and his playing partner having hit into the water, the former playing professional worked a little magic.

He cozied his sand shot down to within 2 feet of the hole and made the putt for a birdie.

That gave Humerickhouse and partner Jared Bickling a one-stroke victory in the season-opening CGA Four-Ball.

“The shot of the tournament for me was the bunker shot on 18,” said Humerickhouse, winner of the last four CGA Mid-Amateur titles. “That bunker shot was awesome. That (bladed sand shot on 15) was basically my last thought going into that bunker shot. And the (one on 15) was a cakewalk compared to that one — no green, the slant going right toward the water. My partner hit it in the water, so I was like, ‘Here we go.’ But the shot (pictured at left) came off awesome.” 

It led to the third consecutive birdie by Humerickhouse and to his sixth CGA title, while Bickling won his first.

Humerickhouse, who plays out of Glenwood Springs Golf Club, and Bickling, from Gypsum Creek Golf Course, shot the low round of the tournament, an 8-under-par 64, on Sunday to rally for the championship.

Second-round leaders Jon Lindstrom and Richard Bradsby of Lakewood Country Club pulled into a tie for the top spot with a birdie on the 15th hole.

But after Lindstrom drained an 18-foot birdie putt on 16, Humerickhouse holed a 15-foot birdie to keep things all square. Humerickhouse then sank an 8-foot birdie on the 17th hole to give his team the lead for good. And on 18, after Bickling had hit his second shot into the water, Humerickhouse showed steady nerves making his winning birdie.

“This is awesome,” said Bickling, who is 38 years old, like Humerickhouse. “This is our third year playing this event. The first year we were garbage, the second year we were not quite so garbage, and then this year … We don’t come out here to just play golf; we come here to win.”

Humerickhouse and Bickling’s 64 on Sunday gave them an 18-under-par 198 total for three days.

Lindstrom and Bradsby closed with a 66 in the scratch best-ball event to place second at 199. Nick Nosewicz and Heath Andersen of Meadow Hills Golf Course finished third at 202.

Humerickhouse and Bickling started Sunday with a bogey, and Humerickhouse bogeyed the second hole. But Bickling’s 20-foot birdie there gave the team a spark, and the two made nine birdies on the last 17 holes.

“That (birdie) calmed us both down,” said Bickling, pictured in the dark shirt at left, with Humerickhouse.

Humerickhouse, who shot 70 on his own ball each of the three days, relished sharing the title with Bickling.

“We play a lot of golf together,” the left-hander said. “With him as my partner, I feel like we can contend every time we play. To finally get it done, it’s awesome. I feel really good for him because it’s his first one. Every time you win one of these it’s great because the field is so good.

“We played really good as a team today — really good. If somebody was in trouble, we picked each other up. It was ham and eggs for sure today.”

For the CGA Senior Four-Ball Championship story, CLICK HERE.

For CGA Four-Ball score details, CLICK HERE.

CGA Four-Ball Championship

At Par-72 Todd Creek GC in Thornton

Jared Bickling,Gypsum Creek GC/Keith Humerickhouse,Glenwood Springs GC–68-66-64–198
Richard Bradsby,Lakewood CC/Jon Lindstrom,Lakewood CC–68-65-66–199
Nick Nosewicz,Meadow Hills GC/Heath Andersen,Meadow Hills GC–66-68-68–202
Brian Richmeier,Meadow Hills GC/Andy Dannewitz,Meadow Hills GC–66-69-70–205
Alex Buecking,Columbine CC/Paul Robinson,Columbine CC–68-68-71–207
Pat Diaz,Meridian GC/Scott Shore,Meridian GC–72-67-68–207
Tim Fitzgerald,Meridian GC/James Kurtenbach,South Suburban GC–66-73-69–208
Blake Anderson,Omni Interlocken Resort/Tom Sweetman,Omni Interlocken Resort–67-71-70–208
Gary Driber,Denver Amateur Golf Tour Club/Dallas Massey,South Suburban GC–69-69-71–209
Paul Erdman,Colorado National GC/Jeff Searing,Canongate Colorado–69-69-71–209
Christopher Wilson,Eisenhower GC/Jeff Chapman,Inverness GC–70-68-72–210
Greg Braford,CommonGround GC/Jason Dunkle,Pradera, the Club at–66-72-72–210
Andy Brooks,CommonGround GC/Kade Sessions,CommonGround GC–70-70-71–211
Dean Siskowski,CommonGround GC/Greg Speer,CommonGround GC–69-75-68–212
Tom Richardson,Highlands Ranch GC/James M Richardson,South Suburban GC–71-68-73–212
Shawn Mercer,Lake Valley GC/Jeremy W Deems,Lake Valley GC–72-73-67–212
John J Grillion,CommonGround GC/Nick Simmons,CommonGround GC–68-72-73–213
Ryan Aweida,Colorado National GC/Erik Helton,Colorado National GC–71-70-73–214
Bob Athey,CC of Colorado/Chris Pratz,Springs Ranch GC–68-72-74–214
Chris Tenan,Harmony Club/Keith Atkins,Harmony Club–71-71-73–215
John Perry,Highland Meadows GC/David Hunn,Collindale GC–71-70-75–216
Bert Sartori,Todd Creek GC/Guy Hollowell,Todd Creek GC–76-71-69–216
Tristan Sanders,CommonGround GC/Tim Kratz,CommonGround GC–73-71-73–217
Thomas Russo,Canongate Colorado/Aaron Brown,Canongate Colorado–78-68-71–217
Adam Thoutt,Legacy Ridge GC/Brad Hernandez,Heritage at Westmoor–72-74-72–218
James Richardson,CommonGround GC/Brian O’Connor,CommonGround GC–73-69-76–218
Jay Orris,Boulder CC/James McHose,Boulder CC–75-69-75–219
Wes Martin,CommonGround GC/Shane Unfred,Highland Meadows GC–70-73-76–219
Sam Solomon,Todd Creek GC/Brian McCloy,Saddle Rock GC–75-74-70–219
Matt Reinick,Todd Creek GC/Jim Cole,Riverdale GC–72-73-74–219
Alan Boyko,Heritage at Westmoor/Jeremy Thibault,Heritage at Westmoor–71-74-76–221
Timothy Nowak,Ute Creek GC/Daniel Price,Murphy Creek GC–73-75-76–224
Ryan Brown,Ute Creek GC/Joe Larsen,Riverdale GC–75-77-74–226
Aaron Spear,Broadlands GC/Taylor Osieczanek,Broadlands GC–77-79-75–231
Chris Welch,CommonGround GC/Jed Greenblatt,Denver CC–81-79-73–233
Todd Stemm,Heritage at Westmoor/JD Cohen,CommonGround GC–89-86-86–261