Josh Seiple (pictured) of Castle Pines shot an even-par 71 at the 2015 U.S. Open site to share 18th place individually — out of 84 players — in the 72-hole event. Seiple, who last month advanced to the round of 32 at the British Amateur, made four birdies, two bogeys and a double on Tuesday. The University of Mississippi golfer trails individual leader Denzel Ieremia, who plays for Iowa State, by five strokes.

And Colin Prater of Colorado Springs, the 2016 CGA Amateur champion, opened with a 1-over-par 72, good for a share of 29th place. Prater, who plays his college golf at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, carded three birdies and four bogeys on Tuesday.

The third Coloradan representing the CGA at the Pac Coast, three-time CGA Mid-Amateur champion Jon Lindstrom of Broomfield, fired a 7-over-par 78 in round 1.

With the best two scores of the three counting toward the team total, the CGA is in the hunt for the Morse Cup trophy with one round left in that team competition. At 1-over-par 143, the CGA squad trails Morse Cup leader Southern Nevada by five strokes. In all, 15 teams from the western U.S. and Canada vie for the Morse Cup.

The team from the CGA has never won the Morse Cup. The Coloradans have finished 10th in that competition each of the last three years.

5. Colorado 143
18. Josh Seiple, Castle Pines 71
29. Colin Prater, Colorado Springs 72
70. Jon Lindstrom, Broomfield 78

Also
48. Glenn Workman, Pueblo West 75
48. CSU golfer Colton Yates 75
79. Greg Condon, Monte Vista 79

For all the scores from the Pac Coast, CLICK HERE.
 

The 72-hole tournament will run Tuesday through Friday (July 18-21), with 84 players competing.

Representing Colorado this week will be Jon Lindstrom of Broomfield, Colin Prater of Colorado Springs and Josh Seiple of Castle Pines.

Lindstrom, winner of the last two CGA Mid-Amateur Championships — and three overall — will compete for the second consecutive year at the Pac Coast. Prater, a college player at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, won the 2016 CGA Amateur and qualified for last year’s U.S. Amateur. Seiple, who plays his college golf at the University of Mississippi, advanced to the round of 32 at the British Amateur and to U.S. Open Sectionals this year. He was the runner-up in the 2016 CGA Match Play and is a two-time qualifier for the U.S. Junior Amateur.

Besides competing in the 72-hole individual tournament, those three will play as a team in the 36-hole Morse Cup, which is conducted Tuesday and Wednesday, with the best two scores out of the three each day counting toward the team total. Fifteen teams from the western U.S. and Canada vie for the Morse Cup.

The Colorado team has finished 10th each of the last three years in the Morse Cup and has never captured the title.

Two other Colorado residents also will be competing at Chambers Bay, but for other teams. Glenn Workman of Pueblo West, a University of Wyoming golfer, will represent the Wyoming State Golf Association. And Greg Condon of Monte Vista will play for the Sun Country Amateur Golf Association.

In addition, Colorado State University golfer Colton Yates will represent the Arizona Golf Association.

Overall, heading the field for this year’s Pac Coast will be Braden Thornberry, a teammate of Seiple at Ole Miss who won the NCAA individual title this year.
 
For more information about the Pacific Coast Amateur, CLICK HERE.

For the last 2 1/2 years, Arnie’s grandson, Sam Saunders, has lived in Colorado — Fort Collins, to be exact. But he’s had little exposure to competing in the U.S. Open himself.

He did qualify in 2011, but missed the cut. Two years ago, he was on the verge of qualifying again, but a missed 4-inch putt early in his second round of Sectionals ended up leaving him a playoff, and he was left on the outside looking in at the end of the day.

But on Monday, Saunders (pictured) earned a return trip to the national championship by his performance at a 36-hole U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying tournament in Columbus, Ohio. Ironically, that’s the city where just three days earlier Saunders matched his highest score of the 2014-15 PGA Tour wraparound season as he carded an 80 in missing the cut at the Memorial.

But that was a distant memory on Monday as the 27-year-old shared qualifying medalist honors in Columbus with Michael Putnam of University Place, Wash., where the U.S. Open will be played at Chambers Bay June 18-21.

Saunders made two eagles in his last seven holes to go along with a dozen birdies en route to shooting 66-66 for a 12-under-par 132 total.

All in all, it had to be Saunders’ most satisfying finish since placing a PGA Tour career-best second at the Puerto Rico Open in March, where he lost in a playoff.

Perhaps not coincidentally, Saunders and Putnam were paired together on Monday.

“We had a great time out there today,” Saunders said. “We were sort of in the same situation today. We both had our families with us, we both missed the cut at the Memorial, (and) we were staying in the same hotel. There was a good vibe out there for us.”

After struggling at the Memorial, Saunders actually used the irons owned by his caddie, Travis McAlister, for the qualifier.

“He has the same irons I used to have, and I decided to use his instead of mine,” Saunders said. “I also made a good swing adjustment over the weekend. I hit it well.”

Saunders was one of 23 players with strong local ties who were competing Monday in one of the 10 36-hole Sectional Qualifying tournaments held across the country. But he was the only one of the 23 to actually punch his ticket to the Open itself.

All told, 58 U.S. Open spots were up for grabs at the Sectionals on Monday.

Here are the scores for all the players with strong Colorado ties who competed in Sectional Qualifying on Monday:

Columbus, Ohio (120 players for 15 spots)
T1. Sam Saunders of Fort Collins 66-66–132
58. Jim Knous of Englewood 73-74–147

Newport Beach, Calif. (112 players for 6 spots)
11. Former Grand Junction resident Monte Montgomery 69-71–140
48. Michael Schoolcraft of Denver 68-79–147
48. Eric Bradley of Eagle 76-71–147
55. Andrew Romano of Lone Tree 73-75–148
64. Colin Prater of Colorado Springs 79-70–149
74. Former Fort Collins resident Matt Rutledge 78-72–150
100. Nick Hodge of Littleton 76-80–156

Memphis, Tenn. (121 players for 10 spots)
13. Former CSU Golfer Martin Laird 65-73–138
80. Jake Staiano of Cherry Hills Village 75-73–148
99. Former CSU Golfer Michael Wuertz 79-80–159
104. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe 68-WD
115. David Duval of Cherry Hills Village 75-WD

Springfield, Ohio (67 players for 4 spots)
35. Parker Edens of Greeley 68-75–143
55. Cameron Harrell of Colorado Springs 79-73–152
60. Greg Johnson of Lakewood 75-83–158

Jupiter, Fla. (70 players for 4 spots)
19. A.J. Morris of Aspen 75-75–150

Rockville, Md. (56 players for 3 spots)
19. Derek Tolan of Highlands Ranch 74-74–148
45. Former Coloradan Mark Hubbard 75-82–157

Purchase, N.Y. (71 players for 4 spots)
48. Former Coloradan Tom Kalinowski 77-75–152

Dallas (78 players for 6 spots)
36. Former CU Golfer Josh Creel 73-69–142

Cle Elum, Wash. (50 players for 3 spots)
25. Nathaniel Goddard of Fort Collins 77-74–151