(Updated Dec. 7) The last three years, players who have started their college golf careers at Colorado State University have treated the CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year Award like a tag-team affair.

The honor has gone from one Ram signee to another to another.

Kyler Dunkle, who transferred from CSU to Utah in 2016, started the run that same year. In 2017, it was CSU’s Jake Staiano who earned the award as the top amateur golfer in the state. And this year, the Rams’ AJ Ott (left) has landed the CGA Les Fowler POY honor.

“It really means a lot,” Ott said recently by text regarding earning the award. “We have so many good players around the state and I’m very blessed just to be able to compete with those guys. We’re all very close friends and have played against each other in Colorado since we were kids, which makes competing against one another that much better.”

Ott, a Fort Collins resident who plays out of Ptarmigan Country Club, is one of three CGA men’s players of the year that have been decided for 2018. On Monday, we’ll publish a story on the CGA women’s players of the year.

Other CGA men’s honorees that have been settled on are Chris Thayer (below) of Walnut Creek Golf Preserve (Mid-Amateur POY), Steve Ivan of Patty Jewett Golf Course in Colorado Springs (Senior POY) and Sean Forey of The Club at Rolling Hills (Super-Senior POY). See below for the highlights of their 2018 seasons.

As for Ott, the 21-year-old left-hander won the 118th CGA Match Play title and qualified for his second straight U.S. Amateur to highlight a stellar season.

At the CGA Match Play at The Golf Club at Ravenna, Ott shot a 6-under-par 65 to finish second in the stroke-play qualifying round, then won six matches. He was particularly impressive in the last two. He made a double eagle in beating former champion Brian Dorfman 3 and 1 in the semifinals. Then in one of the most lopsided scheduled 36-hole finals in the event’s history, Ott defeated friend Ross Macdonald 9 and 8 for the title.

“I think the Match Play this year was great just because of the week-long test and it felt good to finally come through and get a win,” Ott said. “Playing against one of my best friends, Ross, was something I’ll never forget. He’s helped me a lot with my game in the past and we both have had our struggles at times so it was great to see us both get to that final match at the end of the week.”

In U.S. Amateur qualifying at Fort Collins Country Club, Ott fired rounds of 68-65 to finish second and earn a berth in the national championship for the second consecutive year.

Elsewhere this year, Ott placed 19th in the CoBank Colorado Open — third among amateurs — and 10th in the CGA Amateur. In college events in 2018, He finished fifth in the Mountain West Conference Championship and ninth in both the Ram Masters Invitational and the Paintbrush Invitational.

The CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year honor is the second statewide POY award for Ott, who was the 2016 Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado’s Boys Player of the Year.

As for highlights for the other CGA players of the year that have been decided …

— Chris Thayer of Walnut Creek Golf Preserve (CGA Mid-Amateur Player of the Year) — Thayer has now won this award the last four years, which establishes a record for the 25-and-older category.

Thayer has a remarkable record in the CGA Mid-Amateur in recent years. In the last five times the championship has been contested, he’s finished first, second, second, first and second. He was runner-up in the event in late September, a stroke behind champion Jared Reid.

Earlier in September, Thayer tied for 53rd place in the stroke-play portion of the U.S. Mid-Amateur, but failed in a playoff to advance to match play. The month before, he earned medalist honors in Colorado-based qualifying for the event.

Thayer also finished 13th in the CGA Amateur — following a final-round 66 at Pinehurst Country Club — and was among three players who represented Colorado at the Pacific Coast Amateur in San Francisco. Early in the season, he teamed with Nick Nosewicz to place third in the CGA Four-Ball Championship.

— Steve Ivan of Patty Jewett Golf Course (CGA Senior Player of the Year) — Ivan (left) has accomplished plenty in golf over the decades, but in the last 14 months or so, he’s certainly stepped it up a notch on the state level.

The former University of Colorado golfer — he was a teammate of 1996 U.S. Open champion Steve Jones — Ivan won the 2017 CGA Senior Amateur. He finished runner-up in the 2018 CGA Senior Match Play, falling to Wyoming resident John Hornbeck in the final. And he also placed second in his title defense at the 2018 CGA Senior Amateur, behind only three-time CGA Senior POY Robert Polk.

Ivan, winner of the 1979 CGA Junior Match, finished second among amateurs at the CoBank Colorado Senior Open, and was fourth in the qualifying tournament for the U.S. Senior Open, falling a little short of advancing to the national championship held at The Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado Springs.

— Sean Forey of The Club at Rolling Hills (CGA Super-Senior Player of the Year) — Now Forey will have bookends for his trophy case.

Eight years ago, the golfer from The Club at Rolling Hills earned the CGA Senior Player of the Year Award. And this fall, the 65-year-old from Morrison has added the CGA Super-Senior POY honor for players 62 and older.

Forey (left) recorded two victories in CGA super-senior events in 2018 — at the Super-Senior Stroke Play and the super-senior division of the CGA Senior Four-Ball — with Scott Radcliffe.

 At the Super-Senior Stroke Play in August at Perry Park Country Club, Forey notched a four-shot victory. After finishing second, third, fourth and fifth in previous appearances at the event, landing the title was a welcome outcome for him.

Besides his showings at the Super-Senior Stroke Play and the Senior Four-Ball, Forey was a semifinalist in the CGA Super-Senior Match Play and finished ninth in the CGA Senior Amateur that was won by 63-year-old Robert Polk.

Forey, the low amateur in the CoBank Colorado Senior Open in both 2008 and 2010, led the CGA super-senior points list this year.

Jared Reid had modest goals going into the 32nd CGA Mid-Amateur Championship this weekend at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora.

“This week, honestly, my goal was to make the cut and be top 30 — just so I didn’t have to qualify again for next year’s (Mid-Am),” the 28-year-old from Legacy Ridge Golf Course said.

To say that the Denver resident exceeded expectations — his own and those of others — at the Mid-Am would be an understatement of monumental proportions.

Not only did Reid finish in the top 30 on Sunday, but he won the state title in the tournament limited to players 25 and older. And not only did he win, but he did so while going head to head in the final group with two players who have won five CGA Mid-Ams between them — two-time champ Chris Thayer of Walnut Creek Golf Preserve and three-time winner Jon Lindstrom of Lakewood Country Club.

“Teeing off with those two and they’re announcing all the times they’ve won the championship and runner-ups and everything like that,” noted Reid (pictured above and below). “I’m like, ‘Geez, how am I going to do this today? Hopefully I get out of their way most of the time.'”

Certainly no need to worry about that, as it turned out. And, on top of all that, Reid became just the third player in the history of the championship to finish double digits under par, joining four-time champ Keith Humerickhouse (11 under in 2012) and seven-time winner Rick DeWitt (10 under in 2000).

The victory was the first by Reid in a CGA championship. In fact, he’s only competed in three — two Mid-Ams and the CGA Four-Ball — since moving from Michigan about five years ago.

“This is definitely, definitely” the biggest thing he’s done in golf, he said. “I never won any events in college — just maybe some best balls back home in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This is definitely the biggest individual accomplishment I’ve ever had. I couldn’t imagine what the week was going to end up like.”

Reid completed a wire-to-wire performance on Sunday by finishing with a 10-under-par 203 total at CommonGround. He avoided a playoff when Thayer, the defending champion, saw his 9-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole slip just to the right of the cup.

Reid, who played college golf at Northern Michigan University, closed with a 1-under-par 70 on Sunday — the same score as playing partners Thayer and Lindstrom.

After he was tied for the lead with Thayer through nine holes on Sunday, Reid took the lead for good when he sank a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 10. Then he two-putted the par-5 11th for another birdie, giving him three birdies in four holes. And Thayer didn’t help his cause when he slightly pulled his 6-iron second shot and it went into the water on 11, though he did save par on the relatively easy par-5, where the stroke average on Sunday was 4.36.

But Reid’s most impressive shot came on the 495-yard, par-4 15th hole, where a massive drive left him with just 140 yards for his approach shot. He hit a gap wedge to 1 foot for birdie to go two ahead.

Reid then two-putted from 65 feet for par on 16, but bogeyed 17 after going into the greenside bunker on the par-3, leaving him with a one-stroke lead going into the par-5 18th. There, he was right of the green in two and pitched over a bunker complex to 25 feet, two-putting for par.

That gave Thayer (left) a chance to force a playoff, but the 38-year-old couldn’t sink his 9-footer for birdie.

In the last five CGA Mid-Amateurs, Thayer has now finished first, second, second, first and second. He’s posted six straight sub-par rounds in this event, dating back to last year.

“I was happy with the way I hung in there,” Thayer said. “I hit the ball really well, but I missed a 7-footer on 9, a 5-footer on 13 and a 9-footer (on 18). There were a lot of putts like that.

“But Jared played great. He played smart and hit good shots under pressure. He rips it and he hit it really straight all day. With that type of clubhead speed, you could be just a little bit off and they could go a bunch of different directions.

“But this is definitely a bomber’s course. I’m not a bomber, but I’m in the top 20 percent of the field in terms of distance. But these guys that hit it 30 yards by me, it’s an edge for sure.”

Lindstrom (below) will second Thayer’s praise of Reid’s performance this week.

“It’s awesome. The guy hits it a mile,” Lindstrom said. “I had a couple of really good drives and he was 70 yards ahead of me. It’s tough to compete.”

Reid fully acknowledges the difference his driver can make. He wasn’t hitting it well on the front nine on Sunday, but on the back side, it returned to form and he was smacking it long and straight down the stretch.

“My game kind of lives and dies by my driver,” he said. After struggling off the tee in the first half of the round, “the driver was kind of working (starting on the back nine) and I didn’t miss a fairway through the rest of the day, which kept my momentum going. I started feeling good on the tee and I could swing as hard as I could and the ball was going right where I was looking for. I springboarded off that.

“When I’m hitting gap wedge into some of the par-4s and they’re hitting 7- through 5-irons, that’s definitely an advantage.”

Really, it was with nine holes left that Reid had the confidence to feel he could win the title.

“Honestly I’ve only won probably two or three tournaments, even in high school,” he said. “That’s what the most uncomfortable feeling was: Could I finish this off?

“But (after 45 holes) I thought, ‘I might as well just do it since you’ve come all this way.”

Lindstrom, who’s won the title in 2008, ’15 and ’16, finished third for the second straight year, sharing that spot this time at 205 with with former Colorado State University golfer Dominic Kieffer of Collindale Golf Course, who closed with a 68.

At age 51, Lindstrom was the first winner of the Super Mid-Amateur Division for players 40 and older. He was six strokes better than Super Mid-Am runner-up Michael Harrington of Garden of the Gods Club, who likewise posted a 70 on Sunday.

“I’m glad they have the old-man flight now,” Lindstrom said with a smile. “It feels great (to be the first Super Mid-Am champ). I was telling (CGA executive director Ed Mate) they should get us a sponsor like Joint-Ritis or Depends. How about the Depends Super-Senior Mid-Am Flight?”

For all the scores from the CGA Mid-Amateur, CLICK HERE.

Despite bogeying two of his last three holes on Saturday, Jared Reid of Legacy Ridge Golf Course grabbed a one-stroke lead through 36 holes.

Reid eagled the par-5 11th hole to stand 6 under par for the day, but bogeyed 16 and 17 to shoot a 4-under-par 67. That left him at 9-under 133 overall. Over two days, Reid has played the first 11 holes at CommonGround in 13 under par, and the final seven holes in 4 over.

Reid’s closest pursuers going into Sunday’s final round are both multiple-time champions of this event. Chris Thayer of Walnut Creek Golf Preserve, winner in 2014 and ’17, is in second place at 134 after a second-round 68. Dating back to last year, Thayer has posted five consecutive sub-par rounds in this event. He made four birdies and one bogey on Saturday and has carded just two bogeys in two days. Thayer has two victories and two seconds in the past four CGA Mid-Ams.

Jon Lindstrom of Lakewood Country Club, Mid-Am champ in 2008, ’15 and ’16, holds third place after shooting a 6-under-65 — the lowest round of the tournament so far — on Saturday. His six-birdie, bogey-free day puts him two behind Reid.

Three players share fourth place at 137 — Nick Nosewicz of Meadow Hills Golf Course, former Colorado State University University golfer Dominic Kieffer of Collindale Golf Course and Pete Mangold of Columbine Country Club. Nosewicz, who won the 2015 CGA Match Play at CommonGround, and Kieffer shot 68s on Saturday and Mangold a 69.

The field was cut to the low 40 players and ties after 36 holes, with all those at 8-over-par 150 or better advancing to Sunday.

The Mid-Amateur is limited to players 25 and older, but starting this year, there’s also a Super Mid-Amateur Division for players 40 and older. Through two days, Lindstrom holds a six-stroke lead in that division. Next best after Lindstrom’s 135 are 2014 CGA Player of the Year Michael Harrington of Garden of the Gods Club and Michael Slutzky of Columbine, who are tied at 141.

Reid, Thayer and Lindstrom will tee off for Sunday’s final round at 10:30 a.m.

For all the scores from the CGA Mid-Amateur, CLICK HERE.
 

It seems like wherever the CGA Mid-Amateur is held, Chris Thayer of Walnut Creek Golf Preserve finds himself either in the lead or darn close to it.

Since 2014, Thayer’s finishes in the championship have been first, second, second, first. 

And on Friday in the 32nd edition of the Mid-Am — an event limited to golfers 25 and older — Thayer put himself in position to add to his stellar record by shooting a 5-under-par 66 and sharing the lead at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora.

The defending champion (left) eagled the par-5 11th hole and added four birdies while making just one bogey in the first round of the 54-hole event.

Tied with Thayer at 66 was Jared Reid of Legacy Ridge Golf Course, who started on No. 10 and played his final nine holes in 6-under-par 30. He finished with eight birdies and three bogeys on the day.

Four players share third place at 68 — Ryan Axlund of Valley Country Club, Nicholas Engen of Colorado Golf Club, Pete Mangold of Columbine Country Club and Stephen Powers of CommonGround. Mangold played his first two holes in 3 under par.

Though he hasn’t won the CGA Mid-Amateur, Axlund has finished in the top 10 five staight years, including posting four top-5s.

Also among the 15 players who broke par on Friday were past champions Michael Harrington of Garden of the Gods Club (69) and three-time winner Jon Lindstrom of Lakewood Country Club (70), along with Nick Nosewicz of Meadow Hills Golf Course (69), who won the 2015 CGA Match Play at CommonGround.

In the new Super Mid-Amateur Division for players 40 and older, Harrington, the 2014 CGA Player of the Year, leads the way with his 69, while Lindstrom and Michael Slutzsky of Cherry Hills Country Club are next best, at 70. Since the same tees are used for everyone in the championship, the Senior Mid-Ams can still contend for the overall title.

Keith Humerickhouse of Glenwood Springs Golf Club, who won this CGA Mid-Am four straight times starting in 2010, struggled to an 81 on Friday.

The championship will continue through Sunday, with a cut to the top 40 players and ties coming after Saturday’s second round.

For all the scores from the CGA Mid-Amateur, CLICK HERE.
 

The 54-hole event is set for Friday through Sunday (Sept. 28-30). An 84-man field is planned, and the top 40 players and ties after two rounds will advance to Sunday’s action.

Let’s run down some of the top entrants according to their past performance in the event:

— Defending champion Chris Thayer of Golden has two wins and two seconds at the Mid-Am in the last four years.

— Jon Lindstrom of Lakewood Country Club owns three titles (2008, ’15 and ’16) and finished third last year.

— Keith Humerickhouse of Glenwood Springs Golf Club won the Mid-Am four consecutive years (2010-13), becoming just the third player in history to captured the same CGA championship four times in a row.

— Steve Irwin of Lakewood CC has claimed the Mid-Am title twice (2003 and ’05) and contended on numerous other occasions.

— As for those who have yet to win the Mid-Am, Ryan Axlund of Valley Country Club has certainly been impressive, with five consecutive top-10s, including four top-5s. He placed third last year.

And those are by no means the only players who could be in the hunt for the championship come Sunday. There’s 2009 winner Michael Harrington, the 2014 CGA Player of the Year; former Colorado State University golfer Dominic Kieffer; Nick Nosewicz, who won the 2015 CGA Match Play at CommonGround; 2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur qualifier Matt Evelyn; 2008 CGA Amateur champion Jonathan Marsico; and Jeff Chapman.

The list goes on and on.

All told, the winner of every CGA Mid-Am since 2007 — when Robert Polk prevailed — is in the field this weekend.

And this year’s tournament at CommonGround has a new twist. For the first time, players who are 40 and older will also be entered in a Super Mid-Amateur competition. And since the same tees will be used for everyone at CommonGround, those older players can still contend for the overall title.

For Friday’s tee times at CommonGrond, CLICK HERE.

The two-time CGA Mid-Amateur champion from Golden was involved in a playoff on Monday morning in Charlotte, N.C., to determine the final players to make match play at the U.S. Mid-Amateur.

And, with 16 golfers going for 12 spots, the chances appeared good for Thayer. After six players punched their tickets to match play with either birdies or pars on the first extra hole — and two golfers were eliminated with first-hole double bogeys — it was down to eight for two spots.

But Thayer sealed his fate with a second straight bogey in the playoff as six of the remaining golfers made par and advanced to match play.

Thayer had shot rounds of 73-74 over the weekend to tie for 53rd place out of 264 in the stroke-play portion of the event.

Thayer will now return to Colorado to defend his title Friday through Sunday at the CGA Mid-Amateur at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora.

The Mid-Amateur is limited to players 25 and older.

Here are the round-by-round scores for the Coloradans who competed at the U.S. Mid-Amateur:

Failed to Advance to Match Play
Chris Thayer, Golden 73-74–147
Michael Harrington, Colorado Springs 74-76–150
Matt Evelyn, Denver 75-79–154
Brian Dorfman, Denver 84-76–160

For complete results, CLICK HERE.
 

Of the four Colorado residents who started the event, one — Chris Thayer of Golden — has a chance to advance. The two-time CGA Mid-Amateur champion finished tied for 53rd in the stroke-play portion of the championship. But considering that 16 players share that spot, and that only 64 golfers will make match play, a 16-for-12 playoff will determine who will make the bracket.

Thayer shot a 3-over-par 74 Sunday at Charlotte Country Club to post a 36-hole total of 5-over 147. Thayer made four birdies, five bogeys and a double bogey on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Michael Harrington of Colorado Springs (150 total), Matt Evelyn of Denver (154) and Brian Dorfman of Denver (160) saw their national championship end after two rounds of stroke play.

Stephen Behr of Florence, S.C., earned stroke-play medalist honors in the 264-man event, at 5-under 137.

After Monday’s playoff, the first round of match play will be conducted.

The Mid-Amateur is limited to players 25 and older.

Here are the round-by-round scores for the Coloradans competing at the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur:

53. Chris Thayer, Golden 73
Failed to Advance to Match Play
MC. Michael Harrington, Colorado Springs 74-76–150
MC. Matt Evelyn, Denver 75-79–154
MC. Brian Dorfman, Denver 84-76–160

For complete results, CLICK HERE.
 

But for the 2018 national championship for male golfers 25 and older, four golfers from the Centennial State are figuratively holding the Colorado flag.

After Saturday’s opening round of the U.S. Mid-Am at Charlotte Country Club and Carolina Golf Club in North Carolina, two Coloradans are in position to make match play, while one other player is in the mix.

The top 64 golfers — out of 264 — after 36 holes of stroke play will earn spots in match play, which begins on Monday.

Chris Thayer (left) of Golden, a two-time CGA Mid-Amateur champion, led the way for the Colorado contingent by shooting a 2-over-par 73 at Carolina Golf Club, which left him in a share of 46th place. Thayer — who made four birdies, a bogey, a double bogey and a triple bogey — trails stroke-play co-leaders Stewart Hagestad of Newport Beach, Calif., and Bradford Tilley of Easton, Conn., by six.

Also in the top 64 after day 1 is 2014 CGA Player of the Year Michael Harrington of Colorado Springs, who posted a 74 and shares 63rd place. Harrington carded an eagle, two birdies, four bogeys and a triple bogey at Carolina Golf Club on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Matt Evelyn of Denver opened with a 75 and Brian Dorfman of Denver with an 84, both also at Carolina Golf Club.

Stroke play concludes on Sunday.

U.S. MID-AMATEUR
At Charlotte CC and Carolina Golf Club
46. Chris Thayer, Golden 73
63. Michael Harrington, Colorado Springs 74
91. Matt Evelyn, Denver 75
253. Brian Dorfman, Denver 84

For complete results, CLICK HERE.
 

The next day in North Palm Beach, Fla., friend Robbie Wight of West Palm Beach punched his ticket to the national Mid-Am.

With that, the two golfers were subsequently in contact with Matt Evelyn of Denver, Danny’s brother and Wight’s friend. “They’re like, ‘We’re making a practice round (plan for the U.S. Mid-Am) for a threesome and you’re the third so you’ve got to get in,'” Matt Evelyn noted.

And on Tuesday at Lone Tree Golf Club, Matt did just that, living up to his end of the bargain. The 33-year-old who plays out of Bear Creek Golf Club shot a 2-under-par 70 and scored one of the four spots available for the national championship that is limited to players 25 and older.

“It’s awesome,” he said of making the grade, particularly under the circumstances. “I’m ecstatic I got in. I’m looking forward to this.”

Out of a field that orginally numbered 84, all four qualifiers on Tuesday were from Colorado. Joining Evelyn were medalist Chris Thayer of Golden (2-under-par 68 at Lone Tree), Brian Dorfman of Denver (71) and Michael Harrington of Colorado Springs (71). (The qualifiers are pictured, from left: Thayer, Evelyn, Dorfman and Harrington.)

It will be the fifth U.S. Mid-Amateur — and 12th USGA championship — for Harrington, the second Mid-Am for Thayer, and the first for both Evelyn and Dorfman. Thayer is a two-time and Harrington a one-time CGA Mid-Amateur champion. Dorfman won the CGA Match Play in 2012 and was a semifinalist in that event this year.

Thayer, playing in the final group of the day on Tuesday, made five birdies, with the only blemish on his card being a bogey on No. 18, where he missed a 5-foot par putt.

Indeed, all of the qualifiers stumbled a bit coming in on Tuesday. Evelyn bogeyed the 17th hole before parring 18. Dorfman double bogeyed 17 but birdied 18. And Harrington hit a ball out of bounds and triple bogeyed 17 before parring 18. But it didn’t change the bottom line — qualifying for the national championship — for any of them.

For Thayer, it’ll be his second U.S. Mid-Am since 2016, and he advanced to the match play round of 64 two years ago. He’s also competed in a U.S. Amateur and a U.S. Junior Am.

“It feels really good,” the 38-year-old said of qualifying for another national championship. “I think I’m going to feel more comfortable at it after making match play two years ago. I got beat in the first round but played well. That’s kind of how it goes. It’s good to play in these. … There’s obviously a ton of good players at the Mid-Am.”

Thayer has been named the CGA Mid-Amateur Player of the Year each of the past three seasons, while Harrington was both the overall CGA Player of the Year and the Mid-Am POY in 2014.

Now 46, Harrington last competed in a USGA championship in 2015 as he played very little golf in 2016 and ’17 due to elbow surgery and a job change. But the Colorado Springs resident is 100 percent now and has proven he can make noise at the U.S. Mid-Am, having advanced to match play in each of his previous four trips to the event, and making it as far as the quarterfinals once and the round of 16 on another occasion.

“I feel like I’m just as good today as I was years ago,” he said. “My wedge play is better. I’m a better driver of the ball. I’m hitting my irons good. My short game is probably not quite as good as it was back then, but I feel like it’s coming around. I went two years without playing very much. I’m just a little bit off.

“But I really feel like my game is in good shape and I feel I have room for improvement. I’ve shot some very low rounds recently, but I feel like I could have been a couple lower. So I know there’s still more room there.”

On Tuesday, Harrington carded six birdies and was 4 under par through 16 before his problems at 17.

“For me, my mind was pretty solid for 16 holes today,” he said. “You have that charging mentality in your head. ‘Go make birdies, go make birdies, go make birdies.’ That’s a fun way to play. I’d make a par and be a little bit disappointed.”

While Harrington’s six birdies on Tuesday were impressive, Dorfman really went to town, making birdie eight times without ever having seen the course before Tuesday. Playing in the same threesome as Evelyn and 2017 U.S. Mid-Am qualifying medalist Ryan Axlund of Denver, Dorfman shot under par despite two double bogeys and three bogeys.

“I’d never played the golf course before, so I was a little bit lost,” the 28-year-old from Cherry Creek Country Club said. “But it helped having Matt playing really well so I could kind of feed off of him.

“I’m so excited. I’ve never played in a Mid-Am. Playing golf with mid-ams is one of my favorite things. I’m really looking forward to go play.”

Tuesday marked just the second tournament Dorfman has competed in in 2018, following the CGA Match Play.

“I play once a week” in casual rounds, he said. “I wish I could more. Now I may have an excuse to play a little more. I’m going to gear it up a little — definitely.”

Evelyn, meanwhile, went birdie-eagle on the fourth and fifth holes on Tuesday to spark his round. On the 554-yard fifth hole, he hit an 8-iron second shot from 197 yards to 40 feet and sank the eagle putt. But he also three-putted four times, accounting for all of his bogeys and keeping him from potentially claiming medalist honors.

Nevertheless, Evelyn is headed for his first USGA championship after losing out in a playoff in this qualifying tournament last year and being the first alternate.

“This is something I’ve always wanted to do,” said Evelyn, who has won a couple of club championships at Bear Creek Golf Club. “It’s really special.”

On Tuesday, Jeff Chapman of Lone Tree eagled the fifth hole of a three-man playoff to earn the first alternate position after bogeying his final hole of regulation to shoot 72. Jason Browder of Gunnison bogeyed the seventh hole for the second alternate spot.

Amazingly, Chapman was also in the first alternate in U.S. Mid-Am qualifying in 2016 and 2013 and was the second alternate in 2015. He qualified for the national Mid-Am in 2012.

Next year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur will be played at Colorado Golf Club in Parker.

U.S. Mid-Amateur Qualifying
At Par-72 Lone Tree GC
ADVANCE TO U.S. MID-AM
Chris Thayer, Golden 34-34–68
Matt Evelyn, Denver 35-35–70
Brian Dorfman, Denver 36-35–71
Michael Harrington, Colorado Springs 34-37–71
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Jeff Chapman, Lone Tree 35-37–72
Jason Browder of Gunnison 38-34–72

For all the scores from Tuesday, CLICK HERE.
 

But in the bigger picture, it shouldn’t be forgotten that the 2019 U.S. Mid-Am national championship will be held at Colorado Golf Club in Parker, with CGA-owned CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora serving as the second course for the stroke-play portion of the event. The dates for that championship are Sept. 14-19, 2019.

For the record, that will be just the second U.S. Mid-Am — which is limited to players 25 and older — ever conducted in Colorado, with Cherry Hills Country Club having hosted the 1983 championship.

As for this year, Charlotte will host the U.S. Mid Am Sept. 22-27. At Tuesday’s qualifying tournament, the 78 contestants will be vying for four spots in the national championship.

Several players who competed in the 2017 U.S. Mid-Am are in the Lone Tree field. That includes five-time national Mid-Am qualifier — and three-time CGA Mid-Amateur champion — Jon Lindstrom, who went to the match play round of 64 last year; 2017 Colorado-based qualifying medalist Ryan Axlund; Pete Mangold; and Walter Koelbel.

Also scheduled to play on Tuesday are 2012 CGA Match Play champion and 2018 Match Play semifinalist Brian Dorfman; 2014 and 2017 CGA Mid-Amateur winner Chris Thayer; four-time CGA Mid-Am champ Keith Humerickhouse; two-time U.S. Amateur qualifier Kyle Danford; 2014 CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year Michael Harrington; Denver City Amateur champion Jeff Chapman; and Alex Kephart.

For Tuesday’s pairings at Lone Tree, CLICK HERE.