Eighth-seeded Jack Hughes of Aspen defeated top-seeded Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins, winner of last week’s Junior America’s Cup, 5 and 3 in Tuesday afternoon’s quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, 12th-seeded Tyler Severin of Johnstown topped fourth-seeded Connor Jones of Westminster, 3 and 2. And Christopher Kennedy of Aurora, who played in the U.S. Junior Amateur earlier this month, beat second-seeded Jake Welch, winner of the 2018 Colorado Junior Amateur, 3 and 1.

Jack Castiglia of Lakewood, runner-up in this event last year, kept some semblance of order by defeating 11th-seeded Ty Findlow of Lone Tree, 7 and 5.

In Wednesday morning’s semifinals, Hughes will face Severin and Kennedy will meet Castiglia.

On the girls side, most of the favorites made the final four on Tuesday by winning two matches. That includes top-seeded Lauren Lehigh of Loveland, No. 2 Hailey Schalk of Erie and No. 4 Charlotte Hillary of Englewood, along with No. 6 Kaylee Chen of Denver. In the semis, Lehigh will face Hillary and Schalk will play the 14-year-old Chen.

In perhaps the best matchup of Tuesday’s girls quarterfinals, Hillary defeated Katie Berrian of Castle Rock, winner of the girls title in the Colorado Junior Amateur earlier this month, 3 and 2. Hillary is fresh off making the match play round of 32 at the California Women’s Amateur Championship.

Earlier in the day, Hillary beat Natasha Brandy McClain of Denver 9 and 8.

Lehigh and Schalk were teammates — along with Kelsey Webster of Boulder and Emma Bryant of Aurora — last week on the Colorado squad that finished fifth out of 18 at the Girls Junior Americas Cup at Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen. And Hillary and Schalk were partners that made the round of 32 at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball in late April. Schalk won the Colorado Junior Match Play title in 2016.

At the conclusion of Wednesday morning’s boys and girls semifinals, the winners will meet in the afternoon for the Junior Match Play titles.

For the Colorado Junior Match Play brackets, click on the following: BOYS, GIRLS.
 

Stewart appeared to be on his way to advancing to match play 10 holes into his second round of the stroke-play portion of the championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J. At 1 over par for the day and 4 over par for the tournament, he was well inside the top 64, which is the number of players that would make match play.

Then the rain came and a long weather delay ensued (see USGA photo), and when Stewart resumed his round, things went awry. The 2018 AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior champion bogeyed four times in a five-hole stretch starting at No. 11 on the Upper Course and ended up missing the cut by one.

Stewart shot a 5-over-par 76 on Tuesday, giving him an 8-over 149 total, which left him in 70th place. The golfers at 148 ended up playing off for the final match play berths. Stewart finished the day with two birdies, five bogeys and a double bogey.

Also falling short of advancing to match play on Tuesday was the other Coloradan in the field, Christopher Kennedy of Aurora, who finished at 155 and in 119th place after rounds of 76-79. Kennedy played his final 10 holes of the championship in even-par.

Here are the scores for the Coloradans who competed this week:

Failed to Make Match Play
70. Dillon Stewart, Fort Collins 73-76–149
“¨119. Christopher Kennedy, Aurora 76-79–155″¨

For all the scores from Baltusrol, CLICK HERE.
 

Stewart, the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior champion, stands in 51st place out of the 156-golfer field at historic Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J.

The top 64 players after Tuesday’s second stroke play round will move to match play starting on Wednesday.

Stewart (pictured) was 5 over par after 10 holes on the Lower Course — having made three bogeys and a double bogey — but rallied down the stretch, playing his final eight holes in 2 under. He birdied the 14th and 17th holes.

Meanwhile, the other Coloradan in the field, Christopher Kennedy of Aurora, opened with a 76 on Monday, which put him in 101st place. He made two birdies — both on par-3s — in addition to four bogeys and two double bogeys.

Kelly Chinn of Great Falls, Va., and Australian Karl Vilips were the stroke play co-leaders after matching 66s on Monday.

Here are the scores for the Coloradans competing:

Dillon Stewart, Fort Collins 73″¨
Christopher Kennedy, Aurora 76″¨

For all the scores from Baltusrol, CLICK HERE.
 

Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins, winner of this month’s AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior, and Christopher Kennedy of Aurora both eagled the 18th hole and matched 4-under-par 68s to share medalist honors out of a 79-player qualifying field at Buffalo Run.

The two joined Andrew Rodriguez of The Woodlands, Texas (69) in punching their tickets to Baltusrol in Springfield, N.J., host of many major championships over the years. The dates for the national tournament are July 16-21. (The qualifiers are pictured, from left: Rodriguez, Stewart and Kennedy.)

Stewart actually eagled two of his last eight holes on Tuesday, making a 40-footer on No. 11 and a 5-footer on No. 18.

“I was coming down 18 and Calvin McCoy’s caddie wondered if I wanted to know where I was at (relative to the qualifying number),” Stewart said. “I said, ‘No, I’m just going to play it and see where I finish up at the end when I sign the card.’

“I had 238 (yards) to the pin. I hit a 4-iron to 5 feet and made eagle. Looking back on it, it was a clutch shot to get it real close and make the putt for eagle.”

Kennedy, playing more than an hour earlier, eagled his final hole from 10 feet after making four birdies and two bogeys earlier. The 68 was the best score ever for the Smoky Hill senior-to-be.

“My tee shot took a joyride on the cart path (on 18). It was sitting on the cart path with 155 yards left to the green,” Kennedy noted. “Then I hit 9-iron to 10 feet for eagle.

“In a big qualifier with all the pressure around and with how big and competitive the field is, it’s a really great feeling (to advance).

“I feel like this is the biggest qualifier I have ever played in — topping the other ones combined. Not only was I co-medalist, I shot my career best, so it’s kind of a double bonus.”

Stewart, a Fossil Ridge student who has verbally committed to play his college golf at Oklahoma State starting in the fall of 2019, had Colorado State University golfer AJ Ott caddying for him on Tuesday. It was just last Friday that Ott won the CGA Match Play title, and with him on the bag, Stewart made three birdies and three bogeys in addition to his two eagles.

“We’re both out at Ptarmigan, and he’s kind of been a mentor to me,” Stewart said of Ott. “I learn from his mistakes and he’s showed me the ropes a little bit in junior golf and what to expect in college. We’re pretty good buddies.”

So what does going to the U.S. Junior Amateur mean to Stewart?

“It means a lot because I’ve qualified for pretty much everything else (for juniors nationally) — the Junior PGA last year, the IMG (Junior Worlds) several times …,” he said. “I’ve fallen short a few times in this tournament and I’m glad I got it done. I feel like I’ve been knocking on the door the last few years. It feels good to finally get this one.”

Rodriguez, meanwhile, finished the day with five birdies and two bogeys.

Davis Bryant of Aurora, who qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2015 and ’17, fell short of earning a third berth as he shot a 71. Bryant has won the last four Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado majors in which he’s competed.

Also failing to qualify after competing in last year’s U.S. Junior Am was TJ Shehee of Mead, who carded a 75 on Tuesday.

U.S. Junior Amateur Qualifying

At Par-72 Buffalo Run GC in Commerce City
ADVANCE TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Christopher Kennedy, Aurora 68
Dillon Stewart, Fort Collins 68
Andrew Rodriguez, The Woodlands, Texas 69
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Jack Castiglia, Lakewood 70
Matthew Denton, Austin, Texas 70

For all the scores from Monday, CLICK HERE.