Joining the list of competitors for the Open — which will award $100,000 to the winner — via Thursday’s qualifier at Legacy Ridge Golf Course in Westminster were Jon Kuzava of Littleton (3-under-par 68), amateur Braden Bentley of Colorado Springs (69), University of Northern Colorado golfer Li Chen of Broomfield (70), Andy Connell of Denver (70), Chase Nathe of Windsor (70) and Ryan Schmitz of Greenwood Village (70).

Kuzava advanced to U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying this year and Connell last year. Chen competed in last year’s U.S. Amateur.

Three players — Steve LeBrun of Royal Palm Beach, Fla., John Hurley of Tomball, Texas and David Muttitt of Albuquerque, N.M. — shared medalist honors on Thursday with 4-under-par 67s.

The final qualifying tournament for the Colorado Open will be Monday at Legacy Ridge. The Open itself is set for July 26-29 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver.

For all the scores from Thursday, CLICK HERE.
 

In the third of the four qualifiers for the Open, Coloradans advancing were Jason Holley of Englewood and Ethan Castle of Denver (co-medalists with Bardgett and Texan Cole Howard at 5-under-par 66), Trevor McKune of Littleton (68), Cameron Freeman of Fort Collins (69), Jacob Lestishen of Lone Tree (69) and Blake Mitchell of Loveland (70). Mitchell and Keith Greene of Debary, Fla., prevailed in a four-man playoff for the final two Open berths.

In all, 14 players qualified for the $250,000 Open, which runs July 20-23 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver.

In addition to the aforementioned, punching their tickets were Brent Grant of Honolulu (67), Patrick Wilson of Andover, N.J. (67), Ty Capps of Palm Coast, Fla. (68), Jeffrey Evanier of Weston, Conn. (68) and Ryan McCormick of Middletown, N.J. (69).

The final Colorado Open qualifier will be held on Monday, also at Legacy Ridge.

For scores from Thursday’s qualifier, CLICK HERE.

For roundups from previous Colorado Open qualifiers, click on the following: FIRST, SECOND.
 

Other Coloradans making the grade for the $250,000 Open, which runs July 20-23 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver, were amateur Grant Rogers of Boulder (70) and amateur Sam Nichamin of Avon (71). Nichaman was part of a 10-man playoff — that eventually went six holes — for the final seven spots into the Open.

Also advancing to next week’s Open were Brooklin Bailey of Waco, Texas (68), Dusty Fielding of Richfield, Utah (69), Justin Keiley of Haiku, Hawaii (70), Caston Roberts of Gilbert, Ariz. (70), Nicholas Shanahan of Scottsdale, Ariz. (70), former Coloradan John Buffalo of Las Vegas (71), Eric Frazzetta of Long Beach, Calif. (71), Jere Pelletier of El Paso, Texas (71), Craig McCoy of Plano, Texas (71), former Colorado Open runner-up Steve Schneiter of Sandy, Utah (71) and Zach Cabra of McKinney, Texas (71).

Other qualifying tournaments are set for Thursday and Monday at Legacy Ridge Golf Course in Westminster.

For scores from Tuesday’s qualifier, CLICK HERE.

For a roundup from the first Colorado Open qualifier, CLICK HERE.