The fall portion of the college golf season wrapped up last week for the Division I programs based in Colorado.

There were plenty of highlights for teams and players with major connections to the Centennial State and, probably not coincidentally, many of those superlatives took place in tournaments held in Colorado.

As we enter intermission for a 2018-19 season that won’t resume in earnest until February in most cases — or late January at least — we’ll revisit some of the top local moments from the fall Division I schedule:

— The University of Colorado men’s squad claimed two team titles in September — at the season-opening Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational at the Air Force Academy, and at their own Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational in Erie.

— Not to be outdone, the Colorado State University men also won twice team-wise in the fall. The Rams claimed their fifth straight title as they hosted the Ram Masters Invitational in Fort Collins, then prevailed in winter-like conditions at the Paintbrush Invitational in Parker.

— On the women’s side, CSU accomplished a momentous feat by earning a team victory at a major invitational for the first time in over eight years. It came at the University of Denver’s Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate in Highlands Ranch, the Rams’ third tournament under new head coach Laura Cilek.

— At that same event, CSU junior Ellen Secor claimed the first individual victory of her college career. Secor subsequently was named the Mountain West Conference’s Women’s Golfer of the Month for October. And notably, one of the two players who tied for second in Highlands Ranch, a stroke behind Secor, was CSU’s Katrina Prendergast, Secor’s teammate when the two won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball national championship in May. (The two are pictured, with Secor at left.)

— Kyler Dunkle, who grew up in Colorado and won the CGA Amateur in August, had a stellar fall individually as a senior at Utah. Dunkle won the individual title at the Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational for the second straight year. And this time, it was his second college win in eight days. Dunkle finished the fall with three top-four finishes.

— Also at CU’s Simpson Invitational, Buffs sophomore Trevor Olkowski technically tied for the individual title — and it will go down as a victory — though Dunkle beat him in a playoff by making a 6-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole. (Below, Olkowski is pictured with Dunkle, in the red shirt.)

— Junior Daniel O’Loughlin, a CU teammate of Olkowski, recorded an outright individual victory at the season opener at the Air Force Academy. O’Loughlin notched four top-10 finishes in five fall tournaments.

— One of the more remarkable performances of the fall was by CSU freshman Oscar Teiffel, from Sweden. In a final round of the Paintbrush Invitational in which temperatures hovered in the mid-30s and it was snowing more than a little, Teiffel carded a stellar 5-under-par 67 at Colorado Golf Club. The three-stroke victory was the first for Teiffel in his young college career.

Add up all of the above, and local schools recorded five team victories in the fall, and local players posted six individual wins — or, in Olkowski’s case, a tie for first.

— Junior Robyn Choi, the top player for the CU women, didn’t manage an individual victory in the fall, but certainly made a few runs at it. In all, she had three top-six finishes in three fall tournaments. And, perhaps most impressively, she earned her LPGA card for 2019 by finishing 45th in the final stage of Q-school, the Q-Series.

— Coby Welch, a junior at the University of Northern Colorado who went to the U.S. Amateur in August, had a strong fall, notching three top-five individual finishes — all coming in Colorado. He was third at both the Gene Miranda and Ram Masters, and fifth at the Paintbrush Invite.

— Freshmen had the top two stroke averages for CSU in the fall: Teiffel (70.77) and Aurora resident Davis Bryant (72.13).

— Mary Weinstein of Highlands Ranch, a junior at the University of Denver, shot a program-record 8-under-par 64 to close out the Golfweek Conference Challenge at the Fazio Course at Red Sky Golf Club in Wolcott. The stellar final round gave Weinstein her best individual finish — third place — since transferring from Regis to DU in the summer of 2017.

— Luke Trujillo, a freshman from Colorado Springs, leads the Air Force Academy golf team in stroke average after the fall season with a 74.4 norm.

— Beah Cruz, a sophomore from Vacaville, Calif., recorded two top-10 individual finishes for the University of Northern Colorado women in the fall — a sixth and a ninth.

— Meanwhile, in a matter not directly related to performance, this season a DU women’s player is carrying a golf bag at each tournament that honors Danny Dietz, a Navy Seal and former Littleton resident who was killed in combat in 2005 during the war in Afghanistan. Coach Lindsay Kuhle went to Heritage High School with Dietz, knows his family, and came up with the idea to pay tribute to Dietz through the Folds of Honor Foundation program. Dietz’s story was part of the book and movie “Lone Survivor”.

Below are the rankings for the Colorado-based NCAA Division I teams as of the end of the fall season (updated Nov. 14):

Men
Colorado State ( 47th Golfstat, 51st Golfweek)
Colorado (73rd Golfstat, 81st Golfweek)
Northern Colorado (118th Golfstat, 122nd Golfweek)
Denver (137th Golfstat, 149th Golfweek)
Air Force Academy (203rd Golfstat, 204th Golfweek)

Women
Colorado (36th Golfweek, 42nd Golfstat)
Colorado State (69th Golfstat, 74th Golfweek)
Denver (79th Golfweek, 81st Golfstat)
Northern Colorado (149th Golfstat, 150th Golfweek)

And here are the rankings of local players in the top 250 in the nation:

Men
91. Longtime Coloradan Kyler Dunkle, Utah (Golfweek)
110. Daniel O’Loughlin, CU (Golfstat)
118. Oscar Teiffel, CSU (Golfweek)
120. Coby Welch, UNC (Golfstat)
189. Davis Bryant, CSU (Golfweek)
238. Trevor Olkowski, CU (Golfstat)

Women
11. Robyn Choi, CU (Golfstat)
57. Coloradan Jennifer Kupcho, Wake Forest (Golfweek)
72. Kirsty Hodgkins, CU (Golfweek)
87. Mary Weinstein, DU (Golfweek)
97. Former Coloradan Elizabeth Wang, Harvard (Golfweek)
192. Katrina Prendergast, CSU (Golfstat)
 

Colorado State University men’s golf coach Christian Newton didn’t mince words or equivocate when asked about the performance of freshman Oscar Teiffel in brutal weather conditions this week at Colorado Golf Club in Parker.

“That’s the best competitive round I’ve ever seen — under pressure, playing for the lead, shoot 67 in blowing snow and 35 degrees. That’s as good as I’ve ever seen,” Newton said.

And it’s hard to argue.

Teiffel shot a 5-under-par 67 on a very tough golf course with snow flying and temperatures in the mid-30s to win the individual title at the Paintbrush Invitational at Colorado Golf Club.

And to add to the accomplishment, Teiffel and the Rams (pictured below) also took home the team title while competing against a field that included three Pac-12 Conference schools, including the University of Colorado, which has won twice already this season.

Like CU, CSU has now claimed two team titles in the fall portion of the schedule — one in a tournament it hosts and another in Colorado. The Rams won the Ram Masters Invitational in Fort Collins in September.

This one, though, likely will be etched indelibly in the memory of the CSU players and coaches, given the conditions. All three rounds were played in temperatures between 35-40 degrees, with snow adding an especially unusual element on Tuesday.

“I think it’s the toughest conditions I’ve ever played in,” said Teiffel, who hails from Sweden. “It was snowy for nine holes and it was super cold. I have like three pairs of pants on me right now.”

Teiffel finished with a remarkable — given the conditions — 10-under-par 206 total, which was good for a three-stroke victory. On Tuesday, when eight players shot in the 80s, his 67 was the only score below 70.

“I had no idea what to expect before I went out,” said Teiffel, who notched his second top-10 finish of the season in major tournaments. “At first I was thinking 3 over was going to be a good score. But I got into a good flow, made a few putts and played pretty good. I’m happy with my score.

“I knew it was going to be tough for everyone. I didn’t have any expectations of myself. I was just going to accept whatever happened.”

Teiffel’s victory marks the first individual win by a CSU player since Blake Cannon won two events in a row two years ago.

As for capturing a title so early in his college career, Teiffel said, “It feels fantastic. You don’t get wins very often in this sport. When you do it’s pretty special. To do that so quickly after coming over here to college is also pretty cool. It’s an individual sport, but you’re playing as a team and it’s nice to win as a team as well.”

Indeed, on two days that very few golfers would even consider playing, the Rams finished with a 6-over-par 870 total for three rounds, which earned them an eight-stroke team victory over Oregon.

“Today was one of the better rounds that I’ve ever seen out of a team,” Newton said of his CSU squad, which shot a 1-over 289 on Tuesday. “We preached resiliency this whole week. (The CSU players) did a wonderful job. I’m very proud of them.”

Perhaps it has something to do with the makeup of the five players who constituted the Rams’ team this week. Four of the five are from places where it’s not unusual for golfers to battle the elements. As noted, there was Teiffel (left) from Sweden. And then there were three Coloradans — AJ Ott, Davis Bryant and Jake Staiano. And Californian Cullen Plousha rounded things out.

“When it starts getting windy, rainy and this cold, I think it really gives us an advantage,” said Bryant, who like Teiffel is a freshman. “I know Oscar has played in a lot of weather like this. And Jake, me and AJ have in similar stuff to this throughout our time living in Colorado. So I think it definitely helped us. And we’re a tough team mentally.”

As for the aforementioned Coloradans, Ott (below) finished ninth individually at 1-over-par 217, while Bryant was 17th at 221 and Staiano 32nd at 227. But they weren’t the top Colorado resident on the final Paintbrush scoreboard. That honor went to the University of Northern Colorado’s Coby Welch, who placed fifth on Tuesday at 2-under 214.

Remarkably, Welch was 5 under par through 11 holes of Tuesday’s round, but bogeyed three of his last seven to shoot 70.

“I just keep going as if it weren’t snowing,” Welch said. “I keep playing. There’s nothing I can do about it. I try to stay as focused as I can.

“I’m very happy with (the finish). I felt like I played well. Everyone was going to miss some short putts because of the greens and the snow — and I missed a few of those — but that’s OK. I felt like I played well. I hit the ball well and my short game was very good at this tournament.”

It was Welch’s third top-five individual finish of the season, with all three coming in Colorado as he placed third in both the Ram Masters and the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational.

Meanwhile, Welch’s UNC squad placed an impressive third out the 12 teams at the Paintbrush. The Bears checked in at 19-over-par 883, 13 behind CSU. Joining Welch in the top dozen individually for UNC were Joshua Matz (sixth at 215) and Li Chen (12th at 219).

CU, meanwhile, tied for fourth at 887 in its fall season finale. Daniel O’Loughlin had another strong showing for the Buffs, placing sixth individually at 215.

The host University of Denver ended up 12th on Tuesday with a 929 total. DU’s Roy Kang, competing only as an individual this week, finished 10th individually at 218.

Teiffel became the second Scandinavian player to win the individual title in the two years the Paintbrush Invitational has been held. DU’s Petter Mikalsen, of Norway, claimed the top spot two years ago. Last year’s Paintbrush was canceled due to snow.

With the U.S. Mid-Amateur being held at Colorado Golf Club next September, the Paintbrush Invitational will take a one-year hiatus from the schedule before an anticipated return in 2020.

This year’s Paintbrush marks the seventh and final NCAA Division I invitational — men’s and women’s combined — that is being held in Colorado during the fall college season.

Paintbrush Invitational
Oct. 8-9, 2018 (final) at Colorado GC in Parker
1. (out of 12 teams) Colorado State 287-294-289–870
1. Oscar Teiffel 70-69-67–206
9. AJ Ott 73-74-70–217
17. Davis Bryant 71-76-74–221
32. Jake Staiano 74-75-78–227
39. Cullen Plousha 73-78-78–229
Competing Only as Individuals
25. Andrew Lafferty 80-71-73–224
30. Akedanai Ponghathaikul 74-75-77–226
47. Jack Ainscough 75-76-80–231

3. Northern Colorado 298-291-294–883
5. Coby Welch 71-73-70–214
6. Joshua Matz 73-70-72–215
12. Li Chen 73-70-76–219
60. Nick Sharp 81-78-79–238
68. Marcus Tait 90-78-76–244
Competing Only as Individual
23. Jack Castiglia 79-74-70–223

4. Colorado 295-293-299–887
6. Daniel O’Loughlin 69-70-76–215
17. Trevor Olkowski 74-73-74–221
28. Kristoffer Max 73-73-79–225
39. John Paterson 79-77-73–229
51. Ross Macdonald 79-78-76–233
Competing Only as Indivdual
17. Andre Leveque 77-73-71–221

12. Denver 312-309-308–929
30. Jun Ho Won 75-74-77–226
44. Esteban Missura 81-73-76–230
60. Cal McCoy 79-73-86–238
68. Carson Griggs 77-89-78–244
72. Jackson Solem 82-90-77–249
Competing Only as Individuals
10. Roy Kang 72-72-74–218
32. Eric Hagen 78-74-75–227
57. John Sand 83-76-76–235

Also
39. Coloradan Tyler Severin, Wyoming 76-78-75–229
 
For complete results, CLICK HERE.

CSU has won the Ram Masters team title four consecutive years, and it appears primed to make it five in a row.

The Rams posted a stellar 14-under-par 266 total in round 2 on Monday afternoon at Fort Collins Country Club to open up an 11-stroke lead in the 17-team event.

CSU, which set a tournament record with a 17-under-par total in last year’s Ram Masters, is already at 13-under 547 with one round remaining. Illinois State checks in second at 558.

The University of Northern Colorado shares third place with South Dakota at 568, while the University of Denver is in seventh place at 573 after its first day of competition for the season.

CSU has four players in the top 11 in the 96-player field. Parathakorn Suyasri holds second place at 6-under-par 134, which leaves him one back of leader Dan Starzinski of Wyoming. Three Colorado residents are also in the top 11 for CSU: Jake Staiano (136, third place after a second-round 65); AJ Ott (138, seventh place) and freshman Davis Bryant (139, 11th place).

Ott and Staiano finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in last year’s Ram Masters.

Meanwhile, Joshua Matz is leading the way for UNC at 138 (seventh place), while Coloradan Coby Welch checked in at 139 (11th place).

Pacing DU individually is freshman Cal McCoy (142, 19th place), another Colorado resident.

Also in Fort Collins: The host CSU women, in their season opener, sit in 10th place out of 13 teams after Monday’s opening round of the Ptarmigan Ram Classic at Ptarmigan Country Club in Fort Collins. The Rams shot a 17-over-par 305 and trail leader Boise State by 12. Northern Colorado stands in 12th place at 309. Haley Greb is leading CSU individually (16th place, 74), while Beah Cruz shares sixth place at 72 for UNC.
 

RAM MASTERS INVITATIONAL
Sept. 17-18, 2018 at Par-70 Fort Collins CC
1. (out of 17 teams) Colorado State 281-266–547
2. Parathakorn Suyasri 68-66–134
3. Jake Staiano 71-65–136
7. AJ Ott 72-68–140
11. Davis Bryant 72-67–139
27. Cullen Plousha 72-71–143
Competing Only as Individual
27. Jack Ainscough 71-72–143
42. Andrew Lafferty 74-71–145
42. Oscar Teiffel 75-70–145
61. Akedanai Ponghathaikul 74-74–148

3. Northern Colorado 288-280–568
7. Joshua Matz 68-70–138
11. Coby Welch 72-67–139
49. Marcus Tait 77-69–146
55. Li Chen 73-74–147
85. Jack Castiglia 75-78–153

7. Denver 288-285–573
19. Cal McCoy 70-72–142
27. Jun Ho Won 74-69–143
42. Esteban Missura 72-73–145
42. Carson Griggs 74-71–145
55. Jackson Solem 72-75–147
Competing Only as Individual
27. Roy Kang 71-72–143
42. Eric Hagen 73-72–145
80. John Sand 75-77–152

Also
19. John Paterson, Colorado 74-68–142
61. Andre Leveque, Colorado 73-75–148

For complete results, CLICK HERE.
 

PTARMIGAN RAM CLASSIC
Sept. 17-19, 2018 at Ptarmigan CC in Fort Collins
10. (out of 13 teams) Colorado State 305
16. Haley Greb 74
22. Jessica Sloot 75
41. Katrina Prendergast 78
41. Ellen Secor 78
60. Sydney Smith 81
Competing Only as Individual
55. Saga Traustadottir 80

12. Northern Colorado 309
6. Beah Cruz 72
27. Morgan Sahm 76
55. Marisa Hisaki 80
60. Nicole Polivchak 81
60. Aili Bundy 81
Competing Only as Individuals
55. Jenna Chun 80

Others
27. Coloradan Erin Sargent, Wyoming 76
55. Coloradan Sarah Hankins, Wyoming 80

For complete results, CLICK HERE.
 

Since then, it had been close but no cigar for the Buffs, who finished second twice and third three times at Eisenhower Golf Club. But on Sunday, they weren’t to be denied.

After trailing by one stroke after each of the first two rounds, CU overcame 2017 champion Wyoming to win by five at the 50th annual Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational. (The victorious team is pictured in a CU photo.)

It was the first outright team title for the Buffs in almost two years. CU technically tied for a championship last year at its own Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational, though Utah won a team playoff.

The Buffs also took home the individual title on Sunday as Daniel O’Loughlin, a junior from England, earned the top spot for his first individual college championship. 

CU, the Pac-12 runner-up last year, shot a 1-under-par 287 in Sunday’s final round at the Blue Course, posting a three-day total of 9-under 855, which was five better than Wyoming.

The Buffs dedicated the victory to recruit Oliver Jack, the 2016 3A state high school champion from Kent Denver, who is recovering after being involved in an auto accident in July. He’s deferred his enrollment at CU until the spring semester.

Host Air Force placed fourth on Sunday at 862, while Northern Colorado was sixth at 867.

CU put three players in the top five individually — O’Loughlin; and Trevor Olkowski of Grand Junction and Cole Krantz of Windsor, who tied for fifth place at 212. Krantz was competing only as an individual at Eisenhower.

Joining O’Loughlin and Olkowski on the Buffs’ victorious team were Ross Macdonald (216), Victor Bjorlow (220) and John Paterson (221).

O’Loughlin landed CU’s first outright individual title in a full-field Division I tournament since Philip Juel-Berg won this same event in 2015. In the interim, CU players have shared DI titles twice, won the three-team Ballyneal Challenge, and finished first in a Division II tournament. But this time O’Loughlin was alone atop the scoreboard in a 16-team DI event.

At the Falcon Invite, O’Loughlin was remarkably steady throughout the season-opening tournament, going 70-70-69 for a 7-under 209 total, which was one better than New Mexico State’s Tadhg Campbell. O’Loughlin, who birdied his final hole from 10 feet, finished the 54-hole event with 12 birdies and five bogeys.

“It feels good to finally win; being the first one is really special,” O’Loughlin told CUBuffs.com. “It’s such a big relief, and the team winning as well made it that much more special.”

Joining Olkowski and Krantz as Colorado residents who recorded top-five finishes on Sunday was UNC’s Coby Welch, who placed third at 211 after racking up 18 birdies for the week. In other words, he birdied 33 percent of his holes for the tournament.

Leading the way for Air Force was Joseph Crisostomo, who tied for fifth at 212 after closing with a 67, Sunday’s low round.

Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational
Sept. 7-9, 2018 (final) at Eisenhower GC at Air Force Academy

1. (out of 16 teams) Colorado 285-283-287–855
1. Daniel O’Loughlin 70-70-69–209
5. Trevor Olkowski 71-67-74–212
17. Ross Macdonald 74-71-71–216
36. Victor Bjorlow 71-75-74–220
41. John Paterson 73-75-73–221
Competing Only as Individuals
5. Cole Krantz 71-71-70–212
30. Wilson Belk 73-73-73–219
56. Anson Kuznik 76-74-74–224
76. Kristoffer Max 75-80-74–229

4. Air Force 288-288-286–862
5. Joseph Crisostomo 72-73-67–212
17. Andy Germann 74-67-75–216
17. Joshua Wu 69-74-73–216
36. Turner Howe 73-74-73–220
41. Tate Tatom 74-74-73–221
Competing Only as Individuals
23. Luke Trujillo 74-70-73–217
69. Colter Baca 74-78-75–227
82. Jonathan Farmer 73-82-78–233

6. Northern Colorado 292-283-292–867
3. Coby Welch 72-67-72–211
17. Li Chen 71-71-74–216
36. Joshua Matz 75-73-72–220
50. Marcus Tait 77-72-74–223
63. Jack Castiglia 74-77-74–221
Competing Only as Individual
76. Nick Sharp 77-74-78–229

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

For all the local Division I golf results, CLICK HERE.

The Texas A&M golfer (left) shot a 1-over-par 73 at Spyglass Hill on Monday, which left him in 43rd place out of 312 players after one round of the 36-hole stroke-play portion of the event.

The Loveland resident, who made three birdies and four bogeys in round 1, trails co-leader Trevor Phillips of Inman, S.C. and Daniel Hillier of New Zealand by five strokes (relative to par) heading into Tuesday. After 36 holes, the top 64 players will advance to match play.

The other players with strong Colorado connections will need to rally on Tuesday if they hope to keep competing at Pebble Beach more than two days.

CGA Amateur champion Kyler Dunkle, who lived in Parker until recently, opened with a 6-over-par 78 at Spyglass, putting him in 202nd place. Dunkle struggled over the first eight holes, going 5 over par, but went 1 over for his last 10.

Austin Hardman of Highlands Ranch made three birdies in a five-hole stretch on the back nine at Spyglass, but also posted three double bogeys, also en route to a 78.

Colorado State University golfers Cullen Plousha and AJ Ott shot 7-over-par 78 and 8-over 79, respectively, at Pebble Beach Golf Links. And, after being even par through his first eight holes at Spyglass, Coby Welch of Highlands Ranch went 10 over for his last 10 to shoot 82.

Here are the scores for the local players at the U.S. Amateur:

43. Dan Erickson of Loveland 73 (+1, SH)
202. Kyler Dunkle of Parker 78 (+6, SH)
202. Austin Hardman of Highlands Ranch 78 (+6, SH)
236. CSU golfer Cullen Plousha 78 (+7, PB)
256. AJ Ott of Fort Collins 79 (+8, PB)
283. Coby Welch of Highlands Ranch 82 (+10, SH)

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

But Dunkle, who has long called Parker and The Club at Pradera home, certainly went out on a high note.

In the same week the family home was sold, the 21-year-old claimed the CGA Amateur title on Sunday at Pinehurst Country Club in south Denver. And within the last five weeks, despite battling back problems, he’s also qualified in Fort Collins for the U.S. Amateur and finished ninth and earned low-amateur honors in the CoBank Colorado Open in Denver.

That’s what you call a run of good play.

“This feels great,” Dunkle said of winning the CGA Amateur. “It means a lot. It’s one of the bigger tournaments in Colorado that I had yet to make a run in. It’s fun. To have my name on the trophy with a lot of other really good players (including Hale Irwin, Steve Jones, Brandt Jobe, Bob Byman and Wyndham Clark), that will be a cool thing.

“Growing up in Colorado, this is the tournament that a lot of people want to win. This is where all the best players in the state play. So this definitely ranks up there near the top (of my golf accomplishments). I got to play with a bunch of really good players this week and it was really fun.”

Dunkle, who will soon be going into his final year on the University of Utah golf team, played nearly mistake-free golf on Sunday at the CGA Amateur, making just one bogey in shooting a 3-under-par 67. His 14-under 266 total for the week was good for a two-stroke victory.

“Really there wasn’t anything special about the (final) round,” Dunkle said. “It was just kind of keep plugging along and a couple of putts fell here and there. I wasn’t trying to force anything. I just stuck to my game plan. My dad(/caddie) and I talked about it every tee shot and hit driver as much as we could. We just went and found it and hit it from there.

“I had the same strategy the whole week. I was hitting driver as much as I could, trying to get as close to the green as I could (on par-4s and 5s). The thing that feels best (in my game) right now is my driver. The driver has always been a weapon because I hit the ball pretty far. Lately, I’ve been hitting it pretty straight and haven’t been getting into too much trouble. On a course like this that helped a lot because I was able to get pretty close to a lot of greens.”

It’s the third CGA championship for Dunkle, who has also won a CGA Western Chapter title and a CGA Parent/Child with dad Jason, who caddied for Kyler all this week at Pinehurst. Dunkle was also the CGA’s Les Fowler Player of the Year in 2016. (Kyler is pictured at top, and with Jason while walking off the 18th green on Sunday.)

University of Northern Colorado golfer Coby Welch, from The Links Golf Course, led by two after three rounds, and pulled even on Sunday with Dunkle with a 6-foot birdie putt on No. 15, where he very nearly holed out his approach shot.

But the par-5 16th proved pivotal. Welch’s tee shot ended up just in the right fairway bunker, but he had to stand outside of the sand, making for a somewhat-awkward approach from about 210 yards. He pulled the shot left of the green, then left his pitch short of the putting surface. His subsequent chip ran 15 feet by the hole, and when he missed that putt, he carded a bogey.

The long-hitting Dunkle, meanwhile, hit his second shot on the green, 40 feet past the flag, and two putted for birdie, accounting for a two-shot swing.

“I just got a little unlucky break (on 16),” said Welch (left). “The ball was 6 inches in the bunker right in front of the lip. I hit a decent shot out of there, then I got around the green and my short game got to me again. That’s been the case lately.

“I knew I could get that up and down (for birdie on 16). I’ve gotten (shots like that) up and down a thousand times. I didn’t have a great lie, but I hit two really bad chips. This tournament, I scored well, but my short game wasn’t very good.”

On 17, Dunkle’s tee shot finished well left of the green on the par-3, but he nestled his pitch down a slope to within two feet for par. He called that “one of the bigger moments for me.” And he made a routine par on 18 for the victory.

Welch, a former CGA Boys Junior Player of the Year, had made just one bogey combined on Friday and Saturday. But he had four on Sunday to go with three birdies, one of which was an improbable, big-breaking 60-footer on No. 10. He ended up shooting a 1-over-par 71 and finishing runner-up at 268.

“I didn’t play well. I didn’t clutch up when I needed to,” said Welch, who like Dunkle will play in the U.S. Amateur this month. “It’s unfortunate, but I just didn’t have my best today. I felt fine. To be honest I wasn’t even nervous. But I didn’t perform.

“You always want to finish first, but I’m glad Kyler won. He’s a good kid. If it wasn’t me, I’m glad it was him.”

Griffin Barela (left) of Bear Creek Golf Club made a run to get in contention, one stroke out of the lead with three holes left. But the University of Wisconsin golfer bogeyed the last three to shoot 69 and share third place at 271.

“Going into the day my goal was to try to get to 14 (under) to try to have a chance,” said Barela, who won a college tournament in April and finished 15th last Sunday at the CoBank Colorado Open. “I knew I was one back (after 15). Obviously I didn’t want to finish that way, but I’m happy with how I played this week. I wanted to give myself a chance to win, and I did that. Unfortunately it didn’t work out, but it happens.”

At that 271 figure with Barela were Tyler Zhang of Lone Tree Golf Club (bogey-free final-round 66) and former Colorado State University golfer Dominic Kieffer (67 despite bogeying the last two).

Former University of Denver golfer Chris Korte of Littleton, competing in his final amateur event, encountered considerable tree trouble on Sunday, leading to a triple bogey and two doubles in his final 10 holes. Despite five birdies, he shot 74 and shared sixth place at 273 with Michael Tait of Raccoon Creek Golf Course (final-round 70).

Sunday’s win adds to Dunkle’s list of notable victories in Colorado, which also includes earning the title at the 2017 Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational college tournament and the 2012 5A state high school meet. Dunkle started his college career at CSU before transferring to Utah.
He’ll live in Salt Lake City for the time being, but plans to continue to play tournaments in Colorado in the future, ideally if plans pan out to turn pro late next spring.

But for now, he’s concentrating on making a run at the U.S. Am, which begins on Aug. 13. And why not, considering the way he’s been performing on the golf course lately?

“I’m definitely in a groove. I’ve been playing really good since the beginning of June,” Dunkle said.
For scores from the CGA Amateur, CLICK HERE.

Coby Welch came ever so close to winning the Colorado Junior Amateur several years ago, but couldn’t quite close the deal.

The 20-year-old from Highlands Ranch (left) hopes to get over the hump in the CGA Amateur, the open-age version of the same tournament.

Meanwhile, former University of Denver golfer Chris Korte will attempt to go out on a high note in his amateur finale by winning the CGA Amateur for the second time.

And 2016 CGA Player of the Year Kyler Dunkle will try to make his outstanding summer of golf that much better by capturing the CGA Am title.

Those are the main three players in the spotlight after Saturday’s third round at Pinehurst Country Club in south Denver, though given the number of rounds of 65 or lower this week, there are others potentially within reach going into Sunday’s final 18.

Welch, the 2015 CGA Boys Junior Player of the Year from The Links Golf Course, grabbed the lead at Pinehurst on Saturday with his second straight round of 5-under-par 65, which leaves him at 13-under 197 overall.

“I’m just going to tee it up (Sunday) and play it like every other round I have,” said the University of Northern Colorado golfer. “We’ll see what happens at the end. If I play well, hopefully I’ll win. But it is golf.

“It would be very cool to be able to win this. I was close many times in the Junior Stroke and never capped it off. That would be cool to be able to do it now.”

Korte (left), who won this event in 2015 and the CGA Match Play in 2017, trails by two after a round of 68. He shot a 4-under 31 on the front nine, but went 2 over on the back despite making a 12-foot par save after being in the trees on No. 18 Saturday.

“I started out really hot and the game felt awesome,” the 21-year-old said. “The swing got a little loose on the back nine. I got out of trouble really well from behind some trees here and there, like 18 after punching out. But it was a pretty disappointing back nine. It was a grind for sure. The front nine felt super easy. Hopefully I’ll get more of that tomorrow.”

Also at 199 was 36-hole leader Dunkle, from The Club at Pradera, who three-putted twice in the final six holes to shoot 70. The University of Utah golfer went eagle-birdie-bogey on his final three holes. His 12-foot eagle on 16 came after a drive of more than 410 yards.

“I feel horrible,” said Dunkle, who made 19 birdies the first two days combined but just three on Saturday to go with the eagle. “I missed a lot of shots in really bad places. Out here, especially with some pins they had today, you had to be on the correct side the green if you weren’t going to be close. I put myself in some really tight spots and had hard chances at up and down, and my short game wasn’t where I wanted it to be.”

Both Dunkle (left) and Welch have qualified for this month’s U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach, while Dunkle was low-amateur at the CoBank Colorado Open last weekend. Korte, meanwhile, will be turning pro before the Web.com Tour Q-school starts late this month.

In other words it should make for an interesting final day at Pinehurst.

Korte is trying to become the first repeat winner of the CGA Amateur since Kane Webber (2002 and ’03).

“This is my final amateur event. I’m turning pro at the end of the month for Web.com Q-school,” Korte said. “It would be amazing to go out with a bang like that.”

To this point, only three players in the field have shot in the 60s every round this week — Korte (65-66-68), former Colorado State University golfer Dominic Kieffer (67-69-68) and Welch (67-65-65).

“I hit it really well today,” said Welch, whose only bogey in the last two rounds combined was due to a three-putt from 15 feet off the fringe on No. 12 Saturday. “I scored well. I didn’t really feel like I putted great. But I scored very well for the way I putted today. I hit the ball very well, so it kind of help even it out.”

Two other players maintained some hope at the title with 6-under-par 64s at Pinehurst on Saturday. Griffin Barela (left) of Bear Creek Golf Club stands at 202, while Michael Tait of Raccoon Creek Golf Course went bogey-free and checked in at 203.

So what should we expect from Sunday’s final round?

“This course can yield a lot of really low scores,” Dunkle said. “If the three of us (in the final group — Welch, Korte and Dunkle) don’t play the way we want to and someone else throws up a number … You can be within seven shots here and have a chance. I think it’s really anyone’s game. But it will be nice to play with the same guys I did today and knowing that we’re all close. I think it’s going to be really fun, really back and forth because all three of us have been playing pretty good this week. There’s lots of birdies being made.”

Added Korte: “Coby and Kyler are great players. Kyler bombs it and he hit it next to the greens on a lot of these par-4s and reaches all the par-5s, so he’s going to make a lot of birdies regardless. And Coby is a great player, so I’ve just got to go out not make mistakes and make a few putts and I think I’ll do just fine.” 

For scores from the CGA Amateur, CLICK HERE.

For Sunday’s tee times, CLICK HERE.

The 2016 CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year made nine birdies on Friday at the CGA Amateur, giving him a remarkable 19 for two rounds at Pinehurst Country Club in south Denver. To put that into perspective, the next-highest total to this point is a dozen.

And 3s are clearly wild for the University of Utah golfer, who has carded 20 of them in 36 holes.

Most importantly, Dunkle’s 6-under-par 64 on Friday gave the 21-year-old a two-stroke lead at the midway point of the CGA Amateur, one of the oldest and most prestigious golf championships in Colorado.

Dunkle, who finished ninth and claimed low-amateur honors in the CoBank Colorado Open on Sunday, sits at 11-under-par 129. On Friday, the 2018 U.S. Amateur qualifier had a bogey and a double bogey in addition to his nine birdies.

Chris Korte of Littleton, winner of the 2015 CGA Amateur and the 2017 CGA Match Play, backed up his first-round 65 with a 66 on Friday and trails Dunkle by two. The former University of Denver golfer, who placed 22th against a formidable field last week at the Pacific Coast Amateur in San Francisco, carded an eagle, three birdies and one bogey on Friday. That one bogey — which came on No. 7 Friday — is Korte’s only one in 36 holes.

University of Northern Colorado golfer Coby Welch, from The Links Golf Course, stands at 132. Welch, who like Dunkle has qualified for the U.S. Amateur, fired a bogey-free 65 on Friday that included five birdies.

Tyler Zhang of Lone Tree Golf Club is in fourth place at 135 after a 67. Sharing fifth at 136 are first-round leader and 2016 champion Colin Prater of The Broadmoor Golf Club (73 Friday) and Dominic Kieffer of Collindale Golf Course (69).

The field was cut from 84 to the low 40 players and ties after Friday’s second round, with the 42 players at 148 or better advancing to the weekend.

The 72-hole championship will continue through Sunday.

For scores from the CGA Amateur, CLICK HERE.

For Saturday’s tee times, CLICK HERE.

Qualifying for a U.S. Amateur is a big deal under any circumstances. Earning a spot in the championship for the first time adds considerably to the excitement. And doing it when the tournament is being hosted by historic and spectacularly scenic Pebble Beach Golf Links makes that excitement go off the charts.

That’s what Austin Hardman and Coby Welch, both of Highlands Ranch, along with Nick Costello of Austin, Texas, experienced Monday evening when they all punched their tickets to their first U.S. Am.

Pebble Beach, site of the 2019 U.S. Open, will be home to the U.S. Amateur Aug. 13-19, with Spyglass Hill serving as the second stroke-play course in the Monterey area of California.

“My grandparents used to live in Monterey, so Pebble is my favorite place on the entire planet, without question,” Hardman said. “I’m pretty excited about it for sure. This U.S. Amateur will definitely be the biggest tournament I’ve ever played in.

“I’ve played Pebble Beach (Golf Links) twice. It was a hit and giggle out there for six hours, which is the best six hours in my life.”

The three 20-year-old college golfers — Hardman just completed his second and final year at Mesa Community College in Arizona, Welch his second year at the University of Northern Colorado, and Costello his second year at the University of Texas — all advanced thanks to their performances Monday at Columbine Country Club in Columbine Valley. They’ll be part of a 312-man field at Pebble Beach. (The qualifiers are pictured above, from left: Hardman, Costello and Welch.)

Hardman (left) earned medalist honors in the 36-hole event, finishing at 6-under-par 138 after rounds of 70-68. Costello placed second at 139 (71-68) and Welch third at 141 (69-72) out of a field that originally numbered 84.

Hardman was 3 over par through his first five holes of the qualifier, but rallied and finished the day with 12 birdies and six bogeys.

Costello carded an eagle, nine birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey.

Welch, the 2015 Colorado Boys Junior Player of the Year, recorded an eagle, eight birdies, five bogeys and a double bogey. Welch becomes the second UNC golfer in two years to qualify for the U.S. Am as Li Chen made the grade last year.

It’s been a big week at the Welch house as Coby’s younger brother Jake won the boys division of the Colorado Junior Amateur on Wednesday.

“It’s pretty cool,” said Coby (lower left), winner of the 2016 Colorado Mark Simpson Invitational college tournament. “(Jake) played really well. Good for him. I’m glad he did that.”

And now Coby, who’s previously competed in the U.S. Junior Am, will give the U.S. Amateur a shot.

“It will be awesome,” said Coby, who had to sweat out his position after playing his final six holes in 3 over par. “I’ve never been there (to Pebble Beach), so it’ll be great. I played in the Junior Am, so I like making the U.S. Am.”

With pin positions set up a little more difficult than recent years at Columbine, a score that forced a playoff last year (138) was medalist this time around. But to earn that honor this year was quite a feat for Hardman, considering he had to play his final 31 holes in 9 under par to get there.

“This is going to sound cliche, but after I was 3 over after five holes, my caddie and I kept saying, ‘It’s a marathon, not a sprint,'” said Hardman, who finished 11th in this year’s Junior College Division II national championship. Hardman will be transferring to a new NAIA program, Ottawa University Arizona, for the new school year.

Costello, a veteran of two U.S. Junior Amateurs, only came to this U.S. Amateur qualifier because he made it into a tournament that conflicted with his plans to attempt to qualify in San Antonio. So he changed sites and came up with a friend who likewise competed.

“The course conditions aren’t really what we get in Texas,” said Costello, whose only previous tournament in Colorado was the 2015 AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior. “It’s really nice playing on pure grass. I really enjoyed that. And from a few years ago, I knew how the elevation affects the yardages, so I knew what I was getting into and was ready for it.”

Costello (left) started and finished his final round on a high note, which assured him of the U.S. Am berth. He played his first three holes in 4 under par, eagling the par-5 12th from 4 feet. Then after a double bogey on No. 5 (his 14th hole), he two-putted for birdie on his penultimate hole and made a 2-footer for birdie on his last.

Tristan Rohrbaugh of Carbondale, a 2016 U.S. Amateur qualifier at Columbine, landed the first alternate spot on the third hole of a playoff with George Markham of Phoenix, a Colorado School of Mines golfer. But despite a second-round 69, Rohrbaugh lamented playing his last five holes of regulation in 3 over par.

Monday marked the second and final U.S. Amateur qualifying tournament in Colorado this year. Qualifying for the U.S. Am at Fort Collins Country Club two weeks ago
were Dan Erickson of Loveland, AJ Ott of Fort Collins and Kyler Dunkle of Parker.
 

U.S. Amateur Qualifying
At Par-72 Columbine CC in Columbine Valley 
ADVANCE TO U.S. AMATEUR
Austin Hardman, Highlands Ranch 70-68–138
Nick Costello, Austin, Texas 71-68–139
Coby Welch, Highlands Ranch 69-72–141
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Tristan Rohrbaugh, Carbondale 73-69–142
George Markham, Phoenix 71-71–142

For all the scores from Columbine, CLICK HERE.

Paul’s only previous individual championship in a college event came in the 2016 Ballyneal Challenge, a three-team affair. But on Sunday, the senior (pictured in a CUBuffs.com photo) earned the top spot in a tournament that featured 17 teams and 85 players.

Paul actually shared the title Sunday with UNLV’s Shintaro Ban at the ASU Thunderbird Invitational in Tempe, Ariz.

“I’m really happy with my first big win,” Paul told CUBuffs.com. “I was really close the last couple of tournaments, so I was hopeful that it could happen soon.” 

Paul shot rounds of 67-66-69 for an 11-under-par 202 total. The German made five birdies in the final round, including one on his next-to-last hole. Ban also birdied his 17th hole on Sunday. For the week, Paul carded 17 birdies in 54 holes, tying for most in the field.

Sunday marked Paul’s fourth top-six individual showing of the season.

“What a win for Yannik. He has been playing very well all spring and it all came together for him this week,” CU coach Roy Edwards said of Paul, the twin brother of Jeremy Paul, the Buffs’ career leader in stroke average. “This was an elite field in golf and was a huge win. He has been a great player and teammate and this is very well-deserved. I have been especially impressed with his patience all year, his game has flourished and even better golf is ahead of him.” 

Three Colorado-based teams competed in the Thunderbird Invite, the final tournament before the conference championships. Colorado State finished seventh at 855, while CU was ninth at 863 and the University of Denver 10th at 868.

UNC’s Welch Fourth in El Macero Classic: Elsewhere in local college golf on Sunday, Coby Welch of Highlands Ranch recorded the best individual showing by a University of Northern Colorado golfer this season, placing fourth at the El Macero Classic in El Macero, Calif.

Welch, a sophomore, carded scores of 76-71-73 for a 4-over-par 220 total, which left him five strokes behind champion Sam Meek of Nevada.

Welch, the CJGA’s Junior Player of the Year in 2015, won an individual college title at the 2016 Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational.

UNC finished ninth in the 13-team field, while the Air Force Academy was 10th.

ASU Thunderbird Invitational
April 14-15, 2018 (final) in Tempe, Ariz.
7. (out of 17 teams) Colorado State 277-290-288–855
19. Jake Staiano 67-72-73–212
34. Parathakorn Suyasri 69-75-72–216
43. AJ Ott 71-72-75–218
43. Jack Ainscough 70-79-69–218
46. Max Oelfke 74-71-74–219

9. Colorado 287-291-285–863
T1. Yannik Paul 67-66-69–202
52. Daniel O’Loughlin 73-74-73–220
52. John Souza 75-73-72–220
64. Spencer Painton 75-78-71–224
72. Trevor Olkowski 72-78-77–227

10. Denver 292-284-292–868
34. Chris Korte 72-73-71–216
34. Eric Hagen 76-70-70–216
41. Jake Kelley 73-70-74–217
52. John Sand 71-71-78–220
82. Jackson Solem 78-77-77–232

Also
34. Coloradan Kyler Dunkle, Utah 73-72-71–216
41. Coloradan Glenn Workman, Wyoming 75-72-70–217
72. Coloradan Tristan Rohrbaugh, Boise State 74-77-76–227

El Macero Classic
April 13-15, 2018 (final) in El Macero, Calif.
9. (out of 13 teams) Northern Colorado 318-309-302–929
4. Coby Welch 76-71-73–220
48. Sam Marley 79-77-77–233
53. Joshua Matz 80-79-77–236
61. Marcus Tait 83-82-75–240
74. Andrew Romano 83-84-80–247

10. Air Force Academy 307-305-318–930
25. Bryant Falconello 77-74-76–227
45. Anson Kuznik 76-78-78–232
53. Tate Tatom 76-76-84–236
58. Joshua Wu 78-77-83–238
64. Dane Hankamer 81-81-81–243
34. Andy Germann (competing only as individual) 78-76-75–229