It’s the year-ending holiday season, which means different things to different people.
One of the things that comes with this time of year here at coloradogolf.org and coloradowomensgolf.org is a reflection on the past 12 months and compilation of the top stories of the year in Colorado golf. We’ve been doing it annually since 2009, and we’re not about to stop now.
There’s no lack of worthwhile candidates, so in recent years we’ve broken up the list into a two-part series. We go in reverse order, for the sake of preserving some suspense, and add an honorable-mention list that will be included with Part II, which will be published in the coming days.
Today, we’ll cover Nos. 25-13, so without further ado …:
25. Year 2 for Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado: The JGAC, which made quite a splash upon debuting in 2016, continued a significant upward trajectory in 2017. The Alliance — a joint effort of the CGA, Colorado PGA and CWGA — further expanded its reach by creating more tournaments, including several in western Colorado, and adding services. Junior players of all abilities can benefit from JGAC-related programs, including anything from the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy to Colorado PGA Golf in Schools to the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program to Drive Chip & Putt and PGA Junior League competitions.
24. Three Victories by DU Women’s Team: The University of Denver women’s golf team has compiled quite a record from late last season to early this one. In late April, the Pioneers won their 14th straight conference championship, an eye-opening run even if their conference isn’t particularly strong in women’s golf. Then this fall, DU won two tournaments in 11 days — both in Colorado, at the Golfweek Conference Challenge in Wolcott and the Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate in Highlands Ranch. For the record, that made for three wins in the course of five tournaments spanning two seasons. Denver, ranked among the top 25 women’s teams in the nation to complete the fall (along with the University of Colorado), was given a boost in the offseason when 2017 CWGA Player of the Year Mary Weinstein transferred in from the Regis University.
23. Eaton’s March Toward CWGA Record: This year, Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton reached 24 CWGA championship victories by sweeping the Senior Match Play and Senior Stroke Play titles. That leaves her just one shy of Carol Flenniken’s career-record total of 25. After her third sweep of the Senior Match and Senior Stroke in the same year, Eaton earned the CWGA Senior Player of the Year honor for the eighth time. She’s also been the overall CWGA Player of the Year four times since 2004.
22. Variety is Spice of Life for Moore: Another Colorado Golf Hall of Famer, Kent Moore, added to a rather remarkable feat that likely will never be matched. With his victory in the Super-Senior Match Play, Moore (pictured above) now has claimed titles in eight different CGA individual championships. Over the last 44 years, he’s won the 1973 Junior Match Play, the 1986 Amateur, the 1989 Match Play, the 1995 Mid-Amateur, the 2006 Senior Match Play, the 2014 Senior Stroke Play, the 2016 Super-Senior Stroke Play and the 2017 Super-Senior Match Play. READ MORE
21. Longmont’s Nygren Inaugural Putting Champ: Longmont’s Cole Nygren, a pro for just a couple of months, earned a nice paycheck ($15,000) and plenty of publicity with his Halloween victory in the All Pro Championship at the inaugural Major Series of Putting in Las Vegas. The most eye-catching part of the win was the fact that it came against a field that featured PGA Tour veterans Brad Faxon, John Cook, Tommy Armour III and Colt Knost. Nygren, who placed fourth in the CGA Amateur in August to conclude his amateur career, beat Knost, the 2007 U.S. Amateur champion, 3 and 2 in the match-play finale. READ MORE
20. Major Changes for Colorado Cup Matches: The Colorado Cup Matches, a Ryder Cup-style competition between CGA/CWGA amateurs and Colorado PGA professionals, have been held annually since 1971. But there were many significant changes implemented in 2017, which will be the last time the matches are conducted until 2019. With no college golfers playing for the amateur team for the first time, the Colorado PGA (left) prevailed 26-14 in the event, which now features open, senior and women players competing for a single Cup. That result came a year after the pros were swept by the ams. READ MORE
19. More National Recognition for Colorado PGA: Mark Pfingston, the PGA head professional at The Golf Club at Bear Dance, this year was named the PGA of America’s national Merchandiser of the Year for public facilities. With Pfingston’s accomplishment, Colorado PGA members continued their roll of the last decade-plus in receiving national recogntion for their work. In the last 11 years (2007 through ’17), CPGA members — or the Section as a whole — have earned nine national awards from the PGA of America. READ MORE
18. Chalk Up Another Honor for Keffer: In the last decade, Geoff Keffer has become one of the most awarded players from the Colorado PGA in the Section’s history. This year, the Lakewood resident received the Section’s Dow Finsterwald Player of the Year Award for the fourth straight season and for the fifth time in six years. To put that into perspective, only one player has been the Colorado PGA’s Finsterwald Player of the Year more times than Keffer, with two others matching his total. And all of the other three members of the five-timers club have all been inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. Bob Hold owns the record for most CPGA Finsterwald Player of the Year Awards, with seven earned between 1966 and ’74, including six straight starting in ’66. Other five-time Players of the Year, in addition to Keffer, are Vic Kline (1975 to 1981) and Ron Vlosich (1986 to ’91). READ MORE
17. Back to North Dakota for CGA’s Jensen: Dustin Jensen, the CGA’s highly regarded and well-liked managing director of operations, recently accepted a job as associate dean of student engagement at his alma mater, the University of Jamestown in his hometown of Jamestown, North Dakota. Jensen was a key administrator in Colorado golf, particularly playing a pivotal role in the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado getting up and running during its initial years. READ MORE
16. Age No Problem for Schalk: Hailey Schalk (left) of Erie was only 15 years old during the 2017 golf season, but that didn’t keep her from becoming the girls Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado’s Player of the Year. In 2017, Schalk was the first Coloradan to win a title at the prestigious AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior. And in May, she was the first freshman since 2002 to win a girls state high school individual championship in Colorado. In addition, she captured the titles at both of the JGAC majors in which she competed. She also placed 14th individually while playing for Colorado at the Girls Junior America’s Cup. She and Davis Bryant were recently named “Future Famers” by the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame.
15. Seniors Rule at CPGA Professional Championship: The Colorado PGA Professional Championship is the top tournament of the year for the Section. But this year’s event, held at Red Sky Golf Club in Wolcott, turned into a showcase for the 50-and-over set as 50-year-old John Ogden prevailed in a playoff over 64-year-old Rick Cole, who was ever so close to becoming the oldest winner of this event — by far. As it was, Ogden earned the $8,000 first prize, then promptly donated half of that total to the Colorado PGA REACH Foundation. READ MORE


14. Timely 59 for Sam Saunders: Former Fort Collins resident Sam Saunders picked a good time for his career round. Saunders, grandson of the late Arnold Palmer, opened the Web.com Tour Championship with a 12-under-par 59 in Atlantic Beach, Fla., where he moved from Fort Collins last year. It was just the seventh round under 60 in the history of the Web.com circuit. More importantly, it led to a second-place finish in the Web Tour Championship, which secured Saunders’ fully-exempt PGA Tour card for 2017-18 after he had lost that status late in the summer.

13. Bunch, Harvanek Voted into Colorado Golf Hall of Fame: Two Coloradans whose service in golf has made an indelible impact were voted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. Jim Bunch of Denver and Danny Harvanek of Littleton will make up the 46th class of the Hall of Fame and will be inducted on May 20 at Sanctuary golf course in Sedalia. Bunch has served in high-powered volunteer roles at the USGA and with the Western Golf Association, including as the chairman of the USGA Rules of Golf Committee, of the WGA and of the Evans Scholars Foundation that awards full tuition and housing college scholarships to high-achieving caddies with limited financial means. Harvanek, a longtime PGA Master Professional in Colorado, has long been touted for his highly-effective instruction work with junior golfers, which helped lay the groundwork for the Colorado PGA Golf in Schools program. READ MORE
The 47th Colorado Cup Matches had a unique feel to them in many respects, and not just because they were played in temperatures reaching the mid-70s on a gorgeous mid-October day at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.
Certainly a new format for the amateur vs. pro Ryder Cup-style competition had plenty to do with that. But there was also the lopsided 26-14 victory for the Colorado PGA professionals (left) over amateurs from the CGA and CWGA on Tuesday.
That was certainly a turnabout from recent years as the amateurs had swept all three divisions of the competition last year: Open, Senior and Women. In fact, the Open Division amateurs had beaten the professionals three straight times, and the Women’s Division amateurs were 11-0 all-time against the pros.
“We had to come back and beat the amateurs because we’ve lost a few times here lately,” said Rick Cole, the 2017 CPGA Senior Player of the Year, who won all three of his matches on Tuesday. “So it’s good to get those bragging rights back for sure.”
Unlike in the past, all the divisions this year were competing for just one Cup, and the pros turned the trend in their favor.
“Their (amateur) team is good, so any time you can beat good players, it’s always fun,” said Geoff Keffer (left, with foursomes partner Ari Papadopoulos), the Colorado PGA’s Player of the Year for the fourth consecutive year. “And the bragging rights, it’s just like playing your buddies: Bragging rights is way better than anything else.”
With college golfers not being allowed to play for the amateur squad for the first time — the NCAA ruled that was a no-no for this event during the school year — the PGA pros swept all three nine-hole sessions on Tuesday. They won the four-ball 7.5-2.5, foursomes 6-4 and singles 12.5-7.5.
The lack of college competitors gave a different complexion to the event. Last year, when the amateurs swept all three divisions of the Cup Matches for the first time, more than half of the Open and Women’s Division amateurs were college-age players.
“When I saw our (women’s amateur) team was all seniors, I was surprised,” said Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Janet Moore. “That’s unfortunate (not to have any college players) because you always want to field your strongest team. It’s always good to have the college players in this. I wish they could have played.
“But it was a great format. I loved the three nine holes and the different events in each one. I really enjoyed that. And The Broadmoor is so gracious, and it’s one of my favorite places in the world to play. The course is in great shape. It was really fun.”
But while some of the amateurs missed the college players competing on their squad, some pros prefer it this way.
“It’s a little more fun without the college kids just because we’re not college kids anymore,” Keffer said.
(Pictured at left are mid-ams Jeff Chapman and Brad Rowe.)
Winning all three of their matches on Tuesday for the pros were Caine Fitzgerald, Holly Champion, Dave Detweiler, Cole, Eric Bradley, Paul Lobato and Alexandra Braga. Going 2-0-1 were Keffer and amateur Todd Edwards.
“It was a little disappointing (to lose),” said Edwards, who just moved back to Colorado and didn’t even know the Colorado Cup Matches existed until recently receiving a phone call inviting him to play. “But to be here at The Broadmoor and to meet some new friends both on the amateur and the professional side, you can’t get a better day than that. But I’m definitely disappointed. I would have loved to have come out with a win.”
Even though there was just one competition this year, had there still been three like in the past, the Colorado PGA pros would have swept them, 8-5-3 in the Open Division, 10-5-1 in the Senior Division, and 6-2 in the Women’s Division. That’s especially a change in the women’s ranks as the amateurs had never before lost to the pros in this event.
“The women pros fielded a stronger team (than in the past), which was really fun,” Moore said.
“It feels nice that we all performed well and played well as a team,” said two-time Colorado PGA Women’s Champion Braga, who was competing in the Cup Matches for the first time. “My partner (Champion) and I were undefeated and we represented the Section pretty well.”
(Pictured at left are amateurs Deb Hughes and Christie Austin watching pro Tara Morris tee off on Tuesday.)
This will be the last year the Colorado Cup is held on an annual basis. From now on, it will be a biennial competition, played in odd-numbered years. It’s traditionally been conducted in the summer, but from now on, the plan is to schedule it in the fall.
“I love match play, so I could play it all the time,” Keffer said. “To wait two years, now we get an extra year of bragging rights. You’ve got to like that.”
In another change, the rosters for the Cup matches were decreased starting this year, with eight Open Division, eight Senior Division and four Women’s Division players for each side instead of the 12, 12 and six used in the past.
Also new this year was playing three nine-hole matches in a day, with four-ball followed by foursomes, then singles to conclude the day.
That format was popular with the players — especially on a near-perfect fall day at a setting like The Broadmoor, which next summer will be hosting the U.S. Senior Open.
“For me personally, it’s like a vacation because you get to come to The Broadmoor and play 27 holes,” Cole said. “It’s a perfect ending to the season. It’s been such a good year, a fun year, and it’s a beautiful day.”
Colorado Cup Matches
At The Broadmoor GC in Colorado Springs
FINAL SCORE: COLORADO PGA PROFESSIONALS 26, CGA AND CWGA AMATEURS 14
(1 Point for a Win, 0.5 for a Tie)
(P–Professionals; A–Amateurs)
9-HOLE FOUR-BALL (Colorado PGA Professionals 7.5, CGA/CWGA Amateurs 2.5)
Geoff Keffer/Caine Fitzgerald (P) def. Scott Crawford/Nick Nosewicz, 3 and 2
Todd Edwards/Jon Lindstrom (A) halved with Kyle Voska/Kirk Trowbridge (P)
Ari Papadopoulos/Eric Bradley (P) def. Ryan Axlund/Jeff Chapman, 2 and 1
Peter Norwood/Visanu Tongwarin (P) def. Brad Rowe/Chris Thayer, 2 and 1
Rick Cole/Dave Detweiler (P) def. Owen Ellis/Thomas Roos, 2 and 1
Paul Lobato/Dale Smigelsky (P) def. Keith Atkins/Brian Woody, 1 up
David Delich/Steve Ivan (A) def. Chris Johnson/Doug Rohrbaugh, 1 up
Ken Krieger/Ron Vlosich (P) def. Guy Mertz/Kent Moore, 3 and 1
Janet Moore/Christie Austin (A) def. Sherry Andonian-Smith/Tara Morris, 2 and 1
Alexandra Braga/Holly Champion (P) def. Deb Hughes/Kelly Martin, 3 and 2
9-HOLE FOURSOMES (Colorado PGA Professionals 6, CGA/CWGA Amateurs 4)
Rick Cole/Dave Detweiler (P) def. Keith Atkins/Brian Woody, 1 up
Alexandra Braga/Holly Champion (P) def. Janet Moore/Christie Austin, 1 up
Chris Thayer/Ryan Axlund (A) halved with Geoff Keffer/Ari Papadopoulos (P)
Owen Ellis/Thomas Roos (A) def. Ken Krieger/Ron Vlosich, 1 up
Paul Lobato/Dale Smigelsky (P) def. David Delich/Steve Ivan, 3 and 2
Chris Johnson/Doug Rohrbaugh (P) def. Guy Mertz/Kent Moore, 1 up
Jeff Chapman/Brad Rowe (A) halved with Kyle Voska/Kirk Trowbridge (P)
Todd Edwards/Scott Crawford (A) def. Peter Norwood/Visanu Tongwarin, 2 and 1
Caine Fitzgerald/Eric Bradley (P) def. Nick Nosewicz/Jon Lindstrom, 5 and 4
Deb Hughes/Kelly Martin (A) def. Sherry Andonian-Smith/Tara Morris, 3 and 2
9-HOLE SINGLES (Colorado PGA Professionals 12.5, CGA/CWGA Amateurs 7.5)
David Delich (A) halved with Doug Rohrbaugh (P)
Brad Rowe (A) def. Visanu Tongwarin, 4 and 3
Keith Atkins (A) def. Ron Vlosich, 3 and 2
Chris Thayer (A) def. Kyle Voska, 1 up
Sherry Andonian-Smith (P) def. Christie Austin, 4 and 2
Eric Bradley (P) def. Jeff Chapman, 1 up
Geoff Keffer (P) def. Jon Lindstrom, 1 up
Alexandra Braga (P) def. Janet Moore, 1 up
Tara Morris (P) def. Deb Hughes, 4 and 2
Rick Cole (P) def. Owen Ellis, 3 and 1
Thomas Roos (A) def. Chris Johnson, 2 and 1
Caine Fitzgerald (P) def. Nick Nosewicz, 1 up
Holly Champion (P) def. Kelly Martin, 3 and 2
Peter Norwood (P) def. Scott Crawford, 5 and 3
Dave Detweiler (P) def. Brian Woody, 2 and 1
Ryan Axlund (A) def. Ari Papadopoulos, 2 up
Todd Edwards (A) def. Kirk Trowbridge, 3 and 1
Kent Krieger (P) def. Steve Ivan, 3 and 1
Paul Lobato (P) def. Kent Moore, 1 up
Guy Mertz (A) def. Dale Smigelsky, 2 and 1
Pictured below are the CGA and CWGA amateurs who competed on Tuesday:
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When the 47th annual matches are held on Tuesday (Oct. 17) at the East Course at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, one thing will be missing that has been present for virtually each of the previous 46 versions of the event: college players.
With the matches being moved from summertime to October — in the midst of the fall portion of the college golf schedule — the NCAA recently informed Colorado Cup organizers that college players cannot compete in such events during the school year.
The result is that this week it will be exclusively up to mid-amateur and senior amateur players representing the CGA and CWGA to take on professionals from the Colorado PGA.
Last year, the amateurs swept all three divisions of the Colorado Cup matches for the first time, but more than half of the Open and Women’s Division amateurs were college-age players.
Over the years, some of the now-famous players who have competed as college golfers for the CGA amateur squad in the Colorado Cup include Steve Jones, Kevin Stadler, Bob Byman and Brandt Jobe.
As it turned out, 2016 was the last time there will be three separate competitions (Open Division, Senior Division and Women’s Division) at the Colorado Cup Matches.
Starting this year, in one of the major changes the Cup Matches are undergoing, there will just be one competition, albeit still with three divisions of players.
Other significant changes for the Colorado Cup Matches starting this year:
— After being conducted annually since 1971, it will become a biennial competition, with the next one after this year scheduled for 2019, and in odd-numbered years thereafter. In even-numbered years in the fall, the Colorado PGA plays in Taylor Cup Matches against the Sun Country PGA, which is based in New Mexico.
And, instead of being a mid-season event in the Centennial State, the Colorado Cup has been moved to the fall.
— Traditionally, the Colorado Cup has featured a dozen players each for the pros and the amateurs in the Open and Senior Divisions, and six in the Women’s Division. Now it will be eight, eight and four, respectively, for each squad.
— And now, instead of separate 18-hole singles and four-ball matches, there will be three nine-hole matches: four-ball in the morning, foursomes starting at noon, and singles late in the day, with shotgun starts for each.
But some things don’t change, and that means that bragging rights will be at stake when the two teams square off on Tuesday, as always.
For the record, when there were separate competitions, the Colorado PGA professionals led the all-time series in the Open Division, 30-14 with two draws. The CGA’s amateurs led the Senior Division series 16-15, with three draws. And the CWGA’s amateurs have won all 11 Colorado Cup Matches in which they’ve competed against the pros.
This will be the 13th time The Broadmoor has hosted the Colorado Cup Matches — a record — but the first since 1989.
For results as they become available on Tuesday, CLICK HERE.
Here are the rosters for the CGA and CWGA amateur teams and the Colorado PGA professional squads for Tuesday’s matches:
OPEN DIVISION
CGA Amateurs
Ryan Axlund
Jeff Chapman
Scott Crawford
Todd Edwards
Nick Nosewicz
Jon Lindstrom
Brad Rowe
Chris Thayer
Colorado PGA Professionals
Eric Bradley
Caine Fitzgerald
Geoff Keffer
Peter Norwood
Ari Papadopoulus
Visanu Tongwarin
Kirk Trowbridge
Kyle Voska
SENIOR DIVISION
CGA Amateurs
Keith Atkins
David Delich
Owen Ellis
Steve Ivan
Guy Mertz
Kent Moore
Thomas Roos
Brian Woody
Colorado PGA Professionals
Rick Cole
Dave Detweiler
Chris Johnson
Ken Krieger
Paul Lobato
Doug Rohrbaugh
Dale Smigelsky
Ron Vlosich
WOMEN’S DIVISION
CWGA Amateurs
Christie Austin
Deb Hughes
Kelly Martin
Janet Moore
Colorado PGA Professionals
Sherry Andonian-Smith
Alexandra Braga
Holly Champion
Tara Morris
Most notably, after the Ryder Cup-style competition between the top amateurs and Colorado PGA professionals in the state was limited to an open division for its first dozen years, it broadened its reach. A senior division was added in 1983 and a women’s division in 2002.
But now, the Colorado Cup will undergo changes that make the earlier tweakings pale in comparison.
By agreement of the organizations involved — the CGA, Colorado PGA and the CWGA — the event will undergo the following alterations:
— This year’s 47th annual Colorado Cup, which will be held Oct. 17 at The Broadmoor Golf Club’s East Course in Colorado Springs, will mark the last time it’s conducted on an annual basis. From here on, it will be limited to odd-numbered years — the years the Colorado PGA doesn’t hold Taylor Cup Matches against the Sun Country PGA, based in New Mexico.
— Instead of being three separate Cups being at stake — men’s open, senior and women — the Colorado Cup will now be just a single competition.
— The event also will be streamlined. Instead of each team including a dozen open, a dozen senior and six women players, it will be eight, eight and four, respectively, for each squad.
— The Colorado Cup, which normally was held in mid-season, will be moved to October. In all likelihood, that will mean fewer — if any — college players competing, given that’s in the middle of the fall portion of the college schedule. And with college golfers often being among the best players on the open and women’s amateur squads, that may be a factor in the overall results.
“I love the changes because let’s just go back to everyone working together — collaboration, one big team,” said Dustin Jensen, the CGA’s managing director of operations. “It will kind of re-energize (the matches). That was the hope we had: Let’s have some fun with it.
“When you get to the tournament you’ve got the open division ams sitting here, the open professionals on this side, the seniors separate. Let’s get everybody together to compete. We started to see that in the Junior Ryder Cup: We pulled the girls in and had a great experience with the girls and boys playing together. We pulled the 10-and-unders in last year to get more kids in. Everybody just enjoys it. I think it will revitalize (the Colorado Cup Matches) a little. It should be kind of fun.”
The Colorado PGA and the CWGA second that thought.
“We want to make it more meaningful,” CPGA executive director Eddie Ainsworth said earlier this year. “Having it every other year will add more significance — like the Ryder Cup. And instead of squeezing it in every year for a date in June when everyone is so busy, we can do it at the end of the season.”
Said Laura Robinson, executive director of the CWGA: “We are very excited about the format as I think it will be more competitive all around. We will obviously miss the presence of our college players, all of whom helped the women amateurs to win last year. It was a great experience for them to play against the pros, but we look forward to this new format on such a wonderful course as The Broadmoor.”
The Colorado Cup Matches, which feature four-ball and singles matches held on the same day, are seen by many as a matter of bragging rights between the pros and the amateurs. Last year marked the first time the amateurs have swept all three divisions, prevailing in the open division 13-5, in the senior division 9.5-8.5, and in the women’s division 6-3.
This year will mark a record 13th time the Colorado Cup Matches have been held at The Broadmoor, but the first time since 1989.
Among the players who have competed in the Colorado Cup over the decades are Dow Finsterwald, Steve Jones, Kevin Stadler, Bob Byman, Brandt Jobe and Fred Wampler, all of whom have now won on the PGA Tour and/or PGA Tour Champions.
]]>In some respects, these are unprecedented times for the amateurs in the Colorado Cup Matches they play against professionals from the Colorado PGA.
To wit:
— On Tuesday, when the matches were contested for the 46th year overall, and the 11th year with a women’s division, the CGA and CWGA amateurs swept the titles in the open, senior and women’s competitions for the first time.
— The eight-point winning margin in the open division (13-5) was the largest since the pros won 13.5-4.5 in 2002. (The CGA’s open team is pictured above.)
— With Tuesday’s victory at Valley Country Club, the amateurs have now won the open division three straight years, something they had never done before since the Cup Matches began in 1971. In fact, the last time the amateurs had won two straight before this current run was 2000-01, when their teams included a current PGA Tour player (Kevin Stadler), the winners of four Colorado Opens (Derek Tolan, Stadler and Ben Portie) and a Colorado Golf Hall of Famer (Rick DeWitt).
— And, of course, the CWGA amateurs continue to own a remarkable unblemished record, having gone 11-0 against the professionals.
— Even in the senior division, where the amateurs had won just once since 2005, they eked out a victory on Tuesday. (They’re pictured at left.)
“Obviously as amateurs we want to beat the pros, and the pros obviously want to beat us, so there is a good rivalry between the two of us,” said CGA amateur open-division captain Nick Nosewicz, winner of the 2015 CGA Match Play. “It’s pretty special. Anytime you can get your name on the trophy that’s state-related and be part of a team, it’s fun.”
On Tuesday, the CGA amateurs defeated the Colorado PGA professionals 13-5 in the open division and 9.5-8.5 in the seniors, while the CWGA amateurs (below) kept their record unblemished against the pros, winning 6-3.
“That was a relief,” said Deb Hughes, who served as CWGA amateur captain and won both her four ball and singles matches, the latter thanks to carding an eagle and three birdies. “(The pressure to keep the perfect record intact) was no joke. I told the girls, ‘Don’t worry about it, just go out and play and enjoy yourselves.
“But I was worried because I didn’t expect to be appointed the captain. I came in this morning and all the girls were sitting at the table and I sat down thinking I was just going to join in. They all looked at me and said, ‘You’re the captain.’ I said, ‘What?’ I thought they were kidding. I’ve never done anything like this before. But it worked out OK.”
As it did for the seniors, whose only previous win against the pros in the last decade came in 2012. This time around, Tom Roos served as senior amateur captain.
“I think it’s great (to notch the victory),” said 2015 CGA Senior Stroke Play winner Bill Fowler, who won his singles match and halved his four-ball while teaming with Sean Forey. “We obviously played well. It’s kind of a cobbled-together team, but I think everyone went out to do the best they could, and at the end of the day we got one more point than them.”
The professionals still handily lead the all-time open series, 30-14 with two draws. With Tuesday’s victory, senior amateurs took the overall lead in their series 16-15 with three draws. And, after a one-year hiatus in the women’s competition, the women’s amateurs continued their Colorado Cup win streak.
Eight players — all amateurs — won both their four-ball and singles matches on Tuesday: Chris Thayer, Andrew Tapia, Connor Klein and Tristan Rohrbaugh in the open division; Hughes, Taylor Dorans and Sarah Hankins in the women’s competition; and Art Cudworth in the seniors. (Hughes and Dorans are pictured at left.)
Suffice it to say there was some pretty good golf played on Tuesday.
Nosewicz noted that he was 5 under par on his own ball in the morning four ball, and teammate Chris Korte, winner of the 2015 CGA Stroke Play, was 5 under on his. But the future U.S. Amateur Four-Ball qualifying team still lost 3 and 2 to professionals Geoff Keffer and Blake Sharamitaro.
But both CGA champions notched singles victories against former Colorado PGA Players of the Year, with Korte edging Keffer 3 and 1 and Nosewicz defeating Caine Fitzgerald 2 and 1. As captain, Nosewicz arranged to face Fitzgerald as the former plays out of Meadow Hills Golf Course and the latter is an assistant professional there.
“I wanted to make sure somebody from Meadow Hills won today,” Nosewicz said with a smile. “But I think I had six birdies and an eagle and won with a hole left to play. It was a battle, but a fun one indeed.”
As for his four-ball pairings, Nosewicz said, “I kind of knew the players I wanted to pair together. I know a couple of the amateurs’ games and I knew which ones could play this course really well. I asked Chris Thayer and Korte for a little input. I had six solid squads that we wanted to play. Then I got in and (almost everyone else) won. I did OK. Dustin (Jensen from the CGA) said I could stay.”
While Nosewicz is a relative newcomer to the Colorado Cup Matches — Tuesday was his second — Hughes and Fowler are veterans, Hughes having competed in five and Fowler in enough that he doesn’t remember the exact number.
“I haven’t won very many (titles with the amateur team), so this is historic for me too,” Fowler said. “I haven’t seen my name on the trophy on the open side but I’m going to look for it because I’m hoping to have my name on (for both the open and senior divisions).
“It took me a long time to realize I’m good enough to play against some of these pros, and to actually go and beat them once in a while is certainly an accomplishment that I’m proud of. The professionals obviously play at a very high level so that’s kind of a barometer for us to be able to compete and be successful at that level. I respect them. It’s always fun to compete and see how we compare.”
(Above, amateur Colin Prater putts as professionals Kyle Voska and Rob Hunt look on.)
Colorado Cup Matches
At Valley CC in Centennial
OPEN DIVISION
Overall Score: CGA Amateurs 13, Colorado PGA Professionals 5
Four Ball: CGA Amateurs 4, Colorado PGA Professionals 2
Jimmy Makloski/Andrew Tapia (A) def. Chris Johnson/Scott Ough, 5 and 4
Lamar Carlisle/Connor Klein (A) def. Ryan Wroblewski/Peter Norwood, 2 and 1
Geoff Keffer/Blake Sharamitaro (P) def. Nick Nosewicz/Chris Korte, 3 and 2
Chris Thayer/Kyle Danford (A) def. Kyle Voska/Rob Hunt, 4 and 2
Barry Milstead/Caine Fitzgerald (P) def. Colin Prater/Jake Staiano, 3 and 2
Tristan Rohrbaugh/Sam Marley (A) def. Dan O’Shaughnessy/Tray Shehee, 3 and 2
Singles: CGA Amateurs 9, Colorado PGA Professionals 3
Connor Klein (A) def. Barry Milstead, 3 and 2
Tristan Rohrbaugh (A) def. Chris Johnson, 1 up
Kyle Voska (P) def. Lamar Carlile, 4 and 2
Colin Prater (A) def. Rob Hunt, 1 up
Nick Nosewicz (A) def. Caine Fitzgerald, 2 and 1
Chris Korte (A) def. Geoff Keffer, 3 and 1
Blake Sharamitaro (P) halved with Sam Marley (A)
Peter Norwood (P) def. Kyle Danford, 1 up
Andrew Tapia (A) def. Scott Ough, 2 and 1
Chris Thayer (A) def. Ryan Wroblewski, 3 and 2
Jimmy Makloski (A) halved with Tray Shehee (P)
Jake Staiano (A) def. Dan O’Shaughnessy, 5 and 4
SENIOR DIVISION
Overall Score: CGA Amateurs 9.5, Colorado PGA Professionals 8.5
Four Ball: Colorado Colorado PGA Professionals 3, CGA Amateurs 3
Robin Bradbury/Scott Sullivan (A) def. Rudy Castaneda/Doug Perry, 3 and 2
Scott Hart/Dave Detweiler (P) def. Owen Ellis/Bob Beiersdorf, 2 and 1
Ron Vlosich/Perry Holmes (P) halved with Mike Larson/Kelly Crone (A)
Bill Fowler/Sean Forey (A) halved with Scott Walter/Scott Sommers (P)
Pat Bowe/Art Cudworth (A) def. Russell Aragon/Vance Pollock, 2 up
Rick Ellefson/Tom Krause (P) def. Tom Roos/Gary Driber, 2 up
Singles: CGA Amateurs 6.5, Colorado PGA Professionals 5.5
Art Cudworth (A) def. Russell Aragon, 4 and 2
Vance Pollock (P) def. Robin Bradbury, 1 up
Ron Vlosich (P) def. Scott Sullivan, 2 and 1
Perry Holmes (P) def. Kelly Crone, 3 and 2
Scott Walter (P) def. Owen Ellis, 4 and 3
Bill Fowler (A) def. Scott Sommers 4 and 3
Mike Larson (A) def. Rick Ellefson, 5 and 4
Gary Driber (A) def. Tom Krause, 1 up
Dave Detweiler (P) halved with Tom Roos (A)
Bob Beiersdorf (A) def. Scott Hart, 3 and 1
Doug Perry (P) def. Pat Bowe, 5 and 4
Sean Forey (A) def. Rudy Castaneda, 5 and 4
WOMEN’S DIVISION
Overall Score: CWGA 6, Colorado PGA 3
Four Ball: CWGA 3, Colorado PGA 0
Taylor Dorans/Delaney Elliott (A) def. Patti Marquis/Sherry Andonian-Smith, 2 and 1
Kylee Sullivan/Megan Vernon (A) def. Casey Brittain/Courtney Rudolph, 5 and 4
Deb Hughes/Sarah Hankins (A) def. Katie Milstead/Erin Diegel, 1 up
Singles: CWGA 3, Colorado PGA 3
Taylor Dorans (A) def. Erin Diegel, 7 and 5
Deb Hughes (A) def. Patti Marquis, 4 and 3
Sarah Hankins (A) def. Katie Milstead, 4 and 3
Sherry Andonian-Smith (P) def. Kylee Sullivan, 5 and 4
Casey Brittain (P) def. Delaney Elliott, 3 and 2
Courtney Rudolph (P) def. Megan Vernon, 5 and 3
Valley Country Club in Centennial will host the matches on Tuesday (July 5), with three separate team competitions taking place: open division, senior, and women.
In each case, there will be four-ball matches in the morning and singles in the afternoon. That is, if weather permits. Last year’s matches were limited to the four-ball, as the singles were interrupted — and eventually canceled — due to violent weather.
The Colorado PGA team leads the all-time series in the open division, 30-13-2, but the CGA amateurs have won the last two years. In the senior division, it’s tied 15-15-3, but the CPGA squad has gone 8-1-1 in the last 10 meetings.
The CWGA amateurs have won all 10 years against the pros. The women’s competition will resume after a one-year hiatus.
The CPGA open team will be led by recent Section Players of the Year Caine Fitzgerald, Geoff Keffer, Rob Hunt and Chris Johnson, while 2015 CGA Stroke Play (Chris Korte) and Match Play (Nick Nosewicz) and 2014 Mid-Amateur (Chris Thayer) winners will compete for the amateurs.
Reigning CGA Senior Stroke Play champ Bill Fowler will lead the way for the CGA seniors, while five-time Section Player of the Year Ron Vlosich will play for the Colorado PGA’s senior squad.
University of Wyoming golfer Taylor Dorans will be one of several college golfers who will try to keep the CWGA’s win streak going in the women’s division. Sherry Andonian-Smith, who has competed in the CoBank Colorado Senior Open multiple times, will lead the CPGA women’s squad.
For Tuesday’s four-ball pairings, CLICK HERE.
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Wednesday evening, a couple of teams figured they’d be celebrating a victory and everyone involved thought they’d be sharing golf stories and a few laughs after the 45th edition of the Colorado Cup Matches at CommonGround Golf Course.
Little did anyone expect that, instead, the participants would be sitting in an electricity-deprived clubhouse looking out at a sight that seemed to be straight out of the Caddyshack scene where the bishop was playing the round of his life amid a violent storm.
As caddie Bill Murray told the bishop, “I’d keep playing. I don’t think the heavy stuff is going to come down for quite a while.”
Well, the heavy stuff did come down Wednesday, and with a vengeance. The result was a first for the annual Colorado Cup Matches held between many of the best golf professionals and amateurs in the state.
With heavy rain, gale-force winds, lightning, hail, flash flooding and a tornado warning quickly turning a nice day into a batten-down-the-hatches situation, the Cup Matches were limited to a four-ball session, with the singles results being nixed in mid-session because of unplayable conditions at CommonGround Golf Course.
“We were down on No. 12 and I was getting a little nervous because it was starting to get dark,” said Steve Irwin, captain of the CGA’s open-division amateur team. “I looked up and saw the cloud spinning, and that really got all of our attention. So we were glad they called it when they did. We were ready to get out of there.”
Play was suspended due to lightning shortly after 4:30 p.m., with most players in the midst of their singles session and more than a half-dozen singles matches having been completed. But the weather deteriorated considerably from there, knocking out power in the clubhouse and buffeting a large tent nearby.
After more than an hour of suspended play, the singles session was canceled altogether, with the final result of the matches reverting to the scores that stood after the morning four-ball.
That means that the 2015 Colorado Cup Matches will go down as the CGA amateurs prevailing 4-2 in the open division.
“It’s unfortunate we weren’t able to get the whole day done,” Irwin said. “However, a win’s a win. Two in a row now. But it would have been good to get those matches in. There were some great ones. I was right smack in the middle of a very tough one with Tray Shehee. I was 2 down through 12. I had him right where I wanted him, though,” Irwin added with a smile. (Shehee and Irwin are pictured at left.)
I the senior division, the teams tied 3-3, with the Colorado PGA pros retaining that Cup because they won it last year. The Section’s pros had already won five singles matches and lost one when played was called, but those results were negated. Six matches had yet to be completed.
The Colorado PGA still leads the overall series in the open division 30-13, with two ties, though the CGA has prevailed the last two years.
The all-time senior division series is tied 15-15, with three ties, but the pros have gone 8-1-1 in the last 10 meetings.
While the senior pros would like to have had the chance to post an outright victory on Wednesday, they understood and supported the decision to cancel the singles matches.
“I think that’s the way you have to do it,” said Ken Krieger, a veteran of about 40 Colorado Cup matches, including a few as an amateur. “It’s too bad, but it happens.”
Krieger, a two-time Section Player of the Year, and Robert Polk a three-time CGA Senior Player of the Year, were in the midst of a hard-fought match in which they were all square through 14 holes. (The two are pictured at left.)
“You want to see the thing completed,” said Polk, the CGA’s senior division captain. “You never know how matches can turn around. I know we had gotten beaten in some of them already. My match was even with Ken Krieger, who is such a gentleman and such a great guy. I don’t know how many times we’ve played each other, but quite a few. And it’s always fun. It’s a shame we didn’t get a chance to finish it.”
Another notable match apparently going down to the wire was between 2012 CGA Player of the Year Steven Kupcho and 2008 Colorado PGA Player of the Year Erik Billinger, the men’s golf coach at the University of Denver. Those two were all square through 13.
“The weather turned quick,” Billinger said. “It’s unfortunate. I think there were some good matches going on when they called it so I’m bummed out. We wish we were playing, but I think (under the circumstances) you’ve got to call it. It’s the right thing to do. But I know the pros sure wish we could beat these young guys.”
Billinger (left) is another Colorado PGA pro who has also competed in the Colorado Cup Matches as an amateur. In fact, three times from 1999-2001, he was an amateur teammate of Kevin Stadler, who won last year’s Waste Management Phoenix Open on the PGA Tour. Other longtime PGA Tour players who have competed in the Colorado Cup over the years include Steve Jones, Dow Finsterwald, Brandt Jobe, Bob Byman and Fred Wampler.
“It’s fun to see the Cup Matches through the years, having been on both sides,” Billinger said. “Playing guys you looked up to … Now I’m playing the young guys and I want to see how their games are — scope it out a little bit. Kupcho is hitting it 100 (yards) by me every stinking time.”
Krieger feels similarly.
“This is a great event,” he said. “I’ve played since 1973. I love these. They’re great for golf. We get to hang out with the amateurs, we get to hang out with the pros.
“My very first Colorado Cup Match was against Clayton Cole when he was an assistant at Cherry Hills. It was 1973 at Lakewood Country Club. Clayton Cole was was a stud (of a player at the time). He was really good. I got beat 4 and 3 and I was pretty proud of that. I took him all the way to the 15th hole.”
This time around at the Cup Matches, some of the biggest highlights of the day came from amateur Alex Kephart, who along with Lamar Carlile were the only returnees from the 2014 amateur Colorado Cup team. In his 1-up four-ball victory with Chris Thayer over Geoff Keffer (the Colorado PGA’s Player of the Year two of the last three seasons) and Blake Sharamitaro. Kephart won the fifth hole for his team by holing out a 9-iron from 160 yards, then pitched in from about 40 yards on No. 8, winning another hole.
Unlike most years in the new millennium — and every year since 2008 — no women’s Colorado Cup competition was held in 2015 as the CPGA didn’t field a team. The amateurs representing the CWGA have won all 10 times women’s matches have been contested.
Colorado Cup Matches
At CommonGround GC in Aurora
OPEN DIVISION
FINAL SCORE: CGA Amateurs 4, Colorado PGA Professionals 2
Four-Ball: CGA 4, Colorado PGA 2
Chris Thayer / Alex Kephart, CGA, def. Geoff Keffer / Blake Sharamitaro, 1 up.
Lamar Carlile / Jacob Allenback, CGA, def. Caine Fitzgerald / Peter Norwood, 3 and 2.
Barry Milstead / Erik Billinger, CPGA, def. Jimmy Makloski / Cody Kent, 1 up.
Steve Irwin / Steven Kupcho, CGA, def. Doug Wherry / Will Panella, 1 up.
Tray Shehee / Dan O’Shaughnessy, CPGA, def. Adam Griffith / Braden Baer, 2 and 1.
Nick Nosewicz / Gus Lundquist, CGA, def. Vince Buelk / Jeff Carlson, 2 and 1.
SENIOR DIVISION
FINAL SCORE: Colorado PGA Professionals 3, CGA Amateurs 3
Four-Ball: Colorado PGA 3, CGA 3
Gregg Jones / Ken Krieger, CPGA, def. Kelly Crone / Larry Netherton, 7 and 6.
Frank Wilkinson / Bruce Hogg, CGA, def. Perry Holmes / Jeff Hanson, 5 and 4.
Mike Northern / Paul Lobato, CPGA, def. Steve Bell / Pat Bowe, 6 and 5.
Kent Moore / Robert Polk, CGA, def. Rick Ellefson / Zane Zwemke, 3 and 2.
Russell Aragon / Vance Pollock, CPGA, def. Harry Johnson / Robert West, 2 and 1.
Art Cudworth / Bob Chandler, CGA, def. Rick Cole / Tom Carricato, 6 and 5.
Loeffler, a three-time winner of the Colorado Open and the 1986 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, has the distinction of having competed in the Colorado Cup in every decade it’s been held — the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s, 2000s and the 2010s.
Furthermore, he’s played multiple times for both the amateur and the professional sides. And he can still distinctly remember competing for the amateur team in the 1978 Cup, when he beat Warren Smith, the much-revered Cherry Hills Country Club head professional. One of Loeffler’s amater teammates that year was Steve Jones, who would go on to win the 1996 U.S. Open.
“As an amateur I always thought, ‘God, if we could just beat these professionals,'” Loeffler said Wednesday. “And now as a professional, it’s like, ‘We can’t let these amateurs win; we’re supposed to be the professionals. We’re supposed to be the cream of the crop.'”
And so it goes in the annual competition, the 44th of which was held Wednesday at the Golf Club at Bear Dance in Larkspur. It’s always been a friendly matchup, but make no mistake about it: each side wants to win.
“It’s all fun, but when you get out there, it’s like, you don’t want to lose either,” said four-time CGA Mid-Amateur champion Keith Humerickhouse, the men’s amateur open division captain. “It’s that competitiveness that we all love. Camaraderie is awesome, (but) ultimately you want to win. I don’t care who you are.”
On Wednesday, the Cup matches ended up in a split decision. The men’s amateurs won the open division for the first time in four years. The professionals prevailed in the senior division for the eighth time in nine years. And the amateur women defeated the pros for the 10th time in as many tries.
The CGA amateurs edged their Colorado PGA counterparts 10-8 in the open competition after the completion of four-ball and singles matches. That makes the all-time series 30-12 in the professionals’ favor, with two ties.
With Loeffler going 2-0 on the day, the host Colorado PGA continued to dominate the men’s senior division, prevailing this time by a 13.5-4.5 count. That evens up the all-time senior series 15-15, with two ties.
And the CWGA representatives (pictured above) kept intact their run of perfection in the Colorado Cup, winning 7-2 on Wednesday.
“This is my first time in it, so I didn’t really know what to expect coming in,” said amateur Kathleen Kershisnik, who was under par in winning both her singles and four-ball matches. “But I definitely knew it would be awesome to beat them. I didn’t know we were completely undefeated (all time in the women’s competition), so that’s nice. It probably would have pushed me to do better if I knew that beforehand. I kind of like the pressure. But I’m glad we did (win) it. It’s just a fun event.”
While the men’s senior and women’s division were somewhat lopsided affairs, the men’s open division was close enough that only four of the 24 players involved won both of their matches: amateurs John Ahern and Dylan Mitchell, and professionals Rob Hunt and Eric Bradley.
Humerickhouse rallied late in his singles match with Tray Shehee to square things going into the final hole. But, showing that there’s plenty of sportsmanship to go around in the event, both players agreed to halve their match after they had put their second shots side by side just off the green on the par-5 eighth hole, their last of the day.
“We turned to each other and he said, ‘halve?’ and I said, ‘100 percent I’ll take a halve,'” said Humerickhouse, a former professional who was playing in the Colorado Cup for the first time. “It was awesome. We both were thinking the same thing. That was a perfect ending. On the tee I said, ‘Let’s both make eagle and be done with it.’ And it turns out that’s what happened in a roundabout way.”
And then there was Kershisnik, who made four birdies on the first five holes of her 6-and-5 singles victory over Katie Milstead.
“I played very well and I got the putter going,” said Kershisnik, a University of Wyoming golfer. “When I started out that second match really hot, (Milstead) was giving me a little bit of grief and saying she’s too old for this. It was fun.”
In all, 60 players competed in the event at Bear Dance.
Colorado Cup Matches
At GC at Bear Dance in Larkspur
(Note: P indicates professional, A indicates amateur)
WOMEN’S DIVISION
FINAL SCORE: CWGA 7, CPGA 2
Four-Ball: CWGA 2, CPGA 1
Christie Austin/Tori Glenn, A, def. Sherry Andonian-Smith/Leslie Core Dravecky, 3 and 2
Deb Hughes/Kathleen Kershisnik, A, def. Katie Milstead/Courtney Rudolph, 3 and 2
Holly Shupe/Kimmy Bean, P, def. Kathy Malpass/Samantha Stancato, 2 and 1
Singles: CWGA 5, CPGA 1
Deb Hughes, A, def. Kimmy Bean, default
Kathleen Kershisnik, A, def. Katie Milstead, 6 and 5
Samantha Stancato, A, def. Sherry Andonian-Smith, 7 and 6
Kathy Malpass, A, def. Leslie Core-Dravecky, 7 and 6
Courtney Rudolph, P, def. Christie Austin, 4 and 3
Tori Glenn, A, def. Holly Shupe, 7 and 6
MEN’S OPEN DIVISION
FINAL SCORE: CGA 10, Colorado PGA 8
Four-Ball: CPGA 3, CGA 3
Geoff Keffer/Blake Sharamitaro, P, def. Andrew Cornella/Minkyu Jeon, 6 and 5
Keith Humerickhouse/Alex Kephart, A, def. Dan O’Shaughnessy/Tray Shehee, 5 and 4
Micah Rudosky/Eric Bradley, P, def. Barry Erwin/Jack Adolfson, 2 up
Michael Harrington/Dylan Mitchell, A, def. Shawn Wills/Jeff Carlson, 2 and 1
Rob Hunt/Andrew Hedrick., P, def. Lamar Carlile/Ethan Freeman, 1 up
David Oraee/John Ahern, A, def. Caine Fitzgerald/Travis Morton, 1 up
Singles: CGA 7, CPGA 5
Andrew Cornella, A, def. Andrew Hedrick, 5 and 4
Rob Hunt, P, def. Michael Harrington, 4 and 3
Caine Fitzgerald, P, def. Minkyu Jeon, 4 and 3
John Ahern, A, def. Travis Morton, 3 and 2
Dan O’Shaughnessy, P, def. Alex Kephart, 2 and 1
Keith Humerickhouse, A, halved with Tray Shehee
Jack Adolfson, A, def. Jeff Carlson, 2 up
Lamar Carlile, A, def. Shawn Wills, 3 and 1
Ethan Freeman, A, def. Geoff Keffer, 4 and 3
David Oraee, A, halved with Blake Sharamitaro
Dylan Mitchell, A, def. Micah Rudosky, 2 and 1
Eric Bradley, P, def. Barry Erwin, 1 up
MEN’S SENIOR DIVISION
FINAL SCORE: Colorado PGA 13.5, CGA 4.5
Four-Ball: CPGA 5.5, CGA 0.5
Rick Ellefson/Zane Zwemke, P, def. Guy Mertz/Mike Larson, 4 and 3
Bill Loeffler/Paul Lobato, P, def. Eric Hoos/Frank Wilkinson, 2 and 1
Bob McNamee/Perry Holmes, P, def. Dave Brown/Pat Bowe, 2 and 1Mike Northern/Doug Rohrbaugh, P, def. Harry Johnson/Sean Forey, 2 and 1
Rick Cole/Craig Stephens, P, def. Thomas Roos/Bob Chandler, 2 and 1
Kelly Crone/Art Cudworth, A, halved with David Arbuckle/Gregg Jones
Singles: CPGA 8, CGA 4
Bill Loeffler, P, def. Eric Hoos, 6 and 5
Paul Lobato, P, def. Dave Brown, 4 and 3
Bob McNamee, P, def. Frank Wilkinson, 2 and 1
Mike Larson, A, def. Rick Ellefson, 4 and 3
Thomas Roos, A, def. Craig Stephens, 4 and 3
Rick Cole, P, def. Art Cudworth, 4 and 3
Zane Zwemke, P, def. Pat Bowe, 2 and 1
Guy Mertz, A, def. Gregg Jones, 3 and 2
David Arbuckle, P, def. Kelly Crone, 3 and 2
Mike Northern, P, def. Bob Chandler, 5 and 3
Sean Forey, A, def. Perry Holmes, 3 and 2
Doug Rohrbaugh, P, def. Harry Johnson, 3 and 2
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When it comes to the Colorado Cup matches between some of the state’s best professional and amateur golfers, perhaps no one has more perspective than Bill Loeffler.
Loeffler, a three-time winner of the Colorado Open and the 1986 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, has the distinction of having competed in the Colorado Cup in every decade it’s been held — the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s, 2000s and the 2010s.
Furthermore, he’s played multiple times for both the amateur and the professional sides. And he can still distinctly remember competing for the amateur team in the 1978 Cup, when he beat Warren Smith, the much-revered Cherry Hills Country Club head professional. One of Loeffler’s amater teammates that year was Steve Jones, who would go on to win the 1996 U.S. Open.
“As an amateur I always thought, ‘God, if we could just beat these professionals,'” Loeffler said Wednesday. “And now as a professional, it’s like, ‘We can’t let these amateurs win; we’re supposed to be the professionals. We’re supposed to be the cream of the crop.'”
And so it goes in the annual competition, the 44th of which was held Wednesday at the Golf Club at Bear Dance in Larkspur. It’s always been a friendly matchup, but make no mistake about it: each side wants to win.
“It’s all fun, but when you get out there, it’s like, you don’t want to lose either,” said four-time CGA Mid-Amateur champion Keith Humerickhouse, the men’s amateur open division captain. “It’s that competitiveness that we all love. Camaraderie is awesome, (but) ultimately you want to win. I don’t care who you are.”
On Wednesday, the Cup matches ended up in a split decision. The men’s amateurs won the open division for the first time in four years. The professionals prevailed in the senior division for the eighth time in nine years. And the amateur women defeated the pros for the 10th time in as many tries.
The CGA amateurs (pictured at top) edged their Colorado PGA counterparts 10-8 in the open competition after the completion of four-ball and singles matches. That makes the all-time series 30-12 in the professionals’ favor, with two ties.
With Loeffler going 2-0 on the day, the host Colorado PGA continued to dominate the men’s senior division, prevailing this time by a 13.5-4.5 count. That evens up the all-time senior series 15-15, with two ties. (The winning professional team is pictured above, primarily in orange.)
And the CWGA representatives (left) kept intact their run of perfection in the Colorado Cup, winning 7-2 on Wednesday.
“This is my first time in it, so I didn’t really know what to expect coming in,” said amateur Kathleen Kershisnik, who was under par in winning both her singles and four-ball matches. “But I definitely knew it would be awesome to beat them. I didn’t know we were completely undefeated (all time in the women’s competition), so that’s nice. It probably would have pushed me to do better if I knew that beforehand. I kind of like the pressure. But I’m glad we did (win) it. It’s just a fun event.”
While the men’s senior and women’s division were somewhat lopsided affairs, the men’s open division was close enough that only four of the 24 players involved won both of their matches: amateurs John Ahern and Dylan Mitchell, and professionals Rob Hunt and Eric Bradley.
(Among those with at least one win on the day were the foursome pictured adjacent, from left in orange, professionals Geoff Keffer and Blake Sharamitaro, along with University of Colorado teammates David Oraee and Ethan Freeman.)
Humerickhouse rallied late in his singles match with Tray Shehee to square things going into the final hole. But, showing that there’s plenty of sportsmanship to go around in the event, both players agreed to halve their match after they had put their second shots side by side just off the green on the par-5 eighth hole, their last of the day.
“We turned to each other and he said, ‘halve?’ and I said, ‘100 percent I’ll take a halve,'” said Humerickhouse, a former professional who was playing in the Colorado Cup for the first time. “It was awesome. We both were thinking the same thing. That was a perfect ending. On the tee I said, ‘Let’s both make eagle and be done with it.’ And it turns out that’s what happened in a roundabout way.”
And then there was Kershisnik, who made four birdies on the first five holes of her 6-and-5 singles victory over Katie Milstead.
“I played very well and I got the putter going,” said Kershisnik, a University of Wyoming golfer. “When I started out that second match really hot, (Milstead) was giving me a little bit of grief and saying she’s too old for this. It was fun.”
In all, 60 players competed in the event at Bear Dance.
Colorado Cup Matches
At GC at Bear Dance in Larkspur
(Note: P indicates professional, A indicates amateur)
MEN’S OPEN DIVISION
FINAL SCORE: CGA 10, Colorado PGA 8
Four-Ball: CPGA 3, CGA 3
Geoff Keffer/Blake Sharamitaro, P, def. Andrew Cornella/Minkyu Jeon, 6 and 5
Keith Humerickhouse/Alex Kephart, A, def. Dan O’Shaughnessy/Tray Shehee, 5 and 4
Micah Rudosky/Eric Bradley, P, def. Barry Erwin/Jack Adolfson, 2 up
Michael Harrington/Dylan Mitchell, A, def. Shawn Wills/Jeff Carlson, 2 and 1
Rob Hunt/Andrew Hedrick., P, def. Lamar Carlile/Ethan Freeman, 1 up
David Oraee/John Ahern, A, def. Caine Fitzgerald/Travis Morton, 1 up
Singles: CGA 7, CPGA 5
Andrew Cornella, A, def. Andrew Hedrick, 5 and 4
Rob Hunt, P, def. Michael Harrington, 4 and 3
Caine Fitzgerald, P, def. Minkyu Jeon, 4 and 3
John Ahern, A, def. Travis Morton, 3 and 2
Dan O’Shaughnessy, P, def. Alex Kephart, 2 and 1
Keith Humerickhouse, A, halved with Tray Shehee
Jack Adolfson, A, def. Jeff Carlson, 2 up
Lamar Carlile, A, def. Shawn Wills, 3 and 1
Ethan Freeman, A, def. Geoff Keffer, 4 and 3
David Oraee, A, halved with Blake Sharamitaro
Dylan Mitchell, A, def. Micah Rudosky, 2 and 1
Eric Bradley, P, def. Barry Erwin, 1 up
MEN’S SENIOR DIVISION
FINAL SCORE: Colorado PGA 13.5, CGA 4.5
Four-Ball: CPGA 5.5, CGA 0.5
Rick Ellefson/Zane Zwemke, P, def. Guy Mertz/Mike Larson, 4 and 3
Bill Loeffler/Paul Lobato, P, def. Eric Hoos/Frank Wilkinson, 2 and 1
Bob McNamee/Perry Holmes, P, def. Dave Brown/Pat Bowe, 2 and 1
Mike Northern/Doug Rohrbaugh, P, def. Harry Johnson/Sean Forey, 2 and 1
Rick Cole/Craig Stephens, P, def. Thomas Roos/Bob Chandler, 2 and 1
Kelly Crone/Art Cudworth, A, halved with David Arbuckle/Gregg Jones
Singles: CPGA 8, CGA 4
Bill Loeffler, P, def. Eric Hoos, 6 and 5
Paul Lobato, P, def. Dave Brown, 4 and 3
Bob McNamee, P, def. Frank Wilkinson, 2 and 1
Mike Larson, A, def. Rick Ellefson, 4 and 3
Thomas Roos, A, def. Craig Stephens, 4 and 3
Rick Cole, P, def. Art Cudworth, 4 and 3
Zane Zwemke, P, def. Pat Bowe, 2 and 1
Guy Mertz, A, def. Gregg Jones, 3 and 2
David Arbuckle, P, def. Kelly Crone, 3 and 2
Mike Northern, P, def. Bob Chandler, 5 and 3
Sean Forey, A, def. Perry Holmes, 3 and 2
Doug Rohrbaugh, P, def. Harry Johnson, 3 and 2
WOMEN’S DIVISION
FINAL SCORE: CWGA 7, CPGA 2
Four-Ball: CWGA 2, CPGA 1
Christie Austin/Tori Glenn, A, def. Sherry Andonian-Smith/Leslie Core Dravecky, 3 and 2
Deb Hughes/Kathleen Kershisnik, A, def. Katie Milstead/Courtney Rudolph, 3 and 2
Holly Shupe/Kimmy Bean, P, def. Kathy Malpass/Samantha Stancato, 2 and 1
Singles: CWGA 5, CPGA 1
Deb Hughes, A, def. Kimmy Bean, default
Kathleen Kershisnik, A, def. Katie Milstead, 6 and 5
Samantha Stancato, A, def. Sherry Andonian-Smith, 7 and 6
Kathy Malpass, A, def. Leslie Core-Dravecky, 7 and 6
Courtney Rudolph, P, def. Christie Austin, 4 and 3
Tori Glenn, A, def. Holly Shupe, 7 and 6