That’s in addition to the 23 golfers who earned berths via the Optimist Junior Tour event held in October at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in Northeast Denver.
Three separate tournaments are held at PGA National, depending on gender and age. Overall, the events begin July 19 and conclude on Aug. 1.
In 2017, Colorado was the most-represented state at the Optimist International Junior Golf Championship, with 50 players. The Colorado-Wyoming District of the Optimist junior golf program traditionally provides some financial assistance for those who qualify locally for the Florida event.
Here are the players who will advance from this month’s qualifying tournaments held in Colorado:
June 15 at Flatirons GC in Boulder
Boys 16-18 (7 Qualifiers)
1. Walker Franklin, Broomfield 66
2. Liam O’Halloran, Colorado Springs 68
T3. Micah Stangebe, Montrose 69
T3. TJ Shehee, Mead 69
T3. Jack Glenn 69
T6. Blake Schneiter, Grand Junction 70
T6. Tyler Mulligan, Parker 70
June 8 at Aurora Hills GC
Boys 14-15 (14 Qualifiers)
1. Traejan Andrews, Windsor 70
T2. TJ Hicks, Greenwood Village 71
T2. Maxwell Lange, Golden 71
T2. Karsten Simmons, Worland, Wyo. 71
T2. Jackson Grace, Boulder 71
T6. Jack Larson, Arvada 73
T6. Jeffrey Zhou, Greenwood Village 73
T8. Dakota Dolph, Pine 74
T8. Drex Duffy, Littleton 74
T8. Hunter Swanson, Denver 74
T11. Mario Dino, Denver 75 (in playoff)
T11. Matthew Wilkinson, Centennial 75 (in playoff)
T11. Jackson Rottschafer, Centennial 75 (in playoff)
T11. Trey Kirschner, Arvada 75 (in playoff after being alternate)
June 8 at Aurora Hills GC
Boys 12-13 (5 Qualifiers)
1. Nicholas Pevny, Aspen 73
2. Jackson Smith, Centennial 74
3. Yusuke Ogi, Arvada 75
T4. Grant Samuelson, Fort Collins 80
T4. Michael Dinapoli, Steamboat Springs 80
June 8 at Aurora Hills GC
Boys 10-11 (4 Qualifiers)
1. Austin Barry, Fort Collins 74
2. Carson Bertagnole, Casper, Wyo. 80
3. Landon Houska, Fort Collins 82
T4. Tyler Long, Evergreen 85 (won playoff)
June 14 at Meadow Hills GC in Aurora
Girls 15-18 (7 Qualifiers)
T1. Jessica Zapf, Windsor 73 (won playoff)
T1. Lauren Lehigh, Loveland 73
T3. Jenna Chun, Englewood 74
T3. Leigha Devine, Windsor 74
5. Kelsey Webster, Boulder 75
6. Emma Bryant, Aurora 76
7. Brooke Kramer, Aurora 77
June 14 at Meadow Hills GC in Aurora
Girls 13-14 (7 Qualifiers)
1. Sofia Choi, Littleton 73
2. Kaylee Chen, Denver 74
T3. Rachel Penzenstadler, Centennial 75
T3. Katelyn Lehigh, Loveland 75
5. Timbre Shehee, Mead 79
T6. Eva Pett, Denver 80
T6. Amira Badruddin, Parker 80
June 14 at Meadow Hills GC in Aurora
Girls 10-12 (3 Qualifiers)
1. Hadley Ashton, Erie 74
2. Caitlyn Chin, Greenwood Village 77
3. Ashleigh Wilson, Highlands Ranch 80
The Junior Worlds, one of the most prestigious junior golf events around, are scheduled for July 10-13 in the San Diego area.
Those who advanced on Wednesday at South Suburban Family Sports Center were players from the youngest age groups. Here were the qualifiers:
Boys 9-10
June 6 at South Suburban Family Sports Center
Andre Dumonteil, Centennial 1-under-par 30
Gavin Amella, Pueblo even-par 31
Girls 9-10
June 6 at South Suburban Family Sports Center
Livia Pett, Denver 4-over-par 35
Boys 7-8
June 6 at South Suburban Family Sports Center
Brady Shaw, Pueblo 2-over-par 33
Girls 7-8
June 6 at South Suburban Family Sports Center
Maddie Makino, Parker 8-over-par 39
Earlier, a dozen other Coloradans made the grade in qualifying in the state. Here are those who will be going to San Diego, in addition to Hadley Ashton of Erie, 11, who qualified in Texas:
Boys 15-18
May 29-30 at Broadlands GC in Broomfield
Cal McCoy, Highlands Ranch 71-68–139
Davis Bryant, Aurora 70-70–140
Boys 13-14
June 1 at Indian Tree GC in Arvada
Maxwell Lange, Golden 72
Matthew Wilkinson, Centennial 73
Boys 11-12
June 1 at Indian Tree GC in Arvada
Timothy Kelley, Moorpark, Calif. 71
Austin Barry, Fort Collins 76
Girls 15-18
May 29-30 at Colorado National GC in Erie
Hailey Schalk, Erie 71-66–137
Kelsey Webster, Boulder 73-67–140
Girls 13-14
May 29 at Colorado National GC in Erie
Jessica Mason, Westminster 75
Sofia Choi, Littleton 76 (won playoff)
Girls 11-12
May 29 at Colorado National GC in Erie
Caitlyn Chin, Greenwood Village 81
Brooke Hudson, Parker 84
Among those making the grade on Wednesday in the 15-18 qualifying tournaments for the IMG Academy Junior World Championships were both Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado 2017 Players of the Year, Davis Bryant of Aurora and Hailey Schalk of Erie.
The Junior Worlds are scheduled for July 10-13 in the San Diego area.
Bryant advanced by finishing second in the boys 15-18 qualifier at Broadlands Golf Course in Broomfield, while Schalk placed first in the girls 15-18 tournament at her home course, Colorado National Golf Club in Erie.
Cal McCoy of Highlands Ranch, a University of Denver recruit, earned medalist honors at Broadlands with a 5-under-par 139 total for two days (71-68). In making his first Junior Worlds, the Colorado State University-bound Bryant went 70-70–140 for the second and final spot in his division.
In the girls 15-18 tournament at Colorado National, Schalk and University of Colorado recruit Kelsey Webster of Boulder earned the available national berths. Schalk carded scores of 71-66 for a 7-under-par 137 total over two days and went bogey-free on Wednesday. Webster, who finished third earlier this month in the 5A girls state high school tournament, shot a 5-under-par 31 on the front nine Wednesday en route to a 67 and a 140 total.
On Tuesday at Colorado National, Jessica Mason of Westminster and Sofia Choi of Littleton advanced in the girls 13-14 division. Mason led the way in the qualifier with a 3-over-par 75, while Choi shot a 76 and won a playoff with Kaylee Chen of Denver. And in the girls 11-12 tournament at the same course, Caitlyn Chin of Greenwood Village (9-over-par 81) and Brooke Hudson of Parker (84) are headed to San Diego.
Another Coloradan who also is bound for Junior Worlds is Hadley Ashton of Erie, 11, who earlier qualified in Texas.
Qualifying for several other age/gender divisions will take place within within the next week. Boys 13-14 and 11-12 will play Friday at Indian Tree Golf Course in Arvada, with two berths at stake in each division. And on June 6 at Family Sports in Centennial, boys and girls 7-8 and 9-10 will tee it up, with one national spot at stake in each division except boys 9-10, where there will be two.
Here are the qualifiers from Tuesday and Wednesday’s tournaments:
Boys 15-18
Tuesday and Wednesday at Broadlands GC in Broomfield
Cal McCoy, Highlands Ranch 71-68–139
Davis Bryant, Aurora 70-70–140
Girls 15-18
Tuesday and Wednesday at Colorado National GC in Erie
Hailey Schalk, Erie 71-66–137
Kelsey Webster, Boulder 73-67–140
Girls 13-14
Tuesday at Colorado National GC in Erie
Jessica Mason, Westminster 75
Sofia Choi, Littleton 76 (won playoff)
Girls 11-12
Tuesday at Colorado National GC in Erie
Caitlyn Chin, Greenwood Village 81
Brooke Hudson, Parker 84
Thirty golfers will vie for three spots in the national championship, which will be held at The Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J., July 18-23.
Among the entrants Monday is Jaclyn Murray of Grand Junction, who qualified for the U.S. Girls’ Junior in 2014.
Also in the field are 2015 CWGA Junior Match Play champion Amy Chitkoksoong, the 5A state high school runner-up; Hailey Schalk, runner-up in last week’s Colorado Junior Amateur; 2015 Colorado PGA Junior Championship winner Caroline Jordaan, the 4A state high school runner-up in May; and Lauren Lehigh, who like Chitkoksoong recently qualified for the IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championships.
For Monday’s tee times, CLICK HERE.
]]>The prestigious Junior World Championships are scheduled for July 12-15 in the San Diego area.
— Jordan Jennings of Montrose and Beam Boonta of Centennial earned the two spots in the boys 13-14 age division. Jennings shot a 1-under-par 71, while Boonta fired a 74 and prevailed in a three-person playoff by making a par on the second extra hole, leaving TJ Hicks of Denver and Walter Franklin of Broomfield as alternates.
— In the girls 13-14 division, three players — Emma Bryant of Aurora, Marie Jordaan of Cherry Hills Village and Amisha Singh of Greenwood Village — tied for the low score with 3-over-par 75s. Then Bryant and Jordaan gained the Junior World spots via a playoff, where both of them parred both extra holes.
— Brayden Bozak of Phoenix blew away the field in the boys 11-12 division by carding a 5-under-par 67. The second and final Junior World spot went to Luke Olkowski of Grand Junction, who shot a 76 and beat Parker Paxton of Riverton, Wyo., in a playoff. Olkowski went birdie, birdie in the playoff.
— In the girls 11-12 division, Katelyn Lehigh of Loveland and Sofia Choi of Littleton gained the two available Junior World spots. Lehigh posted an 11-over-par 83, while Choi had an 86.
On Wedneday, three Coloradans in the 15-17 age division qualified for the Junior Worlds: Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins, Amy Chitkoksoong of Aurora and Lauren Lehigh of Loveland.
For scores from Thursday’s four qualifiers, CLICK HERE.
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Meanwhile, 2015 CWGA Junior Match Play champion Amy Chitkoksoong of Aurora and Lauren Lehigh of Loveland earned the two girls 15-17 berths into the prestigious tournament that will be held in the San Diego area July 12-15.
Paxton, 17, fired a 2-under-par 70 Wednesday to win the qualifier with a 2-under 142 total.
The 15-year-old Stewart shot an even-par 72 Wednesday to finish second at 143.
The Olkowski brothers from Grand Junction, Canon and Trevor, placed third and fourth at 144 and 145, respectively, leaving them alternates.
In the girls competition, the 15-year-old Chitkoksoong garnered the top spot by winning the two-day qualifier with rounds of 75-77 for an 8-over-par 152 total.
The second girls berth went to Lehigh, who prevailed in a three-golfer playoff. Lehigh went 75-78 for 153, then carded two pars in the sudden-death playoff with Caroline Jordaan of Cherry Hills Village and Jordan Remley of Lakewood, who will be the first and second alternates, respectively.
For all the boys scores, CLICK HERE.
For complete girls scores, CLICK HERE.
Junior World qualifiers for boys and girls in the 11-12 and 13-14 age divisions will be contested on Thursday at Broken Tee in Englewood.