The 2015 CHSAA 5A boys state high school tournament probably belongs in the “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” category.

Any one of these things would be improbable on its own, yet all of them occurred on Tuesday at Fort Collins Country Club:

— The host school, Fort Collins HS, which had just two players in the field, saw those two competitors finish 1-2, with Hunter Paugh (left) claiming the title and fellow senior AJ Ott placing second.

— Both of the top two finishers are left-handers.

— The individual champion, Paugh, won at his home course.

— Paugh led after the first round of the 5A state meet each of the last two years, but instead of shooting a second-round 77 and finishing third as he did in 2014, he closed the deal with an even-par 71 on Tuesday for the victory.

— Though Fort Collins HS has featured six state team champions over the nearly-70 years of boys state high school championships, it had never had an individual winner until Paugh broke the ice on Tuesday.

— With just a few groups left on the course, three schools (Regis Jesuit, defending champion Coronado and Lakewood) were tied for the lead in the team competition. Regis ended up prevailing by one over co-runners-up Coronado and Lakewood, with Fort Collins-based Fossil Ridge just four out of the top spot.

— In the last seven years, Regis has won five state team championships and finished second the other two years.

Suffice it to say it was a stellar ending to an eventful boys high school season. And the 5A was just one of the three state tournaments that concluded on Tuesday. For details about the 4A and 3A state meets, see below.

Paugh couldn’t keep the lead that he held after 18 holes last year, but this time around, no one ever caught him, though a couple of opponents crept within one shortly after he hit it into the water and made a double-bogey 7 on the seventh hole. He was solid as a rock thereafter, making two birdies and nine pars to fend off all challengers.

It was an ideal way to close out Paugh’s high school golf career — with a victory at state in his hometown and on his home course.

“This is just how my dream was — just exactly,” he said. “I can’t picture it any better, with all my family and friends around to support me after winning the state title. It’s amazing.”

Paugh, who has verbally committed to play college golf at the University of South Dakota, posted a 4-under-par 138 total, good for a three-stroke victory. Ott, his teammate, had gotten within one before placing second at 141 after closing with a 70.

Grand Junction junior Trevor Olkowski and Regis Jesuit senior Andrew McCormick (above) tied for third at 143, with Olkowski carding a day 2-best 69 and McCormick a 72.

Ott (left), a Colorado State University recruit who earlier this year finished third in the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior and second in a playoff at the CGA Junior Stroke Play, notched his fourth top-10 at state. But a victory eluded him.

“It’s very disappointing,” he said. “I definitely wasn’t even close to my best. It’s just one of those days. It’s unfortunate it had to happen today.

“It bothers me, yeah, but it’s just one tournament. But then again, this year and last year especially I felt like I was really confident going in (to state).”

As for Paugh, he was unflappable following his double bogey on the seventh hole. After seeing his lead dwindle to one, he drained birdie putts of 10 feet on No. 11 and 6 feet on No. 12, and had a cushion of at least two the rest of the way.

“Last year gave me good experience going into today,” Paugh said. “Last year I went in (to the last day in) the same position. I knew what I needed to do today. No. 7 wasn’t a good hole but I knew I needed to let it go because you can’t do anything about it. I didn’t want to let it affect me. From there on I was just really comfortable.

“Winning state is big for anybody, but it’s huge after last year having a chance at it and I didn’t get it done. This year at my home course, being expected to play well, I filled those expectations. Having the state title is amazing. And it’s cool (for Fort Collins players) to be 1 and 2 at state this year.”

With Paugh holding a comfortable lead going up the final hole, the team title remained in doubt until the very end. But Regis, which won four straight 5A state championships from 2010-13, got birdies from McCormick at No. 16 and a 7-footer from junior Tyler Zhang at No. 18 to give the Raiders (left) a one-stroke victory.

“He hit one of the best drives I can imagine,” Regis coach Craig Rogers said of Zhang’s shot on 18. “He was about 95 yards out and hit it to about 7 feet. That was the difference at the end.”

Then McCormick sank a 4-foot slider on No. 17 and two-putted for par on 18 to keep Coronado and Lakewood at bay.

“Stepping up on the last tee box, all the people watching, hitting it down the middle of the fairway, then hitting it in the middle of the green, then hitting it about 2 inches …,” Rogers said of McCormick on 18. “For any kid to have that kind of poise, it’s just beautiful to watch. He’s a guy who loves the competition.”

Regis finished with a 15-over-par 441 total, while Coronado and Lakewood came in at 442 and Fossil Ridge at 445.

Solem Feels Right at Home in Claiming 4A Title: Paugh wasn’t the only golfer to win a state high school title in his hometown and on his home course on Tuesday. Junior Jackson Solem, who plays for Silver Creek High School in Longmont, earned the 4A championship at The Fox Hill Club.

Solem (left) shot a 1-under-par 69 on Tuesday to prevail by one over Valor Christian senior Coby Welch, who likewise carded a 69.

Solem, the 4A Northern Regional champion who earlier this year finished third in the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior, made two birdies and one bogey on Tuesday. He finished at 1-under 139 overall to become the first individual state champion to represent Silver Creek.

Welch, winner of the CJGA 14-18 Junior Series Championship this year, was one ahead of Solem after 14 holes on Tuesday. But a double bogey on No. 15 proved costly as the University of Northern Colorado recruit lost the lead for good.

Windsor’s Cole Krantz, winner of the 2015 Colorado PGA Junior Championship, tied for third at 142 with first-round leader Philip Lee of Valor Christian.

Speaking of Valor, it won its third consecutive 4A state title — and fifth since 2009. This time, it was 28 strokes better than runner-up Silver Creek and another three better than third-place Evergreen.

Peak to Peak Pulls off Sweep of 3A Titles: Peak to Peak, which had never had a team or individual state champion in golf, rectified that situation on both fronts on Tuesday.

The Pumas (left) prevailed by nine for the team title at Eagle Ranch Golf Course in Eagle, and junior Sam Taylor ran away with the individual championship.

Taylor shot a 3-under-par 69 — the only sub-par round of the tournament — to finish at 3-under 141, good for a nine-stroke winning margin.

Taylor birdied five of his first seven holes on Tuesday before giving back a couple of strokes on the back nine.

Three players tied for second at 150: Oliver Jack of Kent Denver (75 Tuesday), Will Hazen of Aspen (72) and Ivan Richmond of Estes Park (74).

Defending champion Yale Kim of the Dawson School tied for sixth at 155.

Team-wise, Peak to Peak carded a 21-over-par 453 total. That was nine better than runner-up Kent Denver and 27 better than third-place Aspen.

SCORING: For scores from the state tournaments, click on the following: 3A, 4A, 5A

It may not have been nearly of the magnitude of Arnold Palmer’s final-round comeback in the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills, but similar to “The King”, Grant Olinger of Pomona rallied from seven shots behind going into the last 18 holes to claim the individual title in the 5A boys state high school tournament at Colorado Springs Country Club.

The senior shot a bogey-free round of 4-under-par 67 on Tuesday — the best score of the tournament by two strokes — to erase the big deficit and prevail by one shot.

“It’s not my lowest round — I’ve had a 65 before in a tournament,” Olinger said. “But this one feels a lot better. It’s my best round, I would say.”

Playing in the seventh-to-last group and starting almost an hour before the round 1 leaders, Olinger birdied the third, fifth, 11th and 17th holes while those under par after Monday slowly came back to the pack. By following up his first-day 76 with a 67, Olinger finished at 1-over-par 143 overall.

Even Olinger himself seemed a little taken aback by his comeback. After all, not only was he seven out of the lead, but he was in 15th place.

“I knew if I shot under par, I’d be top-10,” said Olinger (left and above), who placed 14th at state last year. “But I didn’t think I could get a chance (at the win) if I was that far back. I knew it would take something really low — one of my best rounds ever.”

Junior Isaac Petersilie of Coronado, who won the 4A state title last year, shot a 70 on Tuesday to check in one stroke behind Olinger. First-round leader Hunter Paugh (left) of Fort Collins held the top spot through 11 holes, but played his final seven in 3 over par to finish with a 77 and in third place, at 146 overall.

With Petersilie leading the way, Coronado claimed its first state team championship in golf, with the win coming in the school’s hometown. With daily totals of 226 and 220, CHS posted a 21-stroke team victory over co-runners-up Regis Jesuit and Lakewood. Regis had won the previous four 5A titles.

“It was really good because a lot of the guys came up clutch today,” Petersilie said. “That was really good to see. And also, it’s the first (state golf title) for Coronado.”

Joining Petersilie on the state championship team (left) were Wes Moran (151 total), Austin Burgess (151) and Luke Travins (158).

While Petersilie obviously relished winning the team championship, he would have loved to double up by claiming a second individual title. But two double bogeys in the final six holes on Monday proved difficult to overcome.

“I’m a little disappointed,” he said. “But kudos to (Olinger). He played real well and made a birdie on 17 coming in. And I was happy with the way I played. I was consistent all day. “

Indeed, Olinger’s 20-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th proved the difference between an outright win and a playoff.

So what turned Olinger around so much from Monday (76) to Tuesday (67)?

“I made a lot more putts, I hit a lot more greens, I hit a lot better shots,” he said. “And the swing felt a lot better today.

“I was a lot closer to the hole on every iron shot and wedge. That really helped. You really need to do that to shoot a good out here.”

It also didn’t hurt that Olinger was removed from the pressure and the spotlight of the final several groups during the final round. He admitted as much.

Olinger hopes to play college golf, though he isn’t sure where that might be. But it’s safe to say that Tuesday’s round — which produced his third individual victory this season — might translate into some opportunities.

But for now, he’s just relishing becoming a state champion.

“It feels really good,” he said. “It means a lot of hard work paid off. I worked real hard this summer and played in a lot of tournaments. Then this week I worked my butt off getting my swing dialed in.

“I really wanted to win. That’s why I was working so hard this year, because I felt like I had a chance to. That made it a little easier today.”
 

Rodriguez Overcomes Leaders, Valor Repeats as 4A Team Champ: Valor Christian placed all four of its players in the top six individually at the 4A state tournament at Walking Stick in Pueblo, but the top spot went to Taylor Rodriguez of Pueblo South on Tuesday.

Rodriguez fired his second consecutive 3-under-par 69 to overcome a two-stroke deficit entering the day and post a two-shot win.

Rodriguez bogeyed his final two holes on Tuesday, but he’d given himself a cushion by playing the previous 12 holes in 5 under.

Valor senior Jake Staiano, who will play his college golf at Colorado State, placed second on Tuesday after coming in fourth a year ago. After being the co-leader following round 1, Staiano carded a 1-over 73 on Tuesday for a 140 total.

University of Colorado-bound teammate Ross Macdonald, winner of the last two CGA Junior Stroke Play titles, came in third at 142 after a 70 on Tuesday.

Valor’s Coby Welch, who shared the top spot with Staiano after Monday, struggled to a 79 on Tuesday and shared fourth place with Braden Bentley of Mesa Ridge (71-75).

The fourth Valor player, Pierce Aichinger, who’s headed to CU, tied for sixth place at 147 with Steamboat Springs’ Britt Walton.

With an 8-under-par 424 team total, Valor Christian easily won its second consecutive 4A state team title, this one coming by 23 strokes over runner-up Pueblo South. Valor has claimed four state golf championships since 2009.
 

Dawson’s Kim Wins 3-Man Playoff in 3A: Yale Kim of the Dawson School in Lafayette parred the fourth playoff hole to win the 3A state high school title at Northeastern 18 in Sterling on Tuesday.

In a three-man playoff, first-round leader Trey Lambrecht of host Sterling bowed out with a triple bogey on the first extra hole. Then Kim earned the championship with a par on playoff hole No. 4 when Cooper Gould of Vail Christian made bogey.

Kim and Gould shot consecutive rounds of 1-over-par 73 for 2-over 146 totals. Lambrecht, who led by three after day 1, needed a birdie on his final hole of regulation to shoot a 78 and join the playoff.

Max Messner of Colorado Academy claimed fourth place after going 71-76. Cole Folwell of the Dawson School recorded his second top-five finish at state in two years by placing fifth, at 148.

Sterling, playing in its hometown, won its first state golf title. Its 459 total was five better than runner-up Kent Denver.

Scores: For scores from the three state tournaments, click on the following: 5A, 4A, 3A.

Two high school golfers who didn’t win an individual title all season are in good shape to make the 5A state meet their first victory.

The only two players to match or better par in Monday’s first round of the 5A tournament at Colorado Springs Country Club were certainly dark horses to make a run at the championship. Hunter Paugh of Fort Collins shot the round of his life — a 2-under-par 69 — to grab the lead. And fellow junior David Packer of Arapahoe matched his best score ever numerically with a 70.

“I’ve only won one tournament before — 7th-grade districts for middle school,” Paugh noted. “I’ve had a couple top-10s on the Rocky Mountain Junior Golf Tour. Those are pretty nice to have. I haven’t really won anything big. It’s nice to go into tomorrow hoping I might have a chance.”

On a day when play was suspended twice due to lightning — for a total of two hours — and which also featured hail and plenty of rain (left), only one other player shot below 74 in Monday’s opening round of the 36-hole event: Trevor Olkowski of Grand Junction, who carded a 73. Olkowski was among four players who represented Colorado in the 2014 Junior America’s Cup.

Seven players shot 74, including 2013 4A state champion Isaac Petersilie of Coronado, who double bogeyed two of the last six holes; Legacy’s Li Chen, runner-up in the 5A tournament each of the last two years; and Fort Collins’ AJ Ott, a 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier.

In the team competition, Coronado, a program which moved up from 4A last season, leads the way with a 13-over-par 226 total. Highlands Ranch is next best, at 230, while Boulder is at 236. Regis Jesuit, winner of the last four 5A team titles, shares fourth place at 237 with Cherokee Trail.

Paugh, who like teammate Ott is a left-hander, birdied his first three holes of the day (10, 11 and 12), making putts of 6, 6 and 10 feet. Then he drained a 25-footer on No. 14 to go 4 under through five. He was still 4 under through 15, but he bogeyed his 16th and 17th holes before finishing his round — following the first weather delay — with a two-putt par.

Monday’s round was about six strokes better than Paugh’s season average and three better than his previous best high school tournament round.

“It’s just great,” he said. “I’ve been practicing a lot since regionals and I’ve been looking forward to this tournament. It’s nice to be able to play well.”

This marks Paugh’s third state appearance, with a 28th-place showing last year his best showing as a freshman or sophomore. But Tuesday will be his big opportunity.

“I hope to go out and do what I did today — play a solid round and we’ll see what happens,” he said. “I think I have a chance to win it. It’s going to come down to how everything goes tomorrow.”

Packer (left) could have had the outright lead — or at least a share of the top spot — but a double bogey on his final hole Monday dropped him back to 1 under par. His approach on the par-4 ended up well short of the green, and his pitch was still short, on the fringe. And he couldn’t get up and down from there.

“That’s a rough way to end it,” he said. “Nerves got to me, but you’ve got to look at it as a whole. You can’t (judge) it by one hole. I’m proud of the way I played today.”

Indeed, overall, Packer finished with an eagle, five birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey. He only posted seven pars. Packer’s eagle came on the 547-yard 15th hole (his sixth), where he hit a 5-iron in and sunk a 60-foot putt.

He had separate stretches in his round where he birdied three straight holes and where he went 4 under par in a four-hole run.

“I had the putter rolling really well and I hit a lot of fairways,” said Packer, who won an RMJGT event at Fort Carson in June. “I’ve got to work on finishing it for sure, but I’m excited for tomorrow. I feel good about my chances.”

Valor Posts 10 Under Par to Build Big Lead in 4A: The Valor Christian boys golfers once again lived up to their billing on Monday by posting an impressive 10-under-par 206 team total and putting all four of their players into the top six individually in the 4A state tournament at Walking Stick Golf Course in Pueblo.

The defending 4A team champions built a 14-stroke advantage over Pueblo South in their bid for four state titles since 2009.

Senior Jake Staiano, who made the round of 64 at the 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur, and junior teammate Coby Welch matched 5-under-par 67s and share the individual lead in 4A. Meanwhile, Valor’s other two players, seniors Ross Macdonald and Pierce Aichinger, are tied for sixth place at 72 with 2013 runner-up Wilson Belk of Cheyenne Mountain.

Staiano has verbally committed to Colorado State, while Macdonald and Aichinger are headed to the University of Colorado.

Staiano made six birdies and one bogey on Monday, while Welch recorded an eagle, four birdies and a bogey.

Taylor Rodriguez of Pueblo South holds down third place at 69, while Braden Bentley of Mesa Ridge and Britt Walton of Steamboat Springs are tied for fourth at 71.

Lambrecht, Sterling Feeling Right at Home in 3A: Trey Lambrecht of Sterling took advantage of having the 3A state tournament in his hometown by opening up a three-stroke lead at the halfway point of the event at Northeastern 18.

Lambrecht fired a 4-under-par 68, making an eagle, five birdies and three bogeys in the process. He played the four holes starting on No. 13 in 5 under par.

Sam Taylor of Peak to Peak and Max Messner of Colorado Academy share second place at 71. Cole Folwell of the Dawson School, who finished third at state last year, checked in at even-par 72 despite a 7 and a 6 on his card.

Host Sterling leads the way in the team standings, posting a 6-over-par 222. Defending champion Dawson, with just three qualifiers, sits in second place at 228.

Scores: For scores from the three state tournaments, click on the following: 5A, 4A, 3A.