The Timm Golf Academy All-Stars, who earned the Colorado PGA Section Jr. League title at Thorncreek Golf Course in Thornton recently, finished third out of four teams at the Regional competition, which ended on Sunday.

The TGA All-Stars, all age 13 and under, won one match on Sunday after losing twice earlier in the weekend. Axis All-Stars from the greater Houston area repeated as regional champion, going 3-0 and landing the one available berth into the national PGA Jr. League Championship, set for Nov. 16-19 in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The results from the Regional had the TGA All-Stars losing to the McKinney (Texas) All-Stars 7.5-4.5 and to the Axis All-Stars 9.5-2.5. Then on Sunday, the Coloradans prevailed over the Albuquerque B All-Stars 9-3. The PGA Jr. League competitions use a scramble format and Regionals feature a round-robin.

This year’s Colorado representatives finished with one more win at Regionals than last year’s team from the Centennial State. Last year’s Regional was held at Greg Mastriona Golf Courses at Hyland Hills in Westminster.

Nationwide, a record 50,000 kids participated in PGA Jr. League in 2018.

For all the results from the Regional in Texas, CLICK HERE.
 

With the top three scores from each squad counting toward the team total, Colorado shot an 11-under-par 205. The Coloradans — who have never finished better than third in this event for teams from the western U.S., Canada and Mexico — trail only Mexico (202) and are tied with Arizona.

Colorado has been a roll in recent years in this 18-team event as it placed third in 2015, sixth in 2016 and fourth last year.

Leading the way in round 1 of the 54-hole event was Stewart, who last month won the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior. The future Oklahoma State golfer made nine birdies and one bogey in his 64 at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort Golf Course. That left him tied for the individual lead with Ian Siebers of Washington, who was bogey-free on Tuesday.

Two other Coloradans broke par on Tuesday, four-time JAC participant Davis Bryant of Aurora (2-under-par 70, good for 18th place) and Cal McCoy of Highlands Ranch (71, 24th place). Bryant, who made four birdies on Tuesday, will be playing college golf starting this fall at Colorado State University, while McCoy (an eagle and two birdies) is headed to the University of Denver.

Rounding out Colorado’s players was first-time JAC contestant Walker Franklin of Broomfield, who opened with a 73. (Pictured is the Colorado squad, from left: McCoy, captain Dustin Jensen, Stewart, Bryant and Franklin.)

Play will continue through Thursday.

2. (out of 18 teams) Colorado 205
T1. Dillon Stewart (pictured below), Fort Collins 64
18. Davis Bryant, Aurora 70
24. Cal McCoy, Highlands Ranch 71
34. Walker Franklin, Broomfield 73

For all the scores from the JAC, CLICK HERE.

The four Coloradans competing July 24-26 in Anaconda, Mont., will come into the event having played in a combined five JACs.

Records aren’t complete, but Davis Bryant of Aurora might go down as having played in more boys Junior America’s Cups for Colorado than anyone. This will mark his fourth and final appearance, having placed ninth individually last year, 21st in 2016 and 49th in 2015.

More importantly, Bryant helped Colorado finish fourth out of 18 teams in 2017, sixth in 2016 and third in 2015, when the Centennial State matched its best showing ever in the event, also accomplished in 2011 at Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen.

Bryant will be joined on the 2018 Colorado team by Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins, Cal McCoy of Highlands Ranch and Walker Franklin of Broomfield. Stewart and McCoy likewise played on the 2017, while the 16-year-old Franklin is a first-timer in the event. (Bryant and Stewart are pictured at a recent tournament, with Bryant at left.)

All three of the Colorado returnees have set their college plans. Bryant is headed for Colorado State University and McCoy to the University of Denver, both in the fall, while Stewart has verbally committed to Oklahoma State when he heads for college in 2019.

Here’s a brief rundown on the Colorado JAC representatives this year:

— Davis Bryant of Aurora: Will be playing in his fourth Junior America’c Cup. He finished ninth individually last year. … Will play his college golf at CSU beginning in the fall. … Named the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado’s Boys Player of the Year in 2017. … Has won all four JGAC majors in which he’s competed in 2017 and 18 — three last year and the Colorado Junior PGA this year. He’s also qualified for the national Junior PGA Championship. … Finished 40th out of 212 players in the boys 15-18 division at the IMG Academy Junior World Championships. … Played in the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2015 and ’17, going to match play in the latter. … Finished second to Stewart at last month’s AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior. … Advanced to U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying late in the spring. … Won the 5A boys state high school title as a senior at Eaglecrest. … Younger sister Emma is on this year’s Colorado team for the Girls Junior Americas Cup.

— Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins: Will be playing in his second Junior America’c Cup. He finished 13th individually last year. … Has verbally committed to play his college golf at Oklahoma State beginning next year. … Competed this week at the U.S. Junior Amateur. … Won the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior last month, becoming the first local player to claim the title in the boys division. … Finished second last week at the Colorado Junior Amateur. … Also was runner-up at the 5A boys state high school tournament in the fall, behind only Bryant.

— Cal McCoy of Highlands Ranch: Will be playing in his second Junior America’c Cup. He finished 31st individually last year. … Will begin his college golf career at the University of Denver beginning in the fall. … Finished 103rd out of 212 players at the recent IMG Academy Junior World Championships. … Has qualified for the CoBank Colorado Open, but will instead compete in the JAC, which has conflicting dates. … Is the first alternate for the U.S. Amateur from the Fort Collins Country Club qualifying site. … Finished second to Bryant at the Colorado Junior PGA and qualifed for the national Junior PGA Championship.

— Walker Franklin of Broomfield: Will be playing in his first Junior America’s Cup. … Finished fourth in the Colorado Junior PGA and fifth at recent Colorado Junior Amateur. … Placed fifth last month in the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior. … Was the medalist in Colorado qualifying for the Optimist International Junior Golf Championship. … Won a JGAC Spring Tour event at Country Club of the Rockies in April. … Tied for second in last fall’s 3A state high school tournament.

At the Junior America’s Cup, which features 18 teams from the western U.S., Canada and Mexico, the best three scores for each team each day count toward the team total.

For a story on the girls who will represent Colorado at the Girls Junior Americas Cup at Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen, CLICK HERE.
 

Originally, the men’s and women’s tournaments were supposed to be one-time events to help celebrate the USGA’s centennial in 1995. But things went so well that the USGA made them into biennial championships.

However, the association announced in the spring that, after a relatively short lifespan by USGA championship standards, the State Team is being discontinued. By the time that announcement came last March, the last men’s championship had been played six months earlier in Birmingham, Ala.

So all that’s left is next week’s USGA Women’s State Team, which will be played Tuesday through Thursday (Sept. 26-28) at The Club at Las Campanas in Santa Fe, N.M.

“In our reviews and discussions, it became quite clear that the conditions of competition had evolved, and there were significant differences in the respective team selection processes,” John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s senior managing director of championships and governance, said when the association announced the discontinuation of the USGA State Teams. “After considering the matter for more than a year, the review supported increased focus toward other areas of USGA competition, both present and future, including the continued enhancement of the local and sectional qualifying experience for players across all USGA championships.”

While the USGA State Teams are going away, the USGA will hold the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open in 2018.

Representing Colorado — and the CWGA — in the final Women’s State Team will be Colorado Golf Hall of Famers Janet Moore and Christie Austin, along with reigning CWGA Match Play champion Emily Gilbreth. (For more on that, CLICK HERE.) 

Each state, along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, are eligible to enter three-person teams as long as the golfers are permanent residents of the area they represent. The players are nominated by a designated state or regional golf association; in Colorado, that has been the CGA and CWGA, respectively, for the Men’s and Women’s State Team Championships. Active college golfers are not allowed to compete.

During the championship, a state’s top two scores each day count toward the team total. 

Players who have represented Colorado over the years in the USGA State Team Championships have mixed feelings about their run ending.

“I’m very sad to see it go away,” said Moore, who will be competing in the USGA Women’s State Team for the third time over a period of 18 years. “It was always on my radar to try to make those teams — to be asked to be on the teams. And I was thrilled when they asked me to. It was always a goal.

“I wish it would keep going because it’s a fun event, it’s a team event, and there’s still a lot of great players there, so it’s a fantastic experience. It’s still a great USGA national championship.”

Jon Lindstrom, a three-time CGA Mid-Amateur champion, has been a regular Colorado representative at the USGA Men’s State Team for more than a dozen years, and he’s been the top Colorado individual finisher at the last four Men’s State Teams.

“I was kind of bummed” when hearing that the championship was being discontinued, Lindstrom said earlier this year. “This is one of the few states that lets a true mid-am or senior (compete). It’s like the Ryder Cup. You play well over two years and you get invited to go. It’s always (held at) a great facility, and compared to most USGA events, it’s a little more relaxed. It’s a nice way to kick off the winter because it’s usually in September or October.”

Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton will be representing Arizona at the USGA Women’s State Team next week as she now lives full-time in that state. She’s represented Colorado four times and Arizona three in the event. Eaton said she doesn’t feel any sentimentalism about the championship being discontinued.

“No, because I think it’s becoming a kid tournament,” said the four-time U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur quarterfinalist. “More and more states are bringing two and three juniors. I wouldn’t have gone, but I have a medical exemption there for a cart because it’s a walking event. I think they started to eliminate a lot of seniors when they took the carts away. When the USGA State Team started, everybody was allowed to take carts and now they’re not.

“I really liked it when the men and the women were at the same facilities — or close by — and at the same time.”

Indeed, in odd-numbered years from 1995 through 2007, the men’s and women’s championships were held on the same dates in the same general area. The women’s event continued to be conducted in odd-numbered years, and beginning in 2010 the men’s championship was held in even-numbered years.

But now there’s just one last one to be contested — on the women’s side — and many competitors are looking forward to saying they were able to play in the final USGA State Team Championship.

“I was very honored and thrilled and very thankful (to be picked for the Colorado team) because I knew it was the last one,” Moore said. “I think it’s special to be playing in the last one.”

Forty-eight teams will compete in the final USGA Women’s State Team as Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota and Puerto Rico are not sending representatives. Delaware, Mississippi and Tennessee will field teams comprised solely of teenagers — as Colorado did in 2015. In all, there are 27 teenagers competing this year in the 144-player field.

Colorado’s best finish in the Women’s State Team has been sixth (twice), while the Centennial State’s men placed as high as seventh, in 1997.

For Tuesday’s tee times, CLICK HERE.