Parker Klitzke of Sioux Falls, S.D., who recently wrapped up his golf career at Augustana University, shot a 9-under-par 62, despite bogeying his final hole, to earn medalist honors out of the field of 87. He made eight consecutive birdies, starting on No. 9, and 10 for the day, to post a course-record-tying score for the combined tees which competitors played on Thursday.

The Colorado Open, set for July 26-29 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver, will feature a purse of $250,000, with $100,000 going to the winner.

The Coloradans who advanced to the Open include Ross McLean of Boulder (67), Derek Fribbs of Thornton (68), amateur Cal McCoy of Highlands Ranch (68), Josh Gardella of Lone Tree (68), amateur Josh McLaughlin of Loveland (68) and amateur Griffin Barela of Lakewood (69). Barela and Joe Parkinson of Alpine, Utah, birdied the 10th hole to prevail in a nine-for-two playoff.

Fribbs, a former University of Colorado golfer and the 2013 CGA Player of the Year, competed in U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying last month.

Also earning spots in the Colorado Open were former CU golfer Josh Creel of Cheyenne (68) and former Colorado State University player Colton Yates (68).

The remaining qualifying tournaments for the Colorado Open are scheduled for July 17 at Eagle Ranch in Eagle, and July 19 and 23 at Legacy Ridge in Westminster.

Here are the Colorado Open qualifiers from Highlands Ranch GC:

1. Parker Klitzke, Sioux Falls, SD 62
2. Samuel Love, Trussville, Ala. 64
T3. Ross McLean, Boulder 67
T3. Michael Whitehead, Houston 67
T5. Josh Gardella, Lone Tree 68
T5. Derek Fribbs of Thornton 68
T5. Cal McCoy (amateur), Highlands Ranch 68
T5. Josh McLaughlin (amateur), Loveland 68
T5. Colton Yates, Scottsdale, Ariz. 68
T5. Josh Creel, Cheyenne, Wyo. 68
T5. Hans Reimers, Scottsdale, Ariz. 68
T5. Ben Shur, Venura, Calif. 68
T5. Kelby Scharmann, Trabuco Canyon, Calif. 68
T14. Griffin Barela (amateur), Lakewood 69
T14. Joe Parkinson, Alpine, Utah 69

For complete scores from Thursday, CLICK HERE.
 

The senior (pictured), who owns CU’s top stroke average this season (70.19), was named the program’s first men’s first-team All-Pac-12 selection earlier this week even as he was trying to set himself up for his first summer as a pro.

On Friday, Paul finished up play at the final PGA Tour Canada Q-school event of the year, in Courtenay, B.C., Canada. And, like his twin brother Jeremy last month, Yannik Paul earned conditional status for PGA Tour Canada in 2018.

After struggling in the final round on Friday, Yannik placed 30th out of a 132-man field in the four-day event. Paul went 71-64-73-76 for a 4-under-par 284 total.

The top 16 finishers — no ties — gained at least some exempt status for 2018, while those in the 17th through 40th positions received conditional status. 

Left for Paul at CU before he turns pro are the NCAA Regionals and, if he or the Buffs qualify, the NCAA Finals.Ӭ

In previous PGA Tour Canada Q-school events this year, Coloradan Michael Schoolcraft earned some exempt status, while brother Beau Schoolcraft, Jeremy Paul, former Colorado State University golfer Blake Cannon and A.J. Morris of Aspen landed conditional spots.

The 2018 PGA Tour Canada season will begin on May 31.

Here are the round-by-round scores for both of this week’s PGA Tour Canada Q-school competitors with strong Colorado ties:

30. CU senior Yannik Paul 71-64-73-76–284
Failed to Qualify
43. CSU senior Colton Yates 74-70-71-72–287

(Updated May 5 from Golden State Tour): Meanwhile, former University of Denver golfer Chris Gilman rallied in Saturday’s final round to finish second Saturday in the Golden State Tour’s Avondale Open in Palm Desert, Calif.

Gilman fired a 6-under-65 to post a 15-under 198 total, which left him one stroke behind winner Matt Hansen of Los Osos, Calif. 

Gilman eagled the par-4 12th hole and added six birdies on Saturday, but a bogey on the 17th proved costly as Hansen birdied No. 18.

Gilman has won once on the Golden State Tour in 2018, while recording two second-place finishes and one third.

Souza and Yates tied for ninth place at 5-under-par 211 for three rounds at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes in Maricopa, Ariz. They ended up seven strokes behind top finishers Drew McCullough of Richland, Wash., and Blake Hathcoat of Fresno, Calif. After making birdies on his final six holes of regulation to shoot 65 and force a playoff, Hathcoat prevailed on the second hole of sudden death with a par, defeating McCullough, a University of Wyoming golfer who fired a 63 on Thursday.

Souza, a CU senior from Phoenix, posted rounds of 72-70-69, while Yates, a CSU senior from Scottsdale, went 71-70-70.

Also placing in the top 20 on Thursday was Trevor Olkowski of Grand Junction, a CU golfer (74-72-68–214, 16th place).

For all the scores from the Saguaro Amateur, CLICK HERE.
 

The Rams used a tournament-record score of 12-under-par 268 in Monday’s first round at Fort Collins Country Club to help build the 14-stroke lead they’ll take into Tuesday’s final round of the 54-hole event.

Colorado State has won the team title at the Ram Masters each of the last three years after being runner-up by a single stroke the first two years it was held.

CSU stands at 12-under 548 for 36 holes, with Missouri-Kansas City in second place at 562 and Wyoming in third at 563. Northern Colorado is sixth at 573, while Denver is seventh at 574 and the Air Force Academy is 13th at 587 in the 19-team field.

The Rams were the runner-up to Wyoming in last weekend’s season-opening Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational at the Air Force Academy.

CSU has four players in the top 10 individually after day 1: AJ Ott is third at 4-under-par 136; Max Oelfke sixth at 137; Jake Staiano seventh at 138; and Colton Yates ninth at 139.

Also in the top 10 from a Colorado-based school is DU’s Chris Korte, who’s tied with Staiano at 138.

Missouri-KC’s Francois Lagraulet leads individually at 8-under-par 132, while Wyoming’s John Murdock is second at 134.

For all the scores from the Ram Masters Invite, CLICK HERE.
 

Seiple (pictured), who made it to the round of 32 at the British Amateur last month, put a bookend on the Pac Coast tournament by matching the even-par 71 he opened with on Tuesday. In between, he posted rounds of 80-73 for an 11-over-par 295 total, the best by any Coloradan in the field in University Place, Wash.

The University of Mississippi golfer made six birdies, six pars and six bogeys in Friday’s final round. He finished 20 strokes behind champion Doug Ghim, who plays for the University of Texas.

As for the other Coloradans who competed in the Pac Coast, Glenn Workman of Pueblo West placed 55th at 300, while Jon Lindstrom of Broomfield was 60th at 301, and Colin Prater of Colorado Springs and Greg Condon of Monte Vista were 65th at 303. Colorado State University golfer Colton Yates shared 39th place with Seiple at 295.

On Wednesday, the three-man squad representing the CGA finished 10th in the Morse Cup team portion of the Pacific Coast Amateur. For details on that, CLICK HERE.

10. Colorado 143-150–293
39. Josh Seiple, Castle Pines 71-80-73-71–295
60. Jon Lindstrom, Broomfield 78-73-76-74–301
65. Colin Prater, Colorado Springs 72-77-78-76–303

Also
39. CSU golfer Colton Yates 75-68-76-76–295
55. Glenn Workman, Pueblo West 75-76-73-76–300
65. Greg Condon, Monte Vista 79-71-77-76–303

For all the scores from the Pac Coast, CLICK HERE.
 

Seiple (pictured), a University of Mississippi golfer who advanced to the round of 32 at the British Amateur last month, shot a 2-over-par 73 on Thursday and stands at 11-over 224, good for a share of 54th place going into Friday’s final round. Seiple made two birdies and four bogeys on Thursday in University Place, Wash.

Also at 224 — likewise after shooting a 73 on Thursday — was Workman, a University of Wyoming golfer. He carded four birdies, four bogeys and a double in round 3.

As for the other Coloradans competing, Jon Lindstrom of Broomfield, Colin Prater of Colorado Springs and Greg Condon of Monte Vista are all tied for 66th place at 227. Lindstrom posted a 76 on Thursday, Condon a 77 and Prater a 78.

Colorado State University golfer Colton Yates is tied for 31st place at 219 after a 76 on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the three-man squad representing the CGA finished 10th in the Morse Cup team portion of the Pacific Coast Amateur. For details on that, CLICK HERE.
http://colo.golf/index.php?mod=news_read&ArticleID=2324

10. Colorado 143-150–293
54. Josh Seiple, Castle Pines 71-80-73–224
66. Jon Lindstrom, Broomfield 78-73-76–227
66. Colin Prater, Colorado Springs 72-77-78–227

Also
31. CSU golfer Colton Yates 75-68-76–219
54. Glenn Workman, Pueblo West 75-76-73–224
66. Greg Condon, Monte Vista 79-71-77–227

For all the scores from the Pac Coast, CLICK HERE.
 

The Morse Cup team competition at the 51st Pacific Coast Am concluded on Wednesday at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash., and the CGA squad finished 10th — for the fourth consecutive year.

The CGA was in fifth place after day 1 of the event at the site of the 2015 U.S. Open. But while three-time CGA Mid-Amateur champion Jon Lindstrom of Broomfield played much better on day 2 (73 after a 78), the two college players who had performed so well on Tuesday struggled on Wednesday. Colin Prater (pictured) of Colorado Springs and the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs followed up a 72 with a 77. And Josh Seiple of Castle Pines and the University of Mississippi had an 80 after a first-round 71.

With the best two scores each day counting toward the team total, the CGA went 143-150 for a 9-over-par 293 total. That left the Coloradans 14 strokes back of the Morse Cup champions from the Southern California Golf Association. In all, 15 teams from the western U.S. and Canada vie for the Morse Cup.

Play at the Pacific Coast Amateur will continue through Friday on strictly an individual basis.

Through two rounds of the 72-hole event, Prater (149), the 2016 CGA Amateur champion, stands in 56th place in the 84-person field. Lindstrom and Seiple (both at 151) are 66th.

Texas A&M golfer Cameron Champ leads the Pac Coast individual competition after 36 holes with an 8-under-par 134 total (69-65).

Colorado State University golfer Colton Yates made a hole-in-one on the 162-yard 15th hole on Wednesday. With his round also including three birdies and two bogeys, Yates shot a 3-under-par 68, leaving him at 1-over 143 and in a tie for 23rd place.

10. Colorado 143-150–293
56. Colin Prater, Colorado Springs 72-77–149
66. Josh Seiple, Castle Pines 71-80–151
66. Jon Lindstrom, Broomfield 78-73–151

Also
23. CSU golfer Colton Yates 75-68–143
60. Greg Condon, Monte Vista 79-71–150
66. Glenn Workman, Pueblo West 75-76–151

For all the scores from the Pac Coast, CLICK HERE.
 

And two other Coloradans — Jake Staiano (2015) and Wyndham Clark (2016) — have likewise earned spots in the 64-man match play field in the 312-player event.

All those golfers began their U.S. Amateur journey with a 36-hole qualifying tournament in Colorado. Two of those qualifying events are on tap in the next two weeks as Columbine Country Club will host one on Monday (July 3) and Fort Collins Country Club one on July 13.

In each case, the top three finishers out of a field of 80-plus players will earn berths to the U.S. Am, scheduled for Aug. 14-20 at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif.

The qualifying field for Monday at Columbine features 2016 CGA Amateur champion Colin Prater, who earned a U.S. Am berth at Columbine last year. Also set to compete are 2017 CGA Match Play winner Chris Korte; former U.S. Am qualifiers Staiano, Chris Thayer, Spencer Painton and Jeff Chapman; Josh Seiple, the 2016 CGA Match Play runner-up who recently advanced to the round of 32 at the British Amateur; and 2015 CGA Match Play champ Nick Nosewicz.

At Fort Collins CC on July 13, 2016 U.S. Am qualifiers Tristan Rohrbaugh and Colton Yates are in the field. Also scheduled to play are Steve Irwin, who’s twice competed in the U.S. Amateur and once in the U.S. Open; 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur qualifiers Jackson Solem and Davis Bryant; and former 5A state high school champion Hunter Paugh.

For pairings, click on the following: COLUMBINE CC, FORT COLLINS CC.

Seeking their first league title since 2010 — and the automatic NCAA Regional berth that would have gone with it — the Rams fell just short of the mark Sunday in Tucson, Ariz.

After going into the final round with a two-stroke lead — and still being ahead with nine holes left — CSU was edged on the final hole and had to settle for a runner-up finish, one stroke behind UNLV, which successfully defended its title. Five teams in the 11-school field finished the 54-hole event at least 14 under par, with UNLV posting an 18-under-par total and Colorado State checking in at 17 under.

CSU and UNLV were tied for the team lead with just the final group of the day left on the course. Unfortunately for the Rams, senior Blake Cannon bogeyed the 470-yard, par-4 18th, leaving CSU one back of UNLV.

Cannon and teammate Colton Yates led the way for the Rams, tying for eighth place at 5-under 211. Colorado resident Jake Staiano was 11th at 212. (April 27 Update: Staiano was subsequently named to the All-Mountain West Conference team.)

Meanwhile, Sunwoo Choi of the Air Force Academy placed sixth individually at 210 as the Falcons were seventh in the team standings.

At the Women’s Summit League Championship in Nebraska City, where the University of Denver is seeking its 14th straight conference title, DU grabbed a one-stroke lead over South Dakota State following the first round.

The Pioneers opened with an 8-over-par 296. Senior Jessica Carty, the defending champion, posted an even-par 72 which left her in second place, three strokes behind Megan Mingo of South Dakota State.

At the Women’s Big Sky Championship in Boulder City, Nev., Northern Colorado wrapped up its season with a fifth-place finish out of the 12-team field. UNC posted a 58-over-par 922 total. Sacramento State won at 900. Baile Winslow led the way for UNC individually, tying for 11th place.

Men’s Mountain West Conference Championship
April 21-23, 2017 (final) in Tucson, Ariz.
2. (out of 11 teams) Colorado State 283-280-284–847
8. Blake Cannon 70-70-71–211
8. Colton Yates 71-71-69–211
11. Jake Staiano 71-70-71–212
20. AJ Ott 71-72-73–216
20. Max Oelfke 74-69-73–216

7. Air Force Academy 296-286-289–871
6. Sunwoo Choi 72-68-70–210
22. Andy Germann 73-74-70–217
36. Joshua Wu 72-71-78–221
49. Dane Hankamer 79-73-76–228
52. Brenden Bone 80-77-73–230

Also
22. Coloradan Tanner Jenson, Utah State 69-73-75–217
38. Coloradan Glenn Workman, Wyoming 72-74-76–222

Women’s Big Sky Championship
April 21-23, 2017 (final) in Boulder City, Nev.
5. (out of 12 teams) Northern Colorado 311-302-309–922
11. Baile Winslow 77-75-78–230
18. Morgan Sahm 78-79-75–232
21. Marisa Hisaki 82-72-79–233
27. Christina Ferrreira 74-76-85–235
45. Kala Keltz 85-79-77–241

Also
34. Coloradan Delaney Elliott, Montana State 81-81-79–241
42. Coloradan Jaylee Tait, Montana State 81-88-74–243

Women’s Summit League Championship
April 23-25, 2017 in Nebraska City
1. (out of 9 teams) Denver 296
2. Jessica Carty 72
3. Sophie Newlove 74
4. Mariell Bruun 75
4. Lauren Whyte 75
4. Jessica Dreesbeimdieke 75

Note: Just prior to the tournament, DU seniors Jessica Carty and Mariell Bruun were named to the All-Summit League first team and junior teammate Lauren Whyte to the second team.

Women’s Big 12 Conference Championship

April 21-23, 2017 (final) in San Antonio, Texas
38. Coloradan Hannah Wood, Oklahoma 80-78-77–235
 

 It took a while to get in the groove, but suffice it to say the Rams have now mastered the Ram Masters Invitational.

Each of the first two years the Colorado State University men’s golf team hosted the tournament at Fort Collins Country Club, 2012 and ’13, it suffered through consecutive runner-up finishes — by one stroke each year, no less.

But since then, the Rams have run off team victories in the event three straight years, including on Tuesday in the fifth time the tournament was conducted.

“This is obviously very special to win three in a row here, and against a really good field,” said CSU head coach Christian Newton, whose Rams notched their fifth team victory since he arrived in Fort Collins in 2012. “We had the biggest field we’ve ever had with 100 players. It was awesome to see the guys come out and compete and defend their home turf.”

With senior Blake Cannon (pictured above getting a victory shower) shooting a bogey-free 6-under-par 64 in the final round and becoming the first CSU player to claim an individual college title since Cameron Harrell in 2013, the Rams rallied on Tuesday to earn a seven-stroke victory over Nevada.

After entering the day four strokes out of the lead, CSU shot a 3-under-par 277 to post a 4-over-par 844 total for 54 holes. Air Force, which shared the 36-hole lead, finished fourth in the 18-team field at 858, while Northern Colorado (879) was 11th, Denver (887) 15th and CSU’s second squad (893) 16th.

Three members of CSU’s title-winning team — Jake Staiano, AJ Ott (left, with Newton) and Jimmy Makloski — are products of Colorado junior golf. A week after placing fourth in the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitatational, Staiano finished 17th individually on Tuesday at 5-over-par 215. Ott, a freshman, was 32nd at 218, and Makloski was 70th at 227.

“I can tell I’ve come a long way,” said Staiano, who posted rounds of 73-71-71. “Last week at Air Force I didn’t have my A-plus game, but to still be able to get a top-5 was nice. And I can tell it’s carrying over.

“We have so many good guys on this team. We have eight or 10 guys who can play, who can really compete on any given week. For us to put that together feels really good.”

Cannon (left), a product of Scottsdale, Ariz., who spent a season and a half at Arizona State before transferring to CSU, earned his first individual college victory. And he was impressive doing it, with his 64 on Tuesday missing Kyler Dunkle’s single-round tournament record by just a stroke. Cannon carded six birdies and no bogeys on a course that certainly wasn’t set up easy. After all, the next-best score on Tuesday was a 67. All told, Cannon’s 7-under-par 203 total was four better than runners-up Brenden Bone (below) of Air Force and Kaleb Gorbahn of Nevada.

“To get my first win, in my senior year, it feels pretty good,” said Cannon, who played in the U.S. Amateur last month. “I’ve been waiting for it for a while. I’ve come close a few times. It’s nice to finally pull through and get it.

“Honestly, I was struggling with a bunch of different injuries between my back and neck so my expectations weren’t overly high this week. But it felt a little better than I expected. All around, I’ve been striking it so well. I just needed my putting and chipping to come around a little bit, and it finally did. Once those synched up, I was able to really take off.”

Said Newton of Cannon’s performance: “For Blake to come out and play today flawlessly was awesome. We haven’t had somebody win a tournament (individually) in three years, so I’m very happy and real proud of him.”

But it was the whole team — Cannon, Colton Yates, Staiano (left), Ott and Makloski — starting out on a torrid pace that set the tone for the team victory. Collectively, the five golfers played the first four holes in 8 under par on Tuesday. And at one point on the front nine, the Rams were 11 under par as a team for the day. So for almost the entire final round, they were the team to beat. And no opponent came close to matching their 277 final-round total.

Yates, who qualified for the U.S. Amateur at Fort Collins Country Club this summer, joined Cannon in the top five individually, placing fourth at 208 despite a triple bogey on the ninth hole Tuesday.

“You never take for granted winning,” Newton said. “You never know when the next one might come. I hope these boys enjoy it. It obviously means a lot.

“The course is tough — firm and fast — and it’s not like we usually see it. So it’s nice to see them have success in a real major-championship-type setup. It was awesome.”
 

Ram Masters Invitational
Sept. 19-20, 2016 at Par-70 Fort Collins CC

1. Colorado State 284-283-277–844
1. Blake Cannon 70-69-64–203
4. Colton Yates 68-69-71–208
17. Jake Staiano 73-71-71–215
32. AJ Ott 73-74-71–218
70. Jimmy Makloski 76-77-74–227

4. Air Force Academy 281-282-295–858
2. Brenden Bone 69-68-70–207
9. Sunwoo Choi 65-70-77–212
28. Todd Millard 73-70-74–217
65. Joshua Wu 74-78-74–226
76. Bryant Falconello 77-74-77–228

11. Northern Colorado 286-292-301–879

21. Li Chen 71-71-74–216
46. Coby Welch 76-70-75–221
52. Joshua Matz 73-73-76–222
65. Andrew Romano 72-78-76–226
89. Philip Lee 70-84-79–233

15. Denver 299-296-292–887
21. Chris Korte 74-72-70–216
52. Jake Kelley 71-75-76–222
65. Isaac Petersilie 79-74-73–226
76. Petter Mikalsen 75-80-73–228
89. Troy Dangler 79-75-79–233

16. Colorado State B 302-304-287–893
34. Max Oelfke 69-78-72–219
34. Logan Iverson 76-71-72–219
70. Alec Bone 79-75-73–227
76. Kyle Kidd 78-80-70–228
95. Pierce Aichinger 79-80-78–237

Also
21. Victor Bjorlow, Colorado 75-70-71–216
41. Sam Marley, UNC 69-79-72–220
41. Tate Tatom, Air Force 72-74-74–220
64. Ryan Schmitz, Colorado 76-72-77–225
70. Eric Hagen, DU 76-78-73–227
82. Turner Howe, Air Force 76-80-74–230
82. Jack Li, Colorado 77-74-79–230
87. Kade Crossland, Colorado 79-73-80–232
87. Coloradan Glenn Workman, Wyoming 76-78-78–232