The Colorado representatives at the Girls Junior Americas Cup weren’t always happy with their golf games this week, but no one can say they didn’t go out on a high note Friday afternoon at Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen.
With Colorado hosting the GJAC for the first time in 18 years, Hailey Schalk of Erie capped the week for the local team by chipping in from 40 feet for birdie on No. 18, drawing cheers from the bystanders.
It didn’t make any difference in the team standings, but finishing like that definitely tends to leave a better taste in one’s mouth.
As it turned out, the team representing the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado posted its best finish at the GJAC in five years by placing fifth out of 18 squads from the western U.S., Canada and Mexico.
“It was a blast,” Lauren Lehigh of Loveland said of the week as a whole, including playing a team event in your home state. “I had a great time spending time with the team and the coaches and getting to meet girls from all over the place and getting to do it this close to home. Having home fans come out and cheering you on is really neat. It was a great experience.”
The Coloradans ended up at 46-over-par 676 total after posting a 17-over 227 on Friday at a formidable Hiwan layout. The last time Team Colorado placed higher than fifth was a third-place showing in 2013.
“I think fifth is good,” said Kelsey Webster of Boulder, who was playing in her final junior event before joining the University of Colorado golf team. “We’re excited to finish fifth. In golf you’re always looking to do better. This course has a way of making you feel like your game is not in a good spot. I think all four of us are walking away not super happy with how we played this week overall. But we have to take a step back and know we finished fifth out of 18 teams, which is pretty good.”
Webster (left) and Lehigh led the way individually for Colorado by tying for 14th place in the 72-player field. They both closed with 75s for 16-over-par 226 totals.
“A year ago I was to a point I was about to quit the game” because of issues with her game, Webster said. “I really turned it around and started feeling really good about my swing a couple of months ago. Of course, there’s some issues here and there. But I’m proud of myself for persevering through that. Finishing 14th out of 72, I’m proud of that and excited to see where I can take it.”
Schalk, a three-time GJAC participant, shared 21st place at 227 after the 18th-hole chip-in gave her a 77 on Friday. And Emma Bryant of Aurora, competing in her first GJAC, placed 48th at 240 after a final-round 85.
“We’re very proud of our team,” said Jennifer Cassell, who co-captained the Colorado squad with three-time CGA Women’s Stroke Play champion Melissa Martin (pictured below with Schalk). “The girls played very hard and with their hearts. This is a hard course and there were a lot of good competitors out there.”
Speaking of which …
Mexico won the GJAC team title for the eighth time in the last 22 years — this week by 11 strokes over two-time defending champion Southern California. And Team Mexico (pictured celebrating at top), which was 12 over par as a whole for the week, claimed the individual championship as well, as future University of Arkansas golfer Cory Lopez, 16, earned top honors.
Lopez, ranked No. 41 in the world among girls by Junior Golf Scoreboard, shot rounds of 70-70-72 at Hiwan for a 2-over-par 212 total. The resident of Monterrey, Mexico prevailed by one stroke over Serena Sepersky of Southern California, who closed with a 71.
“It feels very good” to sweep the titles, Lopez said. “I played good, the team played very good. Representing your country means so much. After coming close the last couple of years, this year we were going to win it.”
Lopez (below), who was 3 under par through the first five holes on Friday, won despite playing her final dozen holes in 5 over par.
This week marked the first GJAC held in Colorado since 2000 and the first Hiwan has ever hosted, though the boys Junior America’s Cup was played at the club in 2011.
The facility and the event drew rave reviews, even if threatening weather forced Friday’s closing ceremonies inside.
“The star of the show this week was Hiwan,” CGA executive director Ed Mate said. “It reminds me of how great this place is. We can’t thank the club, owners David and Nancy Fowler, and the members enough. It really is all things Colorado.”
Added Cassell: “The event was an absolute success. The volunteers, the members, the staff, everything was wonderful. And the tournament was so well organized. It was very impressive, a great event all around.”
Among those on hand for at least part of this week’s GJAC were University of Denver women’s head coach Lindsay Kuhle, who played on the Colorado team the last time the state hosted the GJAC in 2000, and Georgene McGonagle, who captained the Colorado team for four straight years in the 1980s. McGonagle remains effusive about the event to this day.
“I think this is probably one of the most wonderful things for young girls for their development,” she said. “It’s something they’re going to remember the rest of their lives. They have to work with lots of other people. They learn the pressure of competition, which will suit them for any realm the rest of their life. (The GJAC) has to go on forever because it’s so meaningful and important for the development of those kids.”
Also in attendance at Hiwan on Friday was Davis Bryant of Aurora, who teamed with Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins, Cal McCoy of Highlands Ranch and Walker Franklin of Broomfield as Colorado won its first title ever in the boys Junior America’s Cup. Bryant came to Hiwan to support his sister, Emma, who was on the GJAC team, after he returned from the boys competition in Montana. (Davis is pictured at left with his boys JAC medal.)
The 2018 Girls Junior Americas Cup was conducted by the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado.
5. (out of 18 teams) Colorado 219-230-227–676
14. Kelsey Webster, Boulder 70-81-75–226
14. Lauren Lehigh, Loveland 74-77-75–226
21. Hailey Schalk, Erie 75-75-77–227
48. Emma Bryant, Aurora 77-78-85–240
For all the scores from the Girls Junior Americas Cup, CLICK HERE.
It was one of those days for the Coloradans at the Girls Junior Americas Cup — one of those which are all too common at the formidable test that is Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen.
After a strong first day at the event, the four Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado representatives at the GJAC didn’t make a single birdie on the first 11 holes of Thursday’s round and no one on the team broke 75 on day 2.
That did cost them two spots in the team standings, but they’re still in fifth place out of 18 teams in the prestigious event which features top junior golfers from the western U.S., Canada and Mexico.
To put that into perspective, if the Coloradans finish where they are after Friday’s final round, they’ll have the state’s best showing in the event since 2013, when the locals placed third.
On Thursday, Colorado shot 11 strokes higher than on day 1, posting a 20-over-par 230 for the round, which dropped them from third to fifth place, with a 449 total.
“I saw everyone” during the round, Hailey Schalk (above) of Erie said of her teammates. “They’re looking at me like, ‘It’s so bad.’
“This course is hard. You have to make birdies because you’re going to make a ton of bogeys. It’s just going to happen. It’s really hard to just make solid pars. And if you can get three birdies (in a round), that’s really good.”
Thursday’s performance leaves the Coloradans 19 strokes behind team-leading Mexico — a seven-time winner of the GJAC — but just six out of a third-place tie (Southern California and Southern Nevada).
“A good goal is to probably shoot 75-76 or below tomorrow — for all of us,” said Emma Bryant of Aurora, the reigning 5A state high school champion. “If we do that, I think we’d have a decent shot at top five or top three” in the final team standings. (Bryant is pictured at left with Colorado co-captain Jennifer Cassell.)
Individually on Thursday, Colorado counted a 5-over-par 75 by Schalk, a 77 by Lauren Lehigh of Loveland and a 78 by Bryant. Rounding out the local scores was an 81 by Kelsey Webster of Boulder, who struggled a day after firing a 70 and sharing second place.
“That was one of the weirdest and sloppiest rounds I think I’ve ever played,” said Webster, who is competing in her final junior event before starting on the University of Colorado golf team in the fall. “My swing was there (after round 1), but warming up on the range today something funky was happening. Something weird was happening at impact — which was so weird because I was hitting it so great yesterday. It took me about 14 holes to figure out what I was doing. I found out my stance was extremely narrow. I was swaying back and forth and it was causing the ball to go everywhere. I was in a lot of trees today and had a lot of chip-outs.”
“But I wouldn’t be surprised if I came out tomorrow and shot a really good number now that I’ve got it figured out. It was just one of those bizarre days.”
Still, three of the four Coloradans are tied for 11th place individually or better through two rounds. Schalk, the JGAC 2017 Girls Player of the Year who is competing in her third Junior Americas Cup, shares ninth place at 10-over-par 150. She made her lone birdie Thursday on the 18th hole, draining a 20-footer. And Lehigh and Webster share 11th place out of 72 golfers, at 151. Bryant, meanwhile, is 28th at 155.
Lehigh (left), for one, doesn’t see any reason why Colorado can’t make headway on Friday.
“There’s no pressure on us to go out here and win,” the 2017 4A state high school champion said. “With girls (in the field) who are top ranked in the world junior rankings, there’s no pressure on us at all. We just have to go out and play our game. We know we’re good enough. We’ll get to where we get to.”
Added Webster: “I wouldn’t be surprised if we came out and shot really good scores tomorrow.”
Cory Lopez of Mexico holds the individual lead by one through 36 holes after consecutive rounds of 70 left her at even-par 140.
Friday’s final-round tee times will run from 7 to 8:50 a.m. off both the first and 10th tees. The Coloradans will go off from 7:40 to 8:10 from No. 1. The closing ceremonies for the event will be held short after the conclusion of the round.
The 2018 Girls Junior Americas Cup is being conducted by the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado.
5. (out of 18 teams) Colorado 219-230–449
9. Hailey Schalk, Erie 75-75–150
11. Kelsey Webster, Boulder 70-81–151
11. Lauren Lehigh, Loveland 74-77–151
28. Emma Bryant, Aurora 77-78–155
For all the scores from the Girls Junior Americas Cup, CLICK HERE.