Colorado State men’s golf coach Christian Newton called it an “outlier” — in this case a very positive outlier that paved the way for the Rams’ second team victory of the young season.
Kyler Dunkle, a redshirt freshman from Larkspur, shot a competitive course-record 7-under-par 63 Monday at Fort Collins Country Club that set the tone for the Rams’ second consecuctive victory in the Ram Masters Invitational event they host.
To put the performance into perspective, the 63 was the lowest single-round score at this week’s tournament — by three strokes.
“I can’t say enough about the 63 yesterday,” Newton said on Tuesday. “Sometimes when you shoot such an outlier of a round, you give yourself a five- or six-shot (team) cushion before the thing even starts. There’s so much parity in these things; it’s going to be close no matter what. We were able to ride (that cushion) the whole time. It was awesome, one of the best rounds I’ve ever seen.”
In finishing fourth on Tuesday, Dunkle, a former Colorado 5A state high school champion, posted his second individual top-10 in two events this season. He was seventh on Sept. 13 at the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational.
“I was in about as good of a rhythm as I can find that first round (at Fort Collins CC),” he said. “It was really cool. During a tournament setting, this is a hard course to play.”
But sometimes not so much for Dunkle (left). In July, he shot consecutive rounds of 69 at FCCC to qualify for the U.S. Amateur. And in intra-team qualifiers held leading up to the season, he went 65-67-64 in three straight rounds at the club for a 14-under par total.
“That stretch of three days was the best I’ve ever played in my life,” said Dunkle, who also this summer shot a 59 in a casual round at Eisenhower Golf Club’s Silver Course. “For me this course sets up really well. I love this place.”
Dunkle, who posted an even-par 210 total for three rounds, is one of three Coloradans on the CSU roster, and all three of them placed in the top 20 Tuesday out of a field of 88. Jake Staiano (left), a true freshman from Cherry Hills Village, ended up eighth (212) and junior Jimmy Makloski from Pueblo checked in at 19th (218).
“When I got here it really was a priority to recruit those guys and feel like you get the best one (in the state) every year,” said Newton, now in his fourth season at CSU. “I feel like we’ve done that and are continuing to do that. It’s great to see them play like I thought they could when I recruited them. It’s really awesome.”
Another Coloradan, sophomore Chris Korte from the University of Denver, who last month won the CGA Stroke Play Championship, also cracked the top 20 on Tuesday, finishing 12th at 216.
Ben Welle, who plays at Kansas for former CSU head coach Jamie Bermel, claimed the individual title at 4-under-par 206.
All told, Colorado State not only won the team title but put seven of its nine players in the top 20 individually. Senior Dominic Kieffer (left) and sophomore teammate Max Oelfke (below) tied for second place at 208. A week after finishing third at the Falcon Invitational at Eisenhower Golf Club, Kieffer notched another top-three showing on Tuesday.
Staiano, who advanced to match play last month at the U.S. Amateur, was playing strictly as an individual at the Ram Masters Invitational, but had a strong showing in just his second college event, going 75-68-69–212. He made 11 birdies combined in the last two rounds.
“Obviously I had a good showing at the (U.S.) Am and I came up here and I think I put a little too much pressure on myself,” he said. “I haven’t been playing my best golf since I’ve been up here, but I finally got it going the last two rounds. I was really happy with how I fought back. I played my game for once, which felt good.”
As a team, the Rams fended off Kansas and finished at 1-under-par 839 for three rounds, winning by 10. DU (890) placed eighth, Air Force (894) 10th and Northern Colorado (899) 13th.
This after CSU won the Falcon Invitational by three over the University of Colorado on Sept. 13.
“To start out back-to-back is awesome,” said Newton, who this month has notched his third and fourth victories as a head coach, with three of the four having come in Colorado. “We’re in a good place right now.”
Staiano noted that he hasn’t shot higher than 74 in qualifying, but still hasn’t cracked CSU’s top five, which shows the Rams’ depth.
“I think we have something pretty special,” he said. “It’s just fun to be around a winning atmosphere. Our first qualifier, (Dunkle) shot 14 under (for three rounds). Obviously that’s going to make me a better player too. That’s the best part.”
Added Dunkle: “All of us are working our tails off and it’s finally starting to show. This week was really a testament to what we’ve been doing. Starting out with two wins doesn’t happen very often, especially with the competition we play against. It was really cool.”
And, not be lost in the big week for the Rams, one of the players who competed only as an individual at Fort Collins CC made a hole-in-one on Tuesday, as Alec Bone aced the 250-yard 17th hole.
Ram Masters Invitational
Sept. 21-22, 2015 (final) at Par-70 Fort Collins CC
1. (out of 15 teams) Colorado State 277-283-279–839
2. Max Oelfke 73-66-69–208; 2. Dominic Kieffer 68-72-68–208; 4. Kyler Dunkle 63-74-73–210; 19. Colton Yates 73-73-72–218; 19. Jimmy Makloski 76-72-70–218. Competing as individuals: 8. Jake Staiano 75-68-69–212; 14. Blake Cannon 71-71-75–217; 38. Alec Bone 77-73-73–223; 58. Logan Iverson 75-78-74–227.
8. Denver 304-295-291–890
12. Chris Korte 73-71-72–216; 19. Adam Ruben 69-75-74–218; 58. Arti Edelman 80-76-71–227; 66. Jake Kelley 82-73-74–229; 84. Petter Mikalsen 84-80-80–244. Competing as individuals: 58. Michael Boylan 79-72-76–227; 88. Johan Werge 81-92-84–257.
10. Air Force 303-296-295–894
19. Sunwoo Choi 74-73-71–218; 29. Brenden Bone 78-69-73–220; 52. Bryant Falconello 74-78-74–226; 70. Michael Fan 77-76-77–230; 84. Tate Tatom 84-78-82–244. Competing as individual: 62. Kyle Fuller 74-80-74–228.
13. Northern Colorado 291-311-297–899
35. Conner Barr 70-77-75–222; 35. Steven Kupcho 73-77-72–222; 58. Julian Woodfork 76-78-73–227; 62. Joshua Matz 72-79-77–228; 82. Sam Marley 77-85-78–240.
Also
19. Kade Crossland, Colorado 71-76-71–218
38. Wilson Belk, Colorado 74-73-76–223
66. Coloradan Glenn Workman, Wyoming 76-75-78–229
The AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior, presented by MusclePharm, started with three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin putting on a clinic at CommonGround Golf Course. Then AJGA competitors promptly went out the next day and made three holes-in-one in a single round.
It all seemed pretty hard to top.
Yet the inaugural tournament at CommonGround seemed to do just that on Thursday.
Reese Ramsey of Austin, Texas not only set a course record at CommonGround but he tied the low round in the 37-year history of the AJGA Thursday with a 10-under-par 61 that vaulted the 16-year-old to victory. (He’s pictured above receiving the trophy from CGA executive director Ed Mate.)
“It’s crazy that it actually happened,” he said. “I didn’t really expect that it would, but it did. It was just a special day and a special moment, so I’m going to savor it. It was a round I’ll never forget.”
Ramsey, who has verbally committed to play college golf at Texas A&M starting in 2017, came from eight strokes behind entering the final round to post his first AJGA victory. The high school junior-to-be made eight birdies to go along with an eagle on No. 11, where he sank a 15-foot putt.
Ramsey broke the course record by one at CommonGround, which opened in 2009. Nick Mason previously had the low competitive round, a 62 shot in a local mini-tour event in 2012.
As for the AJGA, it’s been around since 1978, and none of the luminaries who have played over the years — including Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson and Sergio Garcia — have had a better round on that junior circuit than Ramsey did on Thursday.
“Oh my gosh, that’s impressive,” AJ Ott (left) of Fort Collins said of Ramsey’s 61. “I’m going to go shake that kid’s hand. That’s pretty sweet.”
The Texan teed off more than two hours ahead of the second-round leaders and finished three-plus hours before them, considering there was a late-afternoon suspension of play for lightning. The closing 61 gave Ramsey a 9-under-par 204 total and a two-stroke victory over Sam Tidd of Meridian, Idaho.
On a day when three players shot 65 or lower, the two besides Ramsey tied for third place. Jackson Solem of Longmont, the day after posting a quintuple-bogey 9 on a hole, closed with a 65, while Joshua Gliege of Eagle, Idaho managed a 63. They shared third place at 207 with Ott (70 Thursday) and second-round leader Tripp Kinney of West Des Moines, Iowa (72).
In the girls competition, three-time Oklahoma state high school champion Sydney Youngblood, of Durant, prevailed by two strokes after being no worse than co-leader following the first two rounds.
Ramsey’s previous low round in tournament play was a 63. This week, he went 75-68-61. Does that mean if the tournament had been a four-rounder, he would have shot 54 on Friday? Just a thought.
Ramsey needed just 26 putts on Thursday and made more than his share of 10- and 15-footers. “Everything was kind of working my way,” he said.
So what does it mean to shoot a score that no one has beaten in AJGA history?
“It is just super cool,” he said. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet.”
As for the top Colorado finishers, Solem and Ott put together strong showings but each had a little feeling of “what if?”
Had Solem (left) made a par instead of a 9 on the par-4 13th hole Wednesday, he would have won by two. As it was, he lost a ball on the hole, left a shot in a bunker, then pitched out and three-putted.
“There’s nothing I can do about it now,” he said Thursday. “It was kind of a fluke thing. I haven’t had a 9 since I think I was 13. It’s been a while. It’s in the ‘would be nice’ category. But this is a good finish for my first AJGA. It’s definitely a confidence-booster going into the rest of the year.”
As for Ott, a 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier, he was on the heels of the leaders at 8 under par overall through 48 holes, but he went 2 over the rest of the way.
“I’ve been struggling a little lately, but I found something this week and it was nice to kind of feel in contention,” said the left-hander, who has committed to Colorado State. “But I’ve got to play better down the stretch.”
In the girls tournament, Youngblood (left) closed with an even-par 71 to post a 1-under-par 212 total. Placing second was a 13-year-old, Ellie Szeryk of Allen Texas, who shot a 73 Thursday for 214 overall. Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster, who last month won her second straight Colorado high school championship, tied for third place with Bibilani Liu of Cupertino, Calif., at 216. Kupcho carded a 71 on Thursday and Liu a 72.
Youngblood, a 17-year-old who has committed to play college golf at the University of Oklahoma beginning in the fall of 2016, scored her first AJGA victory. She made two birdies and two bogeys in a steady final round. On Tuesday, she shot a 66, her low round ever.
“I’m really honored to be able to win an AJGA event,” said Youngblood, who ranks this win above any of her Oklahoma state high school titles. “The competition in these events is always really tough; all the players are amazing. It’s always a tight race. I’m blessed to have been able to come out on top. I’ve always had a blast playing AJGA.”
Kupcho (left) had a blemish-free scorecard through 14 holes with two birdies and a dozen pars. But her hopes of winning the first and last AJGA event she’ll play realistically ended with back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 15 and 16.
“I was playing great, but couldn’t keep it going,” the 2014 CWGA Player of the Year said. “But it was a great experience to be able to play against that kind of competition in my home state.”
The 2016 AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior will be played at Highlands Ranch Golf Club, which was designed by Irwin himself. Future sites are to be determined.
For scores from this week’s tournament, CLICK HERE.
]]>John Ogden couldn’t resist.
Cherry Hills Country Club’s head professional, the starter on the first tee for Saturday’s third round of the BMW Championship, saw Morgan Hoffmann come to No. 1 having already played the back nine in 6-under-par 30.
And with low scores possible on the front nine with its two driveable par-4s, Ogden knew Hoffmann (left) had a chance at something really low.
So the head pro decided to follow Hoffmann, and he caught up to him at the par-3 sixth hole. Sure enough, after Hoffmann had been 8 under par through 12 holes, the former Oklahoma State golfer made his first bogey of the day after pulling his tee shot into the bunker.
“I jinx him and he makes bogey on 6,” Ogden said. “So I went back up the hill, then he birdied 7.”
And with that and two pars to finish up, Hoffmann shot the lowest competitive round in the 92-year history of Cherry Hills, an 8-under-par 62.
About 18 years ago, PGA Tour player Mike Reid fired a 60 from the back tees in a casual round at Cherry Hills. And Gunner Wiebe posted a 61 a few years ago. But Hoffmann’s score, having come in competition, will go down as the official course record.
“It was a great round,” Ogden said. “After the rain on Thursday (evening), I thought we would see that (kind of score). Today, it’s perfect and I thought we’d see something. The greens are so soft right now. The players are not having to think as much as they were (on Thursday).”
Hoffmann, who played in the Palmer Cup college matches between the U.S. and Europe that Cherry Hills hosted in 2009, finished Saturday with nine birdies and the lone bogey on No. 6. The 62 pushed him past 43 players on the scoreboard, up into 10th place with a 4-under 206 total.
But setting the course record is a more lasting accomplishment.
“It’s really cool,” the 25-year-old said. “It’s such an honor, especially with all the history here and the great championships that have been played here.”
When he was 8 under through 12, Hoffmann admits he was entertaining thoughts of PGA Tour grandeur — a 59. But though it was a possibility — he needed to go 3 under his final six holes — he never seriously threatened the mark and the bogey on 6 realistically ended the hopes.
“My goal is to go as low as possible; I don’t think you should be out here if you’re scared to go low,” said Hoffmann, who matched his low competitive round ever, a 10-under 62 he shot in college at Southern Highlands in Las Vegas. “After I was 8 under through 12 or 13, that 59 number was a big goal for me. … Hopefully I can pull it off tomorrow.”
Hoffmann said he still distinctly remembers competing in the 2009 Palmer Cup at Cherry Hills. Coincidentally, in one of his matches, he was paired with Cameron Tringale, who is also in the BMW Championship field this week (he’s in 34th place at 1-over-par 211).
“Cameron Tringale and I played alternate shot (at the Palmer Cup), and ever since then my dad calls him ‘even man’ because he played the even holes,” Hoffmann said. “We got to play aggressive golf then, so it kind of set us up for this week.”
Hoffman’s 62 on Saturday came on the heels of consecutive 72s at Cherry Hills.
“I was just going out there kind of carefree,” he said. “I don’t have anything to lose, so I was just trying to have some fun.”
Hoffmann’s threesome on Saturday put on quite a show, with Hoffmann’s 62, and the 66s by both Jerry Kelly and Freddie Jacobson. “We were feeding off each other a bunch,” Hoffmann said.
Mickelson, Bradley Pull Out After Two Rounds: Two fan favorites who have won major championships withdrew before Saturday’s third round of the BMW Championship at Cherry Hills.
Phil Mickelson (left), who won his U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills in 1990, ended his 2013-14 PGA Tour season when he pulled out of the BMW following a second-round 76.
“My primary goal is to rest and prepare for the Ryder Cup” later this month in Scotland, Mickelson said in a statement. “Without a chance to contend at the Tour Championship, the most important thing for me now is to prepare for the Ryder Cup.”
The upshot is that two streaks come to an end for Mickelson. After 10 consecutive PGA Tour seasons with at least one victory — which was the longest active streak on Tour — he went winless in the 2013-14 wraparound season. And for the first time since the FedExCup Playoffs were launched in 2007, he failed to qualify for the Tour Championship.
After his 76 on Friday at Cherry Hills, Mickelson stood in 63rd place at the BMW Championship at 6-over 146. He needed a very high finish — fourth or better — at Cherry Hills to have a chance to advance to the season finale.
Hunter Mahan is now the only player to have qualified for the Tour Championship in each year of the FedExCup Playoffs.
Also withdrawing from the BMW Championship Saturday morning was Keegan Bradley, winner of the 2011 PGA Championship. Bradley, who had never before withdrawn from a PGA Tour event, stood at 3-over-par 143, 11 out of the lead, after Friday’s round. Bradley pulled out after having lingering doubts about an embedded-ball ruling he received on the 18th hole of his opening round on Thursday.
“I just feel withdrawing is the right thing to do to protect the field in the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship next week,” Bradley said in a press release. “It’s eating me alive. I didn’t call my fellow competitors for help in the first place and that bothers me. I know the official approved the drop but I just can’t be absolutely sure it was the right spot.”
On the ruling in question, Bradley’s third shot on No. 18 embedded in the grass face just above the left greenside bunker. He took relief for a ball embedded in its own pitch mark, then chipped on and two-putted for a double bogey.
After the round, a fan told Bradley he had seen the ball bounce before coming to rest. As he was unsettled about his handling of the situation, Bradley conferred with PGA Tour vice president of rules and competitions Slugger White, who absolved Bradley of any potential violation after the two talked and examined the pitch mark at No. 18. Nevertheless, Bradley opted to withdraw on Saturday.
Bradley’s withdrawal could cost him a spot in next week’s Tour Championship as only the top 30 in the FedExCup standings qualifying, and going into Sunday he’s 33rd. On Friday, another top player, Jason Day, pulled out of the BMW Championship in the middle of his second round with back problems.
Parking Back for Normal for Sunday: After two days of many BMW Championship fans parking at Sports Authority Field at Mile High because Thursday evening rains caused problems at various grass parking lots, the parking plan will revert to original locations for Sunday.
For more information, check the web site at BMWChampionshipUSA.com (CLICK HERE) or follow updates on Twitter: @bmwchamps.
Notable: Kent Denver High School graduate Kevin Stadler has some work to do if he is to qualify for next week’s Tour Championship in Atlanta. The 2002 Colorado Open champion is in 47th place at Cherry Hills, which projects to him being 36th in the FedExCup point standings. Only the top 30 finishers advance to the Tour Championship. … Chesson Hadley made five straight birdies in Saturday’s round (holes 9-13).
For BMW Championship scores, CLICK HERE.
For Sunday’s final-round pairings, CLICK HERE.
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BMW Championship: The Essentials
What — BMW Championship PGA Tour FedExCup Playoff Event.
Where — Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village.
Schedule
Sept. 7: Sunday tee times from 9:35-11:15 a.m. off the first and 10th tees.
Gates Open — 8 a.m.
TV Coverage — Sept. 7: 10 a.m.-noon, Golf Channel and noon-4 p.m., KUSA (9).
Free Admission for Juniors — Kids 16 and under will be admitted free to the BMW Championship when accompanied by an adult ticket or credential holder.
Military Admission Policy — All active-duty, retired, reserve and veterans will receive free admission for one day of the tournament. Each military member must verify his or her military status on the website (CLICK HERE) and print off a free ticket voucher in advance of the tournament.
Field — The top 70 players in the FedExCup Playoff standings after the Deutsche Bank Championship concluded on Sept. 1. There was no cut during the BMW Championship.
Purse — $8 million, with $1.44 million going to the winner.
Course Set-up — 7,352 yards. Par-70 (34-36). 3-inch-deep bluegrass rough. Greens 11-11.5 on Stimpmeter.
Tournament Beneficiary — All the net proceeds from the BMW Championship go to the Evans Scholars Foundation, which awards full tuition and housing college scholarships to worthy and qualified caddies with limited financial means. The average value of an Evans Scholarship nationwide is estimated to be $80,000. One of the 14 Evans Scholarship houses is located at the University of Colorado in Boulder. About 870 caddies are currently on scholarship nationwide, and the program has produced almost 10,000 alums since 1930, with about 430 from CU. Among the CU Evans Scholar alums is George Solich, the general chairman of the 2014 BMW Championship.
Autographs and Cameras — Not permitted during championship rounds Thursday through Sunday.
Tournament History — The BMW Championship’s predecessor, the Western Open, began in 1899, making it the third-oldest PGA Tour event, behind the British Open and U.S. Open. The tournament was renamed the BMW Championship in 2007 when it became part of the FedExCup Playoffs.
Course History — Cherry Hills Country Club, a William Flynn-designed course, opened in 1922. It has hosted a myriad of significant tournaments over the years: U.S. Opens in 1938, ’60 and ’78; PGA Championships in 1941 and ’85; a U.S. Women’s Open in 2005; U.S. Amateurs in 1990 and 2012; a U.S. Senior Open in 1993; a U.S. Senior Amateur in 1976; and a U.S. Mid-Amateur in 1983. Winners of those events include Arnold Palmer (’60 U.S. Open), Jack Nicklaus (’93 U.S. Senior Open) and Phil Mickelson (’90 U.S. Amateur).
For More Information — Visit the BMW Championship website (CLICK HERE.)
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