A total of 42 boys and 21 girls — based off the JGAC Tour points list — accepted invitations to compete at prestigious Cherry Hills Country Club on Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 7-8), which will host the event for the second straight year. The 36-hole tournaments will be followed on Sunday night by the 2017 JGAC Awards Banquet.

Among those in the boys field are Davis Bryant, winner of the first two majors of the year and this week’s 5A state high school championship. Bryant and Hailey Schalk will be trying to become the first golfers to win three majors since the JGAC debuted at the beginning of 2016. Bryant didn’t play in the third major of 2017, the Colorado Junior Match Play, because of a scheduling conflict with another event.

Other boys state high school champions scheduled to play at Cherry Hills are Darren Edwards (4A) and Davis Long (3A), along with Luke Trujillo (2016 4A).

For the girls, Schalk will be looking to build on her big year as she’s won the girls 3A state high school title as a freshman, the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior and the Colorado Junior PGA Championship. She also captured the Colorado Junior Match Play title in 2016.

Lauren Lehigh, the 4A state high school champ, is also playing. And Emma Bryant, the Colorado Junior Match Play winner, is likewise in the field.

For Saturday’s first-round tee times for the JGAC Tour Championship, CLICK HERE.

Junior Ryder Cup at CommonGround: Meanwhile, another significant JGAC event will take place this weekend as CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora hosts the Junior Ryder Cup Friday through Sunday.

The top players age 6-13 compete, with designated Team USA and Team Europe squads squaring off. After a barbecue and shootout on Friday evening, Saturday will feature four-ball and foursomes matches (each nine holes), followed by 18-hole singles on Sunday.

There’s only one way to cap off an undefeated season, and Davis Bryant found out exactly how.

The Eaglecrest senior, who won every regular-season high school tournament in which he competed this season, then shared the regional title, fittingly finished things off with a victory in his final high school golf meet.

Bryant rallied from one behind going into Tuesday’s final round of the 5A tournament, pulling away on the back nine at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora for a two-stroke victory.

“I’ve been waiting for this for so long, it hasn’t quite sunk in yet,” said Bryant, the 5A runner-up last year. “I’m so excited and so happy that I could finally get the job done.

“This is probably the best (win) of my career because you’re playing against the best kids in the state and all different age levels.”

Also winning state titles on Tuesday were Darren Edwards of Thompson Valley in Class 4A at Raccoon Creek Golf Course in Littleton, and a second Davis, Davis Long of Peak to Peak, in the 3A tournament at Indian Peaks Golf Course, where Tuesday marked the only championship round after the course was saturated by rain on Monday. For more on those tournaments, see below.

At the 5A meet, Bryant parred the first 10 holes of Tuesday’s second round before making back-to-back birdies on 11 and 12 and parring his last six holes for a bogey-free 2-under-par 69. The future Colorado State University golfer finished at 3-under 139, two better than Fossil Ridge junior Dillon Stewart and three ahead of Grand Junction junior Canon Olkowski. Stewart and Olkowski both closed with 72s on Tuesday.

The three players in the final group — Bryant, Olkowski and first-round leader Stewart — were tied overall after the front nine on Tuesday. But after Olkowski eagled No. 11 from 4 feet and Bryant and Stewart two-putted there for birdie, Bryant made a move with a 25-foot uphill birdie putt on No. 12 that had to travel over a large hump before falling in (pictured above).

“Once I made the birdie putt on 12, that was huge,” he said. “That gave me a little momentum.”

The birdie pushed Bryant into a share of the lead with Stewart (left), the player he beat to win the Colorado Junior PGA title this year. But Stewart three-putted for bogey on No. 13 to fall out of the lead, missed a 7-foot birdie attempt at No. 14, then bogeyed 15 and 16.

Meanwhile, Olkowski had a wild ride in the middle of the round — going birdie, bogey, eagle, bogey, birdie in consecutive holes starting at No. 9 — before likewise losing ground to Bryant late on the back nine.

As for Bryant, he was grinding out six straight pars down the stretch, including with a 7-footer on No. 15 and long two-putts on 14 and 17.

“Once I had a little lead, I wanted to make them to have to chase me with birdies, and I wanted to make as many pars as I could,” he said.

For Bryant, the win adds another chapter to an impressive 2017 season. He’s won both of the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado majors in which he’s competed and he’s finished ninth individually at the Junior America’s Cup, 14th at the national Junior PGA and made it to the round of 64 at the U.S. Junior Amateur.

“I’d probably compare it to Jordan Spieth’s 2015 season (in which the PGA Tour player won the first two major championships before placing fourth in the British Open and second in the PGA Championship) a little bit,” Bryant said. “I’ve played so consistently since the beginning of April. The lowest (tournament round) I shot was 65 and the highest was 77. That feels pretty good. I started out strong (with a 65 at Todd Creek in May) and I finished strong.”

On Tuesday, he relied on his experience from the 2016 state tournament and the national events in which he’s competed this year.

“I learned from the experience last year against Kyle (Pearson of Highlands Ranch) and was able to make some of the par putts and grind it out a little better than I did last year,” Bryant said. “It was an awesome last two days.

“I think the summertime helped too — playing in those hard (national and international) tournaments with hard fields. And playing harder golf courses helped as well. Your mistakes are magnified when you play at those golf courses, so if you’re able to miss in the right spots, you give yourself shots at par. All the past experience, I was able to use and put together today. It feels really, really good to get the job done.”

Stewart, one of Bryant’s teammates on the Colorado Junior America’s Cup team this year, certainly wanted the title on Tuesday, but takes some consolation in the fact that he’ll get another crack at it next year.

“It’s obviously disappointing to take second,” he said. “I didn’t really play my best. Davis finished with a 69 today — that’s solid golf that he played and that’s pretty impressive to do that coming from behind.

“But putting myself in that position … and I still have one more year, so if I’m in this position again I can learn from what I did this year and move forward.”

In the 5A team race, Regis Jesuit (left) won for the third straight season, for the seventh time in the last eight years, and for the ninth time overall, tying the record for Colorado boys golf, set last year by Kent Denver.

This year’s Regis players included Cal McCoy, Cameron Kirke, Drew Anderson and Walker Fuller, with all but Fuller being seniors. McCoy has verbally committed to the University of Denver golf team.

“It’s a joy,” Regis coach Craig Rogers said. “I’m really happy, but especially this year because the senior class was about as good as I’ve ever seen. I think they felt a little extra pressure to make sure they didn’t have a letdown their senior year. So I’m a little more relieved because I knew we had the talent, but it’s golf and you never know what’s going to happen and there’s some great teams out here. So to see them complete the journey was really nice.”

With a 16-over-par 442 total, Regis finished seven strokes ahead of Cherry Creek and eight in front of third-place Grand Junction and Arapahoe.

Class 4A at Raccoon Creek: Thompson Valley senior Darren Edwards pulled away in the final round for a three-stroke victory in the individual competition. Edwards shot back-to-back rounds of 73 for a 2-over-par 146 total.

Edwards, who finished fourth at state last year, was 2 over for his first eight holes on Tuesday, but then birdied three of his next four to take control. He finished with three birdies and four bogeys in the final round.

Despite bogeying his final two holes, Barrett Jones of Eagle Valley posted the best score of the tournament, a 1-under-par 71, to tie for second place at 5-over 149. He made four birdies on Tuesday.

Also at 149 was Bridger Tenney of Evergreen, who birdied three of his final eight holes to shoot 74 on Tuesday.

Defending champion Luke Trujillo of Discovery Canyon finished 16th at 159.

In the team competition, 2016 runner-up Montrose won its second state title, besting Evergreen by six and Valor Christian by nine. The Indians, also champions in 2003, posted a two-day total of 34-over-par 466.

Class 3A at Indian Peaks: With the 3A meet being more of a sprint as an 18-hole tournament, Peak to Peak claimed both the individual and team titles.

Individually, sophomore Davis Long edged defending champion Oliver Jack of Kent Denver and Walker Franklin of Prospect Ridge. Long birdied the 16th and 18th holes — the latter from 15 feet — to shoot 3-under-par 69. He finished the day with six birdies and three bogeys.

Jack, who eagled the par-4 seventh hole after driving the green, was 4 under par through 11 holes, but double bogeyed No. 12 and played his final six holes in even. Franklin bogeyed his final hole — marking his only bogey of the day — for a 70.

But Long’s work for the day wasn’t yet done. He and his Peak to Peak teammates tied defending 3A state champion Kent Denver for top team honors at 1-over-par 217, then went to a playoff to decide a champion. Peak to Peak prevailed, winning its second state title in three years, this one at the Pumas’ home course. Kent Denver had been seeking an unprecedented 10th boys state golf championship.
 

Class 5A Top Finishers
At Par-71 CommonGround GC in Aurora
TEAM
Regis Jesuit 217-225–442
Cherry Creek 221-228–449
Arapahoe 228-222–450
Grand Junction 226-224–450
Denver East 229-228–457
INDIVIDUAL
Davis Bryant, Eaglecrest 70-69–139
Dillon Stewart, Fossil Ridge 69-72–141
Canon Olkowski, Grand Junction 70-72–142
Cal McCoy, Regis Jesuit 70-74–144
Tommy Parker, Arapahoe, 72-72–144
Connor Jones Mountain Range 72-74–146
Freddie Gluck, Boulder 73-73–146
Sam Blackwood, Heritage 71-75–146
Ryder Heuston, Fairview 72-74–146
Supawich (Beam) Boonta, Cherokee Trail 74-72–146

For complete 5A results, CLICK HERE.
 

Class 4A Top Finishers
At Par-72 Raccoon Creek GC in Littleton
TEAM
Montrose 233-233–466
Evergreen 238-234–472
Valor Christian 234-241–475
Palmer Ridge 240-238–478
Thompson Valley 249-237–486
INDIVIDUAL
Darren Edwards, Thompson Valley 73-73–146
Barrett Jones, Eagle Valley 78-71–149
Bridger Tenney, Evergreen 75-74–149
Micah Stangebye, Montrose 76-76–152
Jacob Smith, Rifle 77-75–152
Tyler Severin, Roosevelt 73-79–152
Jake Welch, Valor Christian 73-80–153
Jordan Jennings, Montrose 75-78–153
Wes Weber, Mountain View 77-77–154
Nathan Dwyer, Thompson Valley 79-75–154

For complete 4A results, CLICK HERE.
 

Class 3A Top Finishers
At Par-72 Indian Peaks GC in Lafayette
Note: Day 1 was rained out. Tournament was reduced to 18 holes.
TEAM
Peak to Peak 217 (won playoff)
Kent Denver 217
Aspen 224
Eaton 234
Colorado Academy 236

INDIVIDUAL
Davis Long, Peak to Peak 69
Oliver Jack, Kent Denver 70
Walker Franklin, Prospect Ridge 70
Thomas Messner, Coloradao Academy 73
Ian Thorpe, Peak to Peak 73
Dominic Lanese IV, Aspen 73
Peter Grossenbacher, Eaton 73
Jackson Klutznick, Kent Denver 73
Dawson Holmes, Aspen 73
Cris Rudosky, Montezuma Cortez 73
Billy Howenstein, Dawson 73

For complete 3A results, CLICK HERE.
 

Perhaps the cold, windy, raw first day at the 5A boys state high school tournament brought out the best in the best.

But for whatever reason, the three golfers who represented Colorado on the Junior America’s Cup team this year — and are in still in high school — find themselves at the top of the leaderboard after Monday’s first round of the 36-hole tournament at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora.

With temperatures in the 40s all day — and the wind making it feel even colder — junior Dillon Stewart (left) of Fossil Ridge took the lead with a 2-under-par 69. And right on his heels going into Tuesday’s final round are Junior America’s Cup teammates Davis Bryant of Eaglecrest and Cal McCoy of Regis Jesuit, along with Canon Olkowski of Grand Junction.

Those were the only players who broke par in challenging weather conditions at CommonGround as Bryant, McCoy and Olkowski posted 1-under 70s.

In the other state tournaments, day 1 of the 3A meet at Indian Peaks Golf Course in Lafayette was canceled due to rain, with the tournament being reduced to an 18-hole event, set for Tuesday. And at the 4A tourney at Raccoon Creek Golf Course in Littleton, three players share the lead at 1-over-par 73: Jake Welch of Valor Christian, Darren Edwards of Thompson Valley and Tyler Severin of Roosevelt. For more details on the 4A meet, see below.

At the 5A tournament, with stocking caps and several layers of clothing being commonplace for the players — and heavy jackets and mittens for many spectators — breaking par was no small feat.

“It wasn’t fun, but it was fun, obviously,” Stewart said after grabbing the 18-hole lead. “(The conditions) really tested your mental game. The ball isn’t going very far because it’s so cold. Conditions are hard, it’s windy. It’s not fun, but it really brings the best player out of everybody.

“I’m really proud of myself (for shooting 69). My goal was to be the leader after day 1, and I accomplished that. Hopefully it will continue tomorrow.”

Stewart has had a strong 2017 to date. He led the Rocky Mountain Open — competing against many pros as well as amateurs — after the first day. He finished 35th in the national Boys Junior PGA Championship, 52nd in the IMG Academy Junior Worlds, and was runner-up to Bryant at the Colorado Junior PGA. And Stewart, Bryant, McCoy and current University of Denver golfer Jackson Solem teamed up to finish fourth out of 18 teams in the Junior America’s Cup. During the high school season, Stewart has won four times.

On Monday at CommonGround, the junior finished with four birides and two bogeys on the day to grab the lead.

As good a year as Stewart has had in 2017, Bryant (left) has been even more impressive. The Colorado State University-bound golfer has won both of the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado majors in which he’s competed and he’s finished ninth individually at the Junior America’s Cup, 14th at the national Junior PGA and made it to the round of 64 at the U.S. Junior Amateur.

On Monday, Bryant had it to 3 under par through 11 holes, but bogeyed the next two and played the last five in even par.

“It could have been better, but it also could have gotten away from me and been a 75 very easily,” the senior said. “You can definitely shoot yourself out of it but you can’t win it on the first day. I was just trying to make some birdies and make a lot of pars and see how it went after 18 holes.”

Bryant, the 5A runner-up at state last year, has not been beaten in a high school tournament this season, winning six titles outright and tying for a victory in regionals.

“I’ll be disappointed if I don’t win (state), obviously,” he said. “That’s been my goal since I finished second to Kyle (Pearson of Highlands Ranch) last year. But if you’re thinking about that too much, you’re not going to play well, so I just take it one shot at a time and try to be as positive as possible.”

McCoy (left), a senior who will play his college golf at DU, was paired with Stewart on Monday and played his front nine in 3-under 33, but bogeyed 15 and 18 on the way in. McCoy, who finished sixth at state last year, ended up with three birdies and two bogeys on Monday.

Olkowski, a future University of Colorado golfer and the younger brother of current Buff Trevor Olkowski, finished strong to shoot his 70. He was 2 over par through 14 holes, but birdied three of his last four.

In the 5A team race, Regis Jesuit shot a 4-over-par 217 total and grabbed a four-stroke lead over Cherry Creek. Regis is seeking its seventh state title in the last eight years. Fossil Ridge is in third place at 222.

4A at Racoon Creek: Welch, younger brother of 2015 4A runner-up Coby Welch, shares the individual leader with Edwards and Severin after day 1. Welch was 1 under par through 16 holes, but triple bogeyed the par-3 17th and birdied 18 to finish at 73. He ended the day with four birdies, two bogeys and the triple.

Edwards, who placed fourth at state last year, birdied his final hole on Monday to shoot 73 and posted two birdies, one bogey and a double bogey. Severin, sixth at state in 2016, carded two birdies and three bogeys.

Defending individual state champion Luke Trujillo of Discovery Canyon shares fourth place at 75 with Roger Nakagawa of Thomas Jefferson, Jordan Jennings of Montrose and Bridger Tenney of Evergreen.

In the team competition, Montrose, the state runner-up last year, recorded a 17-over-par 233 total and holds a one-stroke lead over perennial power Valor Christian. Evergreen is in third place, five back of Montrose.

Class 5A Leaders
At Par-71 CommonGround GC in Aurora
TEAM
Regis Jesuit 217
Cherry Creek 221
Fossil Ridge 222
ThunderRidge 224
Fairview 226
Grand Junction 226
INDIVIDUAL
Dillon Stewart, Fossil Ridge 69
Davis Bryant, Eaglecrest 70
Cal McCoy, Regis Jesuit 70
Canon Olkowski, Grand Junction 70
Carter Kovarik, Cherry Creek 71
Sam Blackwood, Heritage 71
Evan Kalac, ThunderRidge 71
Brandon Bervig, Liberty 71
Cameron Kirke, Regis Jesuit 71
Tommy Parker, Arapahoe, 72
Connor Jones Mountain Range 72
Ryder Heuston, Fairview 72

For complete 5A results, CLICK HERE.
 

Class 4A Leaders
At Par-72 Raccoon Creek GC in Littleton
TEAM
Montrose 233
Valor Christian 234
Evergreen 238
Palmer Ridge 240
Mullen 242

INDIVIDUAL
Tyler Severin, Roosevelt 73
Darren Edwards, Thompson Valley 73
Jake Welch, Valor Christian 73
Jordan Jennings, Montrose 75
Roger Nakagawa, Thomas Jefferson 75
Bridger Tenney, Evergreen 75
Luke Trujillo, Discovery Canyon 75
Micah Stangebye, Montrose 76
Jacob Smith, Rifle 77
Wes Weber, Mountain View 77

For complete 4A results, CLICK HERE.