That was in 2005 — when there were just two classifications in Colorado boys golf, instead of the current three — and Green Valley Ranch hosted the 5A meet and Wellshire the 4A.

A dozen years later, all three state tournaments next week — Monday and Tuesday specifically — will be based at public courses in the Denver area. The 5A championship will be at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora, the 4A at Raccoon Creek Golf Course in Littleton, and the 3A at Indian Peaks Golf Course in Lafayette.

Suffice it to say that’s quite a change from last year, when the 5A meet was conducted in Grand Junction, the 4A in Carbondale and the 3A in Aurora.

Here’s a quick look at what to expect from each of next week’s 36-hole state tournaments:

— 5A at CommonGround: Based on how 2017 has gone so far, senior Davis Bryant of Eaglecrest should be the player to beat at CommonGround. The future Colorado State University golfer has won both of the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado majors in which he’s competed this year. In national/international events, he advanced to the match play round of 64 at the U.S. Junior Amateur and finished 14th at the Boys Junior PGA Championship and ninth individually in the Junior America’s Cup.

Bryant is the top returning player from last year’s 5A state tournament as he placed second to then-senior Kyle Pearson of Highlands Ranch.

In all, five top-10 finishers from last year’s state meet are back: Bryant; Cal McCoy and Drew Anderson of Regis Jesuit (tied for sixth in 2016), Kailer Dundiks of Denver East (ninth) and Josh Caridi of Fossil Ridge (ninth). McCoy has verbally committed to the University of Denver.

All three current high school players who represented Colorado on the Junior America’s Cup team this year — Bryant, McCoy and Dillon Stewart of Fossil Ridge — will compete in the 5A tournament. Also at CommonGround will be Canon Olkowski of Grand Junction, who has verbally committed to the University of Colorado, and Colorado Junior Match Play runner-up Jack Castiglia of Lakewood.

Bryant, Olkowski and McCoy were among those who recently won regional state-qualifying tournaments.

Team-wise, Regis will be seeking its seventh state title in the last eight years after improbably winning by a single stroke each of the last two seasons.

–– 4A at Raccoon Creek: Luke Trujillo of Discovery Canyon will be back to defend his indvidual title after defeating current DU golfer Jackson Solem in a playoff last year.

Trujillo shot a 5-under-par 65 to win a regional state-qualifying tournament at Elmwood Golf Course in Pueblo.

Discovery Canyon also will be trying to win its second consecutive team title. One of Trujillo’s teammates in that regard is Kaden Ford, who recently became just the fourth Coloradan ever to qualify for the finals of the Drive Chip & Putt Championship.

Joining Trujillo as a top-10 finisher from 2016 who’s returning to state are Darren Edwards of Thompson Valley (fourth last year), Tyler Severin of Roosevelt (sixth), Micah Stangebye of Montrose (seventh) and Caleb Blackburn of Discovery Canyon (10th).

Also in the field are Barrett Jones of Eagle Valley, one of the top players in JGAC tournaments this year, and TJ Shehee of Mead, who qualified for this year’s U.S. Junior Amateur.

— 3A at Indian Peaks: Oliver Jack of Kent Denver, like Trujillo, will be attempting to win his second straight state individual title. If either should prevail again, he would be the fifth two-time Colorado boys state high school champion since 1995. Last year, Jack, who’s verbally committed to CU, won in a playoff over Ivan Richmond of Estes Park, who likewise will return.

In all, 10 of the top 12 finishers from the 2016 3A state tournament will be back. Besides Jack and Richmond, there’s Ethan Tartaglia of Peak to Peak (third last year), Jackson Klutznick of Kent Denver (fourth), Nishant Datta of Peak to Peak (sixth), Ian Thorpe of Peak to Peak (sixth), Liam O’Halloran of The Classical Academy (sixth), Jacob Mason of Jefferson Academy (sixth), Peter Grossenbacher of Eaton (10th) and Billy Howenstein of Dawson School (10th).

Also in the field is Kent Denver’s Mateo Manzanares, a First Tee of Denver member who on Sunday teamed with PGA Tour Champions standout Scott McCarron to place fourth in the pro-junior competition of the PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach.

Kent Denver, the 2016 team champion, will be seeking its record 10th boys state high school team title. Eight of its victories have come since 2006.

With three top-six finishers back from last year’s state runner-up school, 2015 state champion Peak to Peak figures to make another run at the title, particularly playing at its home course.

Aspen may also be a contender as it finished 1-2-3-4 in the regional at Devil’s Thumb, posting a team total of 6 under par.

Here are the teams and individuals that won regional state-qualifying tournaments last week:

5A Southern at Colorado Springs CC — Team: Heritage +5; Individual: Canon Olkowski, Grand Junction, and Sam Blackwood, Heritage, 70.

5A Northern at Coal Creek — Team: Regis Jesuit +11; Individual: Cal McCoy, Regis Jesuit, 71.

5A Central at Plum Creek — Team: Fossil Ridge +5; Individual: Davis Bryant, Eaglecrest, and Kieran McMullen, Rock Canyon, 71.

5A Western at Broadlands — Team: Arapahoe +9; Individual: Tommy Packer, Arapahoe, 71.

4A Region 1 at Elmwood — Team: Discovery Canyon +11; Individual: Luke Trujillo, Discovery Canyon, 65.

4A Region 2 at CC of Colorado — Team: Valor Christian +37; Individual: Keaton Hulen, Cheyenne Mountain, 76.

4A Region 3 at Boomerang — Team: Thompson Valley +13; Individual: Wes Weber, Mountain View, and Tyler Severin, Roosevelt, 70.

4A Region 4 at The Bridges — Team: Montrose +3; Individual: Bridger Tenney, Evergreen, and Micah Stangebye, Montrose, 71.

3A Region 1 at East to Links — Team: Kent Denver +1; Individual: Oliver Jack, Kent Denver, 69.

3A Region 2 at CommonGround — Team: Colorado Academy +3; Individual: Christian Agelopoulos, Colorado Academy, and Peter Grossenbacher, Eaton, 69.

3A Region 3 at Estes Park GC — Team: Sterling +11; Individual: Riley Schaefer, Sterling, 70.

3A Region 4 at Devil’s Thumb — Team: Aspen -6; Individual: Carter Hall, Aspen, 69.

For Monday’s state championship tee times, CLICK HERE.

CGA Western Chapter Championship
At Par-71 The Bridges in Montrose

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
Drew Trujillo, Bridges G & CC 69-70–139
Branden Barron, South Suburban Family Sports 67-73–140
Jack Adolfson, Fox Hill Club 69-73–142
Jim Doidge, Pueblo CC 73-70–143
Michael Jones, Eagle Vail GC 73-72–145
Kyle Fanning, CommonGround GC 75-71–146
Robert Barnhardt, Hillcrest GC 72-74–146
Sean Griswold, Hillcrest GC 70-76–146
Barry Erwin, CommonGround GC 74-73–147
Billy Ramsey, Lone Tree GC 74-73–147
Tristan Rohrbaugh, Ironbridge GC 76-72–148
Lamar Carlile, City Park GC 69-80–149
Mark Zbrzeznj, Eagle Vail GC 74-75–149
Trevor Mckune, Pinehurst CC 71-78–149
Cory Olsen, Murphy Creek GC 74-76–150
Kelby Breidel, Black Canyon GC 71-79–150
Kermitt Barrett, Hillcrest GC 79-71–150
Chris Berg, Tiara Rado GC 72-79–151
Joey Haack, Aspen GC 70-82–152
Jared Bickling, Glenwood Springs GC 76-77–153
Joe Distefano, Telluride GC 78-77–155
Nicolas Karavites, Glenmoor CC 78-77–155
Dillon McDonald, Red Sky GC 80-76–156
Ryan Siggins, Dalton Ranch GC 81-76–157
Tony Komatz, Eagle Ranch GC 73-84–157
Corey M Stanton, Breckenridge GC 78-81–159
Sam Phillips, Flatirons GC 82-79–161
Jim Miller, Haymaker GC 82-80–162
Joey Saad, Bookcliff CC 79-83–162
Taylor Foust, CommonGround GC 79-85–164
Jacob Hebbel, The Links at Cobble Creek 82-83–165
William Berg, Tiara Rado GC 82-83–165
Brian Huston, Silver Spruce GC 86-83–169
Steven Buchanan, River Valley Ranch GC 88-81–169
Paul Bersagel, Eagle Vail GC 86-85–171
Triston Quigley, Rifle Creek GC 89-82–171
Sey Johnson, Tiara Rado GC 81-91–172
Steve W Womacks, Colorado Avidgolfer Passport C 87-88–175
Michael Wommack, Haymaker GC 96-81–177
Shane Unfred, Highland Meadows GC 88-90–178
David Lawien, Tiara Rado GC 87-NC
Jay Wilson, Eagle Ranch GC 81-WD
Jeremy Lederer, Bridges 76-WD

SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
Scott Sullivan, Bookcliff CC 68-67–135
Kelly Crone, Highlands Ranch GC 72-72–144
Thomas Roos, Spring Valley GC 72-72–144
David Delich, Broadmoor GC 70-76–146
Grant Porter, CommonGround GC 70-76–146
Joe Morrill, Eagle Ranch GC 77-70–147
Mr. Harry Johnson, Eagle Ranch GC 70-78–148
Sean Forey, Bear Creek GC 72-76–148
Bruce Hogg, Patty Jewett GC 77-72–149
Scott Patterson, Eagle Ranch GC 73-76–149
John Vanderbloemen, Haymaker GC 78-73–151
Phil Herrera, Lincoln Park GC 72-79–151
Robert Polk, Colorado GC 81-70–151
Chuck Delich, Eisenhower Golf Club 72-80–152
Dave Woodruff, Bridges G & CC 76-76–152
Jim LeMar, Meadows GC 77-76–153
Mark Runyan, Canongate Colorado 74-79–153
Matt Hall, Bookcliff CC 79-74–153
Frank Wilkinson, Lincoln Park GC 77-78–155
Cary Dilzell, The GC at Redlands Mesa 78-78–156
Mike Trujillo, Bridges G & CC 77-80–157
Scott Crone, Pinehurst CC 83-74–157
John Meredith, Pole Creek GC 75-84–159
John Sostmann, Raccoon Creek GC 83-78–161
David Draper, Green Valley Ranch GC 78-85–163
Dennis Truitt, Kennedy GC 84-87–171

SENIOR FIRST FLIGHT
Rick Pirog, Clubs at Cordillera 72-79–151
Stuart Jones, Redlands Mesa GC 84-81–165
Eric Pocius, Salida GC 85-82–167
Jeff Kadereit, Redlands Mesa GC 82-85–167
Mark Adolfson, Fox Hill Club 80-88–168
Ken Bailey, Telluride GC 92-85–177
Stan Cole, Eagle Ranch GC 93-87–180
Jeff Price, Redlands Mesa GC 89-95–184
Larry Phillips, Adobe Creek National GC 92-93–185
Ricky Houtris, Lincoln Park GC 93-92–185
Daniel Earl Boehm, Lincoln Park GC 108-95–203
Wayne L Klassen, Littleton GC 101-NS

Go to CGA Western Chapter Results Archive

Last year during the final round of the CGA Stroke Play, the Colorado School of Mines golfer went two strokes lower than anyone ever had at Boulder Country Club, firing a 10-under-par 60.

Then on Monday, the 21-year-old from Basalt did it again. In the first round of the 36-hole U.S. Amateur Sectional Qualifying, Knous bested a longstanding course record by two shots again, carding a 9-under-par 63 at Heritage Eagle Bend Golf Club in Aurora.

That gave him a big head start in eventually claiming medalist honors in the qualifying. He shot 63-70 for an 11-under-par 133 total to land one of the three available spots in the U.S. Amateur, which will be played Aug. 22-28 at Erin Hills in Erin, Wis.

Joining Knous in the national tournament will be 17-year-old Wyndham Clark of Greenwood Village and University of Colorado-bound 18-year-old Drew Trujillo of Montrose. Both players came in at 8-under 136, with Clark going 67-69 and Trujillo 69-67.

But Knous’ record round was the story of the day.

“Those are the only two (rounds) I’ve had sub-65,” Knous said of his 60 and 63 in the last year. “Today’s 63 was pretty fun. I don’t know what it is, but everything kind of just works out. I always get pretty nervous when I’m going that low, but I knew the guys in the field were really good, so I had the mentality to make more and more birdies. … When I had it going, it felt similar to the round at Boulder.”

While Clark qualified for his second straight U.S. Amateur — and fourth USGA championship overall — Knous and Trujillo will be making their first appearances in a national USGA event.

Knous made an eagle and seven birdies in his bogey-free course-record morning round, when he went 6 under par in six holes from 11 through 16, making a 15-foot eagle putt on No. 14.

“I made a 50-footer (for birdie) on No. 12 and the ball hit the back of the hole, popped up and went back in,” Knous said. “It was a pretty bad putt but it went in. Stuff like that, you have to get lucky a little bit to shoot those rounds.”
Knous then added six more birdies in his afternoon round.

Heritage Eagle Bend “actually reminds me a lot of my home course, Ironbridge,” he said. “It has the same designer (Arthur Hills) and you hit driver on every (non-par-3) hole. The fairways are huge and you can bomb it.”

The situation obviously paid dividends as Knous is headed for arguably the top amateur golf tournament in the world.

“I think it’s one of the biggest accomplishments I’ve ever had,” he said. “It feels good. I feel like this is the summer I wanted to prove myself, so hopefully I can do pretty well out there (in Wisconsin).”

Coincidentally, when Knous shot his 60 last year at Boulder Country Club, it forced a playoff with Clark, who prevailed in sudden death to win the CGA Stroke Play. Clark will defend that title Thursday through Sunday at CommonGround Golf Course.

On Monday, Clark earned a trip back to the U.S. Amateur by carding nine birdies and just one bogey on the day. At last year’s U.S. Amateur, the Valor Christian High School student narrowly missed advancing to match play, losing in a playoff for the final spots.

“This is the biggest tournament out there,” said Clark, who’s ranked among the top 20 junior players internationally. “Last year I came so close to making match play, so I really wanted to make it (to the Amateur) again. I’m really excited for the Am. Last year was such a great atmosphere.”

Clark, who earlier this year committed to play for Oklahoma State University beginning in the fall of 2012, took July completely off from tournament golf while trying to work on a swing change he’s been making. He struggled with his game in May and June, but seems to be rounding into form now.

“I felt like too many times I was searching for answers with my swing,” Clark said when asked why he went through the swing change. “I was too streaky off the tee. And when I went (to national events) where the courses were so much tougher, it seemed like it really exposed my weaknesses. I saw where my ball-striking was not where I wanted it to be if I want to be as good as I possibly can.

“But my game has gotten so much better. It’s really close.”

Trujillo, who recently placed second in the CGA Western Chapter Championship, likewise was in a groove on Monday. For the day, he finished with an eagle and nine birdies. His morning round included a chip-in for his eagle from 15 yards, and his afternoon round was bogey-free.

“This is the biggest accomplishment I’ve probably had,” said Trujillo, who will begin his CU golf career within the next month. “So I’ll move on from there and see what happens.”

Monday’s outcome certainly made Trujillo’s trip back to Montrose a lot more pleasant.

“It’s five hours (each way) for tournaments over here, so it’s kind of rough,” he said. “There are only a couple of tournaments for the CGA on the Western Slope. But this definitely makes the trip worth it.”

Cameron Harrell of Colorado Springs (65-72–137) was the first alternate in Monday’s qualifier, and Benjamin Esparza of Tucson, Ariz. (69-69–138) the second.

This was the second and final U.S. Amateur Sectional Qualifying tournament held in Colorado this year. Last week at Highland Meadows in Windsor, Zahkai Brown of Arvada and Jordan Burgess of Windsor qualified for the national tournament.

Next year’s U.S. Amateur will be played in Colorado at Cherry Hills Country Club, with CommonGround Golf Course serving as the second course for the stroke-play portion of the event.

U.S. Amateur Sectional Qualifying
At Par-72 Heritage Eagle Bend Golf Club in Aurora

QUALIFIERS
Jim Knous, Basalt, Colo., 63-70–133
Drew Trujillo, Montrose, Colo., 69-67–136
Wyndham Clark, Greenwood Village, Colo., 67-69–136

ALTERNATES (In order)
Cameron Harrell, Colorado Springs, Colo., 65-72–137
Benjamin Esparza, Tucson, Ariz., 69-69–138

FAILED TO QUALIFY
Michael Schoolcraft, Englewood, Colo., 70-68–138
Brendan Connolly, Castle Rock, Colo., 69-70–139
John Ahern, Morrison, Colo., 71-69–140
Chun-Ji Kim, Denver, Colo., 68-72–140
Brandon Bingaman, Montrose, Colo., 67-73–140
Jonathan Park, Denver, Colo., 73-67–140
Jonathan Marsico, Denver, Colo., 69-72–141
Parker Edens, Greeley, Colo., 70-71–141
Charles Chon, Aurora, Colo., 73-69–142
Dillon McDonald, Wolcott, Colo., 71-71–142
Kory Harrell, Colorado Springs, Colo., 69-74–143
Connor Klein, Lone Tree, Colo., 72-71–143
Cole Nygren, Niwot, Colo., 73-70–143
C J Kim, Denver, Colo., 72-71–143
Caleb Barker, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 70-74–144
Ray Makloski, Pueblo, Colo., 69-75–144
David Holtgrewe, Englewood, Colo., 76-69–145
William Schoolcraft, Englewood, Colo., 71-74–145
Clint Miller, Englwood, Colo., 75-71–146
Brian Morfeld, Boulder, Colo., 77-69–146
Christopher Roehrkasse, Colorado Springs, Colo., 71-76–147
Cody Kent, Castle Rock, Colo., 76-71–147
Danny Hahn, Denver, Colo., 74-74–148
Ryan Schmitz, Littleton, Colo., 71-77–148
Taylor Stamp, Colorado Springs, Colo., 72-76–148
Ryan Bent, Evergreen, Colo., 76-72–148
Jimmy Makloski, Pueblo, Colo., 76-72–148
Nicholas Sheedy, Denver, Colo., 75-74–149
Chandler Smith-Stetson, Corrales, N.M., 73-77–150
Samuel Kloenne, West Linn, Ore., 72-78–150
James Kurtenbach, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 73-77–150
Reid Howey, Centennial, Colo., 76-75–151
Tanner Jenson, Parker, Colo., 72-79–151
Blake Basham, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 80-72–152
John Fowlds, Lone Tree, Colo., 73-80–153
Jeffrey Allen, Denver, Colo., 75-78–153
Kyle Beard, Denver, Colo., 73-80–153
Kyle Thurman, Broomfield, Colo., 78-75–153
Grant Javernick, Aurora, Colo., 81-73–154
Arnold Hoy, Castle Rock, Colo., 80-74–154
Michael Love, Castle Rock, Colo., 75-81–156
Chris Longfellow, Castle Rock, Colo., 78-81–159
Cory Thelen, Castle Rock, Colo., 88-75–163
Ben Davis, Denver, Colo., 81-84–165
Kyle Tobin, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 80-85–165
Sam Mobley, Castle Rock, Colo., 84-83–167
Kyle Romero, Westminster, Colo., 88-81–169
Andy Barnes, Tucson, Ariz., 73-WD
Dean Clapp, Littleton, Colo., 72-WD
Jon Lindstrom, Broomfield, Colo., 75-WD
Austin Dean, Centennial, Colo., 83-WD
Clay Labrec, Denver, Colo., 80-NC
Danny Riskam, Broomfield, Colo., 67-WD