With the LPGA Tour playing its season opener this week, every major tour in the world will be underway for 2017. And if recent developments are any indication, it will be an eventful year for players with strong Colorado connections.

For example:

— Former Colorado State University golfer Martin Laird (pictured) posted his second top-10 finish in four starts on the 2016-17 PGA Tour wraparound season by placing ninth Sunday in the CareerBuilder Challenge in La Quinta, Calif.

The three-time Tour winner shot rounds of 68-66-71-69 for a 14-under-par 274 total, leaving him six strokes behind winner Hudson Swafford.

Laird placed eighth in the Safeway Open in October.

— World Golf Hall of Famer Hale Irwin, a graduate of Boulder High School and the University of Colorado, doesn’t play a lot anymore on PGA Tour Champions, where he’s far and away the record-holder for career victories with 45. But even at 71 years old, he still has his moments.

At last week’s Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii, Irwin shot better than his age not once but twice in the tournament, which was shortened to 36 holes due to heavy winds on Saturday. Named the Colorado Male Player of the Century in 2015, Irwin fired a 3-under-par 69 Thursday and a 70 on Friday, making it a remarkable 18 times in which he’s bettered his age on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.

Irwin’s 28th-place finish was his best in a non-team event on the Champions tour since August 2014.

— Shane Bertsch of Parker, who hasn’t competed in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event in more than 11 months following a shoulder injury, is back in action at the Web.com Tour’s Bahamas Great Abaco Classic, which started on Sunday.

When he returns to the PGA Tour, the former Colorado Open champion will have 11 events left on a medical extension, needing to earn at least $612,397 in those events to keep his exempt status.

Also on a medical extension on the PGA Tour is part-time Denver resident Kevin Stadler, who when he returns will have 26 tournaments in which to earn $717,890 in order to keep his Tour status. Stadler, hampered by a left hand injury for more than two years, hasn’t competed on the PGA Tour in 18 months, though he finished 41st in the CoBank Colorado Open in July.

Among those joining Bertsch in the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic are two Coloradans who earned Web.com Tour status through Q-school in December, Jim Knous of Englewood and Tom Whitney of Fort Collins. Whitney received a sponsor’s exemption for the event. Former Golden resident Andrew Svoboda, a winner last year on the Web circuit, is also competing in the Bahamas.

Here are some of the other notable things from a Colorado perspective on the world’s major tours in 2017:

— Though former CU golfer Jenny Coleman (left) in all likelihood won’t make it into the field for this week’s Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic, she will be the first player with major Colorado connections to compete regularly on the LPGA Tour since 2013. (Sue Kim, who spent one semester at the University of Denver, played on the LPGA Tour regularly as recently as 2015.)

Coleman, who competed for the Buffs from 2010-14, finished 29th in the final stage of LPGA Tour qualifying in December to earn conditional status.

Two former DU golfers, Tonje Daffinrud and Ellie Givens, continue to be regulars on the Ladies European Tour.

— As many as a half-dozen players with strong Colorado ties figure to compete at least a handful of times on the PGA Tour in the current wraparound season.

As noted earlier, that could include two players long sidelined by injuries, Stadler and Bertsch.

Laird, who already has two top-10 showings, will be a regular.

Former Denver resident Mark Hubbard has struggled in the early going this season, but has shown he has some staying power by keeping his PGA Tour card for three straight years. His best PGA Tour finish is 15th in the 2016 Puerto Rico Open.

Meanwhile, likely getting periodic starts in 2017 will be former Fort Collins resident Sam Saunders and current Aspenite Justin Leonard.

— As many as eight players with Colorado connections may compete on PGA Tour Champions in 2017. The one likely to make the most noise, based on last year, is Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe, who posted seven top-10 finishes in 2016. Others likely to play at least periodically in 2017 are Esteban Toledo, Gary Hallberg, Irwin, Mark Wiebe, Steve Jones, Craig Stadler and Mike Reid.

— For the first time in several years, at least two players with strong Colorado connections will compete in the same season on the European Tour. That happened when former CU golfer Sebastian Heisele finished 19th in the final stage of Q-school in November and former DU player Espen Kofstad was 25th. That made both players exempt for the 2016-17 wraparound season.

— Joining Knous, Whitney and Svoboda on the Web.com Tour in 2017 are Coloradans Parker Edens and Michael Schoolcraft, along with current CU senior Jeremy Paul, all of whom have conditional status, like Whitney.

For weekly updates on all the local tour players, CLICK HERE.
 

Coleman, who played for the Buffs from 2010-14, finished 29th Sunday in the third and final stage of LPGA Tour qualifying, in Daytona Beach, Fla. With the players who placed 21st through 45th (and ties) earning conditional status on the LPGA Tour, Coleman made the grade for 2017.

“It feels great,” Coleman said in a phone interview with coloradogolf.org. “I’m so glad the hard work is paying off. I couldn’t be happier.”

The 24-year-old from Rolling Hills Estates, Calif., who started the day outside of the top 45, finished strong on Sunday — making downhill birdie putts of 7 and 15 feet on her final two holes — to shoot a 1-under-par 71. That moved her off the bubble and left her at even-par 360 for the five-round tournament. She ended up with four birdies and three bogeys on the final day.

Coleman said she didn’t know how she stood down the stretch relative to the top 45, but noted that may have worked in her favor.

“I felt I needed to get close to even (par) total,” she said. “I was nervous, but when I started pulling it off (in the final holes), it gave me confidence.

“I was trying to make birdies and solid pars and stay more offensive.”

Depending on how she performs during the 2017 LPGA Tour season, conditional status should get Coleman into at least a handful of tournaments on the top women’s circuit in the world. Several players who earned conditional status at Q-school a year ago competed in six to eight LPGA events in 2016. In all likelihood, Coleman will play in a mixture of LPGA and Symetra Tour events next year.

Coleman is believed to be the first CU golfer to earn LPGA Tour status.

The former Buff, who competed in the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open, played in 2016 on the Symetra Tour, finishing 31st on the money list. She posted three top-10 performances — with a third-place her best showing — and ended up 13th at the season-ending Symetra Tour Championship in October.

“I played well in the first event of the season (finishing third), then I lost some momentum,” she said. “But the last four events, I was top 15 or better, and I made eight cuts in a row. So my game was coming back again.”

The 2017 LPGA Tour season will begin the week of Jan. 23-29 in the Bahamas.

Before Sunday, the last players with strong Colorado ties to qualify for the LPGA Tour through Q-school were Kelly Jacques, who grew up in Longmont, and former University of Denver golfers Shephanie Sherlock and Kimberly Kim — all of whom advanced from Q-school four years ago and played on the LPGA Tour in 2013. That was also the last year that Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Jill McGill competed on Tour.

Here are the scores of all the players with strong Colorado ties who competed at the LPGA Q-school finals, which was the last stage of a three-stage qualifying process:

29. Former CU golfer Jenny Coleman 72-70-73-74-71–360
Missed 72-Hole Cut
96. Becca Huffer of Denver 72-75-75-72–294
96. Former DU golfer Eleanor Givens 78-72-70-74–294

For all the scores from the finals, CLICK HERE.

A total of 84 players — all of whom shot 12-over-par 300 for four rounds — out of the original field of 193 punched their tickets to stage III of Q-school. That stage will be held Nov. 30-Dec. 4 in Daytona Beach, Fla. The top 20 finishers at the final stage will earn full LPGA Tour cards for 2017, with additional players landing conditional status.

Coleman (pictured), who finished 31st on the Symetra Tour money list in 2016, shot a 1-under-par 71 Sunday despite a double bogey on the 17th hole to end up at even-par 288, good for 12th place in stage II. Marianne Skarpnord was medalist at 11-under-par 277.

Huffer, a former CoBank Colorado Women’s Open champion and CWGA Player of the Year, ended up 30th at 293. Givens, a veteran on the Ladies European Tour, placed 67th at 298.

Here are the scores and finishes for all the players with strong Colorado connections:

Advance to Stage III
12. Former DU golfer Jenny Coleman 71-71-75-71–288
30. Becca Huffer of Denver 74-72-72-75–293
67. Former DU golfer Ellie Givens 68-75-79-76–298

Failed to Advance
85. Former CU golfer Kristin Coleman 77-77-73-74–301
95. Former CU golfer Emily Childs 71-76-75-80–302
121. Former DU golfer Katie Kempter 73-72-79-81–305
121. Former DU golfer Tonje Daffinrud 74-75-78-78–305
135. Former CU golfer Alexis Keating 72-76-81-78–307
135. Former UNC golfer Carleigh Silvers 74-81-78-74–307
185. Former DU golfer Kimberly Kim 81-80-82-75–318

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

The past champion of the CoBank Colorado Women’s Open stands at 2-over-par 218 in stage II of LPGA Q-school in Venice, Fla. The top 80 finishers and ties — out of the original field of 193 — after Sunday’s final round will advance to the final stage of qualifying, set for Nov. 30-Dec. 4 in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Huffer (pictured), the 2008 CWGA Player of the Year, made three birdies and three bogeys in Saturday’s third round. She’s one of five players with strong Colorado ties who are in the top 80 going into the final round.

Former University of Colorado golfer Jenny Coleman is in 17th place at 1-over 217, while former University of Denver golfer Ellie Givens and former Buff Emily Childs are 54th at 222, and ex-DU golfer Katie Kempter is 75th at 224.

Here are the scores and positions for all the players with strong Colorado connections:

17. Former DU golfer Jenny Coleman 71-71-75–217
22. Becca Huffer of Denver 74-72-72–218
54. Former DU golfer Ellie Givens 68-75-79–222
54. Former CU golfer Emily Childs 71-76-75–222
75. Former DU golfer Katie Kempter 73-72-79–224
103. Former DU golfer Tonje Daffinrud 74-75-78–227
103. Former CU golfer Kristin Coleman 77-77-73–227
120. Former CU golfer Alexis Keating 72-76-81–229
164. Former UNC golfer Carleigh Silvers 74-81-78–233
192. Former DU golfer Kimberly Kim 81-80-82–243

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

Former University of Colorado golfer Jenny Coleman (pictured), who finished 31st on the Symetra Tour money list in 2016, shot her second straight round of 71, leaving her at 2-under-par 142, six strokes behind leader Maia Schechter. She shares 10th place.

The top 80 finishers and ties — out of the original field of 193 — after Sunday’s final round will advance to the third and final stage of LPGA qualifying, set for Nov. 30-Dec. 4 in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Also in the top 80 with two rounds remaining are former University of Denver golfers Ellie Givens (143, 14th place) and Katie Kempter (145, 30th place), Becca Huffer of Denver (146, 50th place), former CU golfers Emily Childs (147, 62nd place) and Alexis Keating (148, 73rd place), and former DU Pioneer Tonje Daffinrud (149, 79th place).

Here are the scores and positions for all the players with strong Colorado connections:

10. Former DU golfer Jenny Coleman 71-71–142
14. Former DU golfer Ellie Givens 68-75–143
30. Former DU golfer Katie Kempter 73-72–145
50. Becca Huffer of Denver 74-72–146
62. Former CU golfer Emily Childs 71-76–147
73. Former CU golfer Alexis Keating 72-76–148
79. Former DU golfer Tonje Daffinrud 74-75–149
149. Former CU golfer Kristin Coleman 77-77–154
154. Former UNC golfer Carleigh Silvers 74-81–155
188. Former DU golfer Kimberly Kim 81-80–161

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

The Ladies European Tour golfer made five birdies and a bogey in the opening round of the 72-hole event. She trails co-leaders Kathleen Ekey, Hannah Green and Beth Allen by one stroke.

The top 80 finishers and ties after Sunday’s final round will advance to the third and final stage of LPGA qualifying.

Joining Givens in the top 80 after day 1 were former University of Colorado golfers Jenny Coleman and Emily Childs (71, 25th place), fellow former Buff Alexis Keating (72, 43rd place), and former DU golfer Katie Kempter (73, 58th place).

Here are the scores and positions for all the players with strong Colorado connections:

4. Former DU golfer Ellie Givens 68
25. Former DU golfer Jenny Coleman 71
25. Former CU golfer Emily Childs 71
43. Former CU golfer Alexis Keating 72
58. Former DU golfer Katie Kempter 73
82. Becca Huffer of Denver 74
82. Former DU golfer Tonje Daffinrud 74
82. Former UNC golfer Carleigh Silvers 74
146. Former CU golfer Kristin Coleman 77
186. Former DU golfer Kimberly Kim 81

For complete results, CLICK HERE.