The Hale Irwin Elite Player Program reaches an early milestone this fall with the naming of its fifth class.

Designed to nurture the budding careers of exceptionally promising junior golfers in the state, the Irwin Elite Player Program grants those selected — all age 18 and under, of either gender — free unlimited use of the practice range and Kids Course at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora — and of the championship course on a space-available basis.

CommonGround, a public facility that opened in 2009, is owned and operated by the CGA, which adminsters the program.

The 2017 Elite Player class features a record 18 golfers — 12 boys and six girls — including a dozen returnees from 2016.

Two junior golfers selected will be in their fifth year with the program, dating back to its inception: Christian Agelopoulos and Roger Nakagawa, both of Denver. Another program participant, Ryan Sangchompuphen of Denver, will be starting his fourth year. Traejan Andrews of Windsor, Jack Castiglia of Lakewood and Cade Kilkenny of Centennial will be going into their third years.

The 2017 group includes two Kent Denver students who notched big victories in 2016: Oliver Jack, the 3A boys state high school individual champion, and Charlotte Hillary, who captured the girls title in the final major of the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado season, the Junior Tour Championship.

Hale Irwin Elite Player Program candidates are evaluated based on their golf skill and their character, as exhibited through community service, academic performance and general demeanor.

The group will meet monthly to work on VISION54 programs with highly respected instructor Elena King, and will also participate in workshops on fitness and nutrition. Additionally, the Elite Players volunteer with CGA Community and Wellness Programs and at JGAC 10 & under tournaments.

The Irwin Elite Player Program has produced some of the best young players Colorado has had to offer in recent years. Included have been numerous golfers currently playing with — or having committed to — NCAA Division I golf programs: Jennifer Kupcho (Wake Forest), Hannah Wood (Oklahoma), Jake Staiano (Colorado State), Spencer Painton (Colorado), Coby Welch (Northern Colorado), Ross Macdonald (Colorado), Calli Ringsby (Stanford), Delaney Elliott (Montana State) and Jack (verbally committed to Colorado). In addition, JGAC female Player of the Year Mary Weinstein went through the program. Kupcho (16th) and Wood (84th) are currently in the top 100 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings. (Part of the 2016 Irwin Elite Player class is pictured above.)

Appropriately, the Irwin Elite Player Program is named in honor of the most successful golfer with Colorado roots. A Boulder High School and University of Colorado graduate, Irwin has won five USGA championships: three U.S. Opens and two U.S. Senior Opens. Overall, he’s claimed 20 titles on the PGA Tour and a record 45 on the PGA Tour Champions circuit, and he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1992.

In Colorado, Irwin claimed the 1962 CGA Junior Match Play title, the 1963 state high school championship, three straight CGA Amateurs (1963, ’64 and ’65) and the CGA Match Play in 1966. He won the NCAA individual title in 1967 while competing for CU.

Steve Irwin, Hale’s son and one of the top amateur players in the state, serves on the CGA board of governors and was instrumental in the establishment of the Elite Player Program. The visionary behind the program was another CGA governor, former Cherry Hills Country Club head professional Clayton Cole.

Here’s a rundown of all 18 junior players who have been selected to partcipate in the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program for 2017:

Christian Agelopoulos of Denver, a freshman at Colorado Academy — 2017 will mark his fifth year in the program. … Was a JGAC Academic All-Star in 2016.

Traejan Andrews of Windsor, an eighth-grader at Winograd K-8 — 2017 will mark his third year in the program. … Was a JGAC 11-13 All-Star and Academic All-Star in 2016. … Notched two wins in 11-13 Junior Series events.

Chunya Bead Boonta of Aurora, a sixth-grader at Thunder Ridge Middle School — 2017 will mark her second year in the program. .. Recorded four third-place finishes in JGAC events in 2016.

Supawich Beam Boonta of Aurora, a freshman at Eaglecrest High School — 2017 will mark his second year in the program. … Was a JGAC 14-18 All-Star in 2016. … Finished second on JGAC 14-18 Series points list after a season which featured two second-place finishes and two fourths.

Jack Castiglia of Lakewood, a sophomore at Lakewood High School — 2017 will mark his third year in the program. … Posted five top-10 finishes in JGAC events in 2016. … Named a JGAC Academic All-Star.

Sofia Choi of Littleton, a seventh-grader at Falcon Bluffs Middle School — 2017 will mark her first year in the program. … Named a JGAC 11-13 All-Star and Academic All-Star. … Finished second in the JGAC 11-13 Series points standings after recording five wins in 2016.

Merielle Gojo of Cherry Hills Village, an eighth-grader at West Middle School — 2017 will mark her first year in the program. … Earned JGAC 11-13 All-Star and Academic All-Star status in 2016. … Finished fourth in the JGAC 11-13 Series points standings after two victories in 2016.

Charlotte Hillary of Cherry Hills Village, a freshman at Kent Denver — 2017 will mark her first year in the program. … Won the final major of the 2016 JGAC girls season, the Junior Tour Championship, giving her three JGAC wins in 2016. … Named a JGAC Tour All-Star and Academic All-Star in 2016.

Oliver Jack of Cherry Hills Village, a junior at Kent Denver — 2017 will mark his second year in the program. … Won the 3A boys state high school individul title at the end of September. … Has committed to play college golf at CU.

Cade Kilkenny of Centennial, a sophomore at Cherry Creek High School — 2017 will mark his third year in the program. … Posted six top-10 finishes in JGAC events in 2016.

Katelyn Lehigh of Loveland, a seventh-grader at Bill Reed Middle School — 2017 will mark her second year in the program. … Named a JGAC 11-13 All-Star and Academic All-Star in 2016. … Finished first in the JGAC 11-13 Series point standings following a season that included four wins and four runner-up finishes.

Lauren Lehigh of Loveland, a sophomore at Loveland High School — 2017 will mark her second year in the program. … Earned JGAC Tour All-Star and Academic All-Star status in 2016. … Finished third on the 2016 JGAC Tour points list after a year which featured a win and eight other top-three finishes in JGAC events.

Parker McNitt of Highlands Ranch, a junior at Heritage High School — 2017 will mark his first year in the program. … Named a 2016 JGAC Academic All-Star.

Roger Nakagawa of Denver, a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School — 2017 will mark his fifth year in the program. … Teamed with fellow Irwin Elite Player Kailer Rundiks to win the JGAC 14-18 Team Event in 2016. … Selected as a 2016 JGAC Academic All-Star.

Kailer Rundiks of Denver, a junior at East High School — 2017 will mark his second year in the program. … Teamed with fellow Irwin Elite Player Roger Nakagawa to win the JGAC 14-18 Team Event, marking one of his three top-10s in 2016 JGAC events. … Competed with 1982 Masters champion Craig Stadler in the pro-junior portion of the Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach in September. … Named a JGAC Academic-All-Star in 2016.

Ryan Sangchompuphen of Denver, an eighth-grader at the Denver School of the Arts — 2017 will mark his fourth year in the program. … Earned JGAC 11-13 All-Star status in 2016. … Finished third on JGAC 11-13 Series points list. … Posted two firsts and two seconds in 2016 JGAC events.

Jeffrey Zhou of Greenwood Village, an eighth-grader at Kent Denver — 2017 will mark his first year in the program. … Named a JGAC 11-13 All-Star in 2016. … Finished second on JGAC 11-13 Series points list after recording three wins and six other top-10 finishes.

Ben Zimmerman of Englewood, a freshman at Kent Denver — 2017 will mark his first year in the program. … Finished 10th in the 3A state high school tournament as a freshman. … Named a JGAC Academic All-Star in 2016.
 

And, just four tournaments into his college career, University of Northern Colorado freshman Coby Welch claimed the individual title in a 108-man field.

Welch, the CGA’s Junior Player of the Year in 2015, closed with a 6-under-par 66 at Colorado National Golf Club in Erie and earned a one-stroke win individually. The former member of the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program finished at 11-under-par 205, just ahead of Ryan Wallen of Wyoming.

Welch (pictured), a Valor Christian High School graduate, eagled the 364-yard, par-4 17th hole (his eighth) on Tuesday and added five birdies and one bogey.

Meanwhile, CU won the Simpson team championship for the fourth consecutive year, though the Buffs have shared the title two of those occasions. This time around, CU edged Wyoming by a mere one stroke, with Colorado finishing at 20-under-par 844 for three rounds.

As for other Colorado-based schools, UNC (860) finished fifth, Air Force (861) sixth, and Colorado’s B team (876) 17th.

CU put two players in the top 10 individually, with freshman Morten Toft Hansen (7-under-par 209) tying for fourth and senior Ethan Freeman (210) sharing seventh place.

(Sept. 30 Update) Hansen was subsequently named the Pac-12 Men’s Golfer of the Month, while CU’s Esther Lee earned Pac-12 Women’s Golfer of the Month honors after shooting an NCAA women’s record-tying 61 earlier in September en route to a victory. Those were the first such Pac-12 honors for each CU program.

Also finishing in the top 10 Tuesday were Sunwoo Choi of the Air Force Academy (209, fourth place), and Coloradans Kyler Dunkle of Utah and Tanner Jenson of Utah State (both 211, ninth place).

Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational
Sept. 26-27, 2016 at Par-72 Colorado National GC in Erie
1. Colorado 282-276-286–844
4. Morten Toft Hansen 71-65-73–209
7. Ethan Freeman 69-69-72–210
13. Yannik Paul 74-68-70–212
36. Jeremy Paul 69-76-72–217
44. Spencer Painton 73-74-72–219

5. Northern Colorado 295-285-280–860
1. Coby Welch 70-69-66–205
36. Sam Marley 74-70-73–217
50. Joshua Matz 77-72-71–220
71. Andrew Romano 74-74-75–223
82. Li Chen 78-77-70–225

6. Air Force Academy 291-285-285–861
4. Sunwoo Choi 69-68-72–209
24. Brenden Bone 76-70-69–215
41. Tate Tatom 73-74-71–218
60. Joshua Wu 73-74-74–221
76. Todd Millard 78-73-73–224

17. Colorado B 287-287-302–876
19. John Souza 70-69-75–214
36. Wilson Belk 73-72-72–217
76. Ryan Schmitz 73-73-78–224
76. Victor Bjorlow 74-73-77–224
99. Kade Crossland 71-83-79–233

Also
9. Coloradan Kyler Dunkle of Utah 67-73-71–211
9. Coloradan Tanner Jenson of Utah State 70-69-72–211
13. Logan Iverson of CSU 72-67-73–212
16. Coloradan Glenn Workman of Wyoming 68-76-69–213
41. Joseph Crisostomo of Air Force 71-76-74–218
44. Coloradan Tristan Rohrbaugh of Boise State 71-73-75–219
50. Kyle Kidd of CSU 70-73-77–220
60. Alec Bone of CSU 71-76-74–221
82. Dane Hankamer of Air Force 76-74-75–225
93. Turner Howe of Air Force 75-77-76–228
96. Philip Lee of UNC 76-76-77–229
104. Anson Kuznik of Air Force 83-76-80–239
108. Jack Li of CU 81-NS-NS
 

The tournament runs Friday through Sunday (Sept. 16-18) and will be televised by the Golf Channel from 4-7 p.m. each day.

Rundiks (pictured) is a member of the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program at CommonGround Golf Course and the Denver East High School golf team. Rundiks, a junior at East, finished 31st last year in the 5A state high school tournament.

Stadler, who was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame earlier this year, counts the 1982 Masters among his 13 PGA Tour victories. Last year at the First Tee Open, Stadler teamed up with another then-Denver East golfer, Brock Dowdy.

Rundiks is one of 81 First Tee members who will compete in the pro-junior portion of the First Tee Open with Champions professionals. The golfers will play one round each at Pebble Beach and Poppy Hills Friday and Saturday before playing at Pebble Beach on Sunday if they make the cut.

(Sept. 17 Update) Rundiks and Stadler missed the 36-hole cut in the pro-junior after posting rounds of 70-74 for a 144 total.

Former Castle Pines resident Esteban Toledo won the Champions title at Pebble Beach last year.

Besides Stadler and Toledo, players with strong Colorado ties competing in the Champions field include Hale Irwin, Gary Hallberg and Brandt Jobe.
 

“Proud to announce that I signed to play Golf for CU in the fall. Very excited to represent my home state and be a Buff!” Painton said on Twitter and Instagram.

The former 5A state high school champion from Regis Jesuit was part of the Hale Irwin Elite Player program at CommonGround Golf Course. Last summer, he qualified for the U.S. Amateur.

Painton will be a junior at CU in the fall. He played his first two college seasons at KU under former Colorado State coach Jamie Bermel. Painton competed in six tournaments in all for Kansas, with a scoring average of 74.8.
 

The Colorado Golf Association (CGA) is proud to announce BMW as the organization’s exclusive automotive partner. Starting this year, BMW of North America and the Colorado BMW Centers become the newest presenting partner for the CGA and the exclusive partner for the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy at CommonGround Golf Course.

The BMW Championship made a major impact on the Colorado golf scene two years ago at Cherry Hills Country Club. The penultimate event of the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs was named the PGA TOUR’s 2014 Tournament of the Year while raising a record $3.5 million for the Evans Scholars Foundation.

BMW will support many of the CGA’s initiatives, including the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program, Community Outreach and Wellness Programs, and the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy — all based at CommonGround, a course owned and operated by the golf association. The CGA’s mission is to represent, promote and serve the best interest of golf in Colorado.

“We’re obviously very excited,” said Ed Mate, Executive Director of the CGA. “The alignment of the BMW brand and golf is well known. This really came out of the 2014 BMW Championship, their desire to continue to be active in the Colorado golf community and our desire to line that up with our brand.”

The BMW Championship, formerly The Western Open, has raised more than $21 million for the Evans Scholars Foundation since the tournament’s inception in 2007. The foundation provides full tuition and housing college scholarships to high-achieving caddies with significant financial need.

“Building off of a successful 2014 BMW Championship at Cherry Hills, we are thrilled to expand our relationship with the Colorado golf community through this partnership with the Colorado Golf Association and the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy,” said Tim Rittenhouse, Experiential Marketing Manager at BMW of North America. “Colorado has a rich history in golf and we are excited to work alongside the CGA in such a prominent and passionate golf community.”

The partnership allows BMW and the CGA to create unique programming and experiences for CGA members while enabling BMW to expand its involvement and support of caddie programs across the country.

“Not only has BMW demonstrated a strong commitment to the Evans Scholars Foundation, it’s clear they are committed to helping raise the awareness of the important role caddies play in the game of golf,” Mate noted. “It’s great to have a partner that recognizes the opportunity caddie programs can give to hard-working kids and we’re excited to be a part of BMW’s growing commitment to the game of golf.”

George and Geoff “Duffy” Solich, for whom the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy is named, are Evans Scholars alumni from the University of Colorado, as is Mate. George Solich served as General Chairman of the 2014 BMW Championship at Cherry Hills. (He’s pictured at left applauding tournament winner Billy Horschel.) And Duffy Solich is the State Chairman for the Western Golf Association, the host organization of the BMW Championship that administers the Evans Scholars Foundation.

For more information about BMW, visit www.bmwusa.com or contact BMW Corporate Communications Manager Phil DiIanni at Phil.DiIanni@bmwna.com or at 201-571-5660.

For information on partnership and other sponsorship opportunities with the CGA, contact Director of Development Ryan Smith at rsmith@coloradogolf.org or at 303-974-2108.
 

But since she wrapped up her high school career in May 2014, suffice it to say Wood has been on a nice long run of success. She won the 2014 CWGA Stroke Play championship, claimed an individual title at a college tournament a year ago, led the University of Oklahoma in scoring average as a freshman and made the All-Big 12 Conference team, and advanced to match play at the U.S. Women’s Amateur last summer.

Looking back on it now, that victory in the CWGA Stroke Play two years ago seems to have provided just the spark Wood needed. And she apparently sensed it at the time.

“I wanted to do something big,” Wood said after that victory. “I wanted to do something for myself to build some confidence going into college. Now I feel prepared.”

And nowadays, 20 months later, Wood is becoming one of the better women’s college golfers in the nation. As of this week, the OU sophomore stands 10th in the NCAA women’s Division I ranks in season-long scoring average, with a 71.6 norm.

Moreover, she’s become a model of consistency. The former Hale Irwin Elite Player hasn’t yet finished outside the top 20 in a tournament this season, going 6-for-6. And on Sunday she posted her fifth top-11 showing of the season, placing seventh at the Clover Cup event she won in 2015.

In fact, since going to Oklahoma, the two-time CJGA Tournament of Champions winner has finished in the top 20 in 12 of her first 16 college tournaments.

This season, Wood has shot at or under par in 12 of her 17 tournament rounds. It’s little wonder why she’s a consensus top-50 women’s college golfer in the country, with Golfstat ranking her 24th and Golfweek 41st. In addition, she’s currently 70th in the women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings.

And, if she can continue her strong play over the next two months or so, she may very well take ownership of the best season-long stroke average in University of Oklahoma women’s golf history.

That record currently belongs to Jao-Javanil Chirapat, who posted a 72.26 norm in 2012-13. With somewhere between three and five tournaments remaining in the season, Wood is more than half of a stroke ahead of that pace.

And, mind you, Wood is less than halfway through her college career.
 

It was more than a decade ago that former CGA president Dennis Lyon took Joe McCleary aside and asked if he’d be interested in serving on the association’s board of governors.

McCleary didn’t hesitate in saying “yes”. And now, it seems only appropriate that McCleary will be one of Lyon’s successors as president of the CGA. After all, not only was Lyon responsible for bringing McCleary on board, but both cut their teeth as golf course superintendents and both work (or worked) for many a year for the City of Aurora.

This week, a dozen years after Lyon — who was recently honored as Superintendent of the Century at the Century of Golf Gala — stepped down as CGA president, McCleary was named to the post, the top volunteer leadership position on the CGA board.

“I’ve always enjoyed being part of the CGA with all the things they’re involved in,” said McCleary (above), who’s expected to serve two consecutive one-year terms after taking over the presidency from Phil Lane. “I’m looking forward to it in too many ways to count.”

Speaking of too many ways to count, that comes close to indicating how many ways McCleary has served the CGA — and golf in general — over the years.

As the first golf course superintendent at Saddle Rock in Aurora from 1995-2011 — being heavily involved in the construction of the course and its maintenance for many years — he had plenty of interaction with CGA and the golf community. After all, Saddle Rock hosted the Colorado Open from 1998 through 2000, along with periodic CGA championships and USGA qualifiers over the years.

And in the early part of the new millennium, McCleary championed the independent study on the economic impact and environmental aspects of golf in Colorado, a report that has had a significant impact not only in the Centennial State, but nationally. The report — supported by the CGA, CWGA and the other Allied Golf Associations in Colorado — won national recognition from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and morphed into a program at the national level, the Environmental Institute for Golf’s “Golf Course Environmental Profile”.

“We proved what could be done” when you have the data, said McCleary (pictured at left with Lane).

McCleary, who received his MBA from CU-Denver, also is a past president of the Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association. Since its inception, he’s served on the board that guides the CGA-owned-and-operated CommonGround Golf Course, and he’s also worked on the GCSAA’s government relations committee and the environmental programs committee. In addition, he’s served on the CGA youth programs committee, and most recently, he was the vice president on the CGA board.

“He has a lot of experience,” said CGA executive director Ed Mate. “He’s really been involved with the whole vision of the golf course on the (CommonGround) board. And as a superintendent he’s a great sounding-board.

“He’s been about as hands-on as any volunteer since I’ve been here. He’s also a leader, well-respected in the golf community. He’s always thinking and challenging himself to learn new things. He’s no sit-still type of guy. He’s always asking, how can we expand and be more relevant.”

Said McCleary: “I have a pretty well-rounded background related to golf, so that will serve me well. I understand things from a golf operations standpoint, from a legislative standpoint, from a superintendent’s standpoint and from a player’s perspective.”

McCleary, a Colorado resident since 1988, is now the stormwater operations superintendent for the Aurora Water Department after long working at golf courses (Lone Tree, Meadow Hills and Saddle Rock). But his interest in CGA programs runs the gamut.

For instance, he calls the selection committee meeting in which Colorado finalists for the Evans Scholarship for caddies are interviewed “one of my favorite things.”

“There are so many different things going on (with the CGA) and you interact with so many different people,” the 50-year-old said. “The golf course stuff (with CommonGround) is fun. And you’ve got the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy, and the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program. I’m engaged on a variety of different levels. CommonGround keeps me interested, but all the things do. There’s also interaction with the (CGA) staff and other governors. (The association) uses all the people’s expertise and experience to keep things moving forward.”

The CGA just celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding, so 2015 was a big year. But there are plenty of issues on the horizon that will demand attention from McCleary and the other board members (CLICK HERE to view the CGA’s volunteer leadership team).

McCleary said that among the top priorities are keeping the CGA and CommonGround Golf Course financially stable, working alongside the Colorado Golf Foundation, and furthering the CGA’s collaborative programs with other key players in the Colorado golf community. One of those programs is taking shape as 2016 dawns with the CGA and Colorado PGA joining forces to bolster junior golf in the state (CLICK HERE for more on that). 

“One of the biggest priorities is enhancing and continuing to develop relations with the other Allied Golf Associations within the state of Colorado,” McCleary said.
 

Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster earned CWGA Player of the Year honors in 2014, and she gave the association no reason to unseat her this year.

Kupcho, now a freshman at Wake Forest, this fall became the fifth person to claim the CWGA Player of the Year award for two consecutive years, joining McKenzie Dyslin (2001-02), Kelly Schaub (2005-06), Kim Eaton (2009-10) and Somin Lee (2011-12).

The CWGA started selecting players of the year in 1995.

In choosing Kupcho (left), the CWGA is honoring not only its best, but one of the top women amateurs in the world. Kupcho is 71st in the most recent women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings. And only a couple of months into her freshman season, she’s also ranked among the top 100 women’s college golfers in the country.

Kupcho is one of three golfers who were recently selected for CWGA player of the year honors. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Eaton was selected senior player of the year for the sixth time in the last seven years (she didn’t compete in CWGA championships in 2014). And Mary Weinstein, a Regis Jesuit High School senior who recently signed a letter of intent with Regis University, was chosen junior player of the year.

Kupcho, a graduate of Jefferson Academy, landed a CWGA player of the year honor for the fifth time, having earned the junior award in 2012, ’13 and ’14.

The 18-year-old had won tournaments by eye-opening margins in previous years, but outdid herself in 2015. She claimed the CWGA Stroke Play Championship by a remarkable 21 shots at Pinehurst Country Club, where she posted a 16-under-par 200 total for three rounds (68-65-67).

And a year after winning the 4A girls state high school title by 14 shots, she prevailed by 10 in 2015.

“It’s real exciting to be playing as well as I am,” Kupcho said at the CWGA Stroke Play. “To just be one of the best players in Colorado is cool.”

But Kupcho’s talents know no state boundaries. After qualifying for her second U.S. Women’s Amateur, she advanced to the final 16 in match play, losing to Hannah O’Sullivan, who went on to win the national championship.

Kupcho also made it to the round of 16 at the Women’s Western National Amateur Championship, the round of 32 at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball (with Gillian Vance), and finished third at the Big “I” National Championship after winning the state title.

In her first four college tournaments, Kupcho posted an impressive three top-10 finishes as a Wake Forest freshman. She leads the Demon Deacons in stroke average (73.25).

Elsewhere, Kupcho was a semifinalist in the 100th CWGA Match Play and finished third among the girls in the inaugural AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior. And she was the Sportswomen of Colorado’s golf honoree in 2015.

As for Eaton (left), soon she might need a separate trophy case for all the CWGA player of the year trophies she’s won. This not only makes her sixth senior player of the year honor since the Greeley native turned 50 in 2009, but she’s been the overall POY four times since 2004. That’s in addition to being the Arizona Women’s Golf Association senior player of the year four times.

This year, she “unretired” from CWGA championship play and finished runner-up to Jill Gaschler in the Senior Stroke Play. But Eaton, now a full-time resident of Arizona, won the AWGA State Amateur Seniors Championship in October, giving her 16 state senior titles when factoring in stroke-play and match-play events in Colorado (6), Arizona (9) and California (1).

Eaton, a three-time U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur quarterfinalist, made match play again in that event this year, but lost in the round of 64 to eventual national champion Karen Garcia of Cool, Calif., after placing 10th in the stroke-play portion of the tournament.

Weinstein (left) had a breakout year in 2015, mainly in the junior ranks, though she did finish a distant second to Kupcho in the CWGA Stroke Play. She won both the CWGA Junior Stroke Play and the CJGA Junior Series Championship, and was runner-up in the CJGA Tournament of Champions.

A new member of the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program at CommonGround Golf Course, Weinstein placed 15th in the prestigious IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championships, marking the best finish ever by a Coloradan in the girls 15-17 age group there. The Highlands Ranch resident also represented Colorado at the USGA Women’s State Team Championship and at the Girls Junior Americas Cup. Overall, she won four CJGA tournaments in 2015.

The Hale Irwin Elite Player Program is just a little more than three years old, but in that short period, it’s certainly lived up to its name.

The first three classes of Irwin Elite Players featured seven golfers who are now playing or have signed with NCAA Division I golf programs: Hannah Wood (Oklahoma), Jennifer Kupcho (Wake Forest), Spencer Painton (Kansas), Jake Staiano (Colorado State), Ross Macdonald (Colorado), Calli Ringsby (Stanford) and Coby Welch (just signed with Northern Colorado).

And two of those players — Kupcho and Wood — currently stand among the top 75 in the women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings.

With that as a backdrop, the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program announced its fourth — and largest — class on Thursday. Fourteen junior golfers will comprise the 2016 Elite Player class, including seven returnees from 2015. The group features nine boys and five girls, with two sets of siblings among them.

The program, designed to nurture the budding careers of exceptionally promising boys and girls golfers in the state, is named for the most successful golfer with Colorado roots. Irwin, a Boulder High School and University of Colorado graduate, has won three U.S. Opens, 20 PGA Tour events overall, and a record 45 tournaments on the Champions Tour. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1992.

In Colorado, Irwin claimed the 1962 CGA Junior Match Play title, the 1963 state high school championship, three straight CGA Stroke Plays (1963, ’64 and ’65) and the CGA Match Play in 1966. He won the NCAA individual title in 1967 while competing for CU.

The players chosen for the Irwin Elite Player Program receive free unlimited use of the practice range and Kids Course at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora — and of the championship course on a space-available basis — in 2016. CommonGround, which opened in 2009, is owned and operated by the CGA, which established and administers the Irwin Elite Player Program. The group will meet once a month beginning in January, and will work periodically at CommonGround with Elena King, who recently was named one of the top 10 instructors in Colorado by Golf Digest. Additionally, participants volunteer with CGA Community and Wellness Programs.

Steve Irwin, Hale’s son, serves on the CGA board of governors and was instrumental in the establishment of the Elite Player Program. The visionary behind the program was another CGA governor, former Cherry Hills Country Club head professional Clayton Cole.

The 2016 Irwin Elite Players include two juniors who will be in their fourth year with the program, dating back to its inception: Christian Agelopoulos and Roger Nakagawa, both of Denver. Another program participant, Ryan Sangchompuphen of Denver, will be starting his third year.

Also among those in the 2016 class are some of the best junior players in the state.

Mary Weinstein (pictured above) of Highlands Ranch, who just signed to play college golf with Regis University, won the 2015 CWGA Junior Stroke Play and the CJGA Junior Series Championship, and finished runner-up in the CWGA Stroke Play and the CJGA Tournament of Champions. On a larger stage, she placed 15th in the prestigious IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championships, marking the best finish ever by a Coloradan in the girls 15-17 age group there. Weinstein also represented Colorado at the USGA Women’s State Team Championship and at the Girls Junior Americas Cup.

Oliver Jack (left) of Cherry Hills Village finished second in the 3A state high school tournament (playing for Kent Denver). He placed fifth in the CGA Junior Stroke Play and went to the quarterfinals of the CGA Junior Match Play.

Here’s a rundown of all 14 junior players who have been selected to partcipate in the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program for 2016:

Christian Agelopoulos of Denver, an eighth-grader at Colorado Academy — 2016 will mark his fourth year in the program. … Posted two CJGA victories in 2015. … Competed in the CJGA Ryder Cup Matches. … Was named a CJGA All-Star and Academic All-Star in 2015.

Traejan Andrews of Windsor, a sixth-grader at Winograd K-8 — 2016 will mark his second year in the program. … Finished 35th in Optimist International Junior Golf Championships’ boys 10-11 division. … Went undefeated at the CJGA Ryder Cup Matches. … Posted six top-10 finishes in CJGA points events in 2015.

Chunya Bead Boonta of Centennial, a fifth-grader at Canyon Creek Elementary — 2016 will be her first year in the program. … Won two CJGA events and finished second in the CJGA girls 10-and-under Junior Series Championship. … Was named a CJGA All-Star in 2015.

Supawich Beam Boonta of Centennial, an eighth-grader at ThunderRidge Middle School — 2016 will be his first year in the program. … Posted seven top-10 finishes in CJGA points events in 2015. … Competed in the CJGA Ryder Cup Matches.

Jack Castiglia of Lakewood, a sophomore at Lakewood High School — 2016 will mark his second year in the program. … Finished 38th in the boys 13-14 division of the IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championships. … Placed 28th in the 5A state high school tournament. … Posted eight top-10 finishes in CJGA points events in 2015.

Kacey Godwin of Denver, a senior at Colorado Academy — 2016 will mark her second year in the program. … Placed third in the girls division of Colorado PGA Junior Championship. … Finished eighth in 4A girls state high school tournament. … Posted seven top-10 finishes in CJGA points events in 2015.

Oliver Jack of Cherry Hills Village, a sophomore at Kent Denver — 2016 will be his first year in the program. … Tied for second place at the 3A state high school tournament. … Placed fifth in CGA Junior Stroke Play and went to quarterfinals in CGA Junior Match Play. … Recorded seven top-10 finishes in CJGA points events in 2015.

Cade Kilkenny of Centennial, a freshman at Cherry Creek High School — 2016 will mark his second year in the program. … Made it to round of 64 at CGA Junior Match Play. … Qualified for Optimist International Junior Golf Championships. … Posted four top-10 finishes in CJGA points events in 2015.

Katelyn Lehigh of Loveland, a sixth-grader at Bill Reed Middle School — 2016 will be her first year in the program. … Finished 27th in IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championships (girls 10-12 age division). … Won one CJGA tournament and recorded a dozen top-10 finishes in CJGA events in 2015. … Was named a CJGA Academic All-Star in 2015.

Lauren Lehigh of Loveland, a freshman at Loveland High School — 2016 will be her first year in the program. … Qualified, with Alli Bundy, for the 2016 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship. … Qualified for both the IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championships (finishing 66th in girls 13-14 division) and the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships (placing 38th). … Recorded a remarkable 17 top-10 finishes in CJGA points events in 2015. … Was named a CJGA Academic All-Star in 2015.

Roger Nakagawa of Denver, a sophomore at Thomas Jefferson High School — 2016 will mark his fourth year in the program. … Made it to the round of 64 at the CGA Junior Match Play. … Recorded one top-10 finish at a CJGA points event in 2015. … Was named a CJGA Academic All-Star in 2015.

Kailer Rundiks of Denver, a sophomore at (Denver) East High School — 2016 will be his first year in the program. … Won Western Chapter Daily Sentinel Junior Championship. … Posted six top-10 finishes in CJGA points events in 2015. … Was named a CJGA Academic All-Star in 2015.

Ryan Sangchompuphen of Denver, a seventh-grader at Denver School of the Arts — 2016 will mark his third year in the program. … Won two CJGA events and posted 14 top-10 finishes in points tournaments in 2015. … Went undefeated in CJGA Ryder Cup Matches. … Was named a CJGA All-Star and Academic All-Star in 2015.

Mary Weinstein of Highlands Ranch, a senior at Regis Jesuit High School — 2016 will mark her first year in the program. … Has signed to play college golf at Regis University. … Won the CWGA Junior Stroke Play and the CJGA Junior Series Championship in 2015. … Also was runner-up in CWGA Stroke Play and the CJGA Tournament of Champions. … Went to quarterfinals of CWGA Match Play. … Placed 15th in the prestigious IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championships, marking the best finish ever by a Coloradan in the girls 15-17 age group there. … Represented Colorado at the USGA Women’s State Team Championship and at the Girls Junior Americas Cup. … Won four CJGA tournaments in 2015. … Was named a CJGA All-Star and Academic All-Star in 2015.