Polk (pictured), a three-time CGA Senior Player of the Year, eagled the par-5 14th hole and added four birdies to go along with two bogeys on Monday. He shot a 5-under-par 31 on the back nine.

Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kent Moore of Cherry Hills Country Club shares second place in the 60-plus age division — at 70 — with Robin Bradbury of Heritage at Westmoor. Moore, a two-time CGA Senior Player of the Year, carded four birdies and two bogeys on Monday. Bradbury, who in recent days has both qualified for the U.S. Senior Amateur and been the low senior amateur at the Rocky Mountain Open, also had four birdies and two bogeys in the opening round.

The group at 72 includes Colorado Golf Hall of Famer John Olive of The Broadmoor Golf Club, David Merritt of Meridian Golf Club and Robert Bulthaup of Valley Country Club.

In the 70-plus tournament, Don Alley of Antler Creek Golf Course and David Farabaugh of Broadlands Golf Course share the lead at 3-under-par 69. Alley recorded six birdies and overcame two 6s on his card. Farabaugh eagled the second hole (his 11th) and added two birdies.

Two back of the co-leaders, in third place, is Roger Gunderson of CommonGround Golf Course, the 2014 winner in this division.

The tournament will conclude for both age divisions on Tuesday.

CGA Super-Senior Stroke Play Championship
At Par-72 Heritage Eagle Bend GC in Aurora

60 & Up Division
Robert Polk, Colorado GC 37-31–68
Kent Moore, Cherry Hills CC 35-35–70
Robin Bradbury, Heritage at Westmoor 34-36–70
David Merritt, Meridian GC 38-34–72
John Olive, Broadmoor GC 37-35–72
Robert Bulthaup, Valley CC 36-36–72
Bo Powell, West Woods GC 40-33–73
Chuck Delich, Eisenhower GC 36-37–73
Jim Reynolds, Bear Creek GC 38-35–73
Kary Kaltenbacher, Glenmoor CC 35-38–73
Bill Bye, Englewood GC 36-38–74
Jim F Pierce, Heritage Eagle Bend 37-37–74
Rod Walters, Indian Tree GC 36-38–74
Sean Forey, Club at Rolling Hills 38-36–74
Terry Hymans, Clubcorp Colorado 38-36–74
Patrick Mooney, Colorado GC 38-37–75
Dave Runberg, CommonGround GC 40-36–76
Mark Runyan, Clubcorp Colorado 39-37–76
Richard Griggs, Desert Hawk GC 36-40–76
Rick George, Castle Pines GC 39-37–76
Doug Jones, Tiara Rado GC 38-39–77
Glenn Schmasow, Clubcorp Colorado 40-37–77
Jim LeMar, Meadows GC 38-39–77
Ken Tai, Perry Park CC 38-39–77
Harry Johnson, Eagle Ranch GC 40-37–77
Steve Ivy, Ptarmigan CC 36-41–77
Steven Hill, Aurora Hills GC 38-39–77
Todd Wilcox, South Suburban GC 36-41–77
Bob Cloud, CommonGround GC 42-36–78
Bruce Hayes, Heritage at Westmoor 40-38–78
Cliff Damato, Meridian Golf Club 37-41–78
Steve Scheffel, Ptarmigan CC 39-39–78
Frank Wilkinson, Lincoln Park GC 38-41–79
Jeff Bowen, Riverdale GC 38-41–79
Jeffrey English, CommonGround GC 40-39–79
Roger Lawson, Wellshire GC 40-40–80
Dan Schield, Indian Peaks GC 35-46–81
Daniel Dymerski, Columbine CC 39-42–81
Dave Bullock, Cherry Hills CC 41-40–81
John Sostman, Meadows GC 42-39–81
Mike Portelance, Collindale GC 39-42–81
Terry R Swartz, Littleton GC 41-40–81
Danny Wyrick, West Woods GC 38-44–82
Jerry Kaylor, Broadlands GC 42-40–82
Tim Daniel, Eaton Country Club 38-44–82
Chuck Fisher, Indian Tree GC 41-42–83
Glenn Hyde, Riverdale GC 40-43–83
Jeff Wyatt, Meadow Hills GC 41-42–83
Mark Barkley, Clubcorp Colorado 41-42–83
Terry Gillespie, Thorncreek GC 42-41–83
Mr Anthony w Spinuzzi, Elmwood GC 42-43–85
Alton Marsh, Fossil Trace Golf Club 45-41–86
Brad Jensen, Desert Hawk GC 41-46–87
Howard Hankey, Foothills GC 46-41–87
Bob Fishell, Plum Creek GC 43-45–88
Terry Pettit, Ptarmigan CC 46-45–91
Paul Steinway, Harmony Club 40-53–93
Dan Birnley, Conquistador GC WD
Mike Giarratano, Highlands Ranch GC WD

70 & Up Division
David Farabaugh, Broadlands GC 33-36–69
Don Alley, Antler Creek GC 34-35–69
Roger Gunderson, CommonGround GC 37-34–71
Bob Sims, Clubcorp Colorado 37-39–76
Bill Bogdanoff, South Suburban GC 39-38–77
Jim Strouse, Springhill GC 38-39–77
Joe Morrill, Eagle Ranch GC 40-37–77
Scott Crone, Pinehurst CC 38-40–78
Jim Collins, CC at Castle Pines 39-40–79
Rick Pirog, Club at Cordillera 43-36–79
Larry Nicks, Springs Ranch GC 40-40–80
Jim Bronner, Catamount Ranch & Club 38-43–81
Kirk Miller, Estes Park GC 42-39–81
Lawrence Covell, CC at Castle Pines 42-39–81
Larry Pate, Fox Hollow GC 41-46–87
Pete Perry, South Suburban GC 47-43–90
Carl Peters, Twin Peaks GC NS
 

Just this month, the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado’s Junior Series Championship for players 10 and under was held, and it wasn’t uncommon to see 7-year-olds competing.

Next week, the CGA will go to the other end of the spectrum, holding a championship for players potentially 10 times that old.

The fifth annual CGA Super-Senior Stroke Play, with separate age divisions for golfers 60 and older and 70 and older, will be contested Monday and Tuesday (Aug. 22-23) at Heritage Eagle Bend Golf Club (pictured) in Aurora.

Seventy-seven competitors are signed up for the event, including seven of the eight former champions in the 60+ and 70+ divisions. Those past champs include, in the 60+ competition, Robert Polk (2015), Kary Kaltenbacher (2014) and Bob Cloud (2013). And in the 70+ age group, every past winner is back: Kirk Miller (2015), Roger Gunderson (2014), Joe Morrill (2013) and Jim Collins (2012).

Add into the mix entrants Colorado Golf Hall of Famers Kent Moore and John Olive, 2016 U.S. Senior Amateur qualifier Robin Bradbury and recent CGA senior champion Harry Edwards, and the fields are formidable.

Each division will play 36 holes over the two days.

For Monday’s tee times, CLICK HERE. 

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