Jimmy Makloski (pictured) of Pueblo, Riley Arp of Fort Collins and A.J. Morris of Aspen are in the top 20 heading into Friday’s final round of three different First Stage tournaments.

Arp backed up his second-round 64 with a 4-under-par 66 on Thursday in St. George, Utah, where the top 24 finishers and ties advance. Arp stands in ninth place at 8-under-par 202. He’s made 13 birdies over the last two rounds.

Morris carded a 2-under-par 70 on Thursday in West Palm Beach, Fla, where the top 22 and ties will move on. Morris’ 4-under 212 total leaves him in 10th place.

And Makloski jumped up the scoreboard in Dayton, Nev., thanks to a 5-under-par 67 on Thursday that included six birdies. The former Ram shares 16th place at 4-under 212, with the top 22 finishers and ties advancing.

Four players with strong Colorado connections punched their tickets to the Second Stage last week: Wyndham Clark, former University of Colorado golfers Derek Tolan and Justin Bardgett, and Parker Edens of Greeley.

The Second Stage of Web Q-school will be held at five sites between Oct. 31-Nov. 7, and the Final Stage Dec. 7-10 in Chandler, Ariz.

Here are the scores for all the players with strong Colorado connections who are competing this week:

Dayton, Nev. Oct. 10-13 (Top 22 Finishers and Ties Advance to Stage 2)
16. Jimmy Makloski, Pueblo 72-73-67–212

St. George, Utah Oct. 10-13 (Top 24 Finishers and Ties Advance to Stage 2)
9. Riley Arp, Fort Collins 72-64-66–202
71. Nathaniel Goddard, Fort Collins 73-74-73–220

The Woodlands, Texas Oct. 10-13 (Top 24 Finishers and Ties Advance to Stage 2)
42. Former Coloradan Alex Gutesha 75-74-71–220
51. Jacob Lestishen, Lone Tree 75-76-71–222

West Palm Beach, Fla. Oct. 10-13 (Top 22 Finishers and Ties Advance to Stage 2)
10. A.J. Morris, Aspen 71-71-70–212

Pine Mountain, Ga. Oct. 12-14 (Top 22 Finishers and Ties Advance to Stage 2)
39. James Love, Denver 71
54. Cole Nygren, Longmont 73
 

The former Colorado State University golfer (pictured) made six birdies in a bogey-free round at SunRiver Golf Club, leaving him at 4-under 136 at the halfway point of the tourney. The top 24 finishers and ties after 72 holes will advance to the Second Stage of Q-school.

Meanwhile, A.J. Morris of Aspen fired a second straight 1-under-par 71 at a First Stage tournament in West Palm Beach, Fla., putting him in 13th place at a site where the top 22 finishers and ties will move on to Stage 2.

Morris carded four birdies and three bogeys in Wednesday’s second round and stands at 2-under 142, eight shots behind leader Oliver Goss of Knoxville, Tenn.

Two more First Stage tournaments are scheduled to begin on Thursday.

The Second Stage of Web Q-school will be held at five sites between Oct. 31-Nov. 7, and the Final Stage Dec. 7-10 in Chandler, Ariz.

Here are the scores for all the players with strong Colorado connections who are competing this week in 72-hole tournaments:

Dayton, Nev. (Top 22 Finishers and Ties Advance to Stage 2)
36. Jimmy Makloski, Pueblo 72-73–145

St. George, Utah (Top 24 Finishers and Ties Advance to Stage 2)
18. Riley Arp, Fort Collins 72-64–136
72. Nathaniel Goddard, Fort Collins 73-74–147

The Woodlands, Texas (Top 24 Finishers and Ties Advance to Stage 2)
49. Former Coloradan Alex Gutesha 75-74–149
55. Jacob Lestishen, Lone Tree 75-76–151

West Palm Beach, Fla. (Top 22 Finishers and Ties Advance to Stage 2)
13. A.J. Morris, Aspen 71-71–142
 

The three-birdie, two-bogey round leaves Morris in the top 20 at a tournament where the top 22 finishers and ties after four rounds will advance to the Second Stage of Q-school.

Morris (pictured) trails leader Oliver Goss of Knoxville, Tenn., by five.

Four players with strong Colorado connections punched their tickets to the Second Stage last week: Wyndham Clark, former University of Colorado golfers Derek Tolan and Justin Bardgett, and Parker Edens of Greeley .

Two more First Stage tournaments are scheduled to begin on Thursday.

The Second Stage of Web Q-school will be held at five sites between Oct. 31-Nov. 7, and the Final Stage Dec. 7-10 in Chandler, Ariz.

Here are the scores for all the players with strong Colorado connections who are competing this week in 72-hole tournaments:

Dayton, Nev. (Top 22 Finishers and Ties Advance to Stage 2)
38. Jimmy Makloski, Pueblo 72

St. George, Utah (Top 24 Finishers and Ties Advance to Stage 2)
52. Riley Arp, Fort Collins 72
60. Nathaniel Goddard, Fort Collins 73

The Woodlands, Texas (Top 24 Finishers and Ties Advance to Stage 2)
48. Jacob Lestishen, Lone Tree 75
48. Former Coloradan Alex Gutesha 75

West Palm Beach, Fla. (Top 22 Finishers and Ties Advance to Stage 2)
18. A.J. Morris, Aspen 71
 

Jacob Lestishen of Lone Tree, Steven Kupcho of Westminster, Luke Condon of Monte Vista and Curtis Garver of Dolores took that next step on Friday.

With either the top 37 or 38 finishers and ties advancing from each site, Lestishen (pictured), who finished second in the 2017 CoBank Colorado Open, tied for ninth place in Flower Mound, Texas. A 6-under-par 66 on Friday put him at 7-under 209 overall. Also punching his ticket from the same site was Garver, who placed 26th at 213 after closing with a 68.

Meeting the standard in Lincoln, Neb., was Kupcho, who placed 14th at 1-under-par 212. And advancing from Coto de Caza, Calif., was Condon, who finished 14th after going 70-80-68.

Three more Pre-Qualifying tournaments are scheduled for next week.

The First Stage will take place at 12 sites between Sept. 26-Oct. 13, the Second Stage at five sites between Oct. 31-Nov. 7, and the Final Stage Dec. 7-10 in Chandler, Ariz.

Here at the scores for all the players with strong Colorado connections who competed this week:

Lincoln, Neb. (Top 38 finishers and ties advance to First Stage)
HEADED TO FIRST STAGE
14. Steven Kupcho, Westminster 71-67-74–212
FAILED TO ADVANCE
46. Beau Schoolcraft, Denver 69-72-78–219
62. Gus Lundquist, Parker 73-74-77–224

Flower Mound, Texas (Top 38 finishers and ties advance to First Stage)
HEADED TO FIRST STAGE
9. Jacob Lestishen, Lone Tree 73-70-66–209
26. Curtis Garver, Dolores 70-75-68–213

Coto de Caza, Calif. (Top 37 finishers and ties advance to First Stage)
HEADED TO FIRST STAGE
14. Luke Condon, Monte Vista 70-80-68–218
FAILED TO ADVANCE
39. Former CU golfer Bob Kalinowski 68-77-78–223
NS. Josh Woodworth, Monument 84-80-NS
 

The former CGA Player of the Year moved into a tie for seventh place after Thursday’s second round of the Web.com Tour’s Pre-Qualifying tournament in Lincoln, Neb., where the top 38 finishers and ties after Friday’s final round will advance to the “First Stage” of the qualifying process. Kupcho made six birdies and two bogeys in a 4-under-par 67 on Thursday, which left him at 4-under 138 overall.

Several other locals also are on pace to earn spots into the First Stage: Beau Schoolcraft of Denver (21st place in Lincoln), Jacob Lestishen of Lone Tree (23rd in Flower Mound, Texas), Curtis Garver of Dolores (37th in Flower Mound) and former University of Colorado Golfer Bob Kalinowski (15th in Coto de Caza, Calif.).

Three more Pre-Qualifying tournaments are scheduled for next week.

The First Stage will take place at 12 sites between Sept. 26-Oct. 13, the Second Stage at five sites between Oct. 31-Nov. 7, and the Final Stage Dec. 7-10 in Chandler, Ariz.

Here at the scores for all the players competing this week with strong Colorado connections (all tournaments are 54 holes):

Lincoln, Neb. (Top 38 finishers and ties will advance to First Stage)
7. Steven Kupcho, Westminster 71-67–138
21. Beau Schoolcraft, Denver 69-72–141
51. Gus Lundquist, Parker 73-74–147

Flower Mound, Texas (Top 38 finishers and ties will advance to First Stage)
23. Jacob Lestishen, Lone Tree 73-70–143
37. Curtis Garver, Dolores 70-75–145

Coto de Caza, Calif. (Top 37 finishers and ties will advance to First Stage)
15. Former CU golfer Bob Kalinowski 68-77–145
41. Luke Condon, Monte Vista 70-80–150
73. Josh Woodworth, Monument 84-80–164
 

Jonathan and Jennifer Kaye’s kids, Ryelie and Breeze, weren’t even born when Jonathan last won a golf tournament, the 2004 FBR Open on the PGA Tour. So when Jonathan struck pay dirt on Sunday in the CoBank Colorado Open, it was certainly a family affair worth celebrating.

And celebrate they did (pictured) when the former University of Colorado golfer drained a 9-foot birdie putt on the final hole at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club to notch his second Colorado Open victory.

“I’ve got all my friends and family here,” said Kaye, who lives in Boulder during the summer and Phoenix during the school year. “My kids finally got to see me win a golf tournament for the first time. That was pretty special. They thought I was retired. They didn’t even know what I did.”

A year after finishing second in the Colorado Open to Neil Johnson — with whom he was paired on Sunday — Kaye claimed the $100,000 first prize this time. His eight-birdie 6-under-par 66 in the final round led to a 23-under total, which tied Johnson’s tournament scoring record — relative to par — set last year.

And Kaye needed all 23 of those to get a victory without a playoff. Fellow Coloradan Jacob Lestishen, of Lone Tree, made it a horse race down the stretch after it looked like Kaye might run away with the title. Lestishen played holes 11-15 in an amazing 6 under par, going birdie, birdie, birdie, 20-yard chip-in eagle, birdie to tie the two-time PGA Tour winner.

“I’ve probably done that a couple of times (had a similar run to that), but not on the back nine with this on the line. That was a lot of fun,” said Lestishen (left).

But the 29-year-old couldn’t add to his torrid stretch despite having legitimate birdie opportunities on 16, 17 and 18. And, after going into the 18th hole tied with Lestishen, Kaye hit a stellar third shot to the par-5 18th, ending up 9 feet above the hole. And he rolled in the winning birdie putt, punctuated with a fist pump, leaving Lestishen with the $20,000 second prize after his closing 65.

“I’m obviously disappointed,” Lestishen said. “When you play that well you want to win. At the end of the day, I had that great run on the back nine to give myself a chance. (Kaye) made the putt at the end, so you’ve got to move on. It was a good week still. Runner-up in a tournament like this, you’ve got to be pretty happy with that.”

Kaye, who last played tournament golf in an April Web.com Tour event, became the seventh player to claim at least two Colorado Open championships, joining Dave Hill (4), Bill Loeffler (3), Bill Bisdorf (3), Derek Tolan (2), Brian Guetz (2) and Jim Blair (2). Kaye was also the first Coloradan to win the Colorado Open since Zahkai Brown in 2013. With the $100K payday, Kaye becomes the all-time leading money winner in tournament history with $159,768, roughly $47,000 more than Blair, who now sits in second place.

“It seems like just yesterday I won it for the first time, but apparently it was 21 years ago,” said Kaye, who will turn 47 on Aug. 2. “It really makes me feel old. To be a two-time champ of this tournament, I’m really proud of it. It’s one of the best state opens in the country.””¨

“¨For the record, the 21 years between Colorado Open victories by Kaye (left) is a record, bettering the 14 years between Guetz’s wins (1994 and 2008).

Johnson and Oscar Fraustro of Mexico tied for third place on Sunday at 269.

Joining Kaye and Lestishen as Coloradans in the top 10 on Sunday were Steven Kupcho of Westminster and amateur Jake Staiano of Cherry Hills Village and Colorado State University, who tied for eighth place at 273. Kupcho shot a final-round 69 despite a triple-bogey 7 on the 15th hole, and Staiano carded a 72. Blake Cannon, a CSU teammate of Staiano last season before recently turning pro, placed seventh on Sunday at 272 after closing with a 67.

Lestishen’s back-nine run caught Kaye by surprise.

“Honestly, I thought I had a three-stroke lead (in the middle of the back nine), then my wife came and told me, ‘You’re tied. Some guy (Lestishen) just made a 2 on this (par-4 14th) hole.’ I’m like, ‘What?'”

But after sharing the lead with Lestishen after the latter made his eagle on 14, then again his birdie on 15 (after Kaye had birdied 14 behind him), it came down to the 18th hole for Kaye, as it had last year. In 2016, the former Buff made a bogey on the 72nd hole after badly mis-hitting his 5-wood second shot and having it go into the hazard.

This time, Kaye’s tee shot on No. 18 went into the rough and he drew “the worst lie I’ve had all week,” he said. “I really hit a terrible (second) shot and got a good break to end up where I was, then I hit probably one of the better shots I’ve hit all week on my third shot and I made the putt. It was a 4. There’s no pictures on the card so I’ll take it. It was a pretty dramatic finish really.”

Staiano, who was paired with Kaye and Johnson in the last group on Sunday, was duly impressed by how Kaye made things happen when he needed to.

“On 18, he’s got 217 in, (and) you know he’s going to make birdie,” Staiano said. “He gets the job done when he needs to. He just made the putts when he needed to and I didn’t make the putts when I needed to. I learned a lot.”

Kaye went to high school in Phoenix, but played almost all of his junior golf in Colorado, then went to CU. One of the highlights of his college career was beating Phil Mickelson in a playoff. He still maintains close ties to both his home states, regularly returning to Boulder when his kids are out of school.

Asked Sunday what he’s going to spend the $100,000 winner’s check on, he noted he’s having a new house built in Phoenix. “So it’s already spent,” he said.

Staiano Runs Away With Low Am-Honors: Staiano (left), who shared the overall lead after three holes on Sunday after starting birdie-birdie, was not only the low amateur on Sunday — by seven strokes — but he posted the top overall finish by an amateur since Cameron Harrell was fifth in 2014.

A year after a final-round 77 at GVR cost him low-amateur honors at the Colorado Open, the two-time U.S. Amateur qualifier left no doubt this time around. The next-best amateurs this year at Green Valley Ranch were CU golfer John Souza (seven back at 280), then Chris Thayer of Golden and Cole Nygren of Longmont (both nine back at 282).

“I got over the first hump, which is obviously low-am,” Staiano said. “If I have that experience of playing in the final group on Sunday as an amateur, in two or three years (it’ll help) when it actually counts (when Staiano is a professional).

“My swing has sort of been in a little rut, and with a little pressure it got to me and my swing got a little off (on Sunday). It’s something I can learn from and take to the next level.”

So what does Staiano draw from finishing 15 under par for the week and being low-amateur?

“It means a lot,” the 20-year-old said. “It shows the growth of my game over the last year and how I was able to stick to it. It felt good to finish. And it gives me some good momentum. I’ve got two tournaments left (before the college season begins) — the (CGA Amateur) and the U.S. Am. This gives me a nice boost going into those two tournaments.”
 

Notable: After Sunday’s final round, Jon Rizzi, editor of Colorado AvidGolfer magazine, was awarded the Ralph Moore Golf Journalism Award for the second time. Moore was a longtime sports writer for the Denver Post who covered golf, locally to nationally, for decades. … Two-time major champion Mark O’Meara will be conducting a junior exhibition, sponsored by CoBank, for The First Tee of Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs on Aug. 25. The venue has yet to be determined. It will be the third Colorado-based First Tee exhibition put on by a major championship winner this year. David Duval did one last month at Green Valley Ranch. Lexi Thompson has one planned on Aug. 12 at GVR. 

For all the scores from the Colorado Open, CLICK HERE.
 

The cup runneth over in the way of story angles for the 53rd CoBank Colorado Open.

After all:

— A two-time PGA Tour winner (Jonathan Kaye) — who happens to be a part-time Boulder resident — leads by two through Saturday’s third round at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver.

— A Coloradan hasn’t won the state open since 2013, but three of the top five players going into the final round — Kaye, Jacob Lestishen of Lone Tree and Jake Staiano of Cherry Hills Village — are residents of the Centennial State.

— An amateur hasn’t won the overall Colorado Open title since Brian Guetz pulled off the feat in 1994. In the first 52 Opens, only Gary Longfellow (1974) and Guetz are champions as amateurs. But Staino, a Colorado State University golfer, is contending for the honor after a third-round 8-under-par 64 left him two strokes behind Kaye.

— And a year after Neil Johnson was the first player to earn $100,000 for winning the Colorado Open, he gave himself a chance for another huge payday on Sunday. The Phoenix resident shot a 9-under-par 63 on Saturday — the low round of the tournament — to vault into second place with Staiano, Lestishen and Oscar Fraustro of Mexico.

Kaye, the former University of Colorado golfer who last played a tournament three months ago, is seeking his first tourney victory since his second PGA Tour win, the 2004 FBR Open.

“I might have won a skin somewhere,” Kaye (pictured above) said with a hint of a smile. “Other than that, I don’t think so. I got a couple of skins actually.”

Kaye, who will turn 47 on Aug. 2, shot a bogey-free round for the second time in three days, pitching to inside of a foot on No. 18 for his seventh birdie of the day. That left the 2016 Colorado Open runner-up at 17-under-par 199. With scores of 67-67-65, Kaye has posted seven consecutive sub-par rounds at GVR.

If Kaye — or Johnson — would win on Sunday, he would become the seventh player to claim at least two Colorado Open titles, joining Dave Hill (4), Bill Loeffler (3), Bill Bisdorf (3), Derek Tolan (2), Guetz (2) and Jim Blair (2).

And this time around, for the second time, there’s the $100,000 first prize to go with it — except for an amateur like Staiano.

“Everybody wants a hundred grand, right?” Kaye said. “Nobody wants the 10 or 20 (thousand that goes to the third- or second-place finishers). There’s not many times in your life where you can have a shot that can sway that much. I’m sure everyone is in that mindset that they want that rather than the other checks.”

And, mind you, this coming from a guy who has won more than $10 million in his PGA Tour career.

“There’s still another day, so I’m just going to keep doing what I’ve been doing — try to birdie every hole,” Kaye said. “I’m pleased with everything so far and hopefully I can just do it another day. (But) anybody here can shoot 10 under and come out of nowhere. You’ve got to be on guard.”

Kaye’s closest pursuers through 54 holes are all two back, at 201, with Johnson shooting a 63 on Saturday, Staiano a 64, Fraustro a 67, and Lestishen a 68.

For Staiano (left), the 8-under 64 was the lowest tournament-round score he’s ever shot, relative to par. The two-time U.S. Amateur qualifier made an eagle on the ninth hole Saturday after lipping out what would have been a double eagle from 290 yards with a 3-wood. The 20-year-old added seven birdies and one bogey in round 3.

“I like this course,” he said. “It really sets up well for me. It sets up well for the longer hitters. I feel like I can attack almost all the holes. Knowing there’s a lot of birdies out there and I can score makes me feel really comfortable.”

Last year, Staiano likewise started with three straight rounds in the 60s, and he was on pace for low-amateur honors. But a final-round 77 opened the door for then-CSU teammate Jimmy Makloski to earn the low-am trophy.

“What happened last year when I had a 3-4 shot lead on Jimmy going into the last round and blew that — that was still in the back of my mind” going into this week, Staiano said.

But the mindset changes now that Staiano is just two shots out of the overall lead. (He’s ahead of second-place Chris Thayer of Golden by seven in the low-amateur race.)

“These amateurs in the field are still awesome and they could do what I did today (on Sunday),” Staiano said. “But obviously I’m trying to win the tournament, see if I can do something special. If I can get that done, great. If I can get low am, that’s awesome too.

“Too bad I can’t take the 100 grand (with a potential win on Sunday) but it still would be fun to put my hands on the trophy. I know I can compete with these guys. I’m going to be doing it for a living in 1 1/2 or two years.”

For the record, Staiano will go into Sunday having played his previous 22 holes in 11 under par. He finished round 2 on Friday with a hole-out eagle from a greenside bunker on No. 18.

For his part, Lestishen (left) followed up his Friday 64 with a 68 Saturday that included five birdies and a bogey.

As for Johnson, as good as he was last year in winning the Colorado Open (64-69-68-64), Saturday marked his best round at GVR. He racked up nine birdies in a bogey-free day and ended up just one off the course record.

“I thought, ‘Hey, it’s moving day’ when I was warming up,” the 35-year-old said. “It’s not going to be very windy and with rain overnight, the greens are going to be soft. Maybe I felt like I could be a little more aggressive. And I felt like birdies would be out there. Like year was like this all four days; the wind didn’t blow. Let’s see if I can get that going, and I did today.”

Should Johnson win today, he’d become the first back-to-back winner of the Colorado Open since Hill in 1976-77. Bisdorf won the first two Opens, in 1964-65.

“At least I’ve fought my way back into the mix (with Saturday’s 63),” Johnson said. “Let’s see if I can do another miracle-type thing as I did last year.”

Johnson won an event last week on the Dakotas Tour, earning $10,500. But mainly this year, thanks to his $100,000 Colorado Open payday in 2016, he’s been trying to Monday qualify for PGA Tour events. So far, he’s made it into the Puerto Rico Open and the Travelers Championship, though he didn’t make the cut at either site.

“Simply put, (winning $100,000 last year at GVR) literally overnight changed my career,” Johnson said. “‘Let’s go for the big time. Let’s go for PGA and Web qualifiers.’ It’s been a lot of fun and rewarding — you win the lottery essentially. You’re freed up for a year.”

Notable: Tee times for Sunday’s final round will begin at 7:30 a.m., with the leaders (Kaye, Staiano and Johnson) teeing off at 9:36 a.m. … Overall, on the line Sunday will be $250,000, with the aforementioned $100,000 going to the low professional/winner. … Kaye and Johnson are two of seven former Colorado Open champions who made the 36-hole cut, joining Derek Tolan (currently at 207), Scott Petersen (211), Ian Davis (211), Ben Portie (214) and Zahkai Brown (217).

For all the scores from the Colorado Open, CLICK HERE.
 

Before Westminster resident Jennifer Kupcho became the full-fledged golf phenom she is now in Colorado, her older brother Steven garnered his share of headlines in the state.

Steven won the Colorado Junior Amateur by six strokes in 2011. The next year he put together a major-league rally to capture the CGA Amateur title, coming from nine strokes down heading into the final round and prevailing by one after shooting a 66.

On Friday, just five days after Jennifer finished 21st in the U.S. Women’s Open as a 20-year-old, Steven reminded observers again that he too has plenty of game. Kupcho shot a 6-under-par 66 — “and I probably wasted a 63 or 64 out there,” he said — to move into a tie for second place after two days of the CoBank Colorado Open at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver. He carded nine birdies and three bogeys in round 2.

“It’s fun to see her do well,” Steven said of Jennifer, who has committed to play in the CoBank Colorado Women’s Open Aug. 30-Sept. 1. “But I love being able to go home with a round in the 60s too every once in a while.”

With a 10-under-par 134 total in the $250,000 tournament, Kupcho is one of several Coloradans on the leaderboard after day 2. Jacob Lestishen from Lone Tree fired a tournament-best 8-under-par 64 on Friday to grab a one-stroke lead at 133. Kupcho and two-time PGA Tour winner Jonathan Kaye, who lives in Boulder during the summer, are tied for second at 134 with Oscar Fraustro of Mexico and Thomas Bass of Wilmington, N.C.

With two lightning-related delays totaling almost two hours, not all the competitors finished their second round by Friday night. Some have as many as three holes remaining. They’ll complete round 2 Saturday morning, a cut will be made to the low 60 players and ties, then the third round will begin.

Kupcho (pictured with father/caddie Mike on Friday), who turned pro just a little more than a year ago, has posted two second-place finishes and two thirds in tournaments in the last couple of months. Now he’s hoping to make a run at the title at the Colorado Open, where he was low amateur in 2012 after shooting 66-67 the first two rounds.

“This is an event I love,” the 24-year-old said. “It’s probably my favorite event of the summer.”

Through two rounds, Kupcho has racked up 14 birdies at GVR. He’s hoping that continues on the weekend.

“It’s interesting playing professionally now,” he said. “It’s just another step up. It was kind of hard adjusting to that last summer. You learn that you’re not always ‘on’. You’re not shooting a course record on every shot like you want.

“But I definitely learned how to play golf better than I ever did as an amateur. I’m not worried about my swing, I’m not worried about mechanics. I just go out there and feel my way around the golf course and using the 20-plus years of experience I have in this game to try to get the ball in the hole. It seems to be working.”

Also in a nice groove so far this week is Lestishen (left), who went bogey-free on Friday with his 64 to vault into the lead. Letishen said it was his low tournament round ever.

“That’s certainly one of the better (rounds) I’ve had,” said the 29-year-old, who earlier this year advanced to the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying stage for the second time. “I made a lot of putts obviously. I was nice and comfortable out there all day. Doing it in the Colorado Open is always going to help you be near the top.”

Lestishen had to qualify to get into the Open, but is making the most of his opportunity so far.

“It’s a fun week,” he said. “You always want to be in contention. It’s always nice to be up near the top. There’s two more days to give it a shot.

“I’ve gotten some things figured out over the last few weeks. I feel like the game is better than it has been for a while. I’ve just got to keep it going.”

Meanwhile, Kaye has picked up where he left off last year at GVR. After going 67-66-70-66 at the Colorado Open in 2016, he’s gone 67-67 this week. On Friday, he was 2 over par through his first six holes, then birdied seven of his final 12 without another bogey.

Not bad for a guy who hasn’t competed in a tournament in three months.

“I kind of hoped to be in contention,” the former University of Colorado golfer said. “I expect to be there. Golf is golf, right? It’s like riding a bike — I think. I hope that when the heat’s on, I remember what to do.

“There’s no substitute for competition. But when I play, I set goals for myself every round so I have some sort of competition that I’m doing — with people or with myself to keep me in it.”

Kaye will turn 47 on Aug. 2, but the 1996 chapion has proven at the Colorado Open that he can compete with players half his age.

“The ball doesn’t know how old you are,” he said. “That’s what I was told. I’m still fit. I’m sure these young guys can hit it past me, but I would hope maybe that I’ve got a little more creativity in my game and shot-making abilities than some of them.”

Notable: The 36-hole cut — to the low 60 players and ties — will be made after the completion of round 2 on Saturday morning. Depending on how things play out early Saturday, either 2 or 3 under par total — or better — will be needed to advance to round 3. Very windy conditions in the late afternoon kept the cut line from going lower. … Texan Branson Davis withdrew six holes into his second round on Friday when he was experiencing symptoms that medical personnel thought might be an appendicitis. Davis was 1 over par for the tournament at the time. … After two days, Jake Staiano, the Colorado State University golfer from Cherry Hills Village, holds the low-amateur position by two strokes. The 2017 U.S. Amateur qualifier has shot rounds of 68-69 for a 7-under-par 137 total, which leaves him in 14th place overall, four back of Lestishen. University of Colorado golfer John Souza (71-68) is second among amateurs. … The winner — or low professional — on Sunday will receive $100,000.

For all the scores from GVR, CLICK HERE.
 

In the third of the four qualifiers for the Open, Coloradans advancing were Jason Holley of Englewood and Ethan Castle of Denver (co-medalists with Bardgett and Texan Cole Howard at 5-under-par 66), Trevor McKune of Littleton (68), Cameron Freeman of Fort Collins (69), Jacob Lestishen of Lone Tree (69) and Blake Mitchell of Loveland (70). Mitchell and Keith Greene of Debary, Fla., prevailed in a four-man playoff for the final two Open berths.

In all, 14 players qualified for the $250,000 Open, which runs July 20-23 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver.

In addition to the aforementioned, punching their tickets were Brent Grant of Honolulu (67), Patrick Wilson of Andover, N.J. (67), Ty Capps of Palm Coast, Fla. (68), Jeffrey Evanier of Weston, Conn. (68) and Ryan McCormick of Middletown, N.J. (69).

The final Colorado Open qualifier will be held on Monday, also at Legacy Ridge.

For scores from Thursday’s qualifier, CLICK HERE.

For roundups from previous Colorado Open qualifiers, click on the following: FIRST, SECOND.
 

A year ago in U.S. Open Local Qualifying, Rich Lash shot an 84. Needless to say, Monday’s 3-under-par 68 was considerably more satisfying.

And the way the Denver resident earned a share of medalist honors in U.S. Open Local Qualifying at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora made it all the more so.

After playing his first six holes in 4 over par, he went 7 under for his last dozen, highlighted by a 20-foot eagle on No. 11.

“Really, it’s been a grind,” said Lash, a PGA instructor at Bear Creek Golf Club who once played on the Alps Tour in Europe. “I’ve had some tough times — almost giving up and stuff. There haven’t been a whole lot of highlights, to be honest with you. So this really feels good to put up a good number. Today I just got the putter hot and kept going.”

The 31-year-old was part of a diverse group of five golfers — three professionals and two amateurs, ranging in age from 18 to 35 — who on Monday punched their tickets to the second and final stage of U.S. Open Qualifying.

Jackson Solem of Longmont, a University of Denver golf signee who will graduate from high School on Friday, shared medalist honors in the U.S. Open Local Qualifier with two longtime professionals, Lash and Jacob Lestishen of Lone Tree. All three carded 3-under-par 68s at CommonGround, the CGA-owned and operated facility.

Joining Lestishen, Solem and Lash (pictured, from left) in advancing to 36-hole Sectional Qualifying, which will be held on June 5 at 10 sites in the U.S., will be University of Colorado golfer Ross Macdonald of Castle Pines and Andy Connell of Denver, a PGA instructor at CommonGround. Both of them shot 69s and prevailed in a four-man playoff for the final two Sectional berths.

Connell and Macdonald two-putted for birdie on the first playoff hole — the par-5 18th — from 20 feet and 60 feet, respectively, to advance. Two former Colorado Christian University golfers, 2016 CGA Match Play champion Nathaniel Goddard of Fort Collins and Jack Cummings of Arvada, made par and were left in the alternate positions after also shooting 69s. Cummings, who made two eagles in regulation on Monday, parred the second playoff hole to earn the first alternate spot.
 
Solem (left), the 2015 4A state high school champion who finished third at the 2015 AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior at CommonGround, shined again at the course on Monday. He was 5 under par through 10 holes, then overcame three consecutive bogeys in the middle of the back nine and finished with a birdie.

“This means everything,” the 18-year-old said. “I’ve grown up watching the U.S. Open with my dad. It’s something that’s always been a goal for me. I’ve always been working hard for it and I really haven’t performed in those situations, so it’s really cool to actually get to do it this time.”

Connell, the 35-year-old son of Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Tom Connell, will be going to his fourth Sectional and Lestishen to his second, while Solem, Lash and Macdonald will be making their Sectional debuts. None of the five has made it to the U.S. Open, which this year will be held June 15-18 at Erin Hills in Erin, Wis.

“The U.S. Open has always been a dream of mine,” said Lesthishen, who also advanced to Sectionals in 2009, the year he turned pro after playing college golf at the University of New Mexico. “It’ll be fun to give it another shot and see if I can get through. It’s been a while, so I’m excited about that.”

Lestishen played the par-5s in 4 under par on Monday, draining a 35-foot eagle on No. 7.

Connell (left) was a local favorite on Monday as he’s been a longtime fixture at CommonGround as an instructor, one who has a major role in junior programming at the CGA course. He estimates he’s played about 100 rounds at the CommonGround over the years.

“Obviously, tee to green out here I know the course,” he said. “I know where to hit it. I really don’t even need to look at yardages. But the firmness of the golf course today and the speed of the greens were something I haven’t seen out here. This is my first tournament round out here. I had a 6-footer on the 10th hole to start the day and hit it about 5 feet past. It took me a little bit to get used to the greens. It played tough, harder than I expected.

“I’m really looking forward to having another crack at Sectionals. Obviously it’s a lot of fun to play in. It gives you a good chance to measure your game against some of the best players.”

Macdonald (below), a two-time Junior Amateur champion in Colorado, is coming off a redshirt season at CU, so he’s trying to get back into peak tournament form. On Monday, he was certainly solid, with three birdies — all on par-5s — to go along with a bogey.

“Definitely for me it’s been getting back into the swing of things,” he said. “Obviously early in the season you make some silly mistakes, but I just try to eliminate big mistakes and put myself in good positions and get solid with the putter.

“It’s huge, obviously, to have a chance to play in the U.S. Open. It’s a long shot (to make it) — there’s a lot of really good players in Sectionals and a lot of pros — but I’ll try to enjoy it and play as well as I can.”

In all, 84 players registered for Monday’s qualifying tournament, with 79 actually teeing it up.

Last week at the first Colorado-based Local Qualifying tournament, Zahkai Brown of Golden, Josh Seiple of Castle Rock, Pat Grady of Denver, Jake Staiano of Englewood and Jon Lindstrom of Broomfield earned spots into Sectionals. Lindstrom originally was the first alternate, but he advanced when Chris Thayer of Golden withdrew the day after qualifying for Sectionals.

The third and final Colorado-based U.S. Open Local Qualifier will take place on Tuesday at Collindale Golf Course in Fort Collins, where another five players will advance to Sectionals.
 

U.S. Open Local QualifyingӬ
At Par-71 CommonGround GC in Aurora
ADVANCE TO SECTIONALS
Rich Lash, Denver 38-30–68
Jackson Solem, Longmont 32-36–68
Jacob Lestishen, Lone Tree 34-34–68
Ross Macdonald, Castle Pines 35-34–69
Andy Connell, Denver 35-34–69

ALTERNATES (in order)Ӭ
Jack Cummings, Arvada 36-33–69
Nathaniel Goddard, Fort Collins 33-36–69

For complete results, CLICK HERE.