Finishing in the top 10 in a USGA national championship is no small feat. Ask any elite-level golfer with strong Colorado ties.

In the last half-dozen USGA seasons, fewer than 10 times has a player with major Colorado connections either placed in the top 10 in an individual USGA stroke-play national championship or made it to at least the quarterfinals of an individual USGA amateur championship.

That list includes David Duval (second in 2009 U.S. Open), Steve Ziegler (quarterfinalist in 2009 U.S. Amateur), Hale Irwin (fourth in 2011 U.S. Senior Open), Mark Wiebe (eighth in 2012 U.S. Senior Open) and Marilyn Hardy (quarterfinals in 2013 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur).

Yet in this month alone, two players with significant Colorado ties accomplished that feat. Michael Harrington of Colorado Springs made it to the final eight in the U.S. Mid-Amateur in Bethlehem, Pa., last week. And this week, Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton (pictured above in a USGA photo) advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur — held this year in Deal, N.J. — for the third time since 2009.

The 2014 USGA championship season for non-team events ends today with the finals of the U.S. Senior Amateur and the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur. After that, all that’s left is the biennial USGA Men’s State Team Championship, set for Sept. 30-Oct. 2 in French Lick, Ind. Steve Irwin, Jon Lindstrom and Nick Nosewicz are scheduled to represent Colorado at that event.

As for the recent USGA quarterfinalists with strong ties to the Centennial State, both Harrington and Eaton earn exemptions into their respective 2015 national championships by virtue of advancing to the final eight this month.

Harrington (left), 42, was playing in his ninth USGA championship, and his third U.S. Mid-Am, but he had never before gotten beyond the round of 16 in match play. Ironically, when he did previously go to the round of 16, he lost to a fellow Coloradan, Rick DeWitt, in the 2006 U.S. Mid-Amateur. This time around, after qualifying for match play and winning his first three matches, the 2009 CGA Mid-Amateur Player of the Year fell 5 and 3 to Tom Werkmeister of Kentwood, Mich., who won the 2013 Michigan Open title as an amateur.

For the record, by the way, had Harrington won the title, he would have been the second national Mid-Am champion from Colorado. Bill Loeffler, who has gone on to win three Colorado Open titles, claimed the U.S. Mid-Am title in 1986.

At the Senior Women’s Amateur, Eaton, 55, went 19 holes in the round of 16 to defeat former U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion Corey Weworski and earn a quarterfinal spot. But, just as was the case in 2011, Eaton fell in the quarters to Terri Frohnmayer of Salem, Ore.

Eaton, a native of Greeley who now lives in Tempe, Ariz., was competing in her 22nd USGA championship. Besides this year and in 2011, she made the U.S. Senior Women’s Am quarterfinals in 2009. She won 21 CWGA championships before “retiring” from those competitions at the end of the 2013 season. She’s been the CWGA Senior Player of the Year each of the past five years.

Eaton and Harrington are two of the 13 players with strong Colorado connections who in 2014 made cuts during the 13 national championships conducted annually by the USGA. (Note: Making cuts in this case means advancing to match play in amateur-only events, or surviving 36-hole cuts in open championships).

Here’s the rundown:

U.S. Open — Part-time Denver resident Kevin Stadler finished 63rd.

U.S. Women’s Open — Former University of Denver golfer Sue Kim finished 59th.

U.S. Senior Open — Former Castle Rock resident Esteban Toledo finished 14th.

U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links — DU golfer Elyse Smidinger advanced to match play and lost in the round of 64.

U.S. Amateur Public Links — Chris Korte of Littleton, a current DU golfer, advanced to match play and lost in the round of 64.

U.S. Junior Amateur — Jake Staiano of Cherry Hills Village advanced to match play and lost in the round of 64.

U.S. Girls’ Junior — Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster tied for eighth place in stroke play, easily advancing to match play, then lost in the round of 64.

U.S. Women’s Amateur — Former University of Colorado golfer Jennifer Coleman made match play, won one match and lost in the round of 32 to Alison Lee, the No. 3-ranked female amateur in the world at the time.

U.S. Amateur — No local players advanced to match play.

U.S. Mid-Amateur — Michael Harrington of Colorado Springs made match play, won three matches and lost in the quarterfinals, which makes him exempt from qualifying next year.

U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur — Shannon Langhardt of Lakewood made match play and lost in round of 64.

U.S. Senior Amateur — No local players advanced to match play.

U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur — Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton made match play, won three matches and lost in the quarterfinals for the third time in the last six years, which makes her exempt from qualifying in 2015. Also making match play, but losing in the round of 64 were Christie Austin of Greenwood Village, a former USGA Executive Committee member, and part-time Gunnison-area resident Marilyn Hardy.
 

Golf fans have almost become numb to very young women — and even girls — finding big-time success in the game.

Lydia Ko has already won three times on the LPGA Tour — and she’s only 17 years old. Lexi Thompson collected an LPGA Tour victory at age 16. Kimberly Kim won the 2006 U.S. Women’s Amateur before she turned 15 en route to eventually playing college golf for a year at the University of Denver.

So nobody should be in the least taken aback that a couple of 20-year-olds claimed the two available U.S. Women’s Open berths available through Wednesday’s Sectional Qualifying tournament at Heritage at Westmoor in Westminster.

Celine Boutier of France, a sophomore at Duke who recently won the Atlantic Coast Conference title, earned medalist honors by shooting 72-70 for a 2-under-par 142 total. And Janie Jackson, a sophomore at Alabama who recently placed fifth in the Southeastern Conference tournament, claimed the other Women’s Open spot after recording an even-par 144 total after rounds of 71-73. (The qualifiers are pictured above, with Boutier at left.)

This year’s Women’s Open will be played at Pinehurst Resort’s No. 2 course in North Carolina June 19-22, the week after the U.S. Open is contested at the same site.

Jennifer Coleman, who just wrapped up her University of Colorado golf career, had to settle for the first-alternate spot on Wednesday as she ended up a stroke behind Jackson after going 73-72. A double bogey on the 147-yard 14th hole — her fifth of the afternoon round — proved costly for Coleman, who finished third out of a field of 48 starters.

Both Boutier and Jackson played in the Sectional Qualifier in Colorado because it worked out well, schedule-wise, between last weekend’s NCAA Regionals and next week’s NCAA Championship Finals. Duke is ranked third in the nation by both Golfstat and Golfweek, while Alabama is 10th and 12th, respectively. Both players flew in from southeastern U.S. to participate on Wednesday.

Boutier is one of the top women’s college golfers in the country, ranked sixth by Golfstat and seventh by Golfweek. The 2012 European Ladies Amateur champion won three individual college titles this season. And in last year’s NCAA Championship Finals, she finished an impressive fourth.

Boutier, who is from a suburb of Paris, not only competed in the Women’s British Open last year, but she made the cut, finishing tied with Michelle Wie for 56th place. The U.S. Women’s Open will be her second women’s major championship.

“It’s really awesome,” she said. “It’s one of my biggest dreams. I’ve never tried to qualify before. I played the British Open last year, but I want to try something on a different type of course. Playing in a major is just going to be awesome.”

On Wednesday, Boutier birdied three of her last four holes to secure medalist honors. She made six birdies over her two rounds. While not many players got in practice rounds at Heritage at Westmoor due to the early-week bad weather, Boutier played the course starting at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

“It helped because the greens are pretty tricky,” she said. “There was a dot on them for the pin positions and it definitely helped me with my strategy.”

Meanwhile, Jackson (left) competed the course blind Wednesday after arriving from Alabama on Tuesday night.

“That was kind of hard, but I had a course book,” said Jackson, a three-time Alabama state high school champion who transferred home after one season at the University of Arizona. “I’ve played in Colorado before so I knew that the ball would fly differently and go farther here. And there’s not too much trouble out here (at Westmoor); it’s wide open, which was nice.”

Jackson finished the day with five birdies, and needed them all given that she had no margin to spare. Like Boutier, she’ll be playing in the U.S. Women’s Open for the first time, though she’s competed in two LPGA Tour events.

“It’s going to be a good experience,” she said. “It’s a good feeling to know even though I came in here blind I’m just happy I played well. And it’s good timing before nationals, a confidence booster.”

Westmoor is one of 24 Sectional Qualifying sites for the U.S. Women’s Open.

U.S. Women’s Open Sectional Qualifying
At Par-72 Heritage at Westmoor in Westminster

QUALIFIED FOR WOMEN’S OPEN
Celine Boutier, France 72-70–142
Janie Jackson, Huntsville, Ala. 71-73–144

ALTERNATES (In Order)
Jennifer Coleman, Rolling Hills Estate, Calif. 73-72–145
Gabriela Lopez, Mexico 72-74–146

For all the scores from Wednesday’s U.S. Women’s Open qualifying tournament, CLICK HERE.

But that’s exactly what’s happening next week, weather-permitting. And if early-week conditions do cause rescheduling, things could be even more condensed.

As things stand, 18-hole U.S. Open Local Qualifying will be held at two sites on Monday (the Broadmoor Golf Club’s West Course in Colorado Springs and Heritage at Westmoor in Westminster) and one on Tuesday (Collindale Golf Course in Fort Collins). Then on Wednesday, it’s back to Heritage at Westmoor for 36-hole U.S. Women’s Open Sectional Qualifying.

For the record, Heritage at Westmoor is one of just three courses nationwide that will host both U.S. Women’s Open Sectionals and U.S. Open Locals this year.

The stakes are high for the players competing. The top two performers over two rounds on Wednesday will earn spots in arguably the top tournament in women’s golf, the U.S. Women’s Open, which this year will be contested at Pinehurst Resort’s No. 2 course in North Carolina June 19-22.

The U.S. Open will be held at the same site the previous week — June 12-15 — but the route there is more involved for most entrants. The 18-hole Local tournaments are the first of two stages of the qualifying process. Those who overcome the Local hurdle will play in one of a dozen 36-hole Sectionals, with the 10 qualifiers in the U.S. scheduled for June 2.

All told, a record 10,127 golfers sent in entries for the U.S. Open, while 1,702 players — also the most ever — signed up for the U.S. Women’s Open.

Given the stakes involved, next week’s qualifying events draw some of the best fields of the year for Colorado-based tournaments.

Here’s a brief rundown on each of the four qualifiers in Colorado:

— U.S. Open Local Qualifying Monday at the Broadmoor’s West Course: As of Friday, the field at the Broadmoor numbered 84, with the top five finishers advancing to Sectionals.

Two-time HealthOne Colorado Open champion Derek Tolan (pictured) of Highlands Ranch and Tom Glissmeyer of Colorado Springs are two of the more notable entrants, having each qualified for the U.S. Open as 16-year-olds (Tolan in 2002 and Glissmeyer in 2003). Both made it to Sectionals from qualifying at the West Course last year, but came up short of making it back to the Open itself.

Other competitors at the Broadmoor this year are Shane Bertsch of Parker, a longtime PGA/Web.com Tour player who competed in the U.S. Open in 1998 and 2013 (he won a Sectional qualifying tournament last year); former CGA Player of the Year Steve Irwin of Arvada, a contestant in the 2011 U.S. Open; and Air Force Academy senior Kyle Westmoreland, one of the co-medalists in Local Qualifying at the West Course last year.

— U.S. Open Local Qualifying Monday at Heritage at Westmoor: This qualifier also features 84 players vying for five spots in the Sectionals.

The field here includes reigning HealthOne Colorado Open champion Zahkai Brown of Arvada; 2013 CGA Match Play winner David Oraee of Greeley; Keith Humerickhouse of Eagle, a former playing professional who has won the last four CGA Mid-Amateurs; University of Colorado freshman Jeremy Paul, a second-team All-Pac-12 Conference selection this year; Scott Petersen of Parker, who won a Web.com Tour event and the Colorado Open in 2000; and Caine Fitzgerald of Parker, who qualified for the 2013 PGA Championship.

— U.S. Open Local Qualifying Tuesday at Collindale: Eighthy-three players are signed up for this site, with the top four finishers moving on to Sectionals.

Former PGA Tour player Leif Olson of Golden will compete at Collindale, along with former HealthOne Colorado Open champion Nathan Lashley of Scottsdale, Ariz.

Also in this field are Jason Preeo of Highlands Ranch, who made the cut in the 2010 U.S. Open and who advanced to Sectionals last year; 2010 CGA Public Links champion Riley Arp, who likewise made the grade at the Collindale Local Qualifying in 2013; and several college golfers from Colorado State and the University of Northern Colorado (Cameron Harrell, Parker Edens, Steven Kupcho and Ben Krueger among them).

— U.S. Women’s Open Sectional Qualifying Wednesday at Heritage at Westmoor: This field will include 57 players who will battle it out over 36 holes for just two Women’s Open berths. Westmoor will be one of 24 Sectional sites internationally.

The great majority of entrants at this site are amateurs — 45, to be exact. Those include some of the top players at Colorado-based Division I universities — including Norwegians Tonje Daffinrud and Mariell Bruun from the University of Denver, and Jennifer Coleman of the University of Colorado — as well as two-time CWGA Player of the Year Somin Lee, who competes for Pepperdine. Daffinrud is ranked No. 15 among the nation’s women’s college golfers by Golfstat.

The four players who qualified in Colorado for the U.S. Women’s Amateur last year — Jennifer Kupcho, Coleman, Jennifer Yang and Hannah Wood — are also in the field.

Some of the top contenders for the state high school titles, which are set for May 19-20, are likewise competing at Westmoor: Wood, Kupcho, Calli Ringsby and Sydney Merchant.

Among the professionals entered is former HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open champion Erin Houtsma. Also playing is Kayla Riede, medalist in the last two U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links qualifiers held in Colorado.
 

But that’s exactly what’s happening next week, weather-permitting. And if early-week conditions do cause rescheduling, things could be even more condensed.

As things stand, 18-hole U.S. Open Local Qualifying will be held at two sites on Monday (the Broadmoor Golf Club’s West Course in Colorado Springs and Heritage at Westmoor in Westminster) and one on Tuesday (Collindale Golf Course in Fort Collins). Then on Wednesday, it’s back to Heritage at Westmoor for 36-hole U.S. Women’s Open Sectional Qualifying.

For the record, Heritage at Westmoor is one of just three courses nationwide that will host both U.S. Women’s Open Sectionals and U.S. Open Locals this year.

The stakes are high for the players competing. The top two performers over two rounds on Wednesday will earn spots in arguably the top tournament in women’s golf, the U.S. Women’s Open, which this year will be contested at Pinehurst Resort’s No. 2 course in North Carolina June 19-22.

The U.S. Open will be held at the same site the previous week — June 12-15 — but the route there is more involved for most entrants. The 18-hole Local tournaments are the first of two stages of the qualifying process. Those who overcome the Local hurdle will play in one of a dozen 36-hole Sectionals, with the 10 qualifiers in the U.S. scheduled for June 2.

All told, a record 10,127 golfers sent in entries for the U.S. Open, while 1,702 players — also the most ever — signed up for the U.S. Women’s Open.

Given the stakes involved, next week’s qualifying events draw some of the best fields of the year for Colorado-based tournaments.

Here’s a brief rundown on each of the four qualifiers in Colorado:

— U.S. Open Local Qualifying Monday at the Broadmoor’s West Course: As of Friday, the field at the Broadmoor numbered 84, with the top five finishers advancing to Sectionals.

Two-time HealthOne Colorado Open champion Derek Tolan of Highlands Ranch and Tom Glissmeyer of Colorado Springs are two of the more notable entrants, having each qualified for the U.S. Open as 16-year-olds (Tolan in 2002 and Glissmeyer in 2003). Both made it to Sectionals from qualifying at the West Course last year, but came up short of making it back to the Open itself.

Other competitors at the Broadmoor this year are Shane Bertsch of Parker, a longtime PGA/Web.com Tour player who competed in the U.S. Open in 1998 and 2013 (he won a Sectional qualifying tournament last year); former CGA Player of the Year Steve Irwin of Arvada, a contestant in the 2011 U.S. Open; and Air Force Academy senior Kyle Westmoreland, one of the co-medalists in Local Qualifying at the West Course last year.

— U.S. Open Local Qualifying Monday at Heritage at Westmoor: This qualifier also features 84 players vying for five spots in the Sectionals.

The field here includes reigning HealthOne Colorado Open champion Zahkai Brown of Arvada; 2013 CGA Match Play winner David Oraee of Greeley; Keith Humerickhouse of Eagle, a former playing professional who has won the last four CGA Mid-Amateurs; University of Colorado freshman Jeremy Paul, a second-team All-Pac-12 Conference selection this year; Scott Petersen of Parker, who won a Web.com Tour event and the Colorado Open in 2000; and Caine Fitzgerald of Parker, who qualified for the 2013 PGA Championship.

— U.S. Open Local Qualifying Tuesday at Collindale: Eighthy-three players are signed up for this site, with the top four finishers moving on to Sectionals.

Former PGA Tour player Leif Olson of Golden will compete at Collindale, along with former HealthOne Colorado Open champion Nathan Lashley of Scottsdale, Ariz.

Also in this field are Jason Preeo of Highlands Ranch, who made the cut in the 2010 U.S. Open and who advanced to Sectionals last year; 2010 CGA Public Links champion Riley Arp, who likewise made the grade at the Collindale Local Qualifying in 2013; and several college golfers from Colorado State and the University of Northern Colorado (Cameron Harrell, Parker Edens, Steven Kupcho and Ben Krueger among them).

— U.S. Women’s Open Sectional Qualifying Wednesday at Heritage at Westmoor: This field will include 57 players who will battle it out over 36 holes for just two Women’s Open berths. Westmoor will be one of 24 Sectional sites internationally.

The great majority of entrants at this site are amateurs — 45, to be exact. Those include some of the top players at Colorado-based Division I universities — including Norwegians Tonje Daffinrud (pictured) and Mariell Bruun from the University of Denver, and Jennifer Coleman of the University of Colorado — as well as two-time CWGA Player of the Year Somin Lee, who competes for Pepperdine. Daffinrud is ranked No. 15 among the nation’s women’s college golfers by Golfstat.

The four players who qualified in Colorado for the U.S. Women’s Amateur last year — Jennifer Kupcho, Coleman, Jennifer Yang and Hannah Wood — are also in the field.

Some of the top contenders for the state high school titles, which are set for May 19-20, are likewise competing at Westmoor: Wood, Kupcho, Calli Ringsby and Sydney Merchant.

Among the professionals entered is former HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open champion Erin Houtsma. Also playing is Kayla Riede, medalist in the last two U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links qualifiers held in Colorado.
 

Wyndham Clark has played a grand total of 17 official rounds of college golf — six tournaments.

But, despite a redshirt season as a true freshman, the Greenwood Village resident appears to be a quick learner, which should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed his career over the last five years.

Competing for one of the top programs in the country, Oklahoma State, Clark was more than a steady performer during the just-completed fall season. He was a standout.

The 19-year-old redshirt freshman shares the best scoring average for the Cowboys so far this season, with a 70.33. And that was while playing a schedule featuring some of the top tournaments of the fall.

Clark, a two-time 4A state high school champion at Valor Christian, has posted these individual finishes in four fall tournaments: 21st, fourth (Jack Nicklaus Invitational), fourth (U.S. Collegiate Championship) and second (Royal Oaks Intercollegiate). Oklahoma State won team titles in two of those events.

Five of Clark’s last eight tournament rounds have been in the 60s, including a fall-closing 65.

So where does that leave him in the overall scheme of college golf at its mid-season intermission?

He’s ranked sixth in the nation individually by Golfweek magazine, and 20th by Golfstat.

“(Senior Ian Davis) has really taken over and has been our best player this fall, but it’s been exciting to see Wyndham’s improvement,” first-year OSU men’s head coach Alan Bratton told Golfweek. “He had a rough first year (as a true freshman last season), but has played very well this fall. I think he’s just scratching the surface of what kind of player he can be.”

Considering the foundation Clark built in Colorado — and nationally — as a young player, his performance shouldn’t be a shock to anyone. After all, here’s a golfer who won the CGA Stroke Play at age 16, becoming that tournament’s youngest champion since Bob Byman won in 1971. Before turning 20, he’s competed in three U.S. Amateurs. And in his final high school tournament, he shot 64-64 at the 2011 4A state meet to win by eight strokes.

But as golfers make jumps from one level to another, it’s not always easy to predict how they’ll fare. Clark played in just two tournaments as a true freshman last season before redshirting. But he’s certainly broken from the gate very quickly in his second year in Stillwater.

While Clark has been the top college performer with strong Colorado ties so far this season, he’s certainly not alone in having had a strong fall.

Here are others who are ranked among the top 200 men’s college players in the nation: Colorado State junior Cameron Harrell (ranked 76th by Golfstat, 116th by Golfweek); University of Oklahoma senior Michael Schoolcraft, a former teammate of Clark’s at Valor Christian (112th by Golfweek, 167th by Golfstat); Air Force Academy senior Kyle Westmoreland (119th by Golfstat, 192nd by Golfweek); Colorado Mines junior Jordan Arndt (130th by Golfstat); Colorado Mesa freshman Colin Prater (131st by Golfstat).

And here are the locals in the nation’s top 200 on the women’s side: University of Denver senior Tonje Daffinrud (pictured at left) (25th by Golfstat, 31st by Golfweek); University of Colorado senior Jennifer Coleman (93rd by Golfweek, 150th by Golfstat); Pepperdine junior Somin Lee, a Denver resident (144th by Golfweek, 195th by Golfstat); CU sophomore Jamie Oleksiew (149th by Golfweek, 231st by Golfstat); CU senior Kristin Coleman (159th by Golfweek, 249th by Golfstat).

As for national team rankings, here’s the rundown for Colorado-based NCAA Division I men’s programs: Colorado (ranked 82nd by Golfstat, 84th by Golfweek); Colorado State (90th by Golfstat, 98th by Golfweek); Denver (115th by Golfstat, 118th by Golfweek); Air Force (125th by Golfweek, 158th by Golfstat); Northern Colorado (155th by Golfstat, 168th by Golfweek).

And for in-state NCAA Division I women’s programs: Denver (40th by Golfstat; 42nd by Golfweek); Colorado (49th by Golfstat; 51st by Golfweek); Colorado State (103rd by Golfstat; 111th by Golfweek); Northern Colorado (208th by Golfstat; 209th by Golfweek).

All the Colorado-based Division I college teams will begin their “spring” season in February, with the exception of the UNC men, who will resume tournament action in early March.
 

On Friday, the 16-year-old from Westminster earned a berth in her third USGA championship of the year — and second through a qualifying tournament held at CommonGround.

Kupcho made an eagle and five birdies Friday in a round of 4-under-par 69 to claim medalist honors in U.S. Women’s Amateur qualifying at CommonGround.

That means the junior-to-be at Jefferson Academy High School will end up competing this summer at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links, the U.S. Girls’ Junior and the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Not bad for someone who hadn’t had the pleasure of a USGA championship before this year.

“I wanted to qualify for all three that I could, so I’m pretty excited to get to go,” Kupcho said.

All in all, it was a great day for Jennifers Friday at CommonGround, where a field of 40 was competing. Also punching their tickets to the national Women’s Amateur — set for Aug. 5-11 in Charleston, S.C. — were University of Colorado golfer Jennifer Coleman (a bogey-free 71), Korea’s Jennifer Yang (sister of University of Denver golfer Andy Yang, 71) and Hannah Wood of Centennial (72). Yang also qualified in Colorado for the 2012 U.S. Women’s Amateur.

Wood, a member of the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program at CommonGround, prevailed in a one-hole playoff over 2013 CWGA Junior Match Play champion Sydney Merchant of Morrison to claim the fourth and final national berth. Ironically, Wood lost in a one-hole playoff at CommonGround for the last spot in U.S. Girls’ Junior qualifying. On Friday, Wood birdied three of the last four holes of regulation to force the playoff, while Merchant played her last eight holes in 5 under par.

As for Kupcho, in the last two months, she’s finished third in U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links qualifying at Ute Creek, second in U.S. Girls’ Junior qualifying at CommonGround, and now first at U.S. Women’s Amateur qualifying at CommonGround.

“Me and my brother (2012 CGA Player of the Year Steven Kupcho) are kind of having competitions, so when I’m qualifying for stuff it’s pretty exciting,” Jennifer said. “I wanted to qualify, then I let him see what he can do. It’s more of a bragging kind of thing, then we get to go to USGA events.”

Jennifer Kupcho said she’s had trouble with CommonGround in previous years, but she seems to be over that in 2013. On Friday, she rolled in a 45-foot birdie putt on No. 10 and generally excelled with the flat stick in her hand.

“My putting was really, really good,” Kupcho said. “I made basically everything I looked at. I probably made five putts over 10 or 15 feet. … I had a few putting struggles (earlier) but I got it in gear last night and played well today.”

U.S. Women’s Amateur Qualifying
At Par-73 CommonGround GC in Aurora
x-won one-hole playoff

QUALIFIED FOR U.S. WOMEN’S AMATEUR
Jennifer Kupcho, Westminster, Colo. 35-34–69
Jennifer Yang, Republic of Korea 36-35–71
Jennifer Coleman, Rolling Hills Estate, Calif. 35-36–71
x-Hannah Wood, Centennial, Colo. 39-33–72

ALTERNATES (In Order)
Sydney Merchant, Morrison, Colo. 39-33–72
Gigi Stoll, Beaverton, Ore. 38-35–73

FAILED TO QUALIFY

Melissa Martin, Grand Junction, Colo. 39-34–73
Dominique Galloway, Rio Rancho, N.M. 39-35–74
Lou Danienlla Uy, Phillipines 40-34–74
Shinwoo Lee, Aurora, Colo. 39-36–75
Mariah Montoya, Lubbock, Texas 37-38–75
Lauren Falley, Topeka, Kan. 39-37–76
Calli Ringsby, Cherry Hills Village, Colo. 38-39–77
Kristen Coleman, Rolling Hills Estate, Calif. 38-39–77
Samantha Barker, Highlands Ranch, Colo. 39-39–78
Patricia Lee, Commerce City, Colo. 38-41–79
Megan McCambridge, Boulder, Colo. 39-40–79
Anna Young, Canada 41-38–79
Tori Glenn, Castle Rock, Colo. 40-39–79
Marilyn Hardy, Houston, Texas 40-39–79
Mackenzie Cohen, Centennial, Colo. 43-37–80
Jisoo Keel, Canada 39-41–80
Darian Zachek, Deming, N.M. 41-39–80
Sarah Jo Pravacek, Omaha, Neb. 38-42–80
Janet Moore, Cherry Hills Village, Colo. 41-40–81
Amy Hodgkinson, Longmont, Colo. 40-41–81
Bryce Schroeder, Pueblo, Colo. 42-39–81
Samantha Stancato, Colorado Springs, Colo. 40-41–81
Kelly Moran, Boulder, Colo. 42-39–81
Devin Dougherty, Woodland, Calif. 43-38–81
Alexandria Trask, Denver, Colo. 43-39–82
Kristen Cline, Socorro, N.M. 42-40–82
Kathleen Kershisnik, Highlands Ranch, Colo. 40-44–84
Callie Hodgkinson, Longmont, Colo. 41-45–86
Mikayla Tatman, Longmont, Colo. 41-46–87
Taylor Dorans, Erie, Colo. 46-43–89
Emily Fuchs, Cameron, Texas 49-40–89
Jessica Heard, Clinton, Okla. 45-47–92
Shannon Lubar, Littleton, Colo. WD
Anna Laura Gomez Moreno, Mexico WD
 

Hulwick, who took over the program in February shortly after the resignation of longtime successful coach Sammie Chergo, recently guided the Pioneers to their 10th consecutive conference title, this one in the Western Athletic Conference (pictured).

It was DU’s first tournament victory with Hulwick as head coach, though she was an assistant when the Pioneers finished as high as sixth and fifth in the 2008 and 2009 NCAA Championship finals, respectively. This year’s performance earned Hulwick WAC women’s coach of the year honors.

Denver also claimed the individual conference championship as junior Tonje Daffinrud won by six and was named WAC women’s golfer of the year. Daffinrud has recorded six top-10 finishes this season and ranks among the top 30 women’s college golfers in the country according to Golfweek.

And on Monday night, DU was seeded 11th in the NCAA Division I West Regional in Stanford, Calif. In all, three regionals are on tap, running concurrently May 9-11. The top eight schools from each 24-team regional — along with two individuals from non-advancing programs — will land spots in the NCAA Championship finals, set for May 21-24 in Athens, Ga.

It will be the 12th consecutive NCAA Regionals appearance for DU. In all, 72 teams and 18 individuals will compete in Division I regional tournaments.

“We’ve gotten better and better in each tournament this spring, and that was our goal this winter,” Hulwick said after winning the WAC title. “We’re looking forward to NCAA postseason play next month.”

DU is ranked 32nd among the nation’s women’s teams by Golfstat, and 33rd by Golfweek.

Also headed to the West Regional, but as an individual, is University of Colorado junior Jennifer Coleman, who is coming off a third-place showing in the loaded Pac-12 Conference Championships. Coleman, who’s won one tournament this season, is ranked 92nd individually in the country by Golfweek.

Among the other players with Colorado ties in the NCAA Division I regionals are North Carolina State’s Lindsay McGetrick, San Diego State’s Paige Spiranac and and Texas-San Antonio’s Allie Johnston — all in the Central Regional in Norman, Okla. — and Pepperdine’s Somin Lee at the Stanford site.

While the women’s NCAA regionals have been set, men’s Division I programs are in the final week of their conference championships. Their NCAA regional fields will be announced on May 6.

Meanwhile, here are how the NCAA regional berths have shaped up for Colorado-based Division II programs:

Men’s NCAA Division II Regionals — On Friday, the NCAA announced the 80 teams and 32 additional individuals that earned berths in the men’s NCAA Division II Regional tournaments that will be held May 6-8.

Three Colorado-based teams — Colorado School of Mines, Colorado-Colorado Springs and Colorado State-Pueblo — are headed for the South Central Regional in DuPont, Wash. Mines, who went to the NCAA Div. II finals for the first time last year, is seeded first in the 10-team regional for the second straight season, while Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference champion UCCS is fifth, and Colorado State-Pueblo eighth.

In addition, Colorado Mesa’s Brandon Bingaman will be competing as an individual.

At the combined 20-team South Central and West Regionals, five schools and the top two individuals not on those teams will advance to the Division II finals, set for May 20-24 in Hershey, Pa.

Women’s NCAA Division II Regionals — Only one Colorado-based NCAA Division II women’s golfer earned a spot in the Division II Regional fields that were announced on Monday and that will be contested May 5-7.

Colorado State-Pueblo freshman Leina Kim is one of four individuals who earned a spot in the West Regional set for Tiara Rado Golf Course in Grand Junction. The nine-team field — plus the four individuals — will vie for three team and three individual berths to the Division II finals, set for May 15-18 in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Kim was the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s women’s golfer of the year this season. She owns six top-five finishes in the 2012-13 school year, including one victory.


Conference championships, which mark the start of the most important part of the school season, begin within the next week and continue through early May for Colorado teams.

Two in-state NCAA Division I programs — the University of Denver and University of Northern Colorado women — won conference titles last year and will be looking to extend their success. In fact, the University of Denver women, now led by new head coach Lindsay Hulwick (pictured), are taking aim at a rather remarkable feat: winning 10 straight conference championships. The Pioneers won the Sun Belt Conference title the last nine seasons, and now are focused on claiming the Western Athletic Conference championship early next week in Mesa, Ariz.

“We’re in a new conference, and our goal for sure is to win and keep our streak going,” DU junior Tonje Daffinrud said recently. Denver is ranked among the top 35 Division I women’s teams in the nation.

This will be the only season in the WAC for both the DU women and men as they will move to the Summit League this summer.

Meanwhile, two Colorado Division I golf teams — the University of Colorado and Air Force Academy men — have each won two team titles so far in the 2012-13 college season.

After the conference tournaments, local teams will hope to land spots in NCAA regional events. Division I regionals are scheduled for May 9-11 (women) and May 16-18 (men). The top performers at regionals then will advance to the NCAA championship finals, set for May 21-24 (women) and May 28-June 2 (men).

Here’s the schedule of all the Division I conference tournaments featuring Colorado teams, plus the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference men’s and women’s meets. The events are listed in chronological order:

Big Sky Conference Women, April 21-23 in Chandler, Ariz. — Colorado team competing: Northern Colorado. … After claiming its first Big Sky championship last year, the Bears and senior Carleigh Silvers will both be defending conference titles. … Northern Colorado recently won the Monterey Bay Invitational, with Silvers claiming the individual title. … UNC is ranked 174th in the nation by Golfstat.

Pac-12 Conference Women, April 22-24 in Valencia, Calif. — Colorado team competing: Colorado. … Last spring, CU hosted an NCAA regional tournament at Colorado National Golf Club and for the first time in program history earned a spot in the NCAA Championship finals, where the Buffs finished 18th. … Earlier in the spring of 2012, CU placed sixth in the Pac-12 Conference tournament. … After losing three top players in 2012, the Buffs haven’t posted a top-five team finish yet this season. … CU junior Jennifer Coleman won one individual title — the Dick McGuire Invitational in Albuquerque in mid-September — during the 2012-13 campaign. She’s ranked 113th in the country individually by Golfweek. … CU is ranked 74th in the nation by Golfweek.

Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Men, April 22-23 in Goodyear, Ariz. — Colorado teams competing: Adams State, Colorado Christian, Colorado Mesa, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State-Pueblo, Fort Lewis, Regis, Colorado-Colorado Springs. … Last year, the Colorado School of Mines men won the RMAC spring title, with Colorado Mesa placing second. It was Mines’ first conference championship since 1968. … The Orediggers went on to finish 11th in the NCAA Division II Championship Finals. … Going into this week, CSM has won four team titles this season. … Three programs in the RMAC field are ranked among the top 50 teams in the nation in NCAA Division II: Mines (21st), CSU-Pueblo (40th), and CU-Colorado Springs (44th). … CSM’s Michael Lee is ranked 74th in the nation by Golfstat, which combines all classes in its individual rankings. Colorado Mesa’s Brandon Bingaman is 80th nationally, according to Golfstat.

Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Women, April 22-23 in Goodyear, Ariz. — Colorado teams competing: Adams State, Colorado Christian, Colorado Mesa, Colorado State-Pueblo, Regis. … Last spring, CSU-Pueblo earned the RMAC title… Later, Colorado Mesa finished 11th in its first trip to the NCAA Division II Championship Finals. … Currently, CSU-Pueblo is the highest-ranked local Division II women’s team, sitting at 36th, according to Golfstat.

Western Athletic Conference Women, April 22-24 in Mesa, Ariz. — Colorado team competing: Denver. … After winning the last nine Sun Belt Conference championships they competed in, the Pioneers will be going for their 10th straight league crown. … DU recorded a 17-stroke victory last year in the SBC championship. Denver’s Rachael Watton won the individual conference title, with teammate Tonje Daffinrud fourth and Kelly Drack seventh. … This season, Daffinrud has recorded five top-10 finishes and is ranked 38th in the nation individually by Golfweek and Golfstat. … Watton is ranked 163rd in the country individually by Golfweek, while Elyse Smidinger is 196th. … DU is 32nd in the Golfstat women’s national team rankings.

Mountain West Conference Women, April 25-27 in Rancho Mirage, Calif. — Colorado team competing: Colorado State. … CSU finished fifth in this tournament last year. … The Rams are playing in the Fresno State Lexus Classic Monday and Tuesday (April 15-16) before gearing up for the conference tourney. … CSU sits 129th in the Golfweek team rankings.

Pac-12 Conference Men, April 29-May 1 in Los Angeles — Colorado team competing: Colorado. … CU finished eighth in the Pac-12 tourney last year. … This season, the Buffs own two team victories and three seconds. … CU’s Jason Burstyn won one individual title in the fall and finished third in the Bandon Dunes Championship in March. Burstyn is ranked 128th in the nation individually by Golfstat. … CU sits 67th in the national Golfstat team rankings.

Western Athletic Conference Men, April 29-May 1 in Henderson, Nev. — Colorado team competing: Denver. … DU placed seventh in its Sun Belt title defense last year, with Chun-Ji Kim finishing fourth individually. … DU recently took second place at its own Desert Shootout. … The Pioneers are ranked 101st in the nation by Golfstat and Golfweek.

American Sky Conference Men, April 29-May 1 in San Antonio — Colorado team competing: Northern Colorado. … UNC was fifth in the conference last year as Steven Kupcho finished sixth individually. Kupcho subsequently had a 2012 summer season that earned him CGA Player of the Year honors. … UNC stands 150th in the Golfstat national rankings.

Mountain West Conference Men, May 3-5 in Tucson, Ariz. — Colorado teams competing: Colorado State and Air Force Academy. … CSU made it to the NCAA regionals last year after advancing to the championship finals in 2011. … In the 2012 MWC Championship, CSU finished fifth and Air Force seventh. … CSU’s Kirby Pettitt placed fifth individually last year in the conference tournament. … Pettitt and teammate Jordan Wetsch won individual titles in the fall of 2012. … CSU’s Parker Edens took third recently in DU’s Desert Shootout. … Air Force won its second team title of the season at the Jackrabbit Invitational in March, with Kyle Westmoreland claiming the individual crown. … Both CSU and Air Force still have one significant tournament remaining before the MWC championship, the Ping Cougar Classic April 26-27 in Provo, Utah. … CSU is ranked 69th nationally by Golfstat, while Air Force is 119th.
 

After a three-month hiatus, the college season is set to resume in February for all the Colorado-based NCAA Division I programs, with the University of Colorado men teeing it up first, next week in Hawaii.

And leading up to the beginning of the spring season, a couple of the local teams have had the good fortune of picking the brains of some of the game’s major champions.

The CU men recently spent several hours with two of the most famous players in program history, three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin and 1986 U.S. Senior Open winner Dale Douglass. Between them, they’ve won 23 PGA Tour events and 56 Champions Tour tournaments.

And David Duval of Cherry Hills Village, winner of 13 PGA Tour events including the 2001 British Open, noted recently on Twitter that he spent a day with the University of Denver team.

All in all, it’s not a bad way to gear up for the spring season.

With the spring schedule culminating in conference championships and potential NCAA regional and national tourneys, the coming months build toward the most crucial point of the season.

With that in mind, here are some notable tidbits about the local Division I college teams — and a few other selected individuals — heading into the spring.

Men’s National Division I Team Rankings:
Colorado State: 59th (Golfstat) and 60th (Golfweek).
Colorado: 66th (Golfstat and Golfweek).
Denver: 98th (Golfweek) and 101st (Golfstat).
Northern Colorado: 131st (Golfstat) and 139th (Golfweek).
Air Force Academy: 152nd (Golfweek) and 159th (Golfstat).

Women’s National Division I Team Rankings:
Denver: 27th (Golfstat), 32nd (Golfweek) and 36th (Coaches).
Colorado: 84th (Golfweek) and 85th (Golfstat).
Colorado State: 120th (Golfstat) and 122nd (Golfweek).
Northern Colorado: 178th (Golfstat) and 188th (Golfweek).

Top National Men’s Individual Rankings:
Michael Lee, Colorado School of Mines: 38th (Golfstat).
Brandon Bingaman, Colorado Mesa: 62nd (Golfstat).
Jason Burstyn, Colorado: 84th (Golfstat) and 145th (Golfweek).
Parker Edens, Colorado State: 162nd (Golfstat) and 258th (Golfweek).
ChunJi Kim, Denver: 178th (Golfstat).
Charlie Laudermilk, Fort Lewis: 185th (Golfstat).

Top National Women’s Individual Rankings:
Tonje Daffinrud, Denver (pictured): 23rd (Golfweek) and 29th (Golfstat).
Jennifer Coleman, Colorado: 82nd (Golfweek) and 86th (Golfstat).
Lindsay McGetrick, North Carolina State and Valor Christian HS: 121st (Golfstat) and 163rd (Golfweek).
Rachael Watton, Denver: 161st (Golfweek) and 216th (Golfstat).

Men’s Spring Season Openers:
Colorado: Feb. 6-8, Hawaii-Hilo Amer Ari Invitational, Hilo, Hawaii.
Denver: Feb. 11-12, Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational, St. George, Utah.
Northern Colorado: Feb. 11-12, Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational, St. George, Utah.
Colorado State: Feb. 20-22, John Burns Intercollegiate, Oahu, Hawaii.
Air Force Academy: Feb. 25-26, Snowman Getaway, Goodyear, Ariz.

Women’s Spring Season Openers:
Colorado: Feb. 11-13, Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.
Northern Colorado: Feb. 11-13, The Lumberjack, Chandler, Ariz.
Denver: Feb. 18-19, Central District Invitational, Parish, Fla.
Colorado State: Feb. 24-25, Westbrook Spring Invitational, Peoria, Ariz.

Chip Shots: Two of the Colorado-based NCAA Division I programs won multi-team tournaments during the fall: Colorado men (Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational) and the Air Force Academy men (Service Academy Championship). … Individual tournament victories were posted by CU’s Jason Burstyn and Jennifer Coleman, and Colorado State’s Jordan Wetsch and Kirby Pettitt. … The University of Denver men and women will play in their one and only Western Athletic Conference Championship in the spring. The Pioneers moved last year from the Sun Belt Conference. The DU women won a record nine straight SBC titles before leaving. The Pioneers will join the Summit League in the 2013-14 school year. … In her last three tournaments of the fall schedule, DU junior Tonje Daffinrud posted three top-10 finishes and was named the WAC’s women’s player of the month for October. … Both the Colorado State men’s and women’s teams are competing this season with new head coaches. Christian Newton took over the men’s squad five months ago, while Susan Jennings is leading the CSU women on an interim basis.