Eighth-seeded Jack Hughes of Aspen defeated top-seeded Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins, winner of last week’s Junior America’s Cup, 5 and 3 in Tuesday afternoon’s quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, 12th-seeded Tyler Severin of Johnstown topped fourth-seeded Connor Jones of Westminster, 3 and 2. And Christopher Kennedy of Aurora, who played in the U.S. Junior Amateur earlier this month, beat second-seeded Jake Welch, winner of the 2018 Colorado Junior Amateur, 3 and 1.

Jack Castiglia of Lakewood, runner-up in this event last year, kept some semblance of order by defeating 11th-seeded Ty Findlow of Lone Tree, 7 and 5.

In Wednesday morning’s semifinals, Hughes will face Severin and Kennedy will meet Castiglia.

On the girls side, most of the favorites made the final four on Tuesday by winning two matches. That includes top-seeded Lauren Lehigh of Loveland, No. 2 Hailey Schalk of Erie and No. 4 Charlotte Hillary of Englewood, along with No. 6 Kaylee Chen of Denver. In the semis, Lehigh will face Hillary and Schalk will play the 14-year-old Chen.

In perhaps the best matchup of Tuesday’s girls quarterfinals, Hillary defeated Katie Berrian of Castle Rock, winner of the girls title in the Colorado Junior Amateur earlier this month, 3 and 2. Hillary is fresh off making the match play round of 32 at the California Women’s Amateur Championship.

Earlier in the day, Hillary beat Natasha Brandy McClain of Denver 9 and 8.

Lehigh and Schalk were teammates — along with Kelsey Webster of Boulder and Emma Bryant of Aurora — last week on the Colorado squad that finished fifth out of 18 at the Girls Junior Americas Cup at Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen. And Hillary and Schalk were partners that made the round of 32 at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball in late April. Schalk won the Colorado Junior Match Play title in 2016.

At the conclusion of Wednesday morning’s boys and girls semifinals, the winners will meet in the afternoon for the Junior Match Play titles.

For the Colorado Junior Match Play brackets, click on the following: BOYS, GIRLS.
 

Meanwhile, the top seven seeds are through to the round of 16 in the girls tournament — the top three via byes and the other four through victories on Monday.

Stewart, fresh off his individual and Colorado team victories in the Junior America’s Cup, scored a 5-and-4 victory over reigning 3A state high school champion Davis Long of Lafayette.

Second-seeded Jake Welch of Highlands Ranch, winner of the Colorado Junior Amateur boys title earlier this month, defeated James Clark of Lamar in 19 holes, winning with a par. And No. 3-seeded Jack Castiglia of Lakewood needed 20 holes to overcome Caleb Busta of Centennial.

On the girls side, the top three sides — Lauren Lehigh of Loveland, Hailey Schalk of Erie and Marie Jordaan of Lakewood — had byes in the round of 32. But fourth-seeded Charlotte Hillary of Englewood, who advanced to the match play round of 32 at last week’s California Women’s Amateur Championship, posted a 5-and-3 win over Kate Griffin of Colorado Springs.

Also among those advancing were girls Colorado Junior Amateur champion Katie Berrian of Castle Rock, who defeated Allie Nocera of Arvada, 4 and 3.

Two rounds of matches — the Sweet 16 and the quarterfinals — will be contested on Tuesday, with the semifinals and finals set for Wednesday.

For the Colorado Junior Match Play brackets, click on the following: BOYS, GIRLS.
 

The championship will run Monday through Wednesday at Plum Creek Golf & Country Club in Castle Rock.

Among those scheduled to compete on the boys side are Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins, who just won the individual title at the boys Junior America’s Cup, and Jake Welch of Highlands Ranch, who won a JGAC major earlier this month, the boys division of the Colorado Junior Amateur.

As for the girls, in the field are two members of last week’s Colorado team at the Girls Junior Americas Cup (Hailey Schalk of Erie and Lauren Lehigh of Loveland); Charlotte Hillary of Cherry Hills Village, who made the match play round of 32 at the California Women’s Amateur Championship; Katie Berrian of Castle Rock, girls winner of the recent Colorado Junior Am; and Eva Pett of Denver, who just finished sixth in the girls 13-14 division of the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships. Schalk won the Colorado Junior Match Play in 2016.

Emma Bryant of Aurora, the 2017 girls Junior Match Play champion, won’t defend her title as she’s competing in the Optimist International in Florida this week.

Round-of-32 matches for both boys and girls at Plum Creek will be contested on Monday, with the round of 16 and the quarterfinals on Tuesday, and the semifinals and finals on Wednesday.

For Monday’s pairings, CLICK HERE.
 

On Wednesday, Welch figuratively used his grappling skills to wrestle away the boys title in the Colorado Junior Amateur from Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins, who threw down the gauntlet in the final round by shooting a 5-under-par 31 on the front nine and a 6-under-par 66 overall at Todd Creek Golf Club in Thornton.

So what did Welch, playing four groups behind Stewart on Wednesday, do in response?

He just posted his best tournament round ever — for the second straight day — by shooting a 66 of his own to overtake Stewart on the back nine and claim the boys championship.

“This week is actually the first time I’ve broken 70 in a tournament,” the 17-year-old said. “To come out and shoot 68 yesterday and 66 today was phenomenal.”

On the girls side, Katie Berrian of Castle Rock did some nifty final-round work of her own to claim the trophy. The 16-year-old rebounded from a second-round 82 with an even-par 72 to emerge from a tightly-packed leaderboard to earn the victory.

“This is one of my biggest wins definitely, especially since it was a three-day tournament. And it was a major championship,” Berrian noted. “I feel really accomplished, and I’m going to celebrate my accomplishment. Now I’m really confident, so I can go into more tournaments feeling like, ‘I did that, so I can do it again.'”

In both the cases of Berrian and Welch, Wednesday marked their first major titles in Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado events. (The champions are pictured together above.)

Welch’s 68-66 in the final two rounds netted him a 10-under-par 206 total and the victory, which he called the biggest of his young career. And to make it even more impressive, Wednesday’s 66 came despite being 2 over par after three holes of the final round. That means he went 8 under par for his last 15 holes.

“On hole 7, my playing partner said, ‘Dillon shot 5 under on the front.’ I was like, ‘Oh Jeez, I’ve got to start making some more birdies,'” said Welch (left). “I had birdied three in a row (4-6) and I birdied No. 8. When I came to the back nine, I knew I was one or two down to Dillon at that point. I told myself to ‘keep hitting good shots. You’re playing well and you’re hitting good putts.'”

Welch, the younger brother of 2015 Colorado Boys Junior Player of the Year Coby Welch, finished the day with nine birdies and three bogeys. And he birdied 16 from 5 feet and 18 from 8 feet following an awkward bunker shot — all after Stewart was finished to break a tie and account for the final margin of victory.

Stewart (bottom), winner of the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior last month, likewise went 68-66 the last two rounds at Todd Creek, checking in at 208 for second place. The future Oklahoma State golfer was 7 under par for the day through 14 holes, but took a double bogey on No. 15 after hitting his second shot into the hazard in front of the green following an errant tee shot into the native grass right of the fairway.

“I played solid and gave myself an opportunity to win,” said Stewart, who will play in the U.S. Junior Amateur next week. “You can’t complain when somebody backs up your 66 with another 66. There’s nothing you can say.”

Welch said he plans on playing college golf — brother Coby is doing so at the University of Northern Colorado — but doesn’t know where yet.

“This will hopefully help” with offers, he said.

Asked if he likes golf or wrestling better, Welch said, “I definitely prefer golf. I’m pretty good at wrestling because we started when we were younger. My dad (Tim) is the head wrestling coach (at Valor). But I definitely think golf is more fun.”

First-round leader TJ Shehee of Mead shared third place at 210 with Ryan Liao of Littleton as both fired 69s on Wednesday.

In the girls tournament, Berrian (left) was two behind entering the final day. But after going 2 over par on the front nine, she played the back in a bogey-free 2 under par, making birdies on 14 and 16. The 16-year-old, who placed third in the 5A girls state high school tournament in May, finished with a 10-over-par 226 total after going 72-82-72.

“Yesterday my alignment was off,” said Berrian, a former 11-13 Colorado Junior Series Champion. “I made a little tweak in my setup. Today on the range I put an alignment stick down, picked a target and dialed it in. It helped me. I was back on the pins today just like the first day.

“I was really focused on my game. I never gave up, even on the front nine where I was 2 over, which wasn’t what I was looking for. But I stayed focused and was patient. I waited for my birdies and I got them, finishing 2 under on the back.

“It was to my advantage that I wasn’t in the final group so that I could focus on me and what I was doing rather than where I was on the leaderboard. I focused yesterday on where I was on the leaderboard and that didn’t really work for me.”

Down the stretch on Wednesday, Berrian birdied the 16th hole, then sank a 10-foot par save on 17 after being over the green. And a 3 1/2-foot par putt on 18 proved crucial as well.

Josie Baker (left) of Sherman Oaks, Calif., a JGAC member who will play her college golf at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland starting in the fall, went 3 over par in four holes Wednesday starting on No. 10 to lose her grip on the lead. She birdied No. 18 to close with a 75, which left her a stroke back of Berrian at 227.

“I definitely have mixed feelings,” said Baker, whose parents are from Colorado and who lives in the Centennial State for a couple of months during the summer. “I thought I played pretty solid all three days. To string together three rounds in the mid-70s is always a pretty good tournment. But obviously I’m disappointed. Today I didn’t hit the ball my best. Obviously, I would have liked to have won. Katie played a great round.”

Marie Jordaan of Lakewood, who shared the lead with Baker and Meghan Vogt of Broomfield after two rounds, finished third at 229 after a final-round 77.

For the scores from the Colorado Junior Amateur, click BOYS, GIRLS.

Shehee fired a 6-under-par 66 to grab a three-stroke advantage among the boys. And Berrian posted an even-par 72 to go up by three in the girls tournament.

The 54-hole Colorado Junior Am, the second major of the year for the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado, will continue through Wednesday.

Shehee made seven birdies and one bogey in the opening round. The 17-year-old played his final 13 holes in 6 under. Shehee finished eighth last month in the year’s first major, the Colorado PGA Championship.

A total of seven boys broke par on Monday. Ryan Liao, a 15-year-old from Littleton, holds second place at 69 after a five-birdie, two-bogey day. Sharing third place at 70 are Jack Hughes of Aspen and Jake Francis of Watkins.

Berrian, who finished third in the 5A girls state high school tournament in May, carded three birdies and three bogeys on Monday to take the top spot among the girls after round 1.

Josie Baker, a JGAC member from Sherman Oaks, Calif., posted a 75 despite a triple bogey on No. 6 to hold second place. Marie Jordaan of Lakewood sits in third place at 76.

For the scores from the Colorado Junior Amateur, click BOYS, GIRLS.

Kelsey Webster graduated from Fairview High School on Sunday, then shot a 1-under-par 71 in front of many friends and family members on her home course Monday in the first day of the 5A girls state high school tournament. And on Tuesday she hopes to add another great memory to put an exclamation mark on her high school golf career.

“I graduated Sunday and had graduation parties on Saturday,” Webster said. “I haven’t been able to respond to text messages it’s been so busy, but it’s been fun. On Wednesday I’ll kick my feet back and watch some movies for sure.”

Possibly as a state champion.

But Regis Jesuit sophomore Katie Berrian has her own hopes for a magical end to the season — in her case in the form of her first high school victory coming in the state tournament. And she’ll take a one-stroke lead over Webster into the final round at Boulder Country Club.

And, of course, there are many others who have dreams of their own going into the final day of the season.

Berrian, who hadn’t shot better than 75 in high school competition this year, fired a 2-under-par 70 on Monday to hold the solo lead at the halfway point of the 5A state meet in Boulder. After a water ball resulted in a bogey on No. 17, she made a 7-foot downhill birdie putt on the treacherous 18th green to cap her round.

Berrian (left) finished with four birdies and two bogeys on the day.

“I was on top of my game,” said Berrian, the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado’s 11-13 Junior Series champion in 2015. “It was fun. I would have been happy with (a season-best score) in a league tournament, but at state it makes me feel even better. I love the course and I knew I would play well. I had a good feeling about it.”

Webster, who estimates she’s played the Boulder Country Club course 150 times in her lifetime, birdied the final hole Monday after three-putting No. 17 for bogey. The 5A Central Regional champion carded four birdies and three bogeys on the day, but wasn’t thrilled with the outcome.

“I’m actually a little bummed,” said Webster, who will play golf at the University of Colorado starting in the fall. “My game feels really good and everything, but things were a little sloppy today. I just made some silly mistakes (including a couple of three-putts on the back nine). It felt like a 5 or 6 under round, but silly mistakes cost me some shots.

“Nothing really felt good today. I’m always happy shooting under par, but it sucks to know (there was a lower score) out there.

“Obviously I wanted to be in the lead going into tomorrow, but being one shot back I think it will give me an edge. I usually play better from behind. It’ll be good if I can clean some things up.”

Webster (left) birdied the first hole from 30 feet, but that wasn’t a sign of things to come with the putter.

“I think on this course my mind is very much in attack mode and that birdies are possible on every single hole here,” she said. “That’s why I’m so bummed because I have made birdies on every single hole of this course.”

Eaglecrest’s Emma Bryant, attempting to become just the second freshman since 2002 to win a Colorado girls state high school title, stands in third place at 73 despite a double-bogey 7 on the final hole. On the previous hole, the 2017 Colorado Junior Match Play champion had drained a 30-foot putt to save par after going in the water.

Defending 5A champion Amy Chitkoksoong of Grandview is among those in a tie for fourth place at 75.

In the team competition, Regis Jesuit (24-over-par 240) holds a one-stroke lead over Grandview and is three ahead of Cherry Creek.
 

Jordaan 1 Up on Schalk in 3A: Caroline Jordaan of Colorado Academy, who posted the lowest score of any Colorado player in regional state-qualifying tournaments, grabbed the lead in the 3A state meet by shooting a 3-under-par 68 at Elmwood Golf Course in Pueblo.

Jordaan’s bogey on the final hole was her only one of the day as she carded four birdies.

Jordaan, who placed third last year at state, will take a one-stroke lead over defending champion Hailey Schalk of Holy Family into the final round. Schalk, who last year became the first freshman since 2002 to win a Colorado girls state high school title, has won every high school tournament in which she’s played over the course of two seasons.

Schalk, the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado’s Girls Player of the Year in 2017, played her last six holes in 4 under par en route to a 69 on Monday. That stretch included an eagle on the 451-yard, par-5 16th hole and a birdie on 18.

Charlotte Hillary of Kent Denver, the 3A runner-up last year, holds third place at 75.

Kent Denver, at 30-over-par 243, holds a six-stroke lead over Colorado Academy in the team standings.

2017 Champ Lehigh Shares Lead in 4A: Three players, including defending champion Lauren Lehigh of Loveland, share the lead after Monday’s opening round of the 4A tournament at the Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs.

Lehigh, a junior who has committed to play her college golf at the University of New Mexico, shot a 7-over-par 78 along with Jessica Zapf of Windsor and Maxine Choi of Cheyenne Mountain.

Those three are five strokes ahead of the next-best player.

In the team competition, Glenwood Springs leads at 47-over-par 260, while Loveland and Windsor are at 264.

For scores from the three state tournaments, CLICK HERE.

There was certainly no lack of highlights to punctuate the CJGA 11-13 Junior Series Championship that concluded on Tuesday at Deer Creek Golf Club in Littleton.

On Monday, the golfer who would end up winning the girls title, Katie Berrian of Castle Rock, shot a 4-under-par 66, the lowest score of her life — by seven strokes.

Then on Tuesday, boys competitor Elijia Harp of Antonito in southern Colorado made the first hole-in-one of his life, acing the 123-yard 16th hole with a pitching wedge.

And, adding an exclamation mark to the tournament overall, Jordan Jennings of Montrose, playing in the same group as Harp, chipped in for birdie from 25 feet on the final hole to claim the boys title by one stroke. It was the first individual CJGA title this season for Jennings (pictured above) after three runner-ups and a two-person team victory.

“I knew I had to chip it in so I pulled out the pin and I played a little check shot and it rolled in,” the 12-year old said. “I was really happy.”

With the hole-out, Jennings edged another Montrose resident, Micah Stangebye, who had posted a 1-under-par 70 just minutes earlier. Jennings’ 73, which included four birdies, gave him an even-par 142 total. Two strokes back of Jennings and one behind Stangebye was Jack Hughes of Snowmass Village, who closed with a 75. That left Western Slope players with a sweep of the top three boys spots.

On the girls side, Berrian’s first-round 66 gave her a four-shot cushion entering the day and a 4-over-par 74 on Tuesday left her with a five-stroke victory. The 13-year-old made two birdies on Tuesday en route to posting an even-par 140 total. It was the fourth CJGA title this year for Berrian (left and below).

“This means a lot,” said the eighth-grader at St. Thomas More Catholic School. “I’ve always wanted to win this since I was 9. Now I finally have the opportunity.”

Hailey Schalk of Erie finished second among the girls despite suffering a quadruple bogey 7 — she hit into the hazard twice on No. 16 — and a double bogey on Tuesday. Schalk carded a 75 to check in at 145. Brittlynn O’Dell of Grand Junction came in third at 148 after a 76 on Tuesday.

Though Berrian played well enough to win on Tuesday, her out-of-the-blue 66 was what set up the victory. On her back nine Monday, she made an eagle and three birdies en route to a 4-under-par 32.

“I’ve never putted like that before,” said Berrian, whose previous best round was a 73. “It was really nice.”

Berrian recently placed a very respectable 15th in the girls 13-14 age group at the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships in Florida. But her Monday round took things to another level.

“I was pretty confident coming into this week,” she said. “I’ve been playing great lately, hitting it good and putting good. But I surprised myself a little (by shooting that score).”

While Berrian had some cushion coming down the stretch on Tuesday, the same wasn’t the case in the boys tournament. Jennings (below) and Hughes were tied going into the 17th hole, but Hughes made bogey after hitting his approach into a bunker on 17 and parred 18. And Stangebye, who had made up four shots on Jennings on holes 14-17 to draw even, fell victim to Jennings’ final-hole chip-in for birdie.

“I’ve qualified for the Optimist (International) twice and the Junior Worlds once, but this is probably my biggest (golf accomplishment),” said Jennings, a seventh-grader at Columbine Middle School in Montrose.

The 11-13 tournament marked the second of three CJGA Junior Series Championships. Last week at The Ranch Country Club, Coby Welch and Mary Weinstein of Highlands Ranch won the titles in the 14-18 age group. And the 10-&-under tournament will take place Wednesday at Boulder Country Club’s Les Fowler Par-3 Course.
 

CJGA 11-13 Junior Series Championship
At Deer Creek GC in Littleton

Boys (Par-71)
Jordan Jennings, Montrose, Colo. 69-73–142
Micah Stangebye, Montrose, Colo. 73-70–143
Jack Hughes, Snowmass Village, Colo. 69-75–144
Elijia Harp, Antonito, Colo. 72-78–150
Ryan Liao, Littleton, Colo. 75-75–150
Christian Agelopoulos, Denver, Colo. 79-74–153
Davis Long, Lafayette, Colo. 74-79–153
Ryan Sangchompuphen, Denver, Colo. 76-78–154
Traejan Andrews, Windsor, Colo. 78-81–159
Thomas Hicks, Denver, Colo. 84-81–165
Supawich Beam Boonta, Centennial, Colo. 84-83–167
Jeffrey Nelson, New Castle, Colo. 86-83–169
Medhaj Shrestha, Golden, Colo. 84-88–172
Jake Chesler, Firestone, Colo. 91-83–174
Zaden Gomez, Westminster, Colo. 89-87–176
 

Girls (Par-70)
Katie Berrian, Castle Rock, Colo. 66-74–140
Hailey Schalk, Erie, Colo. 70-75–145
Brittlynn O’Dell, Grand Junction, Colo. 72-76–148
Marie Jordaan, Cherry Hills Village, Colo. 74-78–152
Amisha Singh, Greenwood Village, Colo. 82-71–153
Charlotte Hillary, Cherry Hills Village, Colo. 77-86–163
Emma Bryant, Denver, Colo. 84-83–167
Anju Ogi, Arvada, Colo. 85-91–176
Sofia Choi, Littleton, Colo. 88-90–178
Katelyn Lehigh, Loveland, Colo. 94-85–179