On Sunday, two of the most prominent success stories from Colorado junior golf over the last several decades showed their stuff on national stages.

Mark Hubbard, winner of the CGA Junior Stroke Play and Junior Match Play in 2007, finished 26th in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, marking his fourth top-30 showing of the season on the PGA Tour.

And Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe, who likewise won the CGA Junior Stroke Play and Junior Match Play, finished sixth in just his third start on the PGA Tour Champions circuit, at the Chubb Classic.

With that as a backdrop, Colorado junior golf took another big step forward on Tuesday as details of a new alliance were announced at the G4 Summit of industry leaders at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.

The CGA and Colorado PGA, which last fall announced plans to join forces to bolster junior golf in the state, unveiled the name for their joint venture — the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado — and the alliance’s logo and tagline (#jackedforjrgolf). In addition, the alliance’s website, juniorgolfcolorado.org, will be fully launched early next month, though some relevant basic information is on the site currently.

The alliance also opened tournament registration for the junior golf schedule which for the first time features four major championships and more than 70 events overall (CLICK HERE for schedule). The first events on the 2016 schedule are set for April 16-17 in Colorado Springs. With the help of the CWGA, a contributing partner for the alliance, the four junior majors will feature divisions for both boys and girls.

Golfers must be a member of the JGAC to sign up for events. A membership costs $100. Some of the benefits of that membership include a GHIN handicap number, college preparation counseling, volunteer opportunities, and rounds of free golf.

The junior alliance will have events both for top-level players — including a Junior Tour which will feature the four junior majors — as well as for up-and-coming golfers through the development Junior Series. In short, there will be tournaments and events for players of all ages (starting at 6) and abilities.

“This is going to be huge,” said Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Alan Abrams (left), the first president for the alliance and a past recipient of the national Junior Golf Leader award from the PGA of America. “This is going to be great for our juniors, parents and grandparents. It’s going to be great for the game. And it’s going to be a win-win for those of those in golf.

“This is very historic for the state of Colorado. … I’m jacked for junior golf.”

Several Colorado junior golfers from years past who have gone on to success professionally will be lending their names to the JGAC cause, including Hubbard; Becca Huffer, a former CWGA Player of the Year and three-time Junior Player of the Year who went on to win the CoBank Colorado Women’s Open; and Kelly Jacques, a two-time CWGA Junior Player of the Year who competed in five events on the LPGA Tour in 2013. Both Huffer and Jacques qualified for and played in the U.S. Women’s Open in 2012. Huffer has played on the Symetra Tour in recent years, while Jacques works for Golf Channel.

The new Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado website, juniorgolfcolorado.org, will, when fully functional, include registration for Junior Tour and Junior Series events, and information on the PGA Junior League; the Colorado PGA Golf in Schools program, which exposes school kids to the game through P.E. classes; the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy; the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship; the First Tee and much more. Basically, it’s a clearinghouse for all things junior golf in Colorado.

The alliance also offers a “player development pathway” which can help a junior golfer identify more playing opportunities based on his or her skill level. That includes programs such as Golf in Schools, PGA Junior League, Drive Chip & Putt, instructional camps, clinics and more.

All in all, the idea is to streamline, improve and expand the junior golf experience in Colorado.

A further rollout of the junior golf alliance to the general public will take place this weekend at the Denver Golf Expo, set for Friday through Sunday (Feb. 19-21) at the Denver Mart (58th and I-25).

The logo for the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado was designed by Adrenalin, the same company that came up with the logos for the CGA that were unveiled a year ago. Adrenalin, Inc., a branding, marketing and design agency based in Denver, has also done logos and other services for the Phoenix (now Arizona) Coyotes of the NHL and the University of Denver.
 

Next spring, for the first time since 2001, Colorado girls high school golf will add a classification, going from two to three. A 3A state tournament will be added to the existing ones for 5A and 4A.

Girls golf in the state had just one classification from 1990 through 2000, after which separate 5A and 4A meets were held.

Over the first quarter-century of sanctioned girls high school golf in Colorado, six players have won two or more state titles: Ashley Tait of Mullen (3), Lynn Ann Moretto of Cherry Creek (3), Becca Huffer of Littleton (2), Jennifer McCormick of Columbine (2), Kelly Jacques of Skyline (2) and Emily Wood of Salida (2).

Which brings us to this year. Senior Jennifer Kupcho (above) of Jefferson Academy is a big favorite to become multi-champion No. 7. Seeing that she won last year’s 4A state tournament by 14 strokes — one of the largest margins in state history — someone would have to pull off a major upset to beat her when next week’s 4A meet takes place at River Valley Ranch Golf Club in Carbondale.

Kupcho has been a significant force in Colorado women’s/girls golf for several years, but particularly in the last year. The Wake Forest signee became the youngest CWGA Player of the Year of the new millennium (17) in 2014. Last year, she won three CWGA championships, a couple of major CJGA titles and the state high school crown. She also qualified for two USGA national championships and finished second in the HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open.

And just this week, she teamed up with Gillian Vance of Dakota Ridge — who will compete in the 5A state meet at the Olde Course in Loveland — to advance to the round of 32 at the inaugural U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship in Oregon.

As for Kupcho’s high school career, it wouldn’t have taken much for her to be going for her fourth state title when she tees it up in Carbondale. She finished third in the state meet in 2012 as a freshman, ending up a stroke out of a playoff. And in 2013, she placed second, two behind champion Kala Keltz of Montrose.

As it is, a win next week would give Kupcho one of the best high school careers in state history, with two victories, a second and a third.

Meanwhile, Kylee Sullivan has enjoyed a different kind of success at the 4A state meet. She’s led Cheyenne Mountain to state team championships each of the last two years while finishing fifth individually in 2014 and sixth in 2013.

Other players that are likely to be on the leaderboard in Carbondale are Emilee Strausburg of D’Evelyn (third in 2014), Courtney Ewing of Pueblo West (fourth last year), Erin Sargent of Silver Creek (sixth in 5A last year and a 2014 U.S. Girls’ Junior qualifier along with Kupcho, Vance and Jaclyn Murray), and 4A Western Regional champion Kiselya Plewe of Dolores (sixth in 2014).
 

5A State Tournament at Olde Course: The 5A state meet at the Olde Course in Loveland figures to be a very competitive affair as a half-dozen top-10 finishers from 2014 are back.

Vance, who has signed with the University of Colorado, has posted top-15 finishes each of the last two years and went to the U.S. Girls’ Junior in 2014. Morgan Sahm of Grandview, the 5A Central Regional champion, has been in the top 10 each of the past two seasons and she qualified for the 2012 U.S. Women’s Amateur Publinks as a 14-year-old. Sydney Gillespie of Regis Jesuit, another 2015 regional champ, is going for four straight top-10s at state (including in 4A as a freshman). Brigham Young University signee Anna Kennedy of Legend, the Southern Regional winner, placed third at state last year, making her the highest returnee. And Murray from Regis, a 2014 U.S. Girls’ Junior qualifier, might also make some noise.

Defending team champion Regis will go for its fourth state team title in six years as it won in Class 4A in 2010 and ’12.

Monday Tee Times for State Tournaments: 5A, 4A.

Regional Champions: Here are the team and individual champions from the recent 5A and 4A regional state-qualifying tournaments:

5A Southern Regional (held at Heritage Eagle Bend) — Team: Cherry Creek; Individual: Anna Kennedy, Legend.

5A Western (Fox Hollow) — Team: Legacy; Individual: Andrea Hoos, Legacy.

5A Northern (Heather Ridge) — Team: Regis Jesuit; Individual: Sydney Gillespie, Regis.

5A Central (CommonGround) — Team: Grandview; Individual: Morgan Sahm, Grandview.

4A Colorado Springs (CC of Colorado) — Team: Cheyenne Mountain; Individual: Kylee Sullivan, Cheyenne Mountain.

4A Metro-West (Raccoon Creek) — Team: Colorado Academy; Individual: Jennifer Kupcho, Jefferson Academy.

4A Northern (Boomerang) — Team: Northridge; Individual: Adara Pauluhn, Niwot.

4A Southern (Hollydot) — Team: Pueblo West; Individual: Brooke Lucero, Rye.

4A Western (Cobble Creek) — Team: Montrose; Individual: Kiselya Plewe, Dolores.
 

Colorado-based fans of big-time women’s golf have had the opportunity to see LPGA Tour events up close and in person twice in the last three years and three times since 2005.

In the coming week, several Coloradans would like nothing more than to join the big show and be inside the ropes in 2014.

The third and final stage of LPGA Tour qualifying for this year will be held Wednesday through Sunday (Dec. 4-8) in Daytona Beach, Fla. A field of 153 players will tee it up on two courses, with the top 20 finishers after five rounds earning Category 12 status on the 2014 LPGA Tour, and the next 25 and ties gaining conditional status.

The field will be cut to the low 70 and ties after four rounds, with all those who make the cut being guaranteed of at least Symetra Tour status in 2014.

Four players with strong Colorado ties will be in the field: Kelly Jacques, who grew up in Longmont; Dawn Shockley, who grew up in Estes Park; Ashley Tait (pictured above), who grew up in Littleton; and Stephanie Sherlock, who, like Shockley, is a former University of Denver golfer. Also competing is Birdie Kim, who won the 2005 U.S. Women’s Open at Cherry Hills Country Club just south of Denver.

Two of the four local players have held LPGA Tour cards. Sherlock just completed her third straight year on the circuit, but she made just five cuts in 2012 and ’13 combined. She had a solid rookie campaign in 2011, surviving five cuts and earning almost $38,000.

And Jacques (pictured at left) was a rookie on the LPGA Tour in 2013, but only competed in five events because of her conditional-status finish in last year’s Q-school. (She tied for 17th place, but lost out in a playoff.) In her five LPGA Tour events, she made one cut, finishing 58th in the Marathon Classic.

Meanwhile, Shockley and Tait made it to the final stage of Q-school by virute of top-80 finishes in stage II, which featured 194 players. Shockley placed 45th in that tournament, while Tait was 56th.

Shockley, winner of the 2009 NCAA East Regional title while at DU, has split her time between the Ladies European Tour and the U.S.-based Symetra Tour the last couple of years.

Jacques and Tait had stellar records in junior golf in Colorado a decade ago. Jacques won two 5A state high school titles while at Skyline, and swept the major CWGA junior championships in 2002. Tait claimed three 4A state high school titles at Mullen, and won the 2003 CWGA Junior Stroke Play and the 2008 CWGA Stroke Play.

Among the other players in the LPGA qualifying tournament field this week are North Dakota State graduate Amy Anderson, the all-time victory leader in women’s college golf with 20, and Cheyenne Woods, Tiger’s niece. Anderson won the second stage qualifying tournament by six strokes.
 

This year is no exception, but at least a couple of competitors in this week’s tournament have already made some history in the game.

When the 19th annual Women’s Open is played Wednesday through Friday (Sept. 4-6) at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver, two of the most well-known players will be Kimberly Kim and Amy Anderson.

Kim (pictured) won the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 2006 at the age of 14 years, 11 months and 21 days, becoming the youngest champion in the history of the event, which was first played in 1895. And she still holds that distinction to this day.

Kim went on to play one season of college golf at the University of Denver before turning pro. She competed on the LPGA Tour in 2011, but lost her card after one season.

Anderson, meanwhile, this year completed a college career at North Dakota State in which she established the women’s NCAA Division I record with 20 career victories, breaking the old mark of 17 set by Juli Inkster at San Jose State.

Anderson, the 2009 U.S. Girls’ Junior champion, turned pro a few months ago and last week easily played well enough in the first stage of LPGA Tour qualifying to earn a berth in the second of three stages.

“Being a professional golfer and making it on the LPGA has always been a goal of mine,” Anderson told the Bismarck (N.D.) Tribune. “I’ve been incredibly blessed. I’ve had a lot of success in the past and that’s good for my confidence. I can draw from that in the future.”

While Kim and Anderson have achieved more notoriety than most, there are plenty of other competitors in the Colorado Women’s Open who have impressive credentials.

Among them are two-time Colorado state high school champion Kelly Jacques, who is conditionally exempt on the LPGA Tour this year; fully-exempt 2013 LPGA Tour players Kris Tamulis and Ashli Bunch; Ladies European Tour member Dawn Shockley; former LPGA card-holder Katie Kempter; former Colorado collegians Emily Childs and Alex Stewart, who last week earned berths in the second stage of LPGA Q-school; two-time state high school champ Becca Huffer, twice a runner-up in the Colorado Women’s Open; Emily Talley, who is playing in two of Golf Channel’s “Big Break” competitions this year; University of Denver senior Tonje Daffinrud, recently named by Golf World magazine one of the top 50 female college players to watch this coming season; and former Colorado Women’s Open champions Erin Houtsma and Joy Trotter.

The Colorado Women’s Open will feature a total of purse of $73,000, with $55,000 up for grabs in the championship and $18,000 in the concurrent pro-am. The low professional will receive $11,000.

Traditionally played early in the season, the Women’s Open switched dates with the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open this year in hopes that both would attract better fields.
 

It happens at the start of every year in football, baseball, basketball and other team sports, but it’s certainly there for golf as well.

The bottom line is, when everyone begins fresh, hope springs eternal.

This week will mark the first event of 2013 for tour players with major Colorado ties. Specifically, Kent Denver High School graduate Kevin Stadler and one-time Golden resident Andrew Svoboda are entered in the Sony Open, the first full-field tournament of the season on the PGA Tour. The event is scheduled for Thursday through Sunday (Jan. 10-13) in Honolulu, Hawaii.

As a Colorado-oriented preview for the 2013 season on the various tours around the world, it’s worth taking a look at the changes in store for some of the top players with in-state ties. We’ll also examine which local golfers may be on the verge of bigger things.

For a regularly-updated list of local golfers on the world’s top tours — and how they’re faring, CLICK HERE.

Moving Up in the World

— Former Longmont resident Kelly Jacques (pictured) earned an LPGA Tour card for the first time, though she’ll only have conditional status in 2013. The two-time Colorado girls state high school champion landed her tour card by finishing 17th in the final stage of LPGA Tour qualifying last month. Jacques appeared on Golf Channel’s “Big Break Ireland” in 2011, and qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open last year.

— One-time Golden resident Andrew Svoboda gained his PGA Tour card for the first time by finishing among the top 25 on the season-long Web.com Tour money list in 2012. By earning $203,717 on the Web.com last year — his third straight season on that circuit — Svoboda placed 21st on the 2012 money rankings.

— Former University of Denver golfer Espen Kofstad landed a spot on the 2013 European Tour in stellar fashion by winning the 2012 money title on the European Challenge Tour. Kofstad won twice on the Challenge Tour last year, including the season-ending Apulia San Domenico Grand Final. After the first two events of the “2013” European Tour season, which actually began in December, Kofstad ranks 37th on the money list.

— Sue Kim, who played just one semester at DU before turning pro, will be a rookie on the LPGA Tour in 2013, though she only has a conditional exemption. She earned that status by finishing 32nd in the final stage of tour qualifying after placing 23rd on the Symetra money list in 2012.

— One-time Castle Rock resident Esteban Toledo turned 50 in September and earned a spot on the Champions Tour by placing fourth in the final stage of qualifying. Toledo won more than $3.7 million in his PGA Tour career and another $900,000 (with a victory) on the Web.com Tour.

Moving Down

— Shane Bertsch of Parker missed regaining his fully-exempt status on the PGA Tour by two strokes in the final stage of qualifying last month. Bertsch will still get some PGA Tour starts in 2013, but the majority of his time figures to be spent on the Web.com Tour, where he’s won twice in his career.

On the Mend

— Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe will begin 2013 on the PGA Tour’s major medical extension list. After sitting out the last half of 2012 with a herniated disc in his neck, the Kent Denver High School graduate must earn at least $303,178 in his first 10 starts of the year to retain his fully-exempt status on Tour.

— David Duval of Cherry Hills Village was sidelined for much of the fall after breaking a toe on his right foot while chasing his kids early in September. But he did return in mid-December to finish fourth — along with stepson Nick Karavites — in the PNC Father-Son Challenge. Once again, Duval will rely on his past-champions status and sponsor exemptions to get into Tour events.

Looking to Take the Next Step

— Former Colorado State University golfer Martin Laird owns two PGA Tour victories, but he hasn’t won in 22 months. And after five career runner-ups, he’d like to get back into the win category soon.

— Kent Denver High School graduate Kevin Stadler will turn 33 years old next month and has won more than $6 million on the PGA Tour, but he’d like nothing better than to break through for his first Tour victory. So far, his best finishes in 208 Tour starts are two second places.

— Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Steve Jones is 54 years old, but has played in just 22 Champions Tour events after having his career derailed by elbow problems. After finishing 11th in the final stage of qualifying in November, the former University of Colorado golfer has conditional status in 2013. A victory by the 1996 U.S. Open champion would solve a lot of issues.

— Former University of Denver golfer Stephanie Sherlock will be starting her third year on the LPGA Tour after finishing 10th in the final stage of qualifying last month. But she has yet to post a top-10 showing in any official LPGA Tour event, so that should be a high priority.
 

With the year drawing to a close, it’s time to play one final 18. In this case, we’ll run down the top 18 Colorado golf stories of 2012, then throw in some honorable-mention selections at the end.

And just for the sake of a little suspense, we’ll start with the 18th-biggest story.

18. Woodard Inducted into National Black Golf Hall of Fame, Voted into Colorado Golf Hall of Fame: 2012 was a big year for longtime Coloradan Tom Woodard, now the director of golf for the Foothills Park & Recreation District. In March, he was inducted into the National Black Golf Hall of Fame, then in October he was voted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, along with fellow Colorado PGA professional Alan Abrams and Jimmy Vickers. COLORADO GOLF HALL OF FAME FULL STORY, NATIONAL BLACK GOLF HALL OF FAME FULL STORY

17. Tourney Routs by Eaton, Humerickhouse: There were a couple of lopsided state tournament victories that went beyond the norm. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton prevailed by 16 shots in the CWGA Senior Stroke Play at the course on which she grew up, Greeley Country Club. STORY And in winning his third straight CGA Mid-Amateur, Keith Humerickhouse was a dozen shots ahead of the runner-up, marking the biggest margin in the event since 1991. STORY Then Humerickhouse put an exclamation mark on the year by proposing to his girlfriend in the midst of his acceptance speech for the CGA Mid-Amateur Player of the Year award.

16. A Lucky Seven Straight for Kent Denver: Kent Denver, coached by Bob Austin, set a Colorado record by winning its seventh consecutive state high school boys team championship, this time in Class 3A. STORY 

15. Bertsch, Jacques, Huffer ‘Open’ the Door: Three Coloradans qualified for the top USGA championship for their respective gender. Shane Bertsch of Parker earned a U.S. Open berth for the first time since 1998. STORY And Becca Huffer and Kelly Jacques made it through qualifying at the Broadmoor to punch their tickets to their first U.S. Women’s Open. STORY Then in December, Jacques joined former University of Denver golfer Stephanie Sherlock in earning LPGA Tour status in 2013. STORY

14. Jones Joining Nicholson in Colorado Sports Hall of Fame: Former USGA president Will Nicholson Jr., was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in April. STORY And after being voted in in October, 1996 U.S. Open champion Steve Jones, a former University of Colorado golfer, will follow suit in the spring of 2013. STORY

13. Ringsby Hits the National Stage: Calli Ringsby of Cherry Hills Village had a memorable 2012 tournament season. She swept both the CWGA Junior Stroke Play STORY and Junior Match Play titles. Then she was one of just four American girls selected to compete in the USA-China Youth Golf Match. STORY

12. Lee Adds Still More Variety to Her Accomplishments: With a nine-shot victory in the CWGA Stroke Play, Somin Lee became just the second player in history to win the CWGA Junior Stroke Play, Junior Match Play, Stroke Play and Match Play. Lee joined Wendy Werley as the only golfers to capture all four of those titles during their careers. STORY

11. Colorado PGA Keeps its Streak Going: For the sixth and seventh time in six years, the Colorado PGA earned national awards from the PGA of America. Dale Smigelsky, the director of golf at Collindale Golf Club in Fort Collins, was named PGA Merchandiser of the Year for Public Facilities, while George Kahrhoff, head professional at The Country Club at Castle Pines in Castle Rock, earned the Merchandiser award for private facilities. STORY The Colorado PGA also was among the national leaders in the “Get Golf Ready” initiative in which PGA and LPGA professionals teach people everything they’ll need to know to play golf with confidence — in five lessons, usually for $99 total. The idea is to bring new and former golfers into the game as seamlessly as possible in a no-pressure environment.

10. Tolan Doubles Up in Colorado Open: Coloradan Derek Tolan won his second HealthOne Colorado Open in the last four years, this time rallying after trailing by four strokes with six holes to play. STORY

9. Bermel Departs CSU After 13 Years: After 13 successful years at the helm of the Colorado State University men’s team, Jamie Bermel resigned to take the same job at the University of Kansas. Bermel’s teams went to the NCAA regional tournament in 12 of his 13 years, and in 2011 the Rams earned a berth in the NCAA Finals for just the second time in program history. Overall, the Rams won 18 multi-team tournaments in Bermel’s tenure, including two conference titles. Former national assistant coach of the year Christian Newton succeeded Bermel at CSU. STORY

8. Near Miss in College Finale for Knous: Colorado School of Mines golfer Jim Knous finished up his college career with a flourish. After leading most of the final round of the NCAA Division II national finals, Knous finished second, losing in a playoff. STORY

7. Mallon, Neumann Will Lead the Way at Colorado Golf Club: The leadership of the competing teams for the 2013 Solheim Cup matches that will be played at Colorado Golf Club in Parker was set early this year. Meg Mallon, winner of 18 LPGA Tour events in her career, will captain the U.S. squad, while 1988 U.S. Women’s Open champion Liselotte Neumann will be her European counterpart. STORY 

6. CU Women Score NCAA Breakthrough in Colorado: An NCAA women’s regional golf tournament was held in Colorado for the first time, and the University of Colorado took advantage of its host role at Colorado National by advancing to the NCAA Finals for the first time in program history. STORY

5. Kupcho Rallies from 9 Down in Final Round to Win CGA Stroke Play: After starting the final round nine strokes out of the lead and in 16th place, Steven Kupcho posted one of the biggest final-round rallies ever by a winner of the CGA Stroke Play. His final-round 66 at Fort Collins Country Club gave him the title as a 19-year-old. STORY

4. Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy Debuts: The CGA and CWGA launched a unique initiative to promote the use of caddies and foster candidates for the Evans Caddie Scholarship at the University of Colorado. The Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy at CommonGround Golf Course — which is owned and operated by the CGA and CWGA — provides a powerful incentive to use caddies by paying all of their base fees. The program’s mission is to use caddying and the game of golf to help kids learn how to succeed in life. STORY

3. Stacy Gains Spots in World Golf Hall of Fame: Part-time Colorado resident Hollis Stacy earned one of golf’s biggest honors by being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Stacy, who lives in Lakewood during the summer, won 18 times on the LPGA Tour, but particularly excelled in USGA events. She won three U.S. Women’s Opens and three U.S. Girls’ Juniors. STORY

2. Austin Departing Powerful USGA Executive Committee: Not many women preceded Coloradan Christie Austin as a member of the USGA Executive Committee, one of golf’s most powerful governing bodies. But after six years in that role, Austin will be stepping down in February. STORY 

1. U.S. Amateur a Hit in Colorado: The U.S. Amateur was held in Colorado for just the fourth time, with Cherry Hills hosting and CommonGround being the second stroke-play course. The week started with Jack Nicklaus, winner of 18 major championships and two U.S. Amateurs, playing the role of spectator as son Gary competed. It continued with two players with strong Colorado ties — Michael Schoolcraft and Justin Spray — qualifying for match play. And it ended with largely unheralded and 63rd-seeded Tennesseean Steven Fox winning a final in 37 holes after being 2 down with two holes left. Fox (pictured above with his dad Alan) was the the highest-seeded player to win the U.S. Amateur since the USGA began the seeding process in 1985. About 4,500 fans attended the final day, one of the largest totals in recent U.S. Amateurs. STORY

Honorable Mention: Former University of Colorado athlete Hale Irwin followed the likes of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson in receiving the Nicholson Award given for a lifetime of commitment and dedication to the game of golf. Later in the year, the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program was launched, with the initiative designed to nurture the budding careers of exceptional young golfers in the state. … After Ray Makloski won the CGA Senior Match Play in May, son Jimmy claimed a CGA title of his own (the Junior Stroke Play) in June. Later in the year, University of Denver golfer Andy Yang qualified for the U.S. Amateur shortly after sister Jennifer advanced to the U.S. Women’s Amateur. … Former college hockey standout David Delich won the CGA Senior Stroke Play the week after placing second in the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open, which marked the best finish by an amateur in that event since 1999. … Despite dozens and dozens of entrants both years, Lone Tree Golf Club repeated as champion in the season-long CGA Team InterClub Championship. … Nicole Zhang made it to the semifinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur after qualifying for the event in Colorado. … At age 14, Jordan Sahm of Centennial qualified for U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship. … Cherry Creek’s Mackenzie Cohen, who shot 93 in the first round of the 5A state tourney in 2011, posted a score 26 strokes better in the final round of this year’s meet en route to an improbable victory. … Six-time CGA Player of the Year Rick DeWitt, who had never before competed in an event on the PGA, Champions or Web.com Tours, qualified for the U.S. Senior Open.
 

With that in mind, we’ve made our list and checked it twice, so it’s time to dole out our annual Colorado golf-related holiday gift wishes.

To: Golfers and course operators. Gift: The perfect combination of precipitation to keep courses healthy, and plenty of good-weather days when we can get out on the links — even during the winter.

To: CGA Mid-Amateur Player of the Year Keith Humerickhouse. Gift: A wedding as memorable as the proposal to your girlfriend, made during your Mid-Amateur Player of the Year speech at the Colorado Golf Awards Brunch.

To: The Colorado PGA. Gift: A standing annual reservation at Maggiano’s Little Italy restaurant in Orlando, where Section members will be celebrating again next month after the sixth straight year one (or two) of your own has won a PGA of America national award.

To: The Colorado Open Championships. Gift: That your switch of dates for the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open and the HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open leads to another comeback by John Elway, this time in the form of him returning to compete in the Senior Open at Green Valley Ranch.

To: Meg Mallon. Gift: Your American team regaining the Solheim Cup in August at Colorado Golf Club in Parker — and in a crowd-pleasing down-to-the-wire finish.

To: Steven Kupcho and Somin Lee. Gift: May earning Colorado amateur Player of the Year honors before turning 20 lead to great success as adults.

To: The Game of Golf. Gift: After dropping marginally in popularity, may you thrive again, to the point that you influence all the more lives in positive ways.

To: Coloradan Christie Austin. Gift: That you get as many hours of enjoyment out of playing the game as you put in as a USGA Executive Committee member.

To: The Denver and Southern Colorado Golf Expos. Gift: Packed houses in launching a stellar 2013 golf season.

To: Former University of Colorado athlete Hale Irwin. Gift: At age 67, becoming the oldest player to win a Champions Tour event.

To: Those who have never had the pleasure. Gift: Playing a round of golf with a well-trained, courteous caddie. It’s the way the game was meant to be played.

To: The Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy at CommonGround Golf Course. Gift: Plenty of golfers willing to give caddies a leg up.

To: Local College Golf Coaches. Gift: A prized berth in the NCAA Championship Finals.

To: Former CU golfer Steve Jones. Gift: After all you’ve gone through injury/ailment-wise, a Champions Tour victory to go along with your eight PGA Tour wins.

To: Two-time state high school champion Kelly Jacques, who grew up in Longmont. Gift: Keeping that hard-earned LPGA Tour card over the long haul.

To: Kent Denver High School graduate Kevin Stadler. Gift: After more than 200 PGA Tour starts, a victory on golf’s top circuit.

To: Aurora resident Mark Wiebe. Gift: A sixth straight year in the top 30 on the Champions Tour money list.

To: Former University of Denver golfer Espen Kofstad. Gift: A year after winning the European Challenge Tour money title, a spot in the top 50 on the European Tour money list.

To: Two-time HealthOne Colorado Open champion Derek Tolan. Gift: Eleven years after playing in the U.S. Open as a 16-year-old, a return trip as an adult.

To: The CGA, CWGA, Colorado PGA and other leaders in Colorado Golf. Gift: Seeing all your efforts to grow the game begin to bear fruit.

To: All golfers, including sandbaggers. Gift: May your handicap drop by five in the new year.

That makes this an ideal time to look back on how tour players with major Colorado connections fared this year. Specifically, let’s pinpoint the top 10 tour highlights of 2012 from the perspective of the participating local players:

1. Hallberg Fires 63 En Route to Second Place at the Senior British Open: Gary Hallberg (pictured) of Castle Rock had one of the most memorable rounds of the year on the Champions Tour en route to finishing second in the Senior British Open at Turnberry, Scotland in July.

Hallberg’s 7-under-par 63 in very windy conditions at Turnberry was the best score of the second round — by five strokes. He finished two shots behind champion Fred Couples in the senior major.

How good was Hallberg’s 63?

“I think Gary’s 63 is the round of the year,” Bernhard Langer said. “Shooting 7 under today is like 10 or 11 under on a decent day. That’s how good it was and I take my hat off to him.”

Added Tom Lehman: “When I saw Gary’s score going on the board I thought, ‘Wow! Did he play the par-3 course across the road?’ He’s a bit of a character, so nothing surprises me what he might shoot.”

With six top-10 finishes for the year, Hallberg ended up a career-best 20th on the Champions Tour money list.

Adding even more local flavor to the Senior British Open was Aurora’s Mark Wiebe finishing sixth after taking eighth in the U.S. Senior Open earlier in July.

2. Kofstad Wins European Challenge Tour Money Title: While it may not have made a big ripple for American golf fans, former University of Denver golfer Espen Kofstad’s finish to the European Challenge Tour season is certainly worthy of note.

The Challenge Tour is the European equivalent of the Web.com Tour, and Kofstad used it to punch his ticket to the 2013 European Tour.

Kofstad won twice on the 2012 Challenge Tour, and the second of those gave him the Tour’s season-long money title with 131,099 euros.

The now-25-year-old Norwegian golfer posted a 19-under-par 265 total in late October to win by one in the Apulia San Domenico Grand Final in Savelletri, Italy. Kofstad went bogey-free over the final two rounds.

Kofstad will be a rookie on the European Tour in 2013.

3. Laird Runner-Up in Players Championship: Former Colorado State University golfer Martin Laird nearly scored the biggest victory of his career in May.

Laird finished second in the Players Championship, arguably the most important tournament outside the majors. He ended up two two strokes behind champion Matt Kuchar, the same player who beat Laird in a playoff at the Barclays in 2010.

It was Laird’s second runner-up showing of the 2012 PGA Tour season. He also placed second in the season-opening Tournament of Champions.

4. Irwin Posts Another Top-5 in Champions Tour Major: Former University of Colorado athlete Hale Irwin turned 67 in June, but that didn’t keep the all-time Champions Tour winner from contending in one of the circuit’s top events.

With a third-place performance in the Senior PGA Championship in late May, the three-time U.S. Open champion posted his third top-five finish in a Champions Tour major since turning 65.

5. Stadlers, Father and Son, Come Up Big on Same Day: On Aug. 5, Evergreen resident Craig Stadler and son Kevin, a Kent Denver High School graduate, both recorded top-11 finishes on major tours.

Craig placed seventh in the Champions Tour 3M Championship in Blaine, Minn. — matching his best showing on the circuit since August 2009 — while Kevin was 11th in the Reno-Tahoe Open Stableford event in Nevada.

6. Kevin Stadler Makes a Run in the Tour Playoffs: Kevin Stadler began the PGA Tour playoffs with a flurry late in the summer, finishing 10th in both of the first two playoff events, The Barclays and the Deutsche Bank Championship.

For the year, Stadler posted five top-10 finishes, including a fourth in April’s RBC Heritage, which marked his best Tour performance since August 2009.

Stadler finished a career-best 54th on the 2012 Tour money list.

7. Wiebe’s Ace Helps Him to Second Straight Top-3 Finish: Mark Wiebe of Aurora had an October to remember on the Champions Tour. He recorded two straight top-three showings on the circuit, in the SAS Championship and in his title defense at the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn.

At Rock Barn, Wiebe helped his cause with a first-round hole-in-one.

Wiebe finished 23rd on the 2012 money list, meaning he’s placed in the top 30 each of the five Champions Tour seasons in which he’s played a full schedule.

8. Sherlock, Jacques Earn 2013 LPGA Tour Cards: At the LPGA Tour’s final stage of qualifying, which concluded this month, former University of Denver golfer Stephanie Sherlock regained fully-exempt status on the LPGA Tour, while former Longmont resident Kelly Jacques earned status on the circuit for the first time.

Sherlock, an LPGA Tour player since the start of 2011, finished 10th in the final stage of Q-school, while Jacques tied for 17th then lost in a playoff that could have earned her fully-exempt status.

Jacques, a two-time Colorado state high school champion, earlier this year qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open.

9. Svoboda Gains PGA Tour Card Through Web.com Money List: One-time Golden resident Andrew Svoboda rode two runner-up finishes on the Web.com Tour in the period from February through April to earn a PGA Tour card for the first time.

With the top 25 players on the Web.com money list landing PGA Tour exemptions, Svoboda finished 21st with more than $200,000.

10. Jones Makes Inroads on Champions Tour: Former University of Colorado golfer Steve Jones didn’t make his Champions Tour debut until he was 52 — due to a severe case of tennis elbow — but he’s been making steady progress on the circuit.

Jones, who grew up in Yuma, Colo., finished 13th in the First Tee Open in July, marking his best showing ever in an official Champions Tour event. Then he gained conditional status on the 2013 Champions Tour by finishing 11th in last month’s national qualifying tournament.
  

When Jacques (pictured at left) landed a spot on “Big Break Ireland” last year, it led to an opening of the floodgates for her golf career.

Besides receiving some national and international exposure on the golf skills show, Jacques has seen her golf fortunes improve immeasurably over the last year and a half, and particularly the last six months.

She finished third in the 2012 HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open, qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open and posted three top-20 showings on the Symetra Tour.

And then there’s the biggest development. On Sunday, the former Longmont resident earned conditional status on the 2013 LPGA Tour thanks to finishing 17th in the final stage of qualifying in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Though Jacques birdied the final hole of regulation from 15 feet to move into the top 20, she lost in a seven-person playoff for the final four full exemptions available. The playoff lasted five holes — a three-hole aggregate, then sudden death — and Jacques’ even-par total wasn’t good enough to join the top 20, who receive “Category 12” exempt status.

Instead, she’ll get the Category 17 status given to the players who finish between 21st and 45th (and ties).

“I’m excited to have some status, but it stings” to fall just short of a full exemption, Jacques said in a phone interview Sunday night.

Meanwhile, former University of Denver golfer Stephanie Sherlock landed a Category 12 spot.

Sherlock, who’s played the LPGA Tour each of the last two years, finished 10th in the qualifying finals, as a final-round 74 left her at 5-under-par 355 in the five-round tournament. She earned $2,250.

Jacques, who opened with a double bogey on Sunday when she hit a ball into the water after a disagreement with her caddie about which club to hit, carded a 75 to check in at 357. That was good for $1,242.

Former DU golfer Sue Kim also landed conditional LPGA status — Category 17 — by placing 32nd on Sunday. Her final-round 69 left her at 360.

Former University of Colorado golfer Emily Talley, after making a run at an LPGA spot on Sunday, fell back to finish 59th, which leaves her with Symetra Tour status for 2013. She shot a 71 Sunday for a 364 total.

For the 26-year-old Jacques, finally earning a spot on the LPGA Tour is a dream come true.

“My game has come really far the last one or two years,” she said. “It’s neat to see my hard work pay off.”

Still, coming up just short of full status was hard to swallow.

“I was in the top 10 all week, and for my worst day to be the last day was frustrating,” Jacques said.

The issue is that by ending up with Category 17 status instead of Category 12, it will mean getting into fewer LPGA tournaments next year, and possibly a significant amount fewer. But the number will depend on how Jacques performs in her early season events.

As it stands, she anticipates that she’ll split her tournament starts between the LPGA Tour and the Symetra Tour, which is a level lower than the LPGA circuit.

“I have no other choice,” she said. “The problem is, sometimes if you play seven events on each tour, you can’t do well on either. But I plan to play in the LPGA events I can get in, get experience and see how it goes.”

Perhaps it was a good omen for Q-school when, on the very first hole of the finals on Wednesday, Jacques eagled a par-4, holing a 3-wood into the wind from 191 yards. The Skyline High School graduate shot under par every round except Sunday’s.

As it turns out, Jacques indicated that being a contestant on Golf Channel’s Big Break Ireland last year helped her deal with the pressure of big-time golf.

“At first, when you find out you’re going to be on the show, you’re overwhelmed with excitement and joy and then you get so deathly scared,” Jacques said this past week. “You’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m going to be on TV’ and if you hit a bad shot, it’s going to be shown to everybody. So it was really neat to be a part of that and to see how your game holds up under pressure.”

Sherlock, winner of seven individual tournament titles at DU, earned the right to play the LPGA Tour for a third consecutive season. She lost her fully-exempt status in 2011 after finishing 101st on the money list, and in 2012 by placing 139th on the money rankings.

But, by virtue of finishing 10th in Q-school on Sunday, Sherlock has better status for 2013 than she had in 2012. This marks her third straight year of placing 20th or better in the Q-school finals.

The former Canadian women’s amateur champion has made seven cuts in 22 LPGA Tour events over the last two years. She finished the 2012 season strong with a win in the SunCoast Ladies Series Tournament in Daytona Beach.

Kim, who played at DU only one semester before deciding to turn pro, earned conditional LPGA status for 2013 by shooting 70-69 the final two rounds to move up to 32nd. Kim, who made the cut in this year’s U.S. Women’s Open, will be an LPGA Tour rookie next season after placing 23rd on the 2012 Symetra Tour money list.

Talley was inside of the top 45 after shooting a 3-under-par 33 on her front nine Sunday. But the winner of the 2012 California Women’s (Amateur) Championship carded a 2-over 38 on her back side to finish 59th. That leaves her with a spot on the Symetra Tour in 2013.

Here are the round-by-round scores for the players with Colorado ties who competed in the Q-school finals:

10. former University of Denver golfer Stephanie Sherlock 71-70-71-69-74–355; 17. Kelly Jacques of Longmont 70-71-71-70-75–357; 32. former DU golfer Sue Kim 76-71-74-70-69–360; 59. former University of Colorado golfer Emily Talley 74-74-73-72-71–364.
 

And after successfully negotiating the second stage of qualifying earlier this month, the Parker resident will take another crack at the 108-hole finale this week and early next. The tournament runs Wednesday through Monday (Nov. 28-Dec. 3) at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif.

Meanwhile, the third and final stage of LPGA Tour qualifying also is on tap this week, with the five-round tournament set for Wednesday through Sunday in Daytona Beach, Fla. There, the competitors with Colorado ties include Kelly Jacques of Longmont, former University of Denver golfers Stephanie Sherlock and Sue Kim, and former University of Colorado standout Emily Talley. More on that event later.

And, to complete the trifecta, the final stage of European Tour qualifying is wrapping up this week. After Monday’s third round of the six-round tournament, Colorado resident and former CU golfer Matt Zions is tied for 118th place out of a 156-man field after rounds of 74-73-74 for a 211 total in Girona, Spain, where the top 25 finishers will be fully exempt next year. A cut to the low 70 and ties will be made after round 4. Zions, winner of a 2011 event on the European Tour, is trying to improve his 2013 status after finishing 146th on the money list this year.

As for Bertsch (pictured above in a USGA photo), he’ll join onetime Golden resident Andrew Svoboda in the finals of PGA Tour Q-school. Svoboda already has a 2013 Tour card secured by virtue of finishing 21st on the 2012 Web.com Tour money list, but he’s hoping to improve his status with a strong showing in La Quinta.

Bertsch, a PGA Tour veteran, knows how it feels to finish just inside or outside the cut line in the finals of Q-school. (The top 25 finishers and ties earn PGA Tour exemptions, while the rest of those in the field have to settle for Web.com Tour status.)

Bertsch, the 1998 Colorado Open champion, has snuck in by three shots or less twice in his career at the finals of Q-school (1996 and 2009). Conversely, last year’s qualifying finals were a heartbreaker for the now-42-year-old Evergreen High School graduate.

Going into the final hole of Q-school last December, Bertsch put himself in position to be fully exempt by playing his previous 35 holes in 8 under par. All he needed was a par on his 108th hole to regain his full status on Tour. But a shot into the water and a closing double bogey left Bertsch with conditional standing on Tour in 2012, and though he still got into 17 Tour events, that was probably 10 fewer than he would have if he finished strong in Q-school.

And this year, there’s even more on the line in the qualifying finals for Bertsch. After he finished 215th on the Tour money list this year, he’d be relegated to playing Web.com events for most of next season if he failed to finish in the top 25 in La Quinta.

Bertsch has won more than $2.3 million in his PGA Tour career, but even though he’s played professionally for more than 15 years, he’s had only five seasons (1996, ’97, 2006, ’08 and ’11) where he’s competed in at least 20 Tour events. His best finish out of 172 starts on the big circuit is a fourth-place at Frys.com Open in the fall of 2011. He’s won twice on the Web.com Tour.

 As for the situation in this week’s LPGA Tour qualifying finals, the top 45 finishers and ties after 90 holes will earn 2013 Tour cards (with the top 20 getting preferred status), while the rest of the field will receive Symetra Tour exemptions. Sherlock has earned LPGA Tour status each of the last two years, but lost her card each time, including by finishing 139th on this year’s money list. A seven-time winner individually at DU, Sherlock recently notched her first professional victory in a SunCoast Ladies Series Tournament in Daytona Beach. The win was worth $3,000.

While Sherlock was exempt into the final stage of qualifying this year, Jacques, Kim and Talley made it there after strong showings in stage II of Q-school. Jacques, a U.S. Women’s Open qualifier this year, finished third out of 157 players there, while Kim was 20th and Talley 28th.

At this week finals, the field will be cut from 122 to the low 70 players and ties after four rounds.