And now it looks like the former Fort Collins resident and Air Force Academy golfer will be a regular on that circuit again in 2019.
Whitney finished fourth out of 99 players on Friday in a PGA Tour Latinoamerica Q-school tournament in Mazatlan, Mexico, which gives him fully-exempt status for the first half of the 2019 season.
Meanwhile, two other players with strong Colorado ties earned conditional PTLA status for 2019 — former Colorado State University golfer Blake Cannon and Castle Pines resident Josh Seiple, who’s in the midst of his senior season at the University of Mississippi.
Whitney, who shared the lead after three rounds, tallied scores of 67-70-65-67 for a 19-under-par 269 total that left him five strokes behind medalist Jacob Bergeron of the U.S., who closed with a 62 and is fully exempt for the entire season.
Whitney eagled a par-4 during Friday’s round, but also made a 7 on a par-5.
Players who finished 2-11 are fully exempt for the first half of the season.
Those who placed 12th through 35th and ties are conditionally exempt in 2019. That’s the category in which Cannon and Seiple fell. Cannon (66-69-71-69) tied for 15th at 275, while Seiple (69-70-69-72) shared 32nd place at 280.
Two more PGA Tour Latinoamerica Q-school events remain, both next week: in Brazil and Argentina.
Coloradan Chen Earns Conditional Status on PGA Tour China: Westminster resident and University of Northern Colorado golfer Li Chen landed conditional status on PGA Tour China on Friday by tying for 21st place out of 100 players in a Q-school tournament in Guangzhou.
The finishers in the 13-35 range earned conditional status through the first six events of 2019.
Chen posted rounds of 73-76-75-78 for a 22-over-par 302 total.
Chen is in the midst of his senior season at UNC. In 2017, he was medalist in qualifying for the U.S. Amateur at Fort Collins Country Club.
This week marked the first of four qualifying tournaments in 2019 for PGA Tour China.
Former Buff Jeremy Paul Wins in Scottsdale: Meanwhile, in mini-tour action, former University of Colorado golfer Jeremy Paul won a one-round tournament, the Waste Management Warm-Up in Scottsdale, Ariz., an Outlaw Tour event.
Paul shot a 5-under-par 67 for a one-stroke victory and earned $1,500 on Monday.
Steven Kupcho Runner-Up in Napa: Elsewhere on mini tours, former CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year Steven Kupcho recently posted his second top-10 finish in a month.
Kupcho tied for second in the Napa Open at Silverado Resort and Spa in California last week. The former University of Northern Colorado golfer posted a 7-under-par 209 total, finishing seven back of champion Corey Pereira and earning $3,500.
In December, Kupcho shared ninth place in a Mexico Professional Golf Tour event in Mazatlan.
Joining the list of competitors for the Open — which will award $100,000 to the winner — via Thursday’s qualifier at Legacy Ridge Golf Course in Westminster were Jon Kuzava of Littleton (3-under-par 68), amateur Braden Bentley of Colorado Springs (69), University of Northern Colorado golfer Li Chen of Broomfield (70), Andy Connell of Denver (70), Chase Nathe of Windsor (70) and Ryan Schmitz of Greenwood Village (70).
Kuzava advanced to U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying this year and Connell last year. Chen competed in last year’s U.S. Amateur.
Three players — Steve LeBrun of Royal Palm Beach, Fla., John Hurley of Tomball, Texas and David Muttitt of Albuquerque, N.M. — shared medalist honors on Thursday with 4-under-par 67s.
The final qualifying tournament for the Colorado Open will be Monday at Legacy Ridge. The Open itself is set for July 26-29 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver.
For all the scores from Thursday, CLICK HERE.
Having Pebble Beach Golf Links in the Monterey area of California serve as host will do that. And Spyglass Hill as the second stroke-play course isn’t bad either.
Pebble Beach GL, which will be home to the 2019 U.S. Open, will do the honors for the U.S. Am Aug. 13-19.
Two qualifying tournaments in Colorado will fill six spots in the 312-man international field. Fort Collins Country Club (on Monday, July 2) and Columbine Country Club in Columbine Valley (July 16) will hold 36-hole qualifiers, with the top three finishers at each site earning trips to “Pebble”. The qualifying fields number 83 at Fort Collins and 84 at Columbine.
Three golfers who qualified for the 2017 U.S. Am will be back hoping for a return trip: Colorado State University players AJ Ott and Jake Staiano, along with the University of Northern Colorado’s Li Chen — all of whom are in the field at Fort Collins CC.
Ott, winner of the CGA Match Play last week, finished a stroke out of a playoff for the final match play spots at last year’s U.S. Am. Staiano also went to the U.S. Amateur in 2015. Chen was the medalist in qualifying at Fort Collins CC last year.
Two former CGA Players of the Year will be competing in Fort Collins: Staiano (2017) and Kyler Dunkle (2016). Another, Michael Harrington (2014), will be at Columbine.
Among the others competing Monday will be 2017 CGA Match Play champ Chris Korte, 2018 Match Play runner-up Ross Macdonald; 2017 Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado Boys Player of the Year Davis Bryant, who was first alternate in U.S. Am qualifying in Fort Collins last year; 2016 CGA Amateur winner Colin Prater; and Hunter Paugh, who won a 5A state high school title at Fort Collins CC.
The competitors at Columbine, in addition to Harrington, will include three-time CGA Mid-Amateur champion Jon Lindstrom, two-time U.S. Open Sectional qualifier Josh Seiple and 2012 CGA Match Play champion Brian Dorfman.
For tee times at Fort Collins CC, CLICK HERE.
For tee times at Columbine CC, CLICK HERE.
]]>The Colorado State University golfer shot a 3-over-par 73 at Riviera Country Club — a PGA Tour venue — and shares 97th place out of 312 competitors at the halfway point of the stroke-play portion of the championship.
The Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado’s male player of the year in 2016, Ott made two birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey on Monday.
Only the top 64 players after Tuesday’s second round of stroke play will advance to match play, which begins on Wednesday. After Monday’s opening round, the 64th position fell at 2 over par.
Meanwhile, former University of Colorado golfer Kenny Coakley started with a 75, good for 152nd place. The rest of the local contingent shook out this way: CSU golfer Jake Staiano, CU player John Souza and the University of Northern Colorado’s Li Chen all had 77s, leaving them in 212th place; and Steve Irwin of Arvada and incoming CSU golfer Parathakorn Suyasri carded 79s for a share of 262nd place.
University of Oregon golfer Norman Xiong, of San Diego, Oklahoma State’s Hayden Wood, of Edmond, Okla., and Virginia Tech’s Mark Lawrence Jr., of Richmond, Va., shot 6-under-par 64s to lead the way after Monday.
Players will switch courses for the second round — going from Riviera to Bel-Air Country Club or vice-versa.
U.S. Amateur
In Pacific Palisades, Calif.
97. AJ Ott of Fort Collins 73 (Riviera)
152. Former CU golfer Kenny Coakley 75 (Riviera)
212. Jake Staiano of Cherry Hills Village 77 (Riviera)
212. Li Chen of Broomfield 77 (Riviera)
212. CU golfer John Souza 77 (Bel-Air)
262. Steve Irwin of Arvada 79 (Riviera)
262. CSU golfer Parathakorn Suyasri 79 (Bel-Air)
For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
In 2016 and ’17, a dozen players have qualified in Colorado for the U.S. Amateur. Eleven of the 12 have been college age or younger.
Then there’s Steve Irwin.
On Thursday, the 42-year-old from Arvada and Lakewood Country Club struck a blow for the slightly older set by punching his ticket to the U.S. Am — and for the second time in three years, no less.
At Fort Collins Country Club, Irwin joined two Coloradans who play their college golf in the Centennial State, Li Chen of Broomfield and AJ Ott of Fort Collins, in advancing to the national amateur championship. (The qualifiers are pictured, from left, Ott, Irwin and Chen.)
Irwin, son of three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin, earned his third trip to the U.S. Am by shooting rounds of 67-74 for a 1-over-par 141 total. It marked his second time in three years qualifying at Fort Collins CC. (“I may need to join up here. This course has been good to me,” he said.) Irwin also competed in the championship in 2011, when he was exempt after playing in that year’s U.S. Open.
“This will be No. 3. I’m pretty proud of that — especially at 42,” he said. “I’ve always thought the U.S. Amateur is one of the hardest tournaments to qualify for. There’s so many guys and so many great players — a lot of young guys that are playing every day. When you’re only taking two, maybe three, guys (at a given qualifying site), it’s always been one of those harder ones for me to qualify for. Now to do it a little later in my career — and also with all the other things I’ve got going in my life, it feels pretty good.”
Irwin (below), a former CGA Player of the Year and University of Colorado golfer who currently serves on the CGA Board of Governors, made six birdies and seven bogeys over the 36 holes. He got up and down from in front of the green on his final hole to avoid a playoff.
The reward is a trip to a USGA championship for the 13th time, by his reckoning. Give or take, there’s been one U.S. Junior Amateur, three USGA State Teams, five U.S. Mid-Amateurs, the U.S. Open, and now his third U.S. Amateur.
And this time around, he qualified despite playing much less golf than usual in the first half of the year.
“Golf most definitely has not been the focus this year. It hasn’t even been in the top five,” said Irwin, a guiding force — along with his dad — behind Hale Irwin Golf Services and Irwin Golf Management. “I’ve been busy with work, and been involved in an exciting new business venture. We’re getting ready to merge with another company, so I’ve been focused on that. Golf has been one of those things where I might go out for 20 minutes a couple nights a week and that’s about it. I don’t want to say it’s a surprise (to qualify) but it’s gratifying to know that when I focus on it for a little bit, I can still play a little bit.
“When you get on the golf course, your mind frees up a little, which happened in the first round today. The second round I was holding on for dear life. My swing felt like an unfolding lawn chair and I couldn’t make a putt. Other than that it was a good round.”
In all, 81 players teed it up Thursday for three spots in the U.S. Amateur, which is set for Aug. 14-20 at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Coincidentally, one of Hale Irwin’s 20 PGA Tour wins came at Riviera, in the 1976 Glen Campbell Los Angeles Open.
While this will be U.S. Am No. 3 for Steve Irwin, it will be the first for both Chen, a junior-to-be at UNC, and Ott, a sophomore at CSU.
Chen, twice a runner-up in the 5A state high school tournament when he played at Legacy, earned medalist honors on Thursday. He made seven birdies — including two runs of three straight — in a round of 5-under-par 65 in the morning, then carded a 72 in the afternoon for a 3-under 137 total. The 65 marked Chen’s best score ever for a round. He noted that he felt comfortable at Fort Collins CC after finishing 21st individually there at the Ram Masters Invitational college tournament last September.
“It was a great round this morning, but after the round I tried not to think about it as much,” said the 20-year-old, who’s the son of Windy He, a highly-regarded Colorado rules official. “Everybody knows on 36-hole days, you can shoot 65-85 pretty easy. I tried focus on the next round.”
Not only did Chen earn his first trip to a U.S. Amateur, but it’ll be his first USGA championship of any sort.
“To be honest, I don’t even know when and where (the 2017 U.S. Amateur) is,” he said. “But it’ll be a great experience. It shows me that over the last two years playing college, I’ve improved my game. It’s a great step up and a confidence boost to know I have the ability and skills to make it into a tournament of that size and level.”
Ott, who’s lived his entire life in Fort Collins, is very familiar with Fort Collins CC as CSU practices and qualifies for college tournaments there quite often and hosts the Ram Masters Invitational there each September. Ott figures he’s played the course roughly 50 times, and he used that course knowledge to record rounds of 71-70 to tie Irwin for second place at 141. Ott made three birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey on the day.
“(This course) has probably been my second home this year just being at CSU,” said the 19-year-old, who was the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado’s boys player of the year in 2016. “The Ram Masters is set up pretty similar to how they set this up.
“I had to qualify for just about every (college) event, so I was used to hitting the shots around here. I learned a lot this first year about the kind of shots to play on this course and I knew it would culminate with this tournament because this is a big one to get in. It’s definitely an advantage being here at home.”
It will be the second USGA championship for Ott, who competed in the 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur.
“It means a lot” to qualify for the U.S. Am, he said. “It’s something I’ve wanted to get in since I started playing when I was little. It’s going to be fun.”
Davis Bryant of Aurora, who won the Colorado Junior Amateur on Wednesday, was on pace to earn a U.S. Am berth, but an errant tee shot on his 36th hole led to a double bogey and he missed by one stroke at 142. He’ll be the first alternate.
Jackson Solem of Longmont, like Bryant a 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier, landed the second alternate position at 143. The former 4A state high school champion made two triple bogeys in his morning round of 73.
Last week, three other players qualified at Columbine Country Club for the U.S. Amateur. Jake Staiano of Cherry Hills Village was joined in advancing by incoming CSU golfer Parathakorn Suyasri and UCLA player Cole Madey. Like Ott, Staiano is a CSU golfer.
Earlier this week, former University of Colorado golfer Kenny Coakley qualified in Morton, Minn., for the U.S. Amateur. The Phoenix resident earned medalist honors at that qualifying site.
Coloradan Kyler Dunkle, who qualified at Fort Collins Country Club for the 2016 U.S. Am, where he advanced to the round of 16, will be competing at a Monday (July 17) qualifying tournament in Highland, Utah. Dunkle plays for the University of Utah.
U.S. Amateur Qualifying
At Par-70 Fort Collins CC
QUALIFIED FOR U.S. AM
Li Chen, Broomfield 65-72–137
Steve Irwin, Arvada 67-74–141
AJ Ott, Fort Collins 71-70–141
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Davis Bryant, Aurora 71-71–142
Jackson Solem, Longmont 73-70–143
For complete results, CLICK HERE.
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The CGA and CWGA utilize many volunteer rules officials who work tournaments not only in Colorado, but in far-flung locations as well.
But it’s probably a safe bet that not many local rules officials have taken it to the extent that Windy He has.
In Colorado, He (pictured) has been a fixture at many significant — and widely varying — golf tournaments. Besides CGA and CWGA events, that includes USGA qualifiers, Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado tournaments, the CoBank Colorado Women’s Open, boys and girls state high school championships and even one NCAA Division II tournament. In all, she devoted 33 days this year to volunteering as a rules official.
But now, she notes with a laugh, “It’s officially closed for the season.”
Before moving to Colorado, He did similar duty in her native China, in and around Guangzhou, a city in the southeastern part of country, near Hong Kong. In fact, He got her start as a rules official in China, after being spurred to do so by an incident at a golf tournament involving her son, Li Chen, who currently plays on the University of Northern Colorado men’s golf team.
“That was a very interesting story,” He recalled this week. “In 2003 my son Li Chen was trying to qualify in China for the Junior World Golf Champioships in San Diego. He was 6 years old, and he hit the wrong ball. Somebody told me, ‘There is a two-stroke penalty.’ I said, “What!? There is a penalty in golf? Seriously?’ The guy said, ‘Yes, that’s the rules.’ I said, ‘How many rules are there in golf?’ And the guy said, ‘Lots of rules.’ I had to figure it out. So I bought some rules books and began to read the rules.”
Several years later, she was ready to take the next step.
“When my son played golf in China, he played on a junior golf team and they wanted to do some tournaments and they needed some rules officials,” He said. “I thought, ‘OK, I can do it.’ And I got the certificate (in 2008) and helped them to do some junior events. That was the first time I was a rules official.”
After teaching in a Chinese elementary school, then starting up a company that sold golf shoes and later developing the first junior golf website in China (chinajuniorgolf.com) in 2004, He officiated at tournaments in China in 2008 and ’09.
In 2010 He and her family moved to Colorado after she had never before been to the state as her husband, Damon Chen, was transferred from China to the Niwot-based headquarters for shoe manufacturer Crocs. The family now lives in Broomfield.
For several years, He helped facilitate son Li’s development as a promising junior golfer. Li went on to twice finish runner-up in the 5A state high school tournament and earned a spot on the UNC men’s golf team. And when Li was a senior at Legacy High School, He returned to officiating, starting in 2015. (He is pictured this fall giving guidance at the 3A state high school tournament to eventual champion Oliver Jack.)
“My son has played golf for more than 14 years now, and I’m thinking for this long term what makes us stay (closer) together,” He said. “If I play golf it’s not possible for me to be as good as my son. But rules, I can do it. It’s all about reading, decisions and experience. So I do the rules and he plays golf. That makes us stay on the same page. It makes us more close so we can stick together.”
Li Chen is a sophomore at UNC this season and He attended many of his fall tournaments, particularly given that the Bears played all of their fall events within the state.
So how does rules officiating differ in China and the U.S. for He?
“There’s some difference,” she noted. “The first is the language. In China, I used my native language. Here, I use a second language, which is English. It’s a little bit difficult for me (He speaks three languages overall: Cantonese, Mandarin and English). That’s the biggest difference. And here, I can choose which tournaments I’m going to work because there’s lots of tournaments. In China there’s just a few tournaments. There’s not as much opportunity to work.”
Fortunately, that’s not an issue in Colorado, which is why He has become a familiar face at some of the biggest tournaments held in the state.
While He got into rules officiating for reasons related to her son, her enjoyment of officiating now goes beyond that.
“It’s (nice to) work — I cannot say it’s a job — with people,” she said. “I especially enjoy working with junior players because a rules official always can help them on the course — and that makes me happy.”
]]>But no matter how new the programs are to the local high school golf scene, that hasn’t kept them from producing some of the best talent to come from Colorado in recent years.
That’s been proven this past week during the early national letter of intent signing period for golf and other sports. Both Valor and Jefferson Academy had multiple players sign with college programs. Valor’s Ross Macdonald and Pierce Aichinger are going to the University of Colorado, while teammate Jake Staiano is headed to Colorado State. Jefferson Academy’s Jennifer Kupcho (pictured) signed on Monday with Wake Forest, while teammate Mariah Ehrman formally committed to Colorado Mesa University.
Well over a dozen Colorado junior players have inked NLIs since last Wednesday, including at least 12 with NCAA Division I programs. Valor was particularly a center of activity with all three seniors from this year’s 4A state championship team going to Division I programs in-state.
“There were attractive options for all three out of state,” said Jason Preeo, Valor’s boys golf coach and the individual instructor for Macdonald, Staiano and Aichinger. “But their first choice was in-state. They all got pretty much what they were looking for. It’s really important for in-state schools to make sure the top talent stays in the state. You have to own your home turf.”
Indeed, the University of Colorado men’s team, which had just six players on its roster in the fall season, landed three in-state players, all of whom finished in the top eight in the ultra-competitive 4A state tournament — Macdonald (third), Aichinger (sixth) and Cheyenne Mountain’s Wilson Belk (eighth). Macdonald, the CGA Junior Player of the Year, has won the last two CGA Junior Stroke Plays and Aichinger claimed the Colorado Junior PGA Championship this year.
As for CSU-bound Staiano, he won the 2013 CGA Junior Match Play, advanced to match play at the 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur, and was the runner-up in the 4A state tournament.
It’s little wonder why Valor, which once featured Oklahoma State-bound Wyndham Clark, has won four of the last six 4A state team titles and has now produced seven NCAA Division I signees.
All four Colorado players who signed with either the CU or CSU men are currently ranked among the top 500 boys national/international players on Junior Golf Scoreboard.
On the girls side, Kupcho is ranked No. 104 nationally/internationally among girls by Junior Golf Scoreboard. Although the reigning 4A state high school champ also considered the University of Denver and Colorado State, she’s headed for Wake Forest, which is currently the No. 10-ranked women’s college program in the nation.
“It’s really exciting to have it done,” said Kupcho, the CWGA Player of the Year and three-time Junior Player of the Year at age 17. “I’ve been looking forward to this day. Finally to just get it over with and know I’m going to college is kind of exciting. To go play Division I golf is a real exciting accomplishment.”
Wake Forest has been to 13 NCAA Championship finals in the last 22 years. Laura Diaz, a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour and a former Wake Forest standout, is a volunteer assistant coach for the Demon Deacons.
Kupcho cited the coaches and the climate (Wake Forest is in Winston-Salem, N.C.) as the primary reasons she chose to be a Demon Deacon.
“Obviously, I’ve always wanted to play for a higher (ranked) school so I can hopefully go play professional” eventually, said Kupcho, who finished runner-up in the 2014 HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open, a tournament that featured numerous top-level Symetra Tour players. “I would say that’s part of the steppingstone to playing professionally.”
Kupcho’s brother, Steven, plays for the University of Northern Colorado, though he’s redshirting this season. Jennifer Kupcho’s parents coach the Jefferson Academy girls golf team.
Here are the in-state players who have signed national letters of intent this month, and out-of-state players who have signed with Colorado-based NCAA Division I schools (note: this list was updated in May 2015):
BOYS
Pierce Aichinger, Valor Christian — Colorado
Wilson Belk, Cheyenne Mountain — Colorado
Li Chen, Legacy — Northern Colorado
Bretton Krantz, Windsor — Colorado Mesa
Ross Macdonald, Valor Christian — Colorado
Hayden Plewe, Montezuma-Cortez — Southern Utah
Grant Rogers, Boulder — Rice
Jake Staiano, Valor Christian — Colorado State
Taylor Rodriguez, 4A individual champ at Pueblo South — CSU-Pueblo
Jackson Vacek, Fairview — Occidental
GIRLS
Mariah Ehrman, Jefferson Academy — Colorado Mesa
Courtney Ewing, Pueblo West — CSU-Pueblo
Tori Goodman, Falcon — CSU-Pueblo
Anna Kennedy, Legend — BYU
Ashlyn Kirschner, Ralston Valley — Colorado Mesa
Jennifer Kupcho, Jefferson Academy — Wake Forest
Adara Pauluhn, Niwot — Boise State
Kylee Sullivan, Cheyenne Mountain — Oakland U.
Gillian Vance, Dakota Ridge — Colorado
Out-of-State Players Committed to Colorado Div. I Schools
Boys
Ben Bradley of Frankfurt, Germany — Colorado (eligible to compete in spring semester 2015)
Kade Crossland, transfer from Corban University in Solem, Ore. — Colorado
Tate Tatom of Gallatin Gateway, Mont. — Air Force Academy
Girls
Hanna Atkins of Phoenix — Northern Colorado
Lauryn Keating of Elma, Wash. — Colorado
Sophie Newlove of Nottingham, England — Denver
Katrina Prendergast of Sparks, Nev. — Colorado State
Janet Yeo of Los Angeles — Northern Colorado
Spencer Painton placed a nice, big beautiful bow on top of his high school golf career Tuesday at Murphy Creek Golf Course.
In his final high school tournament, the senior led Regis Jesuit to its fourth consecutive 5A state team title, a feat accomplished in Colorado by only two other programs in the open or large-school classification: Colorado Springs (four straight, 1948-51) and ThunderRidge (six in a row, 2001-06).
And Painton (pictured fist-pumping after making a birdie) doubled his fun by claiming the individual 5A championship.
“I’m happy to contribute to hopefully (Regis eventually winning) six in a row,” he said. “I wish I could come back again next year, but I went out with a bang. That’s all I can do.”
Indeed, between finishing Monday’s round of 66 with six straight birdies, then pulling away on Tuesday to earn the state title, it doesn’t get much better.
“This means a lot to me, especially because since freshman year it’s been one of my goals to win state as an individual,” said Painton, who will play college golf at the University of Kansas for former Colorado State coach Jamie Bermel. “All the hard work has paid off.
“The title of state champion never leaves you. I’m very, very proud of this one.”
Painton, who reached the round of 64 at the 2013 U.S. Junior Amateur, shot an even-par 72 Tuesday despite the wind wreaking havoc on the back nine. That left him with a 6-under-par 138 total.
Regis teammate Jake Kelley, also a U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier this year, tied for second place — two shots behind Painton — with Legacy’s Li Chen, who was runner-up for the second straight year. Kelley (pictured at left) closed with a 69, while Chen posted a 73.
Regis cruised to the team title — its sixth overall — finishing with an impressive 7-under-par 425 total for two rounds. That was 23 strokes better than runner-up Ralston Valley.
“It’s amazing to watch these guys perform,” Regis coach Craig Rogers said of his team.
Chen, who didn’t win a high school tournament this season, was even with Painton through six holes Tuesday thanks to standing 2 under par for the day at that time.
But Painton kicked it into high gear with three consecutive birdies beginning on hole No. 6, and Chen finished the front nine with two straight bogeys, the first coming after hitting his tee shot in the water on the par-3 eighth.
So in the course of three holes (7-9), Painton went from all square with Chen to four ahead.
“My mindset was, I was hitting a lot of great shots,” Painton said. “It was only a matter of time before I had a stretch like that. I’m glad it came where it did.”
And he never relinquished that lead on the back nine despite winds that he said were “absolutely brutal.”
As for Chen (pictured at left), the junior said, “I’m a little disappointed. I could play much better (than I did) today. I didn’t play as well as yesterday (67). I shot an (over par) number, not an (under-par) number. The first day was great for me, the second day could be better. That’s all I can say about it.”
From Painton’s perspective, it seemed only appropriate that he end his high school golf career with team and individual titles at Murphy Creek, the course where he recently won a regional championship and where a few years ago he broke 70 for the first time.
“This course has always had a special place in my heart,” said Painton, who tied Chen for second place at state last year. “I guess it’s an even bigger portion now.”
Coronado’s Petersilie Prevails in 4A at Hiwan: On a day in which high scores were the norm, Coronado’s Isaac Petersilie earned the 4A state title at Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen.
Petersilie edged Wilson Belk of Cheyenne Mountain by one stroke, with both shooting 4-over-par 74s on Tuesday. Each player bogeyed two of his final three holes. Petersilie posted a 4-over 144 total.
Glenn Workman of Pueblo West placed third at 147 after a 77 Tuesday. First-round leader Andrew Rademacher-Howe of Silver Creek struggled to an 80, leaving him in fifth place at 149.
Valor Christian rallied to win its third 4A team title since 2009. Valor bested Silver Creek by three strokes.
Basalt’s Rohrbaugh Finishes Strong to Claim 3A Crown: Tristan Rohrbaugh of Basalt, the son of HealthOne Colorado Senior Open champion Doug Rohrbaugh, came from behind in the final round to win the 3A state championship at Pueblo Country Club.
Rohrbaugh shot a 1-under-par 70 on Tuesday to finish at 1-under 141 overall, good for a four-stroke victory.
Behrod Keshtavar of Peak to Peak took second after closing with a 73. First-round co-leaders Cole Folwell and Cameron Connor of Alexander Dawson placed third and fourth, respectively.
In the team competition, Alexander Dawson ended Kent Denver’s record run of seven consecutive state titles. With a 445 total, Dawson was 26 strokes better than Peak to Peak and Lutheran. It was Dawson’s first state team championship in golf.
]]>His start Monday notwithstanding, Spencer Painton must be taking quite a liking to Murphy Creek Golf Course.
The Regis Jesuit senior won a Class 5A regional tournament at the Aurora course almost two weeks ago, shooting a 4-under-par 68 in the process. Then on Monday during the first day of the 5A state tournament, Painton rallied after being 2 over par through three holes to fire a 6-under-par 66 and grab a one-stroke lead at Murphy Creek.
But that was just part of the story. What was especially spectacular was the way Painton finished his round — with six consecutive birdies, which gave him a 7-under-par 29 on the back nine.
“I was very pleased, especially after how I started,” said Painton (pictured above), who has committed to play college golf at the University of Kansas. “I heated up toward the end. It was very nice.
“I got off to a slow start but after that everything just began getting better and better.”
The performance pushed the 2013 U.S. Junior Amateur match play qualifier past his fellow 2012 5A state runner-up, Legacy junior Li Chen. Chen matched his best score ever, a 5-under-par 67, earlier in the day to set the pace.
Chen (pictured at left) made seven birdies on the day — including four in a row on the back nine (his front) — one fewer for the round than Painton.
“It was a great round; I felt comfortable with almost every single club,” said Chen, who has yet to win an individual high school tournament title this season. “I liked the way I started.
“I was aiming for a low score coming in . I’d say my goal on this course is 3 under because there’s reachable par-5s and short par-4s, so I was not that surprised by my score. But it’s definitely a great round.”
The only other players to shoot under par Monday were Keegan Sheard of Ralston Valley (70) and Jake Kelley of Regis (71), who like Painton played in this year’s U.S. Junior Amateur.
Regis, aiming for its fourth consecutive 5A state title, carded a 4-under-par 212 total. Ralston Valley stands in second place, nine shots back.
Silver Creek’s Rademacher-Howe Takes Narrow Lead in 4A: Silver Creek’s Andrew Rademacher-Howe fired a 1-under-par 69 and took a one-stroke lead after Monday’s first round of the 4A state tournament at Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen.
Rademacher Howe played the last six holes in 3 under par to post the only sub-par round of the day.
Glenn Workman of Pueblo West and Isaac Petersilie of Coronado share second place at even-par 70. Wilson Belk of Cheyenne Mountain is another stroke back. No one else in the field broke 75.
Silver Creek carded a 13-over-par 223 total to take a five-stroke lead in the team competition. Valor Christian is next-best at 228.
Alexander Dawson in Control at 3A State Meet: Alexander Dawson teammates Cameron Connor and Cole Folwell matched 2-under-par 69s to set the pace in the 3A state tournament at Pueblo Country Club.
Tristan Rohrbaugh of Basalt, the son of HealthOne Colorado Senior Open champion Doug Rohrbaugh, started with a 71 and holds third place.
Alexander Dawson opened up a commanding 22-stroke lead after day 1. Dawson shot an even-par 213 total. Kent Denver, winner of a record seven straight 3A state titles, sits in second place at 245.
For scores, click on: 5A, 4A, 3A.
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