It was 1991 — the 75th anniversary year for the CWGA. And, personally for Moore, it was when she won the first of her five CWGA Stroke Play titles during the 1990s. That was a decade-long feat matched only by CWGA Golfer of the Century Carol Flenniken during the 1970s. And that ’91 victory also brings back a cherished family memory for Moore, who is married to fellow Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kent Moore.

“Kent’s mom brought (Janet and Kent’s son) Steven out because my parents were watching and she was babysitting,” Janet recalled recently. “I have pictures holding Steven when he was probably four months old. And now Steven is here at my house with my granddaughter. That shows you how time passes. Here I am playing 25 years later and there’s another baby in the mix, and it’s a grandchild. That’s a huge blessing and a lot of fun.”

Indeed, next week, Denver Country Club again will host the CWGA Stroke Play — and a 100th-anniversary luncheon celebration that will immediately follow the final round of the championship on Aug. 4. And, just as when DCC hosted during the CWGA’s 75th year, Moore will be competing in the Stroke Play in the summer when the association turns 100.

In fact, Denver Country Club has been a fixture on the schedule for the biggest CWGA championships each time the association has celebrated a major anniversary.

When the CWGA turned 25 in 1941, the Match Play was held at Denver Country Club, with Mrs. Murray Gose claiming the title. In 1966 when the CWGA celebrated its 50th “birthday”, the CWGA Stroke Play (then known as the Denver Women’s Invitational) was contested at DCC, and, appropriately, club member Joan Birkland won the event for the third straight time. Then, as noted, Moore prevailed at the CWGA Stroke Play in ’91 when the association hit 75 years old.

And now, with the CWGA hitting 100, the Stroke Play is back at the historic Denver club, with the 54-hole tournament scheduled for Tuesday through Thursday (Aug. 2-4).

“It’s a wonderful tradition that’s continuing at Denver Country Club,” said Laura Robinson, the new executive director of the CWGA.

“The club has been very supportive,” said Maggie Giesenhagen, the CWGA’s executive director in 1991 when the 75th-anniversary event was at the club, and who’s now a member at DCC. “And the club has been appreciative of the fact that the CWGA has requested the championship there on special occasions and has been willing to host at those times.”

As a member — and as someone who still assists the CWGA on occasion — Giesenhagen helped plant the seed for the Stroke Play and 100th-anniversary luncheon celebration to be held at Denver Country Club. And she’s lending a hand in organizating practice rounds and in course set-up. And Giesenhagen and Birkland, another DCC member, will present the prizes at the luncheon on Aug. 4.

That luncheon, which will immediately follow the conclusion of the final round of the Stroke Play after a two-tee start that morning, will double as the wrapup for the 69th Stroke Play and one of the major celebrations of the CWGA’s 100th anniversary.

During the Aug. 4 event, USGA regional affairs director Mark Passey is scheduled to present the CWGA with a plaque acknowledging its milestone. Scrapbooks with historical clips and photos, and the 75th-anniversary program from 1991, will be on site. Memorabilia from the 100th anniversary will be available. And, of course, the Stroke Play winner will be crowned.

With Birkland having won the CWGA Stroke Play (nee Denver Women’s Invitational) 50 years ago for the third consecutive summer, she still remembers a detail or two from her performance at Denver Country Club, where she’s been a member for basically her entire life.

The history of the Stroke Play is a bit confusing because, as noted earlier, the tournament was originally known as the Denver Women’s Invitational. And sometimes the format for that event was stroke play, and sometimes it was match play, including 1966 when Birkland prevailed. But in 1980, the CWGA adopted the Denver Women’s Invitational and renamed it the CWGA Stroke Play Championship.

During the 1966 event, “I remember a shot I hit from behind a tree that went 150 yards and into the hole for an eagle,” said Birkland, both a golf and tennis standout who has been inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. “It was the sixth hole and I was down to someone I had never heard of, and I thought, ‘This is crazy. I should be beating her and I’m behind.’ I hit the ball behind a tree on the sixth hole. I thought, ‘I have a little room to hit this.’ And it went into the hole. (Birkland’s opponent) never recovered. I don’t blame here. It was a career shot, one where you just say, ‘Oh, come on.'”

Besides presenting the trophy this year, Birkland said she’ll likely be a spectator during the final round.

“I’m so glad Denver Country Club could host it,” she said. “I think it’s fabulous to have it there. It’s a great course for women. It’ll be interesting mostly to see the difference in length that the kids hit that ball now. It’s a whole different game from the ’60s. They just nail it. It’ll be interesting to see how they play the Denver Country Club because it isn’t that long a golf course.”

Indeed, for the top players DCC will play about 6,221 yards next week.

Of course, Denver Country Club is no stranger to hosting big-time golf events, including various women’s national and international championships. Among them have been the 1982 Curtis Cup Matches between the best women’s amateurs from the U.S. and Great Britain & Ireland (participants included Juli Inkster and Carol Semple), and the Women’s Trans National in 1929, ’36 and ’46 (when Babe Zaharias won).

“For the 100th anniversary, and with the rich history that Denver Country Club has — having held great championships there not only at the state level, but the national level — it’s a great course, and they’re so gracious to let us come out and play there,” Moore said. “It makes it very special, and it’s a great way to celebrate the 100th anniversary.”

When Moore won at DCC in 1991 — beating the likes of Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Tish Preuss, a three-time low amateur in the U.S. Women’s Open — she completed a rare family-related feat. Five years earlier, Kent Moore, who she would marry in ’89, won the CGA Stroke Play — at Denver Country Club.

“I was treading new ground there (in 1991) because it was my first one (winning),” Janet Moore said. “Kent was caddying for me. He had played there and won there, so he was a great caddie. On the third day I was so nervous. He said, ‘Janet, get a good song going in your mind to calm yourself down.’ Steven was probably four months old at the time. The only song that came to me was ‘Jesus Loves Me’ because that’s the lullaby I sang to him to get him to sleep. That was literally the song that was going through my mind (during that final day of the tournament). I was singing a lullaby to myself so I wouldn’t be nervous.”

As for this year’s Stroke Play, it’s worth noting that the last two winners of the event (Hannah Wood of Highlands Ranch and Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster) competed in the U.S. Women’s Open earlier this month.

And, based on last year’s performance, the field will have its work cut out keeping with Kupcho as she defends her title next week. Last year at Pinehurst Country Club, Kupcho won by a remarkable 21 shots, finishing 16 under par en route to her second CWGA Player of the Year award. Earlier this year, Kupcho won the CWGA Match Play for the second time.

Others in the field at Denver Country Club include Moore, fellow Colorado Golf Hall of Famers Kim Eaton and Christie Austin, former 5A state high school champions Mackenzie Cohen, Gillian Vance and Calli Ringsby, 2016 CWGA Match Play runner-up Jaylee Tait, and 2012 Match Play winner Allie Johnston. Ringsby is a Denver CC member.

Like Moore, Eaton won her first CWGA Stroke Play title at Denver Country Club. In Eaton’s case, the first of her four came in 1978 at DCC.

Twelve players, plus ties, will end up competing in the championship flight — based on their scores from the first two days. And there will be seven other flights for the Stroke Play. All told, 96 players will compete.

Being that many people rarely, if ever, have the opportunity to play Denver Country Club, it probably comes as no surprise that the CWGA has a significant waiting list for the Stroke Play. As of this week, the number of golfers on that list was 62.

Next week will mark the 22nd time Denver Country Club has hosted either the CWGA Match Play (16 times, the last being in 1971) or the Stroke Play (five times previously).

Until Monday, that is.

That’s when Laura Robinson, who has served as the acting executive director for the last five-plus months, had the “acting” portion of her title officially removed. So she becomes the fourth E.D. in CWGA history, joining Maggie Giesenhagen (1988-1991), Robin Jervey (1992-2014) and Ann Guiberson (2014-15).

“I feel like the luckiest person,” Robinson said Monday, when she was serving as a starter at the U.S. Women’s Open qualifier at Heritage at Westmoor. “This is a dream job. It’s sports. It’s golf, which I love. It’s non-profit. It’s working with women and goals. It’s working with a great group of volunteers and the staff — Kate (Moore) and Matthew (Walker) and Aaron (Guereca); they’re a wonderful group to work with. So it just feels like a dream job.”

The volunteer CWGA board, which leads the organization, was impressed with Robinson’s work over her time as acting executive director.

“We’re proud and pleased and so excited” with Robinson’s appointment, said CWGA president Juliet Miner. “When you’re looking for an executive director for a golf organization, you really need someone with business experience and background, and she has that. She’s challenged the staff, and they’ve blossomed under her.”

Robinson has a Masters degree in Business Administration from the London Business School. In addition to her duties at the CWGA, she’s been teaching at Colorado Women’s College at the University of Denver as the chair of the information technology studies program.

So what are Robinson’s priorities now as the full-fledged executive director of the CWGA?

“My objectives in any job I’ve had have always been to work very very hard to deliver great products and services, and to have fun,” she said. “And that hasn’t changed. I think the goal for right now is to make sure this (centennial) season comes off successfully. All of us in the office want to make sure that we’re serving our members, we’re adding value, and we’re running great tournaments.”

Robinson has been an avid sports participant for her whole life. She’s skied, run (finishing both the New York City and London Marathons), played squash, and been a cyclist.

She gave golf a go about a decade ago, participating in a “Get Golf Ready” session at Hiwan Golf Club, where Robinson and her husband, Paul, have been members since 2004 — and live nearby. Given how she’s picked up sports relatively easily in the past, she thought it would be the same for golf.

But suffice it to say that things didn’t go quite according to plan.

“I was completely humbled and went back to cycling,” recalls Robinson, who at the time served on the board of directors for Team Evergreen Cycling.

But in 2009, while living in Evergreen, she was cycling near Soda Creek during rutting season for elk. A bull started to charge, which she noticed out of the corner of her eye. Going about 35 mph down a hill, she hit the brakes and took a nasty fall, breaking her pelvis and some ribs. Evergreen Fire and Rescue transported her to St. Anthony’s Trauma Center, where she spent the next three days.

Robinson got back in the saddle — literally and figuratively — for the 25th Ride the Rockies the next year, but shortly after that, she went to the driving range at Hiwan. And with that, she was hooked on golf for good.

“It was time to learn something new,” she said. “I’m one of those people who focus and set goals. And to become good, you really have to pick your sport.”

And now, somewhere around 500 rounds of golf later, Robinson finds herself as the executive director of the CWGA.

Robinson first played a role for the CWGA in the summer of 2014, when she volunteered to help Guiberson develop an IT strategy at the association. Then she joined the CWGA’s volunteer board of directors more than a year ago. (CLICK HERE to see all the board members.)

Robinson and her husband moved to Colorado in 1998, after she spent much of her early life in the greater New York City area before she and Paul relocated to London for eight years.

“The culture shock of moving from New York City to London is not nearly as great as it was moving from London to Evergreen,” she notes.

But in 1998, after having been to Colorado just a few times, Robinson and her husband were on a ski trip with friends and decided to stay.

“I saw blue sky, sun and mountains,” she said, recalling her thinking.

Since becoming a resident, Robinson has worked as a principal consultant at CSC Consulting, as a senior program manager at McData, and as director of product management at MX Logic before becoming a co-owner at PWR Consulting and teaching at Colorado Women’s College at DU.

And, as noted, Robinson loves golf. In her first round of nine holes, she shot a 74 in 2010. But she’s been devoted to improving, and those hundreds of rounds over the last six-plus years seem to be doing the trick. At Hiwan, she was named most improved golfer twice — for the nine-hole group in 2011 and for the 18-holers in 2012.

“And I’m really disappointed I haven’t won it again (since),” she said with a chuckle.

Robinson also received a “rising star award” from fellow Hiwan member — and current CWGA vice president — Kathy Malpass in 2014. Robinson regularly competes for the B team at Hiwan in interclub competitions.

Administratively, Robinson has served as the tournament chairperson for the Hiwan Women’s Golf Association.

“I love golf in Colorado,” she said.

And now Robinson will have a role in helping shape it.

The seed was planted a few years ago when Gary Potter received a request from former CGA executive director Warren Simmons, asking for a pledge for a fundraising event in which Simmons was participating.

“I was kind of curious, and that’s where it started,” Potter recalls.

Now that seed that was inadvertently planted by Simmons is set to bear fruit in Colorado in the form of the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame Classic 100.

On April 7 (or March 31 in the case of some determined participants, pictured below) at the South par-3 layout at the Greg Mastriona Golf Courses at Hyland Hills in Westminster, Potter and about 15 of his cohorts on the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame board of directors plan to play 100 holes for a couple of good causes. Through a ProFund campaign in which participants garner pledges for the 100-hole event, the Classic 100 will raise money for the History of Golf in Colorado Foundation — a 501c3 which benefits the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame and its museum — and for youth programs that will be determined in coordination with the Colorado Golf Foundation.

(Updated March 31) More than $95,000 has been pledged to the causes. Some individual sponsors have committed to pitch in $1,000 each.

“It’s a hell of a success,” said Potter, himself a Colorado Golf Hall of Fame inductee, and the campaign captain for the Classic 100. “Our goal Jan. 31 was to get to $40,000 overall, so doubling that is a great success.”

The Colorado Golf Hall of Fame was established in 1973 and this year — May 14 at Cherry Hills Country Club to be exact — it will induct its 44th class, Craig Stadler and Ann Finke (READ MORE). The Hall of Fame will hold its CGHOF Team Championship June 13 at Riverdale Dunes in Brighton, where the CGHOF museum is located. The public is welcome to participate in the tournament. The $125 entry fee includes golf, carts, tee gifts and lunch. Contact Potter for more information at garytpotter59@gmail.com.(Among the Hall of Fame’s inductees — and board members — are Dan Hogan and John Gardner, pictured together at top during last month’s Denver Golf Expo.)

As for the Classic 100, Colorado Golf Hall of Fame board member Dave Richardson, a longtime regular at Hyland Hills, persuaded course officials to donate the South par-3 facility for the event, which figures to last about five hours. Colorado Golf Hall of Fame board members are invited to participate in a celebration after the golf has wrapped up on April 7.

Greg Mastriona, after whom the Hyland Hills golf facility is named, was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2014.

The Classic 100 participants have garnered pledges from more than 480 donors, with that total likely to increase. Steve Bell has 80 sponsors, with Potter (75), former USGA staffer and CWGA executive director Maggie Giesenhagen (51) and Castle Pines Golf Club general manager Keith Schneider (49) also garnering more than 45.

All of which tells Colorado Golf Hall of Fame president Scott Radcliffe — another Classic 100 particpant — one thing. “We have some really nice friends, and they believe in us,” he said.

Just Schneider and Potter, who like Giesenhagen have been inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, have received combined pledges totaling more than $35,000. And Bell checks in at more than $13,000.

“The best part is we have over (480) sponsors,” Potter said. “That’s a broad base. Some don’t even play golf, but they support the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. It’s amazing.”

Anyone interesting in being a Classic 100 sponsor — or for more information — can contact Potter at garytpotter59@gmail.com.
 

As birthday bashes go, this was one to be remembered. It marked a major milestone, plenty of people were in attendance, and some of the biggest names in the history of Colorado women’s golf took part. And, for good measure, there were some oversized birthdays cards and, of course, a cake commemorating the occasion.

Such was the scene at the Inverness Hotel & Conference Center on Saturday as the CWGA kicked off its centennial celebration as the centerpiece of its annual meeting.

More than 230 people attended the event, with at least 125 clubs around the state represented. Those on hand included at least eight current or past presidents of the CWGA (pictured below, from left: Juliet Miner, Jan Ford, Robin Bartlett, Joanne Braucht, Kathryn Davis, Pat Kuntz, Joanie Ott and Mary Lee Browne), one Colorado Sports Hall of Famer (Joan Birkland), several Colorado Golf Hall of Famers (Birkland, Kim Eaton and Maggie Giesenhagen), and the first two CWGA executive directors (Giesenhagen and Robin Jervey). Also in attendance were leadership from the CGA, Colorado PGA and the Colorado Open Golf Foundation.

“It was so much fun,” said Miner, the current president of the CWGA, which serves about 17,000 members. “We were so happy to have everyone here. The best part was watching the past (CWGA) presidents sit together and talk about old times, even though many of them didn’t serve that long ago. And the people who couldn’t be here like Judy Bell and Lynn Zmistowski, they were in our videos, so that was so great. People were inspired by the presentation. I think everyone enjoyed reflecting” on the last 100 years.

That reflection took the form of a 10-minute video that was shown publicly for the first time at the annual meeting. Besides featuring some historical highlights of the CWGA and noting what the association does to fulfill its mission, the video included some thoughts by women who have played major leadership roles over the years. Most notable was World Golf Hall of Famer Judy Bell of Colorado Springs, the first female president of the USGA.

“The CWGA is one of the most respected women’s golf associations in the United States,” Bell noted. “Its reputation has grown over the years right along with its membership. In all my years with the USGA, I was always very proud of the Colorado Women’s Golf Association.

“Happy birthday, CWGA. I wish I was there to blow out the candles.”

One of the centerpieces of Saturday’s centennial celebration was honoring key volunteers, outstanding players and other exceptionally “valued friends”. Receiving the highest awards were Lynn Zmistowski (volunteer of the century), Carol Flenniken (golfer of the century), and Bell, Giesenhagen and Jervey (centennial honorees). (Jervey and Giesenhagen are pictured at left.)

Zmistowski has served more than 30 years on the Course Rating Committee and in 2009 she received the USGA’s Ike Grainger Award for more than 25 years of volunteer work on USGA committees. “Lynn Z”, as she is known, represented Colorado on the USGA Handicap Procedure Committee for 25 years. She was the first captain of the Colorado’s Girls Junior Americas Cup teams, serving in that capacity in the late 1970s and early ’80s. In addition, she’s been an outstanding player, having captured five major individual CWGA championships. She’s been inducted into both the Colorado and Minnesota Golf Halls of Fame.

Flenniken has won more major CWGA individual championships than anyone (15), with eight Stroke Plays, four Match Plays and three Senior Stroke Plays. Before becoming a mainstay in Colorado, she won the 1960 U.S. Girls’ Junior, the 1962 Women’s Western Amateur and the 1964 British Ladies Amateur.

“Thank you to the CWGA for this great honor,” Flenniken said via messenger to annual meeting attendees. “Golfer of the Century, Wow!. … I have fond members of playing in CWGA championships over the years and I cherish the many friendships I have made along the way.”

Bell was the first female president in the history of the USGA (1996-97), was selected the Colorado golf Woman of the Century, and has been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. She competed in 38 USGA championships and shot a then-record 67 in the 1964 U.S. Women’s Open. She both played on and captained U.S. Curtis Cup teams. And in June, Bell will receive the USGA’s highest honor, the Bob Jones Award.

Giesenhagen served as the first executive director of the CWGA (1988-92) before spending 19 years working for the USGA. A U.S. Girls’ Junior runner-up and the 1965 Big Ten champion, she played in three U.S. Women’s Opens and nine U.S. Women’s Amateurs and claimed the 1974 CWGA Match Play title. She was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2002.

“I had the pleasure of following the incomparable Maggie Giesenhagen (as CWGA executive director),” Jervey said. “She was an outstanding golfer, a pioneer for women’s golf. She was a Rules expert and basically phenomenal at everything she did. I just want to commend Maggie for the influence she had on golf in the state — and for what everyone around the country tried to copy.”

Jervey was the executive director of the CWGA for 22 years (1992-2014), was a rules official at the Masters, U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Senior Open and other USGA national championships, and served as president of the International Association of Golf Administrators before taking a job as director of event management for JBC Golf — and the Legends Tour, the 45-and-over LPGA senior circuit. Jervey, who served on the USGA Rules of Golf Committee, received the 2015 Distinguished Service Award from the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame.

“The CWGA has been a fabulous organization and Robin took it to new heights,” Giesenhagen said. “She came in at the right time for the CWGA. She took the CWGA right into the 21st century.”

In addition to Zmistowski, the CWGA recognized longtime stellar volunteers (pictured above, from left) Jan Ford, Georgene McConagle, Juna Orr, Jan Fincher, Ouida Neil, Karla Harding and Braucht. Volunteer honorees not pictured are Joan Scholes, Sally Lou Schultz and Zmistowski.

Besides Flenniken, outstanding players who were honored Saturday included Eaton, Lynn Larson, Birkland, Marcia Bailey, Phyllis Buchanan, Zmistowski, Janet Moore and Sally Hardwick. (Pictured at left are, from left, Birkland, Eaton and Larson.)

All in all, the centennial event “was very impressive,” Jervey said. “It was a great celebration. I loved the video they put together. It was nice to hear from people who are still involved and those who have been involved in the past.”

Jervey, who oversaw 23 annual meetings in her time as executive director, admitted it was an unusual feeling to return to the event. It was the same for the former CWGA staffers and interns who were on hand Saturday: (pictured with Jervey from left, Dawn McConkey, Ginger Washco, Kim Schwartz, former USGA P.J. Boatwright intern Bridget Coulton, Jennifer Cassell and Edie Bell.)

“I was telling the (old) staff, ‘Did you guys have deja vu on your drive into Inverness this morning?'” Jervey said. “I’m not wearing a (CWGA) blazer and I didn’t have to be here in the dark setting up, so that part was nice. But it definitely felt like old times.”

The annual meeting was the first of three events during the year in which the CWGA will celebrate its centennial. Others will come during the CWGA Stroke Play at Denver Country Club in early August, and a centennial celebration tournament Sept. 21 at Hiwan Golf Club.

Handing Out Accolades: In addition to its centennial activities, the CWGA on Saturday gave out several annual awards.

The volunteer of the year honors went to CWGA board members Phyllis Jensen and Nancy Wilson, who are heading up the association’s centennial-year activities this year. (The two are pictured at left.)

The previously announced CWGA players of the year for 2015 were Jennifer Kupcho (Player of the Year), Kim Eaton (Senior Player of the Year) and Mary Weinstein (Junior Player of the Year). For more on their accomplishments last year, CLICK HERE.

Receiving the President’s Award on Saturday was Chad Leverenz, who’s played a key informaton technology role as the CWGA set up its new offices at the end of 2014 and beginning of 2015.

Also, the CWGA noted the contributions of retiring board of director members Joanie Ott, Patricia Latta and Patrish Bergamo.

In addition, the association recognized the Raccoon Creek Golf Course’s women’s nine-hole group for selling more than $1,000 worth of Evans Scholars bag tags, helping caddies receive college scholarships. That amount was the highest for any women’s golf club in Colorado. Overall, CWGA clubs raised in excess of $4,000 for the Evans Scholars in 2015, almost $1,000 more than in 2014. Among the Evans Scholar chapter houses is one at the University of Colorado.

Auction Raises $7,171 for LPGA*USGA Girls Golf: The silent auction that was held in conjunction with the CWGA annual meeting on Saturday raised $7,171 for LPGA*USGA Girls Golf. That total was about $1,000 more than at the same event last year.

It seemed only fitting that a match for the ages settled the 100th CWGA Match Play Championship.

In Thursday’s 35-hole final in which the two players combined to make 22 birdies and were 15 under par, Paige Spiranac defeated Brittany Fan 2 and 1 after they halved the final hole with — what else? — birdies.

“It’s a lot of pressure because you know you have to be at the top of your game, but that’s also fun too,” said Spiranac, who matched 6-under-par 66s with Fan on the first 18, then went 3 under par on the next 17 holes to finish at 9 under overall. “You want to have that competition. You want her to play well, and I also want to play well. I was happy when she made birdie and I’d want to make birdie too. It was really fun going back and forth the entire time.”

Indeed, Spiranac was 6 under par in her first 10 holes at Raccoon Creek Golf Course, where she keeps her handicap. That left the former Coloradan 2 up. But Fan, a Hawaii native who plays golf for the University of Colorado, battled back to go 2 up through 23 holes. Then Spiranac birdied the 27th and 28th holes to take a lead she wouldn’t relinquish.

“I’m kind of having mixed emotions right now,” said Fan, the low amateur at the 2013 HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open. “I’m sad and disappointed that I lost but I’m also happy because that was a really great match. You have to make birdie to win, and we just played great.”

For the 22-year-old Spiranac (left and above), it was her second CWGA championship victory as she won the Junior Stroke Play in 2010. She also claimed the title at the 2006 CJGA Tournament of Champions, among other CJGA victories.

Spiranac hasn’t lived in Colorado for about five years — she now mainly splits time between Arizona, where her parents live, and San Diego, where she just completed her college golf eligibility at San Diego State, though she has one more semester of school before graduating.

But because Spiranac is visiting an older sister who lives in Colorado, she’s playing a few tournaments in the state while she’s here, including the Match Play, U.S. Women’s Amateur qualifying and the CWGA Stroke Play.

The Match Play certainly was a good start to the run as Spiranac earned medalist honors and won her four matches 7 and 6, 3 and 2, 5 and 4, and 2 and 1.

And, of course, it doesn’t hurt to forever go down as the winner of the 100th CWGA Match Play, with numerous former champions on hand, including four-time winner Joan Birkland and former CWGA executive director Maggie Giesenhagen.

“It’s awesome,” Spiranac said. “It has great tradition and the CWGA always puts on great events. It’s nice to win the 100th and have my name on there.

“I grew up in Colorado playing junior golf here, then went away to college. So it’s nice to come back to Colorado and win again. It means a lot because I’ve been working really hard on my game. It feels great to have it all come together.”

On Thursday, Spiranac took control by winning four holes in a five-hole stretch in the middle of the second round to go 3 up through 31 holes. But as quickly as you can say “not so fast”, Fan made one last run. She birdied both the 32nd and 33rd holes to narrow Spiranac’s lead to 1 up.

“She started to get a little momentum (after a bogey by Fan on the par-3 13th hole),” said the 19-year-old CU golfer, who ousted defending champion Jennifer Kupcho in the semifinals. “But I told myself, ‘You’ve got to keep fighting’, and I went birdie-birdie. But she was playing well too.”

When Fan (left) made bogey from a greenside bunker on the 34th hole, Spiranac went back to 2 up. Then the two finished the match in appropriate fashion. On the 150-yard 35th hole, Spiranac put her tee shot 3 feet from the hole. Fan calmly nearly matched the effort, with her ball ending up 5 feet from the cup.

Fan drained her birdie, and Spiranac did likewise to cap the match. It was the fourth time Thursday that they halved a hole with birdies.

“Honestly, the entire time it was back and forth and up and down,” said Spiranac, who hopes to turn pro by December. “Once I hit it in on 17, that was when it was, ‘OK, I can relax now.’ The entire time I couldn’t let down. When I thought I had it for a second (with five holes left), she came back and made two straight birdies. The entire time I was staying as focused as I could.”

Meanwhile, for the second consecutive year at the CWGA Match Play, a CU golfer finished runner-up, with Fan following in the footsteps of Tori Glenn in 2014.

As good as Fan played, she was left lamenting two three-putts — on the 24th and 30th holes — that cost her in a tight match.

“I think if I didn’t have the three-putts, I think we’d still be playing,” Fan said shortly after the match. “I definitely take a lot of positives from this, but there’s also a lot of things I can work on.”

For a story on the CWGA Match Play Senior Championship, CLICK HERE.

CWGA Match Play Championship
At Raccoon Creek GC in Littleton

Championship Flight Final (36 holes) — Paige Spiranac def. Brittany Fan, 2 and 1

Championship Flight Consolation Final — Samantha Barker def. Allie Johnston, 3 and 2

President’s Flight Final — Taylor Dorans def. Delaney Elliott, 1 up

President’s Flight Consolation Final — Sydney Gillespie def. Sarah Hankins, 3 and 1

Senior Championship Flight Final — Lynn Zmistowski def. Kathy Malpass, 1 up

Senior Championship Flight Consolational Final — Denise Cohen def. Christie Austin, 21 holes

First Flight Final — Jenni Chun def. Deb Hughes, 2 and 1

First Flight Consolation Final — Michelle Romano def. Megan McCambridge, 2 up

Second Flight Final — Nancy Ziereis def. Lynn Larson, 1 up

Second Flight Consolation Final — Courtney Ewing def. Katty Rothberg, 1 up

Third Flight Final — Aubrey Doran def. Susan Schell, 3 and 2

Third Flight Consolation Final — Carla Stearns def. Laurie Steenrod, 2 and 1

Fourth Flight Final — Jennifer Cassell def. Cindy Speer, 4 and 2

Fourth Flight Consolation Final — Nancy Sturgill def. Lyndon Lieb, 5 and 3

Fifth Flight Final — Judy Maillis def. Patti Godette, 2 and 1

Fifth Flight Consolation Final — Becky Finger def. Jennie Jones, 2 and 1

Sixth Flight Final — Harlene Bowman def. Cheryl Burget, 6 and 5

Sixth Flight Consolation Final — Lori Maul def. Sallie Dalton, 1 up