It seems like wherever the CGA Mid-Amateur is held, Chris Thayer of Walnut Creek Golf Preserve finds himself either in the lead or darn close to it.
Since 2014, Thayer’s finishes in the championship have been first, second, second, first.
And on Friday in the 32nd edition of the Mid-Am — an event limited to golfers 25 and older — Thayer put himself in position to add to his stellar record by shooting a 5-under-par 66 and sharing the lead at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora.
The defending champion (left) eagled the par-5 11th hole and added four birdies while making just one bogey in the first round of the 54-hole event.
Tied with Thayer at 66 was Jared Reid of Legacy Ridge Golf Course, who started on No. 10 and played his final nine holes in 6-under-par 30. He finished with eight birdies and three bogeys on the day.
Four players share third place at 68 — Ryan Axlund of Valley Country Club, Nicholas Engen of Colorado Golf Club, Pete Mangold of Columbine Country Club and Stephen Powers of CommonGround. Mangold played his first two holes in 3 under par.
Though he hasn’t won the CGA Mid-Amateur, Axlund has finished in the top 10 five staight years, including posting four top-5s.
Also among the 15 players who broke par on Friday were past champions Michael Harrington of Garden of the Gods Club (69) and three-time winner Jon Lindstrom of Lakewood Country Club (70), along with Nick Nosewicz of Meadow Hills Golf Course (69), who won the 2015 CGA Match Play at CommonGround.
In the new Super Mid-Amateur Division for players 40 and older, Harrington, the 2014 CGA Player of the Year, leads the way with his 69, while Lindstrom and Michael Slutzsky of Cherry Hills Country Club are next best, at 70. Since the same tees are used for everyone in the championship, the Senior Mid-Ams can still contend for the overall title.
Keith Humerickhouse of Glenwood Springs Golf Club, who won this CGA Mid-Am four straight times starting in 2010, struggled to an 81 on Friday.
The championship will continue through Sunday, with a cut to the top 40 players and ties coming after Saturday’s second round.
For all the scores from the CGA Mid-Amateur, CLICK HERE.
The two-time CGA Mid-Amateur champion from Golden was involved in a playoff on Monday morning in Charlotte, N.C., to determine the final players to make match play at the U.S. Mid-Amateur.
And, with 16 golfers going for 12 spots, the chances appeared good for Thayer. After six players punched their tickets to match play with either birdies or pars on the first extra hole — and two golfers were eliminated with first-hole double bogeys — it was down to eight for two spots.
But Thayer sealed his fate with a second straight bogey in the playoff as six of the remaining golfers made par and advanced to match play.
Thayer had shot rounds of 73-74 over the weekend to tie for 53rd place out of 264 in the stroke-play portion of the event.
Thayer will now return to Colorado to defend his title Friday through Sunday at the CGA Mid-Amateur at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora.
The Mid-Amateur is limited to players 25 and older.
Here are the round-by-round scores for the Coloradans who competed at the U.S. Mid-Amateur:
Failed to Advance to Match Play
Chris Thayer, Golden 73-74–147
Michael Harrington, Colorado Springs 74-76–150
Matt Evelyn, Denver 75-79–154
Brian Dorfman, Denver 84-76–160
For complete results, CLICK HERE.
Of the four Colorado residents who started the event, one — Chris Thayer of Golden — has a chance to advance. The two-time CGA Mid-Amateur champion finished tied for 53rd in the stroke-play portion of the championship. But considering that 16 players share that spot, and that only 64 golfers will make match play, a 16-for-12 playoff will determine who will make the bracket.
Thayer shot a 3-over-par 74 Sunday at Charlotte Country Club to post a 36-hole total of 5-over 147. Thayer made four birdies, five bogeys and a double bogey on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Michael Harrington of Colorado Springs (150 total), Matt Evelyn of Denver (154) and Brian Dorfman of Denver (160) saw their national championship end after two rounds of stroke play.
Stephen Behr of Florence, S.C., earned stroke-play medalist honors in the 264-man event, at 5-under 137.
After Monday’s playoff, the first round of match play will be conducted.
The Mid-Amateur is limited to players 25 and older.
Here are the round-by-round scores for the Coloradans competing at the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur:
53. Chris Thayer, Golden 73
Failed to Advance to Match Play
MC. Michael Harrington, Colorado Springs 74-76–150
MC. Matt Evelyn, Denver 75-79–154
MC. Brian Dorfman, Denver 84-76–160
For complete results, CLICK HERE.
But for the 2018 national championship for male golfers 25 and older, four golfers from the Centennial State are figuratively holding the Colorado flag.
After Saturday’s opening round of the U.S. Mid-Am at Charlotte Country Club and Carolina Golf Club in North Carolina, two Coloradans are in position to make match play, while one other player is in the mix.
The top 64 golfers — out of 264 — after 36 holes of stroke play will earn spots in match play, which begins on Monday.
Chris Thayer (left) of Golden, a two-time CGA Mid-Amateur champion, led the way for the Colorado contingent by shooting a 2-over-par 73 at Carolina Golf Club, which left him in a share of 46th place. Thayer — who made four birdies, a bogey, a double bogey and a triple bogey — trails stroke-play co-leaders Stewart Hagestad of Newport Beach, Calif., and Bradford Tilley of Easton, Conn., by six.
Also in the top 64 after day 1 is 2014 CGA Player of the Year Michael Harrington of Colorado Springs, who posted a 74 and shares 63rd place. Harrington carded an eagle, two birdies, four bogeys and a triple bogey at Carolina Golf Club on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Matt Evelyn of Denver opened with a 75 and Brian Dorfman of Denver with an 84, both also at Carolina Golf Club.
Stroke play concludes on Sunday.
U.S. MID-AMATEUR
At Charlotte CC and Carolina Golf Club
46. Chris Thayer, Golden 73
63. Michael Harrington, Colorado Springs 74
91. Matt Evelyn, Denver 75
253. Brian Dorfman, Denver 84
For complete results, CLICK HERE.
The next day in North Palm Beach, Fla., friend Robbie Wight of West Palm Beach punched his ticket to the national Mid-Am.
With that, the two golfers were subsequently in contact with Matt Evelyn of Denver, Danny’s brother and Wight’s friend. “They’re like, ‘We’re making a practice round (plan for the U.S. Mid-Am) for a threesome and you’re the third so you’ve got to get in,'” Matt Evelyn noted.
And on Tuesday at Lone Tree Golf Club, Matt did just that, living up to his end of the bargain. The 33-year-old who plays out of Bear Creek Golf Club shot a 2-under-par 70 and scored one of the four spots available for the national championship that is limited to players 25 and older.
“It’s awesome,” he said of making the grade, particularly under the circumstances. “I’m ecstatic I got in. I’m looking forward to this.”
Out of a field that orginally numbered 84, all four qualifiers on Tuesday were from Colorado. Joining Evelyn were medalist Chris Thayer of Golden (2-under-par 68 at Lone Tree), Brian Dorfman of Denver (71) and Michael Harrington of Colorado Springs (71). (The qualifiers are pictured, from left: Thayer, Evelyn, Dorfman and Harrington.)
It will be the fifth U.S. Mid-Amateur — and 12th USGA championship — for Harrington, the second Mid-Am for Thayer, and the first for both Evelyn and Dorfman. Thayer is a two-time and Harrington a one-time CGA Mid-Amateur champion. Dorfman won the CGA Match Play in 2012 and was a semifinalist in that event this year.
Thayer, playing in the final group of the day on Tuesday, made five birdies, with the only blemish on his card being a bogey on No. 18, where he missed a 5-foot par putt.
Indeed, all of the qualifiers stumbled a bit coming in on Tuesday. Evelyn bogeyed the 17th hole before parring 18. Dorfman double bogeyed 17 but birdied 18. And Harrington hit a ball out of bounds and triple bogeyed 17 before parring 18. But it didn’t change the bottom line — qualifying for the national championship — for any of them.
For Thayer, it’ll be his second U.S. Mid-Am since 2016, and he advanced to the match play round of 64 two years ago. He’s also competed in a U.S. Amateur and a U.S. Junior Am.
“It feels really good,” the 38-year-old said of qualifying for another national championship. “I think I’m going to feel more comfortable at it after making match play two years ago. I got beat in the first round but played well. That’s kind of how it goes. It’s good to play in these. … There’s obviously a ton of good players at the Mid-Am.”
Thayer has been named the CGA Mid-Amateur Player of the Year each of the past three seasons, while Harrington was both the overall CGA Player of the Year and the Mid-Am POY in 2014.
Now 46, Harrington last competed in a USGA championship in 2015 as he played very little golf in 2016 and ’17 due to elbow surgery and a job change. But the Colorado Springs resident is 100 percent now and has proven he can make noise at the U.S. Mid-Am, having advanced to match play in each of his previous four trips to the event, and making it as far as the quarterfinals once and the round of 16 on another occasion.
“I feel like I’m just as good today as I was years ago,” he said. “My wedge play is better. I’m a better driver of the ball. I’m hitting my irons good. My short game is probably not quite as good as it was back then, but I feel like it’s coming around. I went two years without playing very much. I’m just a little bit off.
“But I really feel like my game is in good shape and I feel I have room for improvement. I’ve shot some very low rounds recently, but I feel like I could have been a couple lower. So I know there’s still more room there.”
On Tuesday, Harrington carded six birdies and was 4 under par through 16 before his problems at 17.
“For me, my mind was pretty solid for 16 holes today,” he said. “You have that charging mentality in your head. ‘Go make birdies, go make birdies, go make birdies.’ That’s a fun way to play. I’d make a par and be a little bit disappointed.”
While Harrington’s six birdies on Tuesday were impressive, Dorfman really went to town, making birdie eight times without ever having seen the course before Tuesday. Playing in the same threesome as Evelyn and 2017 U.S. Mid-Am qualifying medalist Ryan Axlund of Denver, Dorfman shot under par despite two double bogeys and three bogeys.
“I’d never played the golf course before, so I was a little bit lost,” the 28-year-old from Cherry Creek Country Club said. “But it helped having Matt playing really well so I could kind of feed off of him.
“I’m so excited. I’ve never played in a Mid-Am. Playing golf with mid-ams is one of my favorite things. I’m really looking forward to go play.”
Tuesday marked just the second tournament Dorfman has competed in in 2018, following the CGA Match Play.
“I play once a week” in casual rounds, he said. “I wish I could more. Now I may have an excuse to play a little more. I’m going to gear it up a little — definitely.”
Evelyn, meanwhile, went birdie-eagle on the fourth and fifth holes on Tuesday to spark his round. On the 554-yard fifth hole, he hit an 8-iron second shot from 197 yards to 40 feet and sank the eagle putt. But he also three-putted four times, accounting for all of his bogeys and keeping him from potentially claiming medalist honors.
Nevertheless, Evelyn is headed for his first USGA championship after losing out in a playoff in this qualifying tournament last year and being the first alternate.
“This is something I’ve always wanted to do,” said Evelyn, who has won a couple of club championships at Bear Creek Golf Club. “It’s really special.”
On Tuesday, Jeff Chapman of Lone Tree eagled the fifth hole of a three-man playoff to earn the first alternate position after bogeying his final hole of regulation to shoot 72. Jason Browder of Gunnison bogeyed the seventh hole for the second alternate spot.
Amazingly, Chapman was also in the first alternate in U.S. Mid-Am qualifying in 2016 and 2013 and was the second alternate in 2015. He qualified for the national Mid-Am in 2012.
Next year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur will be played at Colorado Golf Club in Parker.
U.S. Mid-Amateur Qualifying
At Par-72 Lone Tree GC
ADVANCE TO U.S. MID-AM
Chris Thayer, Golden 34-34–68
Matt Evelyn, Denver 35-35–70
Brian Dorfman, Denver 36-35–71
Michael Harrington, Colorado Springs 34-37–71
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Jeff Chapman, Lone Tree 35-37–72
Jason Browder of Gunnison 38-34–72
For all the scores from Tuesday, CLICK HERE.
There seems to be no match for Michael Harrington when it comes to the CGA Mid-Amateur Match Play.
The 43-year-old from Garden of the Gods Club has had eight opponents on the schedule over the last two years in the championship, and has bested all eight. In fact, only once in that span has Harrington been forced past the 16th hole.
On Sunday, he became the first two-time winner of the Mid-Amateur Match Play as he prevailed in two matches to successfully defend his title at The Ridge at Castle Pines North.
“It’s nice to win any CGA event,” said Harrington (above). “Here, you go up against some good players and you can’t play mediocre. You really have to play well in match play to make it to the end.”
The Colorado Springs resident never trailed in Sunday’s final in defeating second-seeded Chris Thayer of Bear Creek Golf Club 4 and 2. Thayer won the stroke-play version of the CGA Mid-Amateur last September. (The two are pictured together below.)
Sunday’s victory gives Harrington three CGA championships — two Mid-Amateur Match Plays and the 2009 CGA Mid-Amateur stroke play. Mid-Amateur competitions are limited to players 25 and older.
Harrington, the CGA’s Player of the Year and Mid-Amateur Player of the Year in 2014, performed so well over the weekend that he never had to play the 17th or 18th hole in any of his four matches. He won by scores of 6 and 5, 6 and 5, 4 and 2, and 4 and 2.
And just like last year, he capped off his title run by going with a purple outfit for good luck. This time around, he sported a purple shirt and visor, and had golf shoes featuring some purple (along with shamrocks). Even his golf bag had some purple accents.
“I kind of remember I wore all purple last year so I decided to at least go with the purple theme,” he said. “These are my lucky purple shoes (the same ones he wore in last year’s final). They’ve got the shamrock on the side.”
Whatever works. When you’ve got a good thing going, why mess with what got you there?
“He just didn’t give me any windows to make up ground with a par or whatever,” Thayer said of Harrington. “He was 5 under through 16 and he made some great par putts too. I couldn’t get anything back. I think I was 1 under” and still lost. “I’ve got a few things to work on for the rest of the summer. It’s good to know where I stand — which is a little bit lower than he is.”
Harrington (left) rallied from being 3 down after three holes in Sunday morning’s semifinals to beat former University of Colorado golfer John Luoma of Colorado Golf Club, 4 and 2. Then in the finals, Harrington made six birdies and one bogey — via a 3-putt.
After Harrington was 2 up through 10, Thayer put some pressure on by hitting his pitch inches from the cup and making birdie at No. 11. But Harrington, a 2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur quarterfinalist, promptly answered with a 15-foot birdie of his own to earn a halve.
“It was a thrilling type of putt to jar it in the center when I needed to,” Harrington noted.
He then won No. 12 with a par and No. 13 with a 4-foot birdie. Thayer (below) birdied No. 15 from 18 feet to keep the match alive, but Harrington closed things out in style at No. 16 with an 18-foot birdie of his own.
The weekend’s performance leaves Harrington 11-1 in his dozen match play matches he’s played since the beginning of 2014. His lone loss came in the quarterfinals of last year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur.
So what the key to Harrington’s success in match play?
“I hit the ball long,” he said. “You can be more aggressive and if you hit it in the hazard or in the trees (in match play), you just lose one hole. I’m a relatively straight driver of the ball. If you’re feeling comfortable and make a decent swing, I’m going to keep it in play. And golf is a great game if you’re comfortable.
“I definitely think I played more aggressively than I have sometimes in the past. Sometimes in the past I’d get 3 up and lay off the pedal a little bit.” But not so much anymore.
Sunday marked one of the rare times in a large-scale match play event that the top two seeds made the finals. And both finalists won titles in CGA Mid-Amateur championships during 2014.
CGA Mid-Amateur Match Play
At The Ridge at Castle Pines North
Round of 32
Michael Harrington, Garden of the Gods Club (1) – Bye
Adam W Nelson, Commonground Golf Course (17) def. Mark Brown, Highlands Ranch Golf Club (16), 4 and 2
Jeffrey Gravina, Pinehurst Country Club (8) – Bye
Andy Dannewitz, Meadow Hills Golf Course (9) def. Nick Simmons, Commonground Golf Course (24), 8 and 6
Nick Nosewicz, Meadow Hills Golf Course (4) – Bye
Marc Vincelli, Fossil Trace Golf Club (20) def. Gary Driber, Golfweek Amateur Tour Denver (13), 3 and 2
Alex Kephart, Eisenhower Golf Club (5) – Bye
John Luoma, Colorado Golf Club (12) def. Jim Doidge, Pueblo Country Club (21), 2 and 1
Christopher Thayer, Bear Creek Golf Club (2) – Bye
Brett Housman, Elmwood Golf Course (18) def. David Lysaught, Pinehurst Country Club (15), 19 holes
Richard Bradsby, Lakewood Country Club (7) – Bye
Christopher Wilson, Eisenhower Golf Club (23) def. Jeff Chapman, Inverness Golf Club (10), 2 and 1
Keith Humerickhouse, Glenwood Springs Golf Club (3) – Bye
Dallas Massey, South Suburban Golf Course (14) def. Jason Browder, Colorado Avidgolfer Passport C (19), 1 up
Steven Irwin, Lakewood Country Club (6) – Bye
Wesley Martin, Commonground Golf Course (11) def. Steve Sullivan, Bear Dance Golf Club (22), 6 and 5
Round of 16
Michael Harrington, Garden of the Gods Club (1) def. Adam W Nelson, Commonground Golf Course (17), 6 and 5
Andy Dannewitz, Meadow Hills Golf Course (9) def. Jeffrey Gravina, Pinehurst Country Club (8), 5 and 4
Nick Nosewicz, Meadow Hills Golf Course (4) def. Marc Vincelli, Fossil Trace Golf Club (20), 4 and 3
John Luoma, Colorado Golf Club (12) def. Alex Kephart, Eisenhower Golf Club (5), 1 up
Christopher Thayer, Bear Creek Golf Club (2) def. Brett Housman, Elmwood Golf Course (18), 4 and 3
Christopher Wilson, Eisenhower Golf Club (23) def. Richard Bradsby, Lakewood Country Club (7), 1 up
Dallas Massey, South Suburban Golf Course (14) def. Keith Humerickhouse, Glenwood Springs Golf Club (3), 24 holes
Steven Irwin, Lakewood Country Club (6) def. Wesley Martin, Commonground Golf Course (11), 2 and 1
Quarterfinals
Michael Harrington, Garden of the Gods Club (1) def. Andy Dannewitz, Meadow Hills Golf Course (9), 6 and 5
John Luoma, Colorado Golf Club (12) def. Nick Nosewicz, Meadow Hills Golf Course (4), 3 and 1
Christopher Thayer, Bear Creek Golf Club (2) def. Christopher Wilson, Eisenhower Golf Club (23), 3 and 2
Dallas Massey, South Suburban Golf Course (14) def. Steven Irwin, Lakewood Country Club (6), 3 and 1
Semifinals
Michael Harrington, Garden of the Gods Club (1) def. John Luoma, Colorado Golf Club (12), 4 and 2
Christopher Thayer, Bear Creek Golf Club (2) def. Dallas Massey, South Suburban Golf Course (14), 2 and 1
Final
Michael Harrington, Garden of the Gods Club (1) def. Christopher Thayer, Bear Creek Golf Club (2), 4 and 2
When compiling a list of the year’s top stories in Colorado golf, the toughest part is paring things down to a manageable number.
This year, as usual, there’s no lack of candidates for such a list. But in 2014, we’re taking a little different approach to our annual year-end countdown of the top Colorado golf stories of the last 12 months.
Over the next several days, we’ll break the top stories list into two installments. To stick with a golf theme, we’ve assembled the top 18 — as in an 18-hole round — plus an honorable-mention list.
We’ll “play the course” in reverse order so as to preserve some measure of suspense. And we’ll include the honorable-mention selections as part of the second installment.
18. DU Women Extend Improbable Streak: Winning NCAA Division I college golf tournaments is usually no simple matter, but the University of Denver women’s team has been able to consistently catch lightning in a bottle at conference championships. That continued in 2014 when coach Lindsay Kuhle’s Pioneers extended their streak of claiming conference titles to a remarkable 11 by winning the Summit League crown. From 2004 to ’14, the Pios — under Sammie Chergo, then Kuhle — have captured titles in the Sun Belt Conference (nine times), Western Athletic Conference (once) and the Summit League (once). Tonje Daffinrud, who went on to place 10th in the NCAA finals and earn first-team All-American honors, won the individual championship at the Summit League tournament in the spring. Full story: CLICK HERE.
17. Humerickhouse Falls Just Short of Five-Peat: In September, Keith Humerickhouse of Glenwood Springs Golf Club was attempting to become the first player in the 114-year history of CGA championships to win five consecutive titles in the same CGA event. But the former pro finished a stroke out of a playoff at the CGA Mid-Amateur at River Valley Ranch Golf Club, where Chris Thayer of Bear Creek Golf Club won the championship. Full story: CLICK HERE.
16. Joining Forces at G-4 Summit: The Allied Golf Associations of Colorado have made an increasingly concerted effort over the years to solve problems and address major issues in Colorado golf through joining forces. That continued in 2014 with, among other things, the inaugural G-4 Summit, held in February at Inverness Golf Club. The event featured high-level meetings, roundtables where best-practices were exchanged, and sessions featuring several issues crucial to the game. It’s a joint effort of the CGA, CWGA, Colorado PGA, Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association and the Mile High Chapter of the Club Managers Association. Full story: CLICK HERE.
15. Birthday Gifts for New Colorado Golf Hall of Famers: The timing of the voting on the 2015 class of the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame was remarkable considering who was chosen for induction. Former USGA Executive Committee member Christie Austin was voted in on her birthday and Ron Vlosich, long one of the best players in the Colorado PGA, earned the honor four days before his birthday. Austin and Vlosich, coincidentally, were born four days apart in the same year, 1956. Full story: CLICK HERE.
14. 64s Wild for Oraee: Suffice it to say that things worked out pretty well when David Oraee (left) shot 64s in 2014. The golfer from Greeley fired a bogey-free 64 in the final round at Lakewood Country Club to win the CGA Stroke Play, which completed his career sweep of the CGA’s major championships, the Stroke Play and Match Play. Full story: CLICK HERE. Then less than two months later, the University of Colorado golfer carded another bogey-free 64 — this one at Colorado National Golf Club in the Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational — en route to claiming his first individual title in college. He posted rounds of 64-67 for a 13-under-par 131 total, the best 36-hole tally in CU program history. Full story: CLICK HERE.
13. USGA Success for Harrington, Eaton: USGA amateur championships typically draw the country’s — and sometimes the world’s — top amateur golfers, so making hay at those events is no small feat. In 2014, two players with strong Colorado connections made it to the quarterfinals of match play in USGA championships. Michael Harrington of Colorado Springs advanced to the final eight of the U.S. Mid-Amateur, which is limited to players 25 and older. That performance helped the 42-year-old become one of the oldest winners of the CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year award. The week after Harrington made his run, Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur for the third time since 2009. Full story: CLICK HERE.
12. The Moore, the Merrier: Give Kent Moore an award for both longevity and variety regarding his amateur golf success. When the longtime Coloradan won the CGA Senior Stroke Play in September, he continued to hit the mark in both categories. In the longevity division, Moore is believed to be the first player to win CGA championships in five consecutive decades, having captured the Junior Match Play in 1973, the Stroke Play in ’86, the Match Play in ’89, the Mid-Amateur in ’95, the Senior Match Play in ’06 and the Senior Stroke Play in ’14. As for variety, the Colorado Golf Hall of Famer has won almost every individual CGA championship for which he’s been eligible. For good measure, in 2014 Moore also earned low-amateur honors in the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open for the second time, leading to him winning CGA Senior Player of the Year award. Full story: CLICK HERE.
11. A First for the Colorado PGA: The Colorado PGA broke some new ground in October when Leslie Core-Drevecky, the only head professional Murphy Creek Golf Course has ever known, became the first female president in the history of the Colorado Section. For an organization committed to growing the game, the move certainly should send a welcoming message. Full story: CLICK HERE.
10. Jervey Departs CWGA After 22 Years: Robin Jervey (left) was a fixture on the Colorado golf scene for more than two decades, but after a record 22 years as executive director of the CWGA, she stepped down in the early spring to become director of event management for JBC Golf, a Boston-based management company founded, owned and operated by Jane Blalock. Jervey made a significant impact in Colorado over the years, as evidenced by the Distinguished Service Award she’ll receive from the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame next spring. Full story: CLICK HERE. Ann Guiberson, a former director of regional affairs for the USGA, succeeded Jervey.
]]>A group of about 220 gathered on Sunday at Pinehurst Country Club to celebrate a rather remarkable year in Colorado golf.
Among those in attendance at the Colorado Golf Awards Brunch were seven Colorado Golf Hall of Famers — along with another person who will be inducted next year — and an eclectic group of award winners ranging from young kids to retirees.
Among the honorees were:
— Jennifer Kupcho of CommonGround Golf Course, who was named the CWGA Player of the Year two years after her brother, Steven, received the CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year award. At 17, Kupcho is the youngest CWGA POY since 1999. And for good measure, she earned the CWGA Junior Player of the Year honor for the third straight year. That matches a record and thus Kupcho becomes the first winner of the CWGA Player of the Year and Junior POY in the same season.
— Michael Harrington of Kissing Camels at Garden of the Gods Club became, at age 42, the second-oldest CGA Player of the Year since the award was first given out in 1978, with only Rick DeWitt (age 50 in 2006) being older. Like Kupcho, Harrington also won another major award on Sunday as the CGA’s Mid-Amateur Player of the Year.
“I take a look at the people who are on this Player of the Year award — the Steve Joneses (twice), the Derek Tolans and the Kevin Stadlers — and I’m honored that my name is going to be etched on the same trophy,” Harrington said.
— Christie Austin of Cherry Hills Country Club received the CWGA Senior Player of the Year honor roughly six months before she’ll be inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame along with PGA life member Ron Vlosich.
“I hope you appreciate the great game that we all play,” Austin said on Sunday. “I didn’t start golf until I was 26. It has brought me incredible joy, dear friendships and life-changing experiences that I never could have even imagined.”
— Organizers of the BMW Championship, held in September at Cherry Hills, earned special recognition after the record-setting and award-winning PGA Tour playoff event they put on.
— The CWGA’s Most Improved Junior Player of the Year, Anna Kennedy of Denver Country Club, lowered her USGA Handicap Index from 7.4 to 0.7 in less than six months, thus earning a spot on the roster for the Brigham Young University women’s golf team next year. Kennedy was among a half-dozen players honored on Sunday who will play NCAA Division I golf starting next year. That includes Kupcho (Wake Forest) and CGA Junior Player of the Year Ross Macdonald (University of Colorado).
Here’s a rundown of the various awards that were given out on Sunday:
CWGA Player of the Year — Jennifer Kupcho (left) of CommonGround Golf Course. Kupcho, a senior at Jefferson Academy who recently signed to play college golf at Wake Forest, had a year to remember, particularly considering she accomplished what she did as a 17-year-old.
A member of the Hale Irwin Elite Player program at CommonGround, Kupcho won three CWGA championships, a couple of major CJGA titles and a state high school crown. She also qualified for two USGA national championships and finished second in the HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open.
Here are some of the specifics:
Kupcho not only won numerous tournaments, but she posted huge margins of victory. She prevailed in the 4A state high school meet by 14; the CWGA Junior Stroke Play by nine, the CJGA Tournament of Champions by 12; the CJGA Junior Series Championship by eight; the 99th CWGA Match Play by 6 and 5 in the final, and she took low-amateur honors in the Colorado Women’s Open by 12.
“Winning three CWGA championships this year (was memorable), especially the 99th Match Play,” Kupcho said on Sunday. “To have my name on that trophy with women’s names all the way back to 1916 is pretty awesome.”
Kupcho also posted a victory in the CWGA Chapman (with Jaclyn Murray) and qualified for the 2014 U.S. Girls’ Junior and the 2015 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball (with Gillian Vance). At the U.S. Girls’ Junior, Kupcho finished eighth in the stroke-play portion of the event before falling in the round of 64 of match play.
Kupcho’s runner-up showing in the Colorado Women’s Open marked the best finish by an amateur in that event since 2008. She also placed eighth in the Girls Junior America’s Cup and 29th in the Callaway Junior World Golf Championships, marking the best finish ever by a Coloradan in the girls 15-17 girls age division.
CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year — Michael Harrington (left) of Kissing Camels at Garden of the Gods Club. Harrington’s most eye-catching feat of this year was advancing to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Mid-Amateur. It was his best showing in nine USGA championship appearances. Harrington lost in the quarterfinals to Tom Werkmeister of Kentwood, Mich., who won the 2013 Michigan Open title as an amateur and subsequently was elected into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame. By making it to the final eight, Harrington will be exempt into next year’s national Mid-Am.
Harrington also qualified for his third U.S. Amateur since 2009. And at age 42, he was the top Colorado finisher in the championship, at 134th place.
The Colorado Springs resident also won another CGA championship, capturing the title in the Mid-Amateur Match Play Invitational. He placed fifth in the CGA Mid-Amateur and represented Colorado at the Pacific Coast Amateur.
CWGA Senior Player of the Year — Christie Austin (left) of Cherry Hills Country Club. Austin also captured this honor in 2007, when she was a senior “rookie”. This time ended a five-year run of winning this award by Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton, who “retired” from CWGA championships at the end of the 2013 season. Austin will join Eaton in the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame on May 31 after recently being voted in.
The former USGA Executive Committee member won two CWGA championships and qualified for two USGA national tournaments.
Austin won the CWGA Senior Stroke Play for the second time, this one in a playoff with Lynn Larson. And she placed second in the senior division of the CWGA Match Play, losing 1 down to champion Deb Hughes. In a team event, Austin and Tori Glenn earned the trophy in the CWGA Brassie.
In qualifiers, Austin landed spots in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, advancing to match play in the latter.
CGA Senior Player of the Year — Kent Moore (left) of Cherry Hills Country Club. It’s been eight years since Moore last won this award, as a senior “rookie”, but an impressive season as a 58-year-old made him a two-time honoree in this category (he also was named the CGA’s Les Fowler Player of the Year in 1989).
The Colorado Golf Hall of Famer won the CGA Senior Stroke Play by six shots, matching the largest margin in the event since 2007. With that victory, he’s accomplished the remarkable feat of winning CGA championships in five consecutive decades. He captured the Junior Match Play in 1973, the Stroke Play in ’86, the Match Play in ’89, the Mid-Amateur in ’95, the Senior Match Play in ’06 and the Senior Stroke Play in ’14.
Moore earned low-amateur honors in the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open for the second time (he first managed the feat in 2006). This time, Moore placed sixth overall in the Senior Open.
CGA Mid-Amateur Player of the Year — Michael Harrington of Kissing Camels at Garden of the Gods Club. Harrington captured this award for the second time in the last six seasons. See the CGA Player of the Year entry for Harrington above.
CGA Junior Player of the Year — Ross Macdonald (left) of the Country Club at Castle Pines. Macdonald, a member of the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program, won the CGA Junior Stroke Play for the second straight year, becoming the first competitor since Scott Petersen in the 1980s to capture consecutive Junior Stroke titles.
The Valor Christian senior, who has signed to play college golf at the University of Colorado, also won the CJGA Junior Series Championship this year. And he placed third in the 2014 4A state high school tournament.
CWGA Junior Player of the Year — Jennifer Kupcho of CommonGround Golf Course. Kupcho becomes just the second player to win this award for three consecutive years, joining Becca Huffer (2005-07). See the CWGA Player of the Year entry for Kupcho above.
CGA Jim Topliff On-Course Official of the Year — Cope and Judy Bradford (left) of Colorado National Golf Club. This marks the first time a joint award in this category has been given out.
Special Recognition — 2014 BMW Championship team at Cherry Hills Country Club.
Program Partner of the Year — Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado.
CWGA Volunteer Award — Karla Harding (left) of Collindale Golf Course.
CJGA Junior All-Stars (pictured at bottom) — Christian Agelopoulos, Pierce Aichinger, Traejan Andrews, Katie Berrian, Chunya Bead Boonta, Jack Castiglia, Jake Chesler, Alex Chitkoksoong, Amy Chitkoksoong, Sofia Choi, Andrew Jang, Jordan Jennings, Anna Jordaan, Caroline Jordaan, Marie Jordaan, Christopher Kennedy, Cade Kilkenny, Elijah Knudsen, Jennifer Kupcho, Maxwell Lange, Katelyn Lehigh, Lauren Lehigh, Ross Macdonald, Gage Messingham, Sarah Murphy, Jaclyn Murray, Brittlynn O’Dell, Canon Olkowski, AJ Ott, Morgan Sahm, Amisha Singh, Jackson Solem, Gillian Vance, Mary Weinstein, Coby Welch, Jake Welch, Ashleigh Wilson, Liam Wood.
CJGA Academic All-Stars (honorees must carry at least 3.0 grade-point average) — Christian Agelopoulos, Drew Anderson, Dietrich Berning, Katie Berrian, Aili Bundy, Cole Bundy, Caden Campbell, Jack Castiglia, Cole Chalmers, Sofia Choi, Mariah Ehrman, Delaney Elliott, Ty Findlow, Carly Gallant, Daniel Gallant, Sydney Gillespie, Freddie Gluck III, Kacey Godwin, TJ Hicks, Mark Hillary, Nicholas Hughes, Jordan Jennings, Clara Jeon, Jake Johnson, Max Johnson, Trey Jones, Caroline Jordaan, Marie Jordaan, Anna Jordaan, Cade Kilkenny, Brett Krants, Cole Krantz, Jennifer Kupcho, David Leede, Lauren Lehigh, Katelyn Lehigh, Nick Leibold, Charles Markel, Madison McCambridge, Trevor McCord, Peyton Mogavero, Hannah More, Tyler Mulligan, Lauren Murphy, Roger Nakagawa, Brittlynn O’Dell, Trevor Olkowski, Andrew Reppe, McKenna Reppe, Ashlee Sample, Ryan Sangchompuphen, Erin Sargent, Hailey Schalk, Tim Scherman, Gary Schlatter Jr., TJ Shehee, Parker Skiles, Jackson Solem, Jake Staiano, Amisha Singh, Emilee Strausburg, Sam Taylor, Brady Wilson, Ryan Zetwick, Ben Zimmerman.
Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster struck a blow for the young.
Michael Harrington (left) of Colorado Springs struck one for the not-quite-so young.
When the CGA and CWGA hold their Colorado Golf Awards Brunch on Nov. 23 at Pinehurst Country Club, Kupcho and Harrington will go where no one before them has gone.
Kupcho will be the first golfer to be named both the CWGA Player of the Year and Junior Player of the Year in the same season. And Harrington will pull off a similar feat, becoming the first golfer to earn both the CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year award and the Mid-Amateur Player of the Year honor in a single season.
Moreover, at 17 years old, Kupcho will be the youngest CWGA Player of the Year in the new millennium. Former Fort Collins High School golfer Nancy Abiecunas was slightly younger when she gained the honor in 1999.
In the same vein, the 42-year-old Harrington will be the oldest CGA Player of the Year since 2006, when a 50-year-old, Rick DeWitt, earned the award. In fact, Harrington is believed to be the second-oldest CGA Player of the Year since the award was first given out in 1978. Typically, college-age golfers have landed the CGA Player of the Year honor.
Below is the rundown of the various player of the year awards that will be given out on Nov. 23:
CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year — Michael Harrington of Garden of the Gods Club. Harrington’s most eye-catching feat of this year was advancing to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Mid-Amateur. It was his best showing in nine USGA championship appearances. Harrington lost in the quarterfinals to Tom Werkmeister of Kentwood, Mich., who won the 2013 Michigan Open title as an amateur and subsequently was elected into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame. By making it to the final eight, Harrington will be exempt into next year’s national Mid-Am.
Harrington also qualified for his third U.S. Amateur since 2009. And at age 42, he was the top Colorado finisher in the championship, at 134th place.
The Colorado Springs resident also won another CGA championship, capturing the title in the Mid-Amateur Match Play Invitational. He also placed fifth in the CGA Mid-Amateur and represented Colorado at the Pacific Coast Amateur.
CWGA Player of the Year — Jennifer Kupcho (left) of CommonGround Golf Course. Kupcho, a senior at Jefferson Academy who will play in college at Wake Forest, had a year to remember, particularly considering she accomplished what she did as a 17-year-old.
A member of the Hale Irwin Elite Player program at CommonGround, Kupcho won three CWGA championships, a couple of major CJGA titles and a state high school crown. She also qualified for two USGA national championships and finished second in the HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open.
Here are some of the specifics:
Kupcho not only won numerous tournaments, but she posted huge margins of victory. She prevailed in the 4A state high school meet by 14; the CWGA Junior Stroke Play by nine, the CJGA Tournament of Champions by 12; the CJGA Junior Series Championship by eight; the 99th CWGA Match Play by 6 and 5 in the final, and took low-amateur honors in the Colorado Women’s Open by 12.
Kupcho also posted victories in the CWGA Chapman (with Jaclyn Murray) and qualified for the 2014 U.S. Girls’ Junior and the 2015 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball (with Gillian Vance). At the U.S. Girls’ Junior, Kupcho finished eighth in the stroke-play portion of the event before falling in the round of 64 of match play.
Kupcho’s runner-up showing in the Colorado Women’s Open marked the best finish by an amateur in that event since 2008. She also placed eighth in the Girls Junior America’s Cup and 29th in the Callaway Junior World Golf Championships, marking the best finish ever by a Coloradan in the girls 15-17 girls age division.
CGA Senior Player of the Year — Kent Moore (left) of Cherry Hills Country Club. It’s been eight years since Moore last won this award, as a senior “rookie”, but an impressive season as a 58-year-old made him a two-time honoree in this category (he also was named the CGA’s Les Fowler Player of the Year in 1989).
The Colorado Golf Hall of Famer won the CGA Senior Stroke Play by six shots, matching the largest margin in the event since 2007. With that victory, he’s accomplished the remarkable feat of winning CGA championships in five consecutive decades. He captured the Junior Match Play in 1973, the Stroke Play in ’86, the Match Play in ’89, the Mid-Amateur in ’95, the Senior Match Play in ’06 and the Senior Stroke Play in ’14.
Moore earned low-amateur honors in the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open for the second time (he first managed the feat in 2006). This time, Moore placed sixth overall in the Senior Open.
CWGA Senior Player of the Year — Christie Austin (left) of Cherry Hills Country Club. Austin also captured this honor in 2007, when she was a senior “rookie”. This time ended a five-year run of winning this award by Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton, who “retired” from CWGA championships at the end of the 2013 season. Austin will join Eaton in the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame on May 31 after recently being voted in.
The former USGA Executive Committee member won two CWGA championships and qualified for two USGA national tournaments.
Austin won the CWGA Senior Stroke Play for the second time, this one in a playoff with Lynn Larson. And she placed second in the senior division of the CWGA Match Play, losing 1 down to champion Deb Hughes. In a team event, Austin and Tori Glenn earned the trophy in the CWGA Brassie.
In qualifiers, Austin landed spots in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, advancing to match play in the latter.
CGA Mid-Amateur Player of the Year — Michael Harrington of Garden of the Gods Club. Harrington captures this award for the second time in the last six seasons. See the CGA Player of the Year entry for Harrington above.
CGA Junior Player of the Year — Ross Macdonald (left) of the Country Club at Castle Pines. Macdonald, a member of the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program, won the CGA Junior Stroke Play for the second straight year, becoming the first competitor since Scott Petersen in the 1980s to capture consecutive Junior Stroke titles.
The Valor Christian senior, who has committed to play college golf at the University of Colorado, also won the CJGA Junior Series Championship this year. And he placed third in the 2014 4A state high school tournament.
CWGA Junior Player of the Year — Jennifer Kupcho of CommonGround Golf Course. Kupcho becomes just the second player to win this award for three consecutive years, joining Becca Huffer (2005-07). See the CWGA Player of the Year entry for Kupcho above.
CWGA Most Improved Junior of the Year — Anna Kennedy of Denver Country Club. Kennedy’s USGA handicap index dropped from 7.4 at the beginning of the season to 0.7 as of the Nov. 1 revision.
While the CGA and CWGA will hold their awards brunch on Nov. 23, the Colorado PGA’s Awards Gala is set for Friday at Colorado Golf Club. Here’s an earlier rundown on the award winners: CLICK HERE.
Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster struck a blow for the young.
Michael Harrington of Colorado Springs struck one for the not-quite-so young.
When the CWGA and CGA hold their Colorado Golf Awards Brunch on Nov. 23 at Pinehurst Country Club, Kupcho and Harrington will go where no one before them has gone.
Kupcho (left) will be the first golfer to be named both the CWGA Player of the Year and Junior Player of the Year in the same season. And Harrington will pull off a similar feat, becoming the first golfer to earn both the CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year award and the Mid-Amateur Player of the Year honor in a single season.
Moreover, at 17 years old, Kupcho will be the youngest CWGA Player of the Year in the new millennium. Former Fort Collins High School golfer Nancy Abiecunas was slightly younger when she gained the honor in 1999.
In the same vein, the 42-year-old Harrington will be the oldest CGA Player of the Year since 2006, when a 50-year-old, Rick DeWitt, earned the award. In fact, Harrington is believed to be the second-oldest CGA Player of the Year since the award was first given out in 1978. Typically, college-age golfers have landed the CGA Player of the Year honor.
Below is the rundown of the various player of the year awards that will be given out on Nov. 23:
CWGA Player of the Year — Jennifer Kupcho of CommonGround Golf Course. Kupcho, a senior at Jefferson Academy who will play in college at Wake Forest, had a year to remember, particularly considering she accomplished what she did as a 17-year-old.
A member of the Hale Irwin Elite Player program at CommonGround, Kupcho won three CWGA championships, a couple of major CJGA titles and a state high school crown. She also qualified for two USGA national championships and finished second in the HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open.
Here are some of the specifics:
Kupcho not only won numerous tournaments, but she posted huge margins of victory. She prevailed in the 4A state high school meet by 14; the CWGA Junior Stroke Play by nine, the CJGA Tournament of Champions by 12; the CJGA Junior Series Championship by eight; the 99th CWGA Match Play by 6 and 5 in the final, and took low-amateur honors in the Colorado Women’s Open by 12.
Kupcho also posted victories in the CWGA Chapman (with Jaclyn Murray) and qualified for the 2014 U.S. Girls’ Junior and the 2015 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball (with Gillian Vance). At the U.S. Girls’ Junior, Kupcho finished eighth in the stroke-play portion of the event before falling in the round of 64 of match play.
Kupcho’s runner-up showing in the Colorado Women’s Open marked the best finish by an amateur in that event since 2008. She also placed eighth in the Girls Junior America’s Cup and 29th in the Callaway Junior World Golf Championships, marking the best finish ever by a Coloradan in the girls 15-17 girls age division.
CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year — Michael Harrington (left) of Garden of the Gods Club. Harrington’s most eye-catching feat of this year was advancing to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Mid-Amateur. It was his best showing in nine USGA championship appearances. Harrington lost in the quarterfinals to Tom Werkmeister of Kentwood, Mich., who won the 2013 Michigan Open title as an amateur and subsequently was elected into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame. By making it to the final eight, Harrington will be exempt into next year’s national Mid-Am.
Harrington also qualified for his third U.S. Amateur since 2009. And at age 42, he was the top Colorado finisher in the championship, at 134th place.
The Colorado Springs resident also won another CGA championship, capturing the title in the Mid-Amateur Match Play Invitational. He also placed fifth in the CGA Mid-Amateur and represented Colorado at the Pacific Coast Amateur.
CWGA Senior Player of the Year — Christie Austin (left) of Cherry Hills Country Club. Austin also captured this honor in 2007, when she was a senior “rookie”. This time ended a five-year run of winning this award by Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton, who “retired” from CWGA championships at the end of the 2013 season. Austin will join Eaton in the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame on May 31 after recently being voted in.
The former USGA Executive Committee member won two CWGA championships and qualified for two USGA national tournaments.
Austin won the CWGA Senior Stroke Play for the second time, this one in a playoff with Lynn Larson. And she placed second in the senior division of the CWGA Match Play, losing 1 down to champion Deb Hughes. In a team event, Austin and Tori Glenn earned the trophy in the CWGA Brassie.
In qualifiers, Austin landed spots in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, advancing to match play in the latter.
CGA Senior Player of the Year — Kent Moore (left) of Cherry Hills Country Club. It’s been eight years since Moore last won this award, as a senior “rookie”, but an impressive season as a 58-year-old made him a two-time honoree in this category (he also was named the CGA’s Les Fowler Player of the Year in 1989).
The Colorado Golf Hall of Famer won the CGA Senior Stroke Play by six shots, matching the largest margin in the event since 2007. With that victory, he’s accomplished the remarkable feat of winning CGA championships in five consecutive decades. He captured the Junior Match Play in 1973, the Stroke Play in ’86, the Match Play in ’89, the Mid-Amateur in ’95, the Senior Match Play in ’06 and the Senior Stroke Play in ’14.
Moore earned low-amateur honors in the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open for the second time (he first managed the feat in 2006). This time, Moore placed sixth overall in the Senior Open.
CGA Mid-Amateur Player of the Year — Michael Harrington of Garden of the Gods Club. Harrington captures this award for the second time in the last six seasons. See the CGA Player of the Year entry for Harrington above.
CWGA Junior Player of the Year — Jennifer Kupcho of CommonGround Golf Course. Kupcho becomes just the second player to win this award for three consecutive years, joining Becca Huffer (2005-07). See the CWGA Player of the Year entry for Kupcho above.
CGA Junior Player of the Year — Ross Macdonald (left) of the Country Club at Castle Pines. Macdonald, a member of the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program, won the CGA Junior Stroke Play for the second straight year, becoming the first competitor since Scott Petersen in the 1980s to capture consecutive Junior Stroke titles.
The Valor Christian senior, who has committed to play college golf at the University of Colorado, also won the CJGA Junior Series Championship this year. And he placed third in the 2014 4A state high school tournament.
CWGA Most Improved Junior of the Year — Anna Kennedy of Denver Country Club. Kennedy’s USGA handicap index dropped from 7.4 at the beginning of the season to 0.7 as of the Nov. 1 revision.
While the CGA and CWGA will hold their awards brunch on Nov. 23, the Colorado PGA’s Awards Gala is set for Friday at Colorado Golf Club. Here’s an earlier rundown on the award winners: CLICK HERE.
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