With at least the top 100 players and ties after four rounds advancing to Stage II — set for Oct. 15-18 in Venice, Fla. — Paige Crawford of Colorado Springs leads the local contingent. She made six birdies on Friday and shot a 2-under-par 70 at the Dinah Shore Course, giving her a 1-under 143 total, good for a share of 35th place.

Other locals in the top 100 with two rounds remaining are Ashley Tait of Littleton (145, 61st place), former Coloradan Elizabeth Wang (also at 145), University of Colorado golfer Robyn Choi (146, 78th place) and former Buff Brittany Fan (147, 100th place).

Celina Yuan of Australia holds the 36-hole lead at 9-under 135.

The field will be cut after 54 holes to a minimum of the low 125 players and ties.

This year in the LPGA qualifying process, a Q-Series replaces the third and final stage. There, a maximum of 108 players will compete in two 72-hole stroke-play tournaments held on consecutive weeks Oct. 22-Nov. 3 at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. Scores will be cumulative over the two weeks.

Amateurs who earn their cards can defer their acceptance of LPGA membership until July 1, 2019.

Here are the round-by-round scores for the players with strong Colorado connections:

35. Paige Crawford of Colorado Springs 73-70–143
61. Ashley Tait of Littleton 71-74–145
61. Amateur Elizabeth Wang, who grew up in Colorado 76-69–145
78. University of Colorado golfer/amateur Robyn Choi 74-72–146
100. Former CU golfer Brittany Fan 74-73–147
121. Amateur Emily Gilbreth, a former Denver resident 76-72–148
142. Hannah Wood of Highlands Ranch 71-78–149
169. Former CU golfer Natalie Vivaldi 72-78–150
210. Amateur Jaylee Tait of Littleton 77-75–152
273. Samantha Stancato of Colorado Springs 76-80–156

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

Former University of Northern Colorado golfer Carleigh Silvers stayed in the top 20 on Saturday in Venice, Fla, sharing 17th place. And former University of Colorado golfers Esther Lee (46th) and Kristin Coleman (55th) are also in the top 60 following the third round of the 72-hole tournament.

The top 80 finishers and ties after four rounds will advance to the third and final stage of Q-school, set for Nov. 29-Dec. 3 in Daytona Beach, Fla., where LPGA Tour cards will be awarded (20 fully exempt and 25 more conditional).

Silvers shot an even-par 72 on Saturday, leaving her at 2-under 214 and seven strokes back of leader Csicsi Rozsa. Silvers made two birdies and two bogeys on the day.

Lee has bounced back from a first-round 76 with scores of 72 and 71, with Saturday’s two-birdie, one-bogey round putting her at 3-over 219. Fellow former Buff Coleman posted a 73 on Friday, leaving her at 220.

Here are the scores for all the players with major Colorado ties who are competing this week in Venice:

17. Former UNC golfer Carleigh Silvers 71-71-72–214
46. Former CU golfer Esther Lee 76-72-71–219
55. Former CU golfer Kristin Coleman 72-75-73–220
166. Former CU golfer Natalie Vivaldi 77-80-76–233

For complete results, CLICK HERE.
 

Silvers (pictured in a USGA photo), who played in the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open, shot a second consecutive 1-under-par 71 on Friday, leaving her at 2-under 142 and in a tie for 15th place with two rounds remaining. The top 80 finishers and ties after 72 holes will advance to the third and final stage of Q-school, set for Nov. 29-Dec. 3 in Daytona Beach, Fla., where LPGA Tour cards will be awarded.

Also in the top 80 after Friday are former University of Colorado golfers Kristin Coleman and Esther Lee.

Coleman, who played on the Symetra Tour this year, posted a 3-over-par 75 on Friday. She stands at 3-over 147 and in a tie for 63rd place.

Lee, a rookie pro who last year set an NCAA women’s record relative to par with a round of 11-under-par 61, made four birdies in a round of even-par 72 on Friday. That puts her at 148 and in a share of 80th place.

Here are the scores for all the players with major Colorado ties who are competing this week in Venice:

15. Former UNC golfer Carleigh Silvers 71-71–142
63. Former CU golfer Kristin Coleman 72-75–147
80. Former CU golfer Esther Lee 76-72–148
170. Former CU golfer Natalie Vivaldi 77-80–157

For complete results, CLICK HERE.
 

Silvers (pictured in a Symetra Tour photo) made two birdies and one bogey, shot a 1-under-par 71 and shares 23rd place out of a field of 190. The top 80 finishers and ties after 72 holes will advance to the third and final stage of Q-school, Nov. 29-Dec. 3 in Daytona Beach, Fla., where LPGA Tour cards will be awarded. Last year, the top 45 finishers and ties at the Q-school finals earned at least conditional status on the LPGA circuit.

Meanwhile, Coleman, whose twin sister Jennifer played part-time on the LPGA Tour in 2017, opened with a 72, which left her tied for 40th place. Coleman made five birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey on Thursday.

Alazne Urizar Zapata shot a 6-under-par 66 to grab the round 1 lead.

Here are the scores for all the players with major Colorado ties who are competing this week in Venice:

23. Former UNC golfer Carleigh Silvers 71
40. Former CU golfer Kristin Coleman 72
120. Former CU golfer Esther Lee 76
139. Former CU golfer Natalie Vivaldi 77

For complete results, CLICK HERE.
 

Esther Lee (pictured), who spent her final three seasons at CU after starting at Duke, tied for 25th place out of a field of 361 in Rancho Mirage, Calif. She closed with a 1-over-par 73 in round 4, giving her a total of 4-under 284.

Natalie Vivaldi, who played her first three seasons at CU before concluding her career at San Diego State, finished a stroke behind Lee, in 31st place. She shot a 76 on Sunday.

The top 90 finishers and ties after four rounds advance to stage II of the three-stage Q-school, scheduled for Oct. 19-22 in Venice, Fla. At stage III Nov. 29-Dec. 3 in Daytona Beach, Fla., the top 20 performers will earn full status on the 2018 LPGA Tour, while others will receive conditional status.

Former University of Denver golfer Mariell Bruun just missed advancing to stage II of Q-school. A 72 on Sunday left her at 4-over-par 292, in 91st place and one shot shy of what was necessary to move on to the second stage.

Here are the scores of the players with strong Colorado connections:

Advance to Stage II
25. Former CU golfer Esther Lee 75-69-67-73–284
31. Former CU golfer Natalie Vivaldi 71-71-67-76–285
Failed to Advance to Stage II
91. Former DU golfer Mariell Bruun 73-73-74-72–292
Missed 54-Hole Cut
144. Emily Gilbreth of Denver 72-74-75–221
194. Former CU golfer Jamie Oleksiew 74-75-75–224
194. CU golfer Brittany Fan 80-72-72–224
214. Samantha Stancato of Colorado Springs 76-77-72–225
311. Paige Crawford of Colorado Springs 83-76-76–76–235

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.

Former University of Colorado golfers Natalie Vivaldi and Esther Lee each shot 5-under-par 67 in round 3 to make a big move up the scoreboard in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

Vivaldi made seven birdies on Saturday and shares 11th place out of a field of 361 at 7-under-par 209. Lee (pictured) is two strokes behind her — in 22nd place — after a five-birdie, zero-bogey round.

The top 90 finishers and ties after four rounds will advance to stage II of the three-stage qualifying process. At stage III, the top 20 performers will earn full status on the 2018 LPGA Tour.

The field was cut to the top 125 players and ties after Saturday’s third round, and former University of Denver golfer Mariell Bruun also made it to Sunday. After a 74 on Saturday, she’s tied for 121st place at 220.

Here are the scores of the players with strong Colorado connections:

11. Former CU golfer Natalie Vivaldi 71-71-67–209
22. Former CU golfer Esther Lee 75-69-67–211
121. Former DU golfer Mariell Bruun 73-73-74-220
Missed 54-Hole Cut
144. Emily Gilbreth of Denver 72-74-75–221
194. Former CU golfer Jamie Oleksiew 74-75-75–224
194. CU golfer Brittany Fan 80-72-72–224
214. Samantha Stancato of Colorado Springs 76-77-72–225
311. Paige Crawford of Colorado Springs 83-76-76–76–235

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.

Natalie Vivaldi (pictured), who played three years at CU before transferring to San Diego State for her senior season, has shot two consecutive rounds of 1-under-par 71. That leaves her in a tie for 38th place at 2-under 142.

And Esther Lee, who just completed her CU career, shares 73rd place at 144 after she fired a 69 on Friday that included four birdies.

The top 90 finishers and ties after four rounds will advance to stage II of the three-stage qualifying process. At stage III, the top 20 performers will earn full status on the 2018 LPGA Tour.

Two other players with strong Colorado ties share 108th place at 146 in Rancho Mirage: Emily Gilbreth of Denver and former University of Denver golfer Mariell Bruun.

The field will be cut to the top 125 players and ties after Saturday’s third round.

Here are the scores of the players with strong Colorado connections:

38. Former CU golfer Natalie Vivaldi 71-71–142
73. Former CU golfer Esther Lee 75-69–144
108. Emily Gilbreth of Denver 72-74–146
108. Former DU golfer Mariell Bruun 73-73–146
175. Former CU golfer Jamie Oleksiew 74-75–149
232. CU golfer Brittany Fan 80-72–152
247. Samantha Stancato of Colorado Springs 76-77–153
322. Paige Crawford of Colorado Springs 83-76–159

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.

The amateur (pictured) made two birdies and two bogeys in round 1.

The top 90 finishers and ties after four rounds will advance to stage II of the three-stage qualifying process. At stage III, the top 20 performers will earn full status on the 2018 LPGA Tour.

Also on Thursday, Natalie Vivaldi, who started her college career at the University of Colorado, fired a 1-under-par 71, carding five birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey. She shares 43rd place.

Former University of Denver golfer Mariell Bruun opened with a 73, good for 113th place.

Regina Plasencia started with a 7-under-par 65 to grab the round-1 lead.

The field will be cut to the top 125 players and ties after 54 holes.

Here are the scores of the players with strong Colorado connections:

43. Former CU golfer Natalie Vivaldi 71
79. Emily Gilbreth of Denver 72
113. Former DU golfer Mariell Bruun 73
148. Former CU golfer Jamie Oleksiew 74
181. Former CU golfer Esther Lee 75
220. Samantha Stancato of Colorado Springs 76
313. CU golfer Brittany Fan 80
346. Paige Crawford of Colorado Springs 83

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
 

For 2017, that time has arrived, including for some Coloradans aspiring to the big time.

The first of three stages of LPGA Tour qualifying will be held this week. And next week, qualifying for the Web.com Tour — the top level available in the U.S. directly through the Q-school process for males — will begin.

Qualifying for the European Tour begins next month and culminates in mid-November, while the PGA Tour Champions National Qualifying Tournament Finals are set for Nov. 28-Dec. 1 in Scottsdale, Ariz.

But for now, let’s take a quick look at what awaits players with strong Colorado ties at the early stages of LPGA and Web.com Q-school.

— Stage I of LPGA qualifying runs Thursday through Sunday (Aug. 24-27) in Rancho Mirage, Calif. A record-sized field of 362 golfers is expected to participate, and the top 90 finishers and ties will advance to Stage II, set for Oct. 19-22 in Venice, Fla. From there, the top performers will earn spots into Stage III, Nov. 29-Dec. 3 in Daytona Beach, Fla., where 20 players will land full LPGA Tour status for 2018.

Among the “locals” in the field for Stage I are Emily Gilbreth of Denver, winner of the CWGA Match Play this summer; University of Colorado golfer Brittany Fan, a senior who will continue to play for the Buffs this fall; former Buffs Esther Lee, Jamie Oleksiew and Natalie Vivaldi; Samantha Stancato and Paige Crawford of Colorado Springs; and former University of Denver player Mariell Bruun. Among those exempt into Stage II in October are former CU golfers Kristin Coleman and Emily Childs, along with former University of Northern Colorado player Carleigh Silvers.

— Web.com Tour Q-school includes four stages — although that can be a bit confusing as they’re called Pre-Qualifying, and First, Second and Third Stage.

Pre-Qualifying, a 54-hole tournament, is set for six sites, running either Aug. 30-Sept. 1 or Sept. 6-8. Roughly the top half of the fields are expected to advance to the First Stage, though the fields for later this month haven’t yet been announced.

The rest of the Web Q-school process goes like this:

First Stage (12 sites) — Between Sept. 26-Oct. 13.

Second Stage (5 sites) — Between Oct. 31-Nov. 7.

Final Stage — Dec. 7-10 in Chandler, Ariz.
 

The Buffs scored a victory in the 19-team Wyoming Cowboy Classic in Chandler, Ariz. It was their second championship in a large-scale tournament this season, but their first in the spring portion of the schedule since winning the Bandon Dunes Championship in 2013.

On Tuesday, CU posted an eight-stroke victory over Sam Houston State. The Buffs shot a 7-under-par 281 in the final round to finish at 21-under 851.

Two CU players placed in the top 10 individually, with junior Jeremy Paul (pictured) sharing the title after earning a spot in a four-man playoff. Both he and Jordan Gumberg of Arizona parred the one and only playoff hole, while the other two players bogeyed. Paul, who’s in the running for a spot on the European team for the Arnold Palmer Cup matches against the Americans, posted rounds of 69-68-68 for an 11-under-par 205 total.

It was Paul’s second individual victory in a large-scale college tournament as he tied for the title in the Oregon Duck Invitational in 2014.

In addition, two-time CGA Junior Stroke Play champion Ross Macdonald placed ninth Tuesday with a 211 total (72-69-70). It was the second top-10 finish as a college freshman for Macdonald.

“The guys were tremendous and really competed hard” over the last two rounds, CU coach Roy Edwards said. “That’s what I was most proud of.”

Among those who witnessed CU’s strong showing Tuesday was former Buff golfer Steve Jones, the 1996 U.S. Open champion who lives in Arizona.

Meanwhile, at the Silverado Showdown in Napa, Calif., the CU women had a player in contention on Tuesday. Junior Esther Lee scored a third-place individual showing there. She shot a 4-under-par 68 in the final round, giving her a 3-under 213 total, which left her two strokes behind champion Cathleen Santoso of Oregon.

It was Lee’s third top-five individual finish of the season. Also placing in the top 10 Tuesday for CU was Natalie Vivaldi, who was 10th at 219.

The CU women ended up fourth as a team in the 18-school event.
 

Wyoming Cowboy Classic
April 4-5, 2016 (final) in Chandler, Ariz.

1. (out of 19 teams) Colorado 290-272-281–843
P1. Jeremy Paul 69-68-68–205; 9. Ross Macdonald 72-69-70–211; 13. John Souza 75-66-72–213; 16. Ethan Freeman 74-69-71–214; 91. Philip Juel-Berg 76-75-78–229. Competing only as individual: 72. Pierce Aichinger 76-74-75–225; 91. Wilson Belk 85-69-75–229; 109. Kade Crossland 84-75-84–243.

12. Air Force Academy 299-294-282–875
11. Sunwoo Choi 72-74-66–212; 34. Bryant Falconello 77-71-70–218; 37. Michael Fan 75-71-73–219; 83. Dana Hankamer 75-79-73–227; 103. Turner Howe 77-78-78–233. Competing only as individual: 72. Brenden Bone 74-73-78–225; 96. Troy Berglund 75-78-78–231.

Also
37. Coloradan Glenn Workman, Wyoming 74-71-74–219

Silverado Showdown
April 3-5, 2016 (final) in Napa, Calif.

4. (out of 18 teams) Colorado 290-301-292–883
3. Esther Lee 73-72-68–213; 10. Natalie Vivaldi 72-72-75–219; 31. Alexis Keating 74-78-72–224; 47. Brittany Fan 71-79-78–228; 73. Gillian Vance 77-80-77–234. Competing only as individual: 63. Allie Zech 77-78-77–232.