Former Colorado State University golfer Blake Cannon (pictured) shot an 8-under-par 64 and leads by one after day 1. He made eight birdies in a bogey-free round.

German-born twins who used to play at the University of Colorado aren’t far off the pace. Yannik Paul opened with a 66 and brother Jeremy with a 68. Yannik made an eagle and went bogey-free, and Jeremy carded seven birdies on Tuesday.

The top 21 finishers after Friday’s final round will advance to Stage 2 of Q-school.

Numerous other First Stage tournaments are scheduled for the first two weeks in October. Then there will be five Second Stage tourneys from Oct. 30-Nov. 9. The Final Stage is Dec. 6-9 in Chandler, Ariz.

Here are this week’s First-Stage scores for all the players with strong Colorado ties:

Maricopa, Ariz.
(After 72 Holes, Top 21 Will Advance to Second Stage)
1. Former CSU golfer Blake Cannon 64
3. Former CU golfer Yannik Paul, Boulder 66
11. Former CU golfer Jeremy Paul 68
34. Zahkai Brown, Golden 72
50. Glenn Workman, Pueblo West 73
60. Nick Mason, Parker 74  

U.S. Open Local Qualifying tournaments are often dominated by golfers in their 20s or late teens. It’s definitely a young man’s game — at least in that event.

But Tuesday’s Local Qualifer at Collindale Golf Course in Fort Collins showed that there are definitely exceptions to the rule. Out of the five players who advanced to Sectionals — the second and final stage of U.S. Open qualifying — one is 52 years old and another is 35.

Former University of Colorado golfer Derek Fribbs, a 27-year-old from Thornton, earned medalist honors with a 3-under-par 68 at Collindale, which puts more of a premium on accuracy than length, unlike many courses.

Joining him in advancing to Sectional Qualifying were 35-year-old Nick Mason of Parker (69), 52-year-old David Good of Colorado Springs (69), 27-year-old former Colorado State University golfer Parker Edens of Greeley (70), and 22-year-old former Colorado Mesa golfer Trevor McKune of Grand Junction (70). (Four of the Sectional qualifiers are pictured, from left: McKune, Good, Fribbs and Edens.)

“It’s great” to advance, said Good, who was a generation apart from many of Tuesday’s competitors. “Honestly the reason I was playing here is because I’m doing the Senior Open qualifier next week and that’s more on my radar. This was more of a warmup. It’s a bonus to get to go to Sectionals.”

Meanwhile, It’s the fifth straight year Edens (pictured at bottom) has advanced from the Local Qualifying at Collindale.

“It’s pretty crazy,” said Edens, who missed a Sectional playoff for the final U.S. Open berth by one stroke two years ago. “I’ll go back to Springfield Country Club in Ohio that I’ve played the last four years. I love the place. I’ve played well there at times. It’ll be exciting. The last month and a half I’ve felt I’ve played some of the best golf I’ve ever played.”

As for his secret to success at Collindale, Edens said, “When I first got to CSU I played it probably 10 times and I hated it. We had a six-round qualifier and the first three rounds were here and I was in last place after those three rounds. But after that I’ve played pretty good here. “

It will be the sixth Sectional for Mason, who competed in the 2014 U.S. Open, one of six PGA Tour events in which he’s played in his career.

“Just playing in Sectionals is a confidence-builder moving on,” said Mason (left), a three-time winner of the Hawaii State Open. “Even through today is just a Local Qualifier, every single shot you hit can be the shot that puts you out. And it’s not like a four-round tournament where you hit it in the trees, make double (bogey) and you’re fine. You’ve got to come back so fast from that. It’s a lot like match play. Every single shot matters. The guys who get through have done a really good job because even though there’s 80 guys for five spots doesn’t mean it’s easy. It’s really hard. So it means a lot (to advance).”

Asked about his memories of playing — and missing the cut (78-75) — in the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, N.C., Mason said, “I was in 15th (place) through six or eight holes and saw my name on the board and never saw it again,” he said with a smile. “I wasn’t playing great. I kind of putted my way in that year. Now I’m hitting it good and I feel like I’ll have a chance at Sectionals. (In 2014), I got to Pinehurst and I was kind of clanking it. I wasn’t seeing the fairway, but it was still a lot of fun. II think I’ll have a little less nerves if I get back.”

Fribbs, the 2013 CGA Player of the Year, will be going to his third Sectionals. The last time he competed there, he shot a smooth 69 in the first round in 2014, but fell out of contention with a 78 after the field switched courses for the second round of the day.

“I had a younger mind back then,” he said. “It’s not the game that’s in better shape (now). It’s the mind that’s in better shape. That’s the key.”

Good and McKune will be making their Sectional debuts, with McKune never having attempted to qualify for the U.S. Open before Tuesday.

“This is big being my first qualifier,” McKune said. “Going to Sectionals, this is huge. It’s probably one of the highlights of the last few years for me.”

Fribbs, who was 2 over par after his first three holes on Tuesday, made six birdies and three bogeys to set the standard at Collindale. Good also started slowly, standing 2 over after five holes before rallying.

“This is my first competitive round in Colorado ever,” said Good, a longtime club professional who moved back to Colorado Springs recently after residing in Florida. “I’m doing math every shot. I’m still playing my sea-level yardages and trying to (adjust to the altitude). It’s a little tricky. It worked out for the most part once I remembered to do it.

“This is the first U.S. Open qualifier I’ve played in that I didn’t feel I was at a disadvantage being older and not hitting it as far because length is not an advantage on this golf course, which is rare. If you move it around well, it’s a ball-striker’s course, and if you’re on a green you have a chance to make a putt. … Here I thought we had a good shot.”

The 36-hole Sectional Qualifying in the U.S. will be contested on June 4 at 10 sites in the U.S., plus one in England that day and one in Japan on May 21. From there, the top finishers will land berths in the Open itself, set for June 14-17 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y.

Wednesday marked the third of three Colorado-based U.S. Open Local Qualifiers this year. Last week at Walnut Creek Golf Preserve in Westminster, those who punched their tickets to Sectionals were John Murdock of Laramie, Wyo.; Steven Kupcho of Westminster; Josh Seiple of Castle Rock; Trevor Olkowski of Grand Junction; and Zahkai Brown of Golden. Then at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora, advancing were Jonathan Kuzava of Littleton, Tom Gempel of Lone Tree, Glenn Workman of Pueblo West, Jack Castiglia of Lakewood and Davis Bryant of Aurora.

The U.S. Open is the only USGA championship that utilizes a two-stage qualifying process, with many entrants having to successfully negotiate Local and Sectional Qualifying in order to make it into the field for the second men’s major of the year.
 

U.S. Open Local Qualifying
At Par-71 Collindale GC in Fort Collins
ADVANCE TO SECTIONALS
Derek Fribbs, Thornton 68
Nick Mason, Parker 69
David Good, Colorado Springs 69
Parker Edens, Greeley 70
Trevor McKune, Grand Junction 70

ALTERNATES (In Order)
George Markham, Phoenix 71
Riley Arp, Fort Collins 71

For complete results, CLICK HERE.
 

This year was no exception as he led after rounds 1 and 2 on the Kohala Coast. But on Sunday, Mason was edged at the wire by another former Hawaii State Open champion, third-round playing partner Tadd Fujikawa.

Fujikawa birdied the par-3 17th hole Sunday to break a tie with Mason and went on to win the title by one stroke, marking the first pro victory in seven years for the former phenom.

Mason (pictured), who birdied the first three holes on Sunday, posted a 3-under-par 69 and finished at 11-under 205 (67-69-69). The former University of Hawaii-Hilo golfer, who has won the Hawaii State Open title in 2008, ’13 and ’15, carded five birdies and two bogeys on Sunday.

Fujikawa made eight birdies en route to a final-round 67.

Joining Mason in the top 10 from Colorado was two-time CoBank Colorado Open champion Derek Tolan, who placed eighth at 212 after closing with a 71.

In the senior open division, former Cherry Creek High School golfer Mike Reid finished third, behind champion David Ishii and 1987 U.S. Open champ Scott Simpson. Reid shot rounds of 68-72-73 for a 3-under-par 213 total, which left him six behind Ishii.

For Hawaii State Open scores, CLICK HERE.
 

The three Local Qualifiers in Colorado will take place Monday at Walnut Creek Golf Preserve in Westminster (the former Heritage at Westmoor), May 15 at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora, and May 16 at Collindale Golf Course in Fort Collins.

At each site, 84 players will vie for five spots into the second and final qualifying stage. Ten 36-hole U.S. Open Sectionals will be contested in the U.S. on June 5. The U.S. Open itself is set for June 15-18 at Erin Hills in Erin, Wis.

The odds of qualifying for the U.S. Open after going through both stages are very long, to say the least. The USGA accepted 9,485 entries into the championship, and 51 are fully exempt and many others are exempt into the Sectional Qualifying stage.

Among those scheduled to compete in Colorado-based Local Qualifying tournaments this year, a handful have beaten the odds in the past by qualifying for the Open: Derek Tolan and Ben Portie (2002), Jason Preeo (2010), Steve Irwin (2011) and Nick Mason (2014). Tolan and Mason will be playing at Walnut Creek, and Portie, Preeo and Irwin at Collinale.

Among the other entrants at Walnut Creek are former Colorado Open champions Zahkai Brown and Scott Petersen; NCAA Regional qualifiers Ethan Freeman, Jake Staiano, Josh Seiple and Yannik Paul; and Michael Schoolcraft, who played in this year’s Waste Management Phoenix Open on the PGA Tour.

At CommonGround, the contestants include the winners of the two most prestigious CGA championships in 2016, Colin Prater and Nathaniel Goddard; and three-time Wyoming Open champion Kane Webber.

At Collindale, a regular host of U.S. Open Local Qualifying, the field includes — besides Portie, Preeo and Irwin — Geoff Keffer, the Colorado PGA Player of the Year each of the last three years; 2015 CGA Player of the Year David Oraee; Riley Arp, who competed in the Shell Houston Open on the PGA Tour in March; and Parker Edens, who finished a shot out of a playoff at a U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying site last year.

For pairings, click on the following: WALNUT CREEK, COMMONGROUND, COLLINDALE.

Both Wiebe (pictured) and Nick Mason of Denver shot 4-under-par 68s in Friday’s final round of a Web.com first-stage tournament in Dayton, Nev., and punched their tickets into stage 2 of the three-stage process.

With the top 24 finishers and ties advancing, Wiebe ended up sixth and Mason 12th out of the 75-man field. After a day that saw him make an eagle, four birdies and two bogeys, Wiebe posted a 13-under-par 275 total. Mason, the 2016 Rocky Mountain Open champion, made four straight birdies en route to a front-nine 31 and finished the day with six birdies and two bogeys.

Wiebe had conditional status on the 2016 Web.com Tour, but played in just one event on that circuit in a season in which he was injured for a couple of months.

David Vanegas of Colombia won the event in Dayton with a 21-under-par 267 total.

Second-stage Q-school tournaments will be held Nov. 1-4 and 8-11, with the final stage set for Dec. 8-11.

Nine more first-stage tournaments will be held in the next two weeks.

Here’s how all the Coloradans fared this week in stage 1:

Dayton Nev. (top 24 finishers and ties advance to second stage)
Advance to Stage 2
6. Gunner Wiebe of Aurora 68-68-71-68–275
12. Nick Mason of Denver 70-67-73-68–278

Murrieta, Calif. (top 25 finishers and ties advance to second stage)
Failed to Advance to Stage 2
62. Eric Hallberg of Parker 77-70-79-72–298
 

Wiebe (pictured) shot a 1-under-par 71 Thursday at a first-stage tournament in Dayton, Nev., leaving him in 13th place at 9-under 207 at a site where the top 24 finishers and ties after Friday’s final round will advance.

Mason, meanwhile, shares 23rd place after a third-round 73 put him at 210.

Wiebe made five birdies on Thursday, while Mason had two.

Daniel Vanegas of Colombia leads the tournament at 18-under-par 198.

Nine more first-stage tournaments will be held in the next two weeks.

Here’s how all the Coloradans are faring this week in stage 1:

Dayton Nev. (top 24 finishers and ties advance to second stage)
13. Gunner Wiebe of Aurora 68-68-71–207
23. Nick Mason of Denver 70-67-73–210

Murrieta, Calif. (top 25 finishers and ties advance to second stage)
64. Eric Hallberg of Parker 77-70-79–226
 

With the top 24 finishers and ties after Friday’s fourth round advancing to stage 2 from a tournament in Dayton, Nev., Wiebe stands in seventh place and Mason in ninth. Wiebe (pictured), who overcame a double bogey on Wednesday, has shot back-to-back 68s for an 8-under-par 136 total. Mason is at 137 after scores of 70-67.

Gavin Green of Malaysia holds the lead at 130.

Nine more first-stage tournaments will be held in the next two weeks.

Here’s how all the Coloradans are faring this week in stage 1:

Dayton Nev. (top 24 finishers and ties advance to second stage)
7. Gunner Wiebe of Aurora 68-68–136
9. Nick Mason of Denver 70-67–137

Murrieta, Calif. (top 25 finishers and ties advance to second stage)
52. Eric Hallberg of Parker 77-70–147
 

Nick Mason (pictured) of Denver ended that streak on Sunday — with an exclamation point. And it didn’t stop with Mason claiming the title. The second- and third-place professional finishers — Jim Knous of Englewood and Nathaniel Goddard of Fort Collins, respectively — were also Coloradans.

Six years after Ben Portie of Westminster won the RMO, Mason prevailed by seven strokes in the 78th edtion of the tournament.

Mason, who has played in five PGA Tour events over the years — including the 2014 U.S. Open, shot 65-64-65 at the event held at both Tiara Rado Golf Course and the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa. That left him at 20-under-par 194 overall. He posted 20 birdies and one eagle (on the 13th hole Sunday), while making just two bogeys in 54 holes. The victory was worth $10,000.

Knous, who finished third last year in the RMO, moved up a spot this time, closing with a 68 for a 201 total.

Goddard, the 2016 CGA Match Play champion who just turned pro, checked in third at 203 after a final-round 67. Also at that figure was low-amateur Isaac Petersilie of Colorado Springs, the University of Denver-bound golfer who carded a 68 on Sunday. He prevailed by five over Taylor Montgomery in the amateur competiton.

Robin Bradbury of Superior, who just qualified for the U.S. Senior Amateur, claimed the title in the senior amateur division. After he tied Scott Sullivan and Owen Ellis with a three-day total of 6-over-par 220, Bradbury prevailed in a playoff.

This year marked the first time that Redlands Mesa was part of the RMO’s championship rotation.

For scores from the RMO, CLICK HERE.

On Sunday, the Colorado School of Mines graduate won the tournament at San Juan Country Club in Farmington, N.M., for the second consecutive year. That makes him just the second back-to-back champion since 1989, joining Brian Kortan, who won three straight from 2001-03.

In fact, Knous led the tournament wire-to-wire this year, finishing with a 23-under-par 261 total to prevail by six over Sam Saunders of Albuquerque. The Coloradan carded rounds of 64-66-67-64.

“Wins like this really help my confidence,” Knous told the Albuquerque Journal.

Nick Mason of Denver closed with a 10-under-par 61, tying the tournament record despite a bogey on the final hole. He birdied seven consecutive holes during the round, eventually tying for fourth place overall with fellow Coloradan Andy Connell.
 

Three Local Qualifying tournaments will be held again this year in Colorado: Monday (May 9) at The Heritage at Westmoor in Westminster, May 15 at the East Course at The Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado Springs, and May 17 at Collindale Golf Course in Fort Collins. Collindale is serving as a Local Qualifying site for the 13th consecutive year.

At each Colorado venue, about 84 competitors will vie for five spots in the 36-hole Sectional Qualifying, set for June 6 at 10 sites in the U.S. From there, the top finishers will advance to the Open itself.

In all, 111 U.S. Open Local Qualifiers will be held. A total of 9,877 entries were sent in for this year’s championship.

At the Colorado sites, previous U.S. Open competitors in the field include Leif Olson and Jason Preeo (Heritage at Westmoor) and Derek Tolan, Steve Irwin, Nick Mason and Wil Collins (all at The Broadmoor).

Among those entered in Colorado who advanced to Sectionals last year were Nathaniel Goddard, Greg Johnson, Michael Schoolcraft, Jim Knous, Cameron Harrell and Andrew Romano (all at Heritage at Westmoor this year); Tolan, Eric Bradley and Jake Staiano (all at The Broadmoor this year); and Parker Edens (Collindale this year).

For tee times, click on the following: Heritage at Westmoor, The Broadmoor, Collindale.