What is it about Texas A&M recruits and shooting extremely low final rounds to win major Colorado-based junior tournaments?

Last year, A&M recruit Reese Ramsey set the course record with a 10-under-par 61 at CommonGround in the last round to win the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior.

And on Friday, Aggie recruit Walker Lee fired a bogey-free 9-under-par 63 at Eisenhower Golf Club at the Air Force Academy to rally to win a national PGA Junior Series event. Lee and Ramsey will be freshman teammates at Texas A&M in the fall of 2017.

“That’s crazy good,” Lee (pictured) said of the 63. “But I feel like I should be much closer to that more often. But everything was going great. Everything was going my way.

“The first day (of the 54-hole tournament) my putting was good but my ball-striking wasn’t. The second day it was vice-versa. And I knew if I could get both those to click I’d be in pretty good shape.”

The 63 Friday for Lee was the lowest tournament round in the life of the golfer from Houston, which came at an ideal time for him.

But it wasn’t so ideal for AJ Ott of Fort Collins, who led after the first and second rounds. Despite being up by three going into Friday and shooting an even-par 72, Ott amazingly finished six shots behind the champion.

The result was yet another runner-up finish for the Colorado State University-bound golfer, who also placed second in the 2015 CGA Junior Stroke Play, the 2015 5A state high school meet and the 2016 AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior.

“I’ve just got to learn how to finish,” said Ott (left), the 2015 CJGA Tournament of Champions winner. “There really isn’t any other answer to it. Second place is fine, but it’s not really going to go anywhere. It’s been solid, but I think I need to learn how to finish off a little better.”

But even if Ott had played better on Friday, it would have been difficult to keep up with Lee. The champion’s closing 63 gave him a three-round total of 14-under-par 202. To put that into perspective, the record-low 54-hole total for the winner of the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational college tournament that’s held annually at Eisenhower Golf Club is 203.

“It was fun to watch,” said Ott, who was paired with Lee all three days. “I was kind of rooting him on there toward the end.”

Ott, like Lee a left-hander, checked in at 208 for second place, while 2015 U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier Davis Bryant of Aurora came in third at 212 after carding a bogey-free 68 in round 3. Oliver Jack of Denver placed fourth at 214.

Lee, a past winner of an AJGA tournament in Texas, made nine birdies Friday and played his final 11 holes in 7 under par.

“I haven’t won in a long time,” the 18-year-old said. “It’s good to get that off my back. I’ll take some confidence from this.

“My goal today was 4 under on the front nine (which he shot) just in case the rain came and they cut it down to nine holes. I wanted to get at least tied with (Ott) after nine. I did that, and put some pressure on.”

Lee said this was his first time playing golf in Colorado — or anywhere with significant altitude.

“I like it,” he said with a smile. “I talked to a bunch of friends who have played up here and they said, ‘Turn your range finder to meters and it’s about the same’. It worked pretty well.”

After Ott went 67-69 the first two rounds, making two eagles on Thursday, Friday wasn’t as good, though he was steady, with two birdies and two bogeys.

“I didn’t hit the ball as well today and I didn’t putt as well,” said the 18-year-old Ott. “I had six three-putts this week so that cost me a little bit.”

In the girls tournament, Thai national team member Tunrada Piddon (left) also posted a stellar final-round score — in her case, a 66 — to win by four strokes. The 15-year-old, who had never before carded a 6-under-par round, finished at 1-under-par 215.

Dominique Galloway of Rio Rancho, N.M. was second at 219 while Sophie Guo of China ended up third at 224. The top Coloradan in the girls 15-18 division was Sarah Hwang of Monument, who placed sixth at 232.

“She’s happy,” Piddon said through a translator. “Today everything just came together. She drove the ball really well and putted really well.”

With their victories on Friday, Lee and Piddon qualified for the Junior PGA Championship, set for Aug. 9-12 in Rumford, R.I.

Marie Jordaan of Cherry Hills Village was best among the four players in the girls 12-14 division. She carded an 83 Friday for a 244 total, good for a one-stroke victory over Amisha Singh of Greenwood Village.

Aaron Kuznik of Orono, Minn., went wire-to-wire to win the boys 12-14 division. His final-round 78 gave him a 19-over-par 235 total. Carson Hackmann of Laurel, Mont., came in second at 245, while Supawich Boonta of Aurora placed third at 246.

For scores: boys 15-18, girls 15-18, boys 12-14, girls 12-14
 

Ott, the 2015 CJGA Tournament of Champions winner, backed up his first-round 67 with a 3-under-par 69 on Thursday, giving him an 8-under 136 total with just Friday’s final round remaining.

The Colorado State University signee (pictured) supplemented his two eagles — on the fifth and 16th holes — with two birdies and three bogeys on Thursday. The 18-year-old is three up on Walker Lee of Houston (70-69) and seven up on Luke Travins of Colorado Springs (71-72). Among the five players tied for fourth at 144 are Davis Bryant of Aurora, Oliver Jack of Denver and David Leede of Greenwood Village.

Meanwhile, in the girls 15-18 division, two players from the Thailand contingent are among the top three golfers after Thursday. Nicha Vorrasanpisut of Thailand (74-74) shares the lead with Sophie Guo of China (74-74), while Thai national team member Tunrada Piddon is third, one stroke back, after going 78-71.

The top Coloradan in the girls 15-18 division is Caroline Jordaan of Cherry Hills Village, who’s seventh at 153 (76-77).

The winners in the top boys and girls divisions will earn spots in the Junior PGA Championship, set for Aug. 9-12 in Rumford, R.I.

Marie Jordaan of Cherry Hills Village, Caroline’s sister, maintained her lead in the girls 12-14 division, going 80-81–161. That’s two better than Amisha Singh of Greenwood Village (83-80) in the four-player field.

In boys 12-14, Aaron Kuznik of Orono, Minn., kept his lead, posting rounds of 76-81 for a 13-over-par 157 total. That’s two better than Carson Hackmann of Laurel, Mont. (80-79–159) and six better than third-place Trey Jones of Colorado Springs (79-84–159)

For scores: boys 15-18, girls 15-18, boys 12-14, girls 12-14

The Colorado State University signee, who tied for second earlier this month at the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior, made seven birdies and two bogeys in the first of three rounds at Eisenhower.

Colton Tanner of Park City, Utah holds second place at 69, while Jackson Crist of Highlands Ranch, Walker Lee of Houston and Kirby Coe-Kirkham of Sheridan, Wyo., share third at 70.

In the girls division, sisters Dominique and Jacquelyn Galloway of Rio Rancho, N.M., took the lead by matching 1-over-par 73s. Sophie Guo of China and Nicha Vorrasanpisut of Thailand posted 74s to share third place.

Caroline Jordaan of Cherry Hills Village and Sarah Hwang of Monument are tied for fifth place at 76 with Shannon Gould of O’Fallon, Mo., and Natai Apichonlati of Thailand.

Meanwhile, in the 12-14 age group, Marie Jordaan leads the four-player girls field with an 80, while Amisha Singh of Greenwood Village is second at 83. Aaron Kuznik of Orono, Minn., is setting the pace for the boys at 76, while Trey Jones of Colorado Springs is second at 79.

The tournament for all divisions will continue through Friday.

For scores: boys 15-18, girls 15-18, boys 12-14, girls 12-14

But this year’s Colorado tournament schedule isn’t just a one-hit wonder.

Here are some of the other highlights and/or notable golf tournaments the state will host in 2013:

— On May 29, the West Course at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs will be one of just 20 sites nationally where Sectional qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open will be held. Competitors will vie over 36 holes for spots in the 2013 Women’s Open, set for Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., June 27-30.

Last year, the Broadmoor qualifier produced two U.S. Open contestants from Colorado: Becca Huffer and Kelly Jacques (pictured).

— The Broadmoor’s West Course also will host U.S. Senior Open Sectional qualifying. The 18-hole test on June 17 will be one of 34 conducted across the country for the Senior Open, which is scheduled for Omaha Country Club July 11-14.

And though Colorado lost its U.S. Open Sectional qualifier several years ago, three Local qualifying tournaments are set in the state: May 6 at Desert Hawk in Pueblo West and May 13 at Heritage at Westmoor in Westminster and Collindale in Fort Collins.

— Some of the best female junior golfers from the U.S. and Europe will compete against one another in a Solheim Cup-related event in Colorado. The seventh Ping Junior Solheim Cup will be held Aug. 12-14 at Inverness Golf Club in Englewood.

Each team will include 12 players, age 12-18, with the contestants being finalized in July.

World Golf Hall of Famer Kathy Whitworth will captain the U.S. Junior Solheim Cup team, while Scotland’s Janice Moodie will lead the European squad.

— The PGA Junior Series, which features strong national and local fields for both boys and girls, will return to Eisenhower Golf Club at the Air Force Academy June 25-27.

Last year’s PGA Junior Series event at Eisenhower Golf Club was canceled at the last minute due to the Waldo Canyon Fire that burned near Colorado Springs.

— The Colorado Cup matches, where some of the best CGA/CWGA amateurs face their counterparts from the Colorado PGA, will be played on just one day this year after traditionally being a two-day affair. The 2013 Cup matches are set for June 5 at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora.

— In hopes of improving the field for both events, the typical dates of the HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open and the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open have been flopped this year. The seniors will compete May 29-31, with the women set for Sept. 4-6, and Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver again will host both tournaments.

The HealthOne Colorado Open will remain in its usual date slot, with the tournament scheduled for July 25-28 at GVR.

— As for the state’s top amateur championships, here’s the lineup: the CGA Match Play, first held in 1901, July 8-12 at Bear Creek Golf Club; the CGA Stroke Play, which dates back to 1937, Aug. 8-11 at Pinehurst Country Club; the CWGA Stroke Play, originally held in 1948, June 26-28 at the Ranch Country Club; and the CWGA Match Play, first contested in 1916, July 15-17 at the Club at Rolling Hills.

— Neither the boys nor girls Junior America’s Cup will be held in Colorado this year, but four of the state’s best boys players will have quite a treat this summer.

A year after the Colorado Girls’ Junior America’s Cup team got to compete in Maui, it’s the boys’ turn this time to head to Hawaii. The squad representing the CGA will play in the event July 30-Aug. 1. The girls, meanwhile, will be in Albuquerque this year, on the same dates.

— For the first time in recent years, the Colorado PGA Professional Championship — the highlight of the Colorado PGA tournament schedule — will be contested on the Western Slope. This summer’s tournament is set for Sept. 9-11 at the Fazio Course at Red Sky Golf Club in Wolcott.

— The Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational, which combines a college tournament with a high school all-star event, is set for Sept. 23-24 at Erie’s Colorado National Golf Club. The University of Colorado will host the tournament, which includes a separate competition — the CJGA Collegiate High School Invitational — featuring about 10 of the best boys players in the state.

— Top CJGA players will have the pleasure of competing at Cherry Hills Country Club — home of the PGA Tour’s 2014 BMW Championship — for the CJGA Tournament of Champions Oct. 5-6. A couple of months earlier, the CJGA 14-18 Junior Series Championship will go out of the norm in being held at two sites: Colorado Springs Country Club Aug. 5 and the Country Club of Colorado Aug. 6.