Kelley, who shot a course-record 63 for the tees he was playing in Monday’s stroke-play qualifier, scored a 4 and 3 victory Tuesday over Stephen Fernandes of CommonGround Golf Course in the round of 64.

And Korte (pictured), who posted a 65 on Monday, defeated University of Northern Colorado golfer Li Chen of Legacy Ridge Golf Course 2 and 1 in their opening match.

But falling Tuesday were third-seeded Tristan Rohrbaugh, a former 3A state high school champion who plays out of Ironbridge Golf Club (3 and 1 to Pierce Aichinger of Glenmoor Country Club), and No. 4 seed Isaac Petersilie, a DU golfer from Colorado Springs Country Club (1 up to Cole Anderson of the Country Club of Colorado).

Joining Kelley and Korte in advancing to the round of 32 were the three reigning CGA Players of the Year (Kyler Dunkle-open division, Chris Thayer-mid-amateur) and Robin Bradbury-senior). Also moving on were 2016 CGA Amateur champion Colin Prater of The Broadmoor Golf Club, 2015 Match Play winnner Nick Nosewicz of Meadow Hills Golf Course, and several 2017 U.S. Open Sectional Qualifiers: Jake Staiano of Glenmoor Country Club, Ross Macdonald of the Country Club at Castle Pines, Daniel Pearson of The Fox Hill Club and former 5A state high school champion Hunter Paugh of Fort Collins Country Club.

Two rounds of matches will be contested on Wednesday, setting the stage for the quarterfinals and semifinals on Thursday and the 36-hole final on Friday.

For results from the Match Play, CLICK HERE.

Soule (left) earned medalist honors in Thursday’s third of four Colorado Open qualifiers, leading the way for 14 players who advanced to the championship, including seven from Colorado.

Soule, a 32-year-old former low-amateur in the Colorado Open, made eight birdies and shot a 7-under-par 64 Thursday at Legacy Ridge Golf Course in Westminster.

Other Coloradans who advanced to the Open — set for July 21-24 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver — were Bryan Hackenberg of Thornton (67), Jacob Lestishen of Lone Tree (68), Braden Baer of Westminster (69), amateurs Sam Marley of Centennial and Pierce Aichinger of Cherry Hills Village (both 69), and Jason Johnson of Westminster (70, then prevailed in a playoff).

Joining them in qualifying Thursday were James Vargas of Windermere, Fla. (67), Ty Capps of Palm Coast, Fla. (67), Paul Imondi of Tustin, Calif. (68), Daniel Balin of Rockville, Md. (68), Brett Paquet of Chandler, Ariz. (69), Charlie Kern of Mercer Island, Wash. (69) and Robert Bell of Pierz, Minn. (70)

One player who didn’t advance was Johnny DelPrete of Palm City, Fla., who shot a 72 while his girlfriend, Jessica Korda, caddied for him on Thursday. Korda is currently sits No. 24 in the women’s world golf rankings.

For roundups from the two previous qualifiers for the $250,000 Colorado Open, click on the following: No. 1, No. 2.

For scores from Thursday’s qualifier, CLICK HERE.

Pierce Aichinger was ever so close to withdrawing from this week’s 65th CGA Junior Match Play Championship.

It’s fair to say that after how things played out at Buffalo Run Golf Course in Commerce City, he’s very happy he thought better of his decision.

Had the 18-year-old from Englewood opted to compete instead in the U.S. Amateur qualifier last Monday at Columbine Country Club — which conflicted with the stroke-play qualifying round of the Junior Match Play — he wouldn’t be the state junior amateur champion he became on Friday.

Aichinger, who has signed to play college golf at the University of Colorado beginning in the fall, made the most of his junior golf finale, winning the title at the Junior Match Play at Buffalo Run.

The golfer from Glenmoor Country Club never trailed in Friday’s 36-hole final, defeating Andrew McCormick of Denver 4 and 2.

“I figured I’d come out here and make this my last junior tournament, and hopefully make the most of it,” said Aichinger (left and above). “It was a lot of fun.

“I was a little disappointed how I played (in last week’s Colorado PGA Junior Championship, where Aichinger was defending his title). So I wanted to have a good junior tournament to finish off my junior career.”

A Junior Match Play title — and his first CGA championship — no doubt will suffice.

Aichinger, who was 6 up after 24 holes of the final, closed things out by rolling in a 12-foot birdie putt on the 34th hole. That birdie made the Valor Christian graduate 1 under par for the day.

Aichinger never was pushed to the limit during his six matches this week, winning 6 and 5, 4 and 2, 3 and 2, 2 and 1, 5 and 4, and 4 and 2.

“This (winning the title) was definitely the goal coming into it,” he said. “It feels really great. I’ve only played in a match play tournament maybe three or four times. Every time I play in it I seem to win one more match. So it was nice to come in here and play well. This is probably the biggest Colorado tournament I’ve ever won. “

McCormick (left), a 17-year-old senior-to-be at Regis Jesuit, had beaten No. 1 seed Cole Krantz of Windsor 3 and 2 in Thursday’s semifinals. But in Friday’s final, he struggled during the first 18 (7 over par) before playing his final 16 holes in 2 under par.

Aichinger was 4 up after 18 holes, and despite McCormick performing much better in the second 18, Aichinger was never less than 3 up in the afternoon.

“It was a good match,” McCormick said. “Pierce played really well and I didn’t make the putts I needed to make it close.

“I played so-so on the first 18. But the back nine in the second round I really started hitting the ball well, but didn’t make the putts.”

Given that McCormick was 3 down to Krantz after six holes of their semifinal — yet still rallied to win — he never gave up hope on Friday despite battling from behind all day.

“I knew anything could happy, and I’ve been making birdies out here. I knew I still had a shot,” he said.

But Aichinger wasn’t providing enough openings. He bogeyed the 25th, 26th and 29th holes, but having held a 6-up advantage, he had some cushion to play with.

“In the afternoon I was definitely feeling a little tired” in playing his sixth competitive round in three days, Aichinger said. “I didn’t have my ‘A’ game but I hit the shots that I needed to. I just didn’t make many putts.”

CGA Junior Match Play
At Buffalo Run GC in Commerce City

Finals (36 Holes)
  Pierce Aichinger, Englewood, Colo. (6) def. Andrew McCormick, Denver, Colo. (21), 4 and 2

Semifinals                      
  Andrew McCormick, Denver, Colo.  (21) def. Cole Krantz, Windsor, Colo.  (1), 3 and 2     
  Pierce Aichinger, Englewood, Colo.  (6) def. Ryan Zetwick, Castle Rock, Colo.  (26), 5 and 4           

Quarterfinals
  Cole Krantz, Windsor, Colo.  (1) def. Samuel Taylor, Nederland, Colo.  (24), 1 up
  Andrew McCormick, Denver, Colo.  (21) def. Oliver Jack, Cherry Hills Village, Colo.  (13), 2 and 1 
  Ryan Zetwick, Castle Rock, Colo.  (26) def. Brock Dowdy, Denver, Colo.  (18), 5 and 3      
  Pierce Aichinger, Englewood, Colo.  (6) def. Glen-Michael Mihavetz, Montrose, Colo.  (35), 2 and 1         
                                               
Round of 16
  Cole Krantz, Windsor, Colo.  (1) def. Evan Buchalski, Loveland, Colo.  (16), 6 and 5
  Samuel Taylor, Nederland, Colo.  (24) def. Calvin McCoy, Highlands Ranch, Colo.  (57), 3 and 1
  Oliver Jack, Cherry Hills Village, Colo.  (13) def. Jackson Solem, Longmont, Colo.  (4), 3 and 1
  Andrew McCormick, Denver, Colo.  (21) def. Braden Bentley, Colorado Springs, Colo.  (28), 4 and 3
  Brock Dowdy, Denver, Colo.  (18) def. Troy Dangler, Grand Junction, Colo.  (2), 2 and 1
  Ryan Zetwick, Castle Rock, Colo.  (26) def. Li Chen, Westminster, Colo.  (10), 3 and 2
  Glen-Michael Mihavetz, Montrose, Colo.  (35) def. Davis Bryant, Aurora, Colo.  (14), 2 up
  Pierce Aichinger, Englewood, Colo.  (6) def. Philip Lee, Cherry Hills Village, Colo.  (43), 3 and 2

Round of 32
  Cole Krantz, Windsor, Colo.  (1) def. Will Firestone, Steamboat Springs, Colo.  (32), 6 and 5
  Evan Buchalski, Loveland, Colo.  (16) def. David Leede, Greenwood Village, Colo.  (17), 4 and 3
  Calvin McCoy, Highlands Ranch, Colo.  (57) def. Ryan Pearson, Highlands Ranch, Colo.  (25), 21 holes
  Samuel Taylor, Nederland, Colo.  (24) def. Trevor Glen, Thornton, Colo.  (9), 21 holes
  Jackson Solem, Longmont, Colo.  (4) def. Holden Kleager, Glenwood Springs, Colo.  (29), 5 and 3
  Oliver Jack, Cherry Hills Village, Colo.  (13) def. Tyler Zhang, Lone Tree, Colo.  (20), 1 up
  Braden Bentley, Colorado Springs, Colo.  (28) def. Kyle Pearson, Highlands Ranch, Colo.  (60), 3 and 2
  Andrew McCormick, Denver, Colo.  (21) def. Griffin Barela, Lakewood, Colo.  (12), 19 holes
  Troy Dangler, Grand Junction, Colo.  (2) def. Marcus Tait, Littleton, Colo.  (34), 2 up
  Brock Dowdy, Denver, Colo.  (18) def. Zach Zurcher, Parker, Colo.  (50), 1 up
  Ryan Zetwick, Castle Rock, Colo.  (26) def. Coby Welch, Highlands Ranch, Colo.  (7), 2 up
  Li Chen, Westminster, Colo.  (10) def. Austin Burgess, Colorado Springs, Colo.  (23), 1 up
  Glen-Michael Mihavetz, Montrose, Colo.  (35) def. Alec Poorman, Boulder, Colo.  (3), 4 and 3
  Davis Bryant, Aurora, Colo.  (14) def. Josh Hill, Superior, Colo.  (19), 4 and 3
  Pierce Aichinger, Englewood, Colo.  (6) def. Brittain Walton, Steamboat Springs, Colo.  (38), 4 and 2
  Philip Lee, Cherry Hills Village, Colo.  (43) def. Jake Welch, Highlands Ranch, Colo.  (54), 6 and 4
 
Round of 64
  Cole Krantz, Windsor, Colo.  def. Justin Markel, Lone Tree, Colo.  8 and 7                              
  Will Firestone, Steamboat Springs, Colo.  def. Eric Oneth, Greenwood Village, Colo.  3 and 1        
  Evan Buchalski, Loveland, Colo.  def. Taron Ford, Commerce City, Colo.  5 and 4 
  David Leede, Greenwood Village, Colo.  def. Ryan Boitz, Pueblo West, Colo.  1 up            
  Calvin McCoy, Highlands Ranch, Colo.  def. Alan Jake Berry, Littleton, Colo.  19 holes       
  Ryan Pearson, Highlands Ranch, Colo.  def. Nick Leibold, Littleton, Colo.  3 and 2               
  Trevor Glen, Thornton, Colo.  def. Roger Nakagawa, Denver, Colo.  7 and 6         
  Samuel Taylor, Nederland, Colo.  def. Trey Lambrecht, Sterling, Colo.  5 and 4    
  Jackson Solem, Longmont, Colo.  def. Jimmy Ringsby, Cherry Hills Village, Colo.  8 and 6 
  Holden Kleager, Glenwood Springs, Colo.  def. Josh Pusar, Castle Pines, Colo.  3 and 2    
  Oliver Jack, Cherry Hills Village, Colo.  def. Blake Kuzava, Lakewood, Colorado  4 and 3    
  Tyler Zhang, Lone Tree, Colo.  def. Preston Ewing, Pueblo West, Colo.  3 and 2   
  Kyle Pearson, Highlands Ranch, Colo.  def. Luke Travins, Colorado Springs, Colo.  20 holes             
  Braden Bentley, Colorado Springs, Colo.  def. Cooper Gould, Eagle, Colo.  4 and 3             
  Griffin Barela, Lakewood, Colo.  def. Cole Folwell, Boulder, Colo.  19 holes           
  Andrew McCormick, Denver, Colo.  def. Mitchell Nevin, Aurora, Colo.  3 and 2   
  Troy Dangler, Grand Junction, Colo.  def. Cade Kilkenny, Centennial, Colo.  4 and 3          
  Marcus Tait, Littleton, Colo.  def. Brett Krantz, Windsor, Colo.  2 and 1    
  Zach Zurcher, Parker, Colo.  def. Drew Anderson, Aurora, Colo.  3 and 2
  Brock Dowdy, Denver, Colo.  def. Austin Duffy, Centennial, Colo.  1 up  
  Coby Welch, Highlands Ranch, Colo.  def. Nick Michas, Golden, Colo.  4 and 2     
  Ryan Zetwick, Castle Rock, Colo.  def. Cole Chalmers, Denver, Colo.  7 and 6        
  Li Chen, Westminster, Colo.  def. Gary Schlatter, Cherry Hills Village, Colo.  5 and 3           
  Austin Burgess, Colorado Springs, Colo.  def. Ian Thorpe, Superior, Colo.  5 and 4              
  Alec Poorman, Boulder, Colo.  def. Mitchell Gore, Thornton, Colo.  5 and 3          
  Glen-Michael Mihavetz, Montrose, Colo.  def. Brandon Martin, Steamboat Springs, Colo.  2 and 1            
  Davis Bryant, Aurora, Colo.  def. Robby Walker, Centennial, Colo.  7 and 6            
  Josh Hill, Superior, Colo.  def. Reese Leiker, Littleton, Colo.  1 up               
  Pierce Aichinger, Englewood, Colo.  def. Spencer Daake, Lafayette, Colo.  6 and 5            
  Brittain Walton, Steamboat Springs, Colo.  def. Jackson Vacek, Lafayette, Colo.  3 and 2 
  Jake Welch, Highlands Ranch, Colo.  def. Josh Caridi, Fort Collins, Colo.  3 and 2  
  Philip Lee, Cherry Hills Village, Colo.  def. Zach Goldsmith, Aurora, Colorado  6 and 5        

STROKE PLAY QUALIFYING
Qualified for Match Play
Cole Krantz, Windsor, Colo. 36-30–66
Troy Dangler, Grand Junction, Colo. 35-34–69
Alec Poorman, Boulder, Colo. 36-34–70
Jackson Solem, Longmont, Colo. 33-37–70
Luke Travins, Colorado Springs, Colo. 33-37–70
Pierce Aichinger, Englewood, Colo. 32-38–70
Coby Welch, Highlands Ranch, Colo. 37-34–71
Trevor Glen, Thornton, Colo. 35-36–71
Alan Jake Berry, Littleton, Colo. 37-34–71
Li Chen, Westminster, Colo. 38-34–72
Griffin Barela, Lakewood, Colo. 36-36–72
Josh Caridi, Fort Collins, Colo. 37-35–72
Davis Bryant, Aurora, Colo. 38-35–73
Drew Anderson, Aurora, Colo. 37-36–73
Josh Hill, Superior, Colo. 35-38–73
Evan Buchalski, Loveland, Colo. 37-36–73
David Leede, Greenwood Village, Colo. 37-36–73
Oliver Jack, Cherry Hills Village, Colo. 38-35–73
Brock Dowdy, Denver, Colo. 37-36–73
Andrew McCormick, Denver, Colo. 37-37–74
Tyler Zhang, Lone Tree, Colo. 41-33–74
Zach Goldsmith, Aurora, Colorado 36-38–74
Samuel Taylor, Nederland, Colo. 39-36–75
Jackson Vacek, Lafayette, Colo. 37-38–75
Braden Bentley, Colorado Springs, Colo. 37-38–75
Brett Krantz, Windsor, Colo. 36-39–75
Brandon Martin, Steamboat Springs, Colo. 36-39–75
Ryan Zetwick, Castle Rock, Colo. 38-37–75
Ryan Pearson, Highlands Ranch, Colo. 38-37–75
Will Firestone, Steamboat Springs, Colo. 36-39–75
Austin Burgess, Colorado Springs, Colo. 40-35–75
Marcus Tait, Littleton, Colo. 33-42–75
Eric Oneth, Greenwood Village, Colo. 35-40–75
Holden Kleager, Glenwood Springs, Colo. 37-38–75
Cooper Gould, Eagle, Colo. 37-39–76
Josh Pusar, Castle Pines, Colo. 38-38–76
Glen-Michael Mihavetz, Montrose, Colo. 38-38–76
Nick Leibold, Littleton, Colo. 34-43–77
Cole Chalmers, Denver, Colo. 38-39–77
Brittain Walton, Steamboat Springs, Colo. 40-37–77
Mitchell Nevin, Aurora, Colo. 38-40–78
Philip Lee, Cherry Hills Village, Colo. 38-40–78
Trey Lambrecht, Sterling, Colo. 39-39–78
Ian Thorpe, Superior, Colo. 38-40–78
Preston Ewing, Pueblo West, Colo. 40-39–79
Ryan Boitz, Pueblo West, Colo. 38-41–79
Taron Ford, Commerce City, Colo. 38-41–79
Austin Duffy, Centennial, Colo. 39-40–79
Reese Leiker, Littleton, Colo. 39-40–79
Zach Zurcher, Parker, Colo. 38-42–80
Cole Folwell, Boulder, Colo. 36-44–80
Robby Walker, Centennial, Colo. 38-42–80
Blake Kuzava, Lakewood, Colorado 38-42–80
Roger Nakagawa, Denver, Colo. 43-38–81
Jimmy Ringsby, Cherry Hills Village, Colo. 39-42–81
Kyle Pearson, Highlands Ranch, Colo. 40-41–81
Gary Schlatter, Cherry Hills Village, Colo. 44-37–81
Jake Welch, Highlands Ranch, Colo. 44-37–81
Nick Michas, Golden, Colo. 41-40–81
Mitchell Gore, Thornton, Colo. 38-43–81
Calvin McCoy, Highlands Ranch, Colo. 42-39–81
Spencer Daake, Lafayette, Colo. 40-41–81
Justin Markel, Lone Tree, Colo. 41-41–82
Cade Kilkenny, Centennial, Colo. 42-40–82

Failed to Qualify
Jackson Crist, Highlands Ranch, Colo. 40-42–82
Dillon Baker, Castle Rock, Colorado 39-43–82
Chase Federico, Pueblo, Colo. 39-43–82
Grant Hoos, Thornton, Colo. 42-40–82
Buddy Nelson, Castle Rock, Colo. 39-43–82
Wes Moran, Colorado Springs, Colo. 42-41–83
Linc Kleager, Glenwood Springs, Colo. 44-39–83
Mark Colvin, Colorado Springs, Colo. 42-41–83
Zach Gomez, Westminster, Colo. 43-41–84
Matthew Lefebre, Centennial, Colo. 36-48–84
Brayden Lambrecht, Sterling, Colo. 46-39–85
Jake Johnson, Golden, Colo. 43-43–86
Nishant Datta, Broomfield, Colo. 37-49–86
Cooper Boeff, Arvada, Colo. 44-43–87
Cody Steigerwald, Colorado Springs, Colo. 47-42–89
Charlie Schneider, Lone Tree, Colo. WD
Jack Ransom, Englewood, Colo. WD
Will Hazen, Aspen, Colo. WD
Chadd Vasquez, Colorado Springs, Colo. WD
 

Just since 2008, a half-dozen Coloradans have won titles at prestigious AJGA tournaments held in their home state.

The list includes Josh Seiple, Jimmy Makloski, David Oraee (twice), Wyndham Clark, Patricia Lee and Cole Nygren.

And after Thursday, maybe those six will have some company.

With the inaugural AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior, presented by MusclePharm, wrapping up on Thursday, perhaps five boys and one girl from Colorado have realistic chances of claiming a title at CommonGround Golf Course.

On the boys side, three of the top five players on the leaderboard are from Colorado — AJ Ott (pictured at top) of Fort Collins, and Jake Staiano and Pierce Aichinger of Cherry Hills Village — and another two Coloradans are also within six strokes of leader Tripp Kinney of West Des Moines, Iowa: Coby Welch of Highlands Ranch and Wilson Belk of Colorado Springs.

As for the girls, two-time Colorado 4A high school champion Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster remains in striking distance at four back of the leaders, one of whom is a 13-year-old Texan.

“It’s fun to represent Colorado as a whole,” said Staiano, a Colorado State University signee who has a chance to qualify for the U.S. Open on Monday in Memphis. “I think Colorado is a little underrated for (the players it produces). It’s fun to put Colorado on the map.”

Kinney (left), a two-time Iowa junior amateur champion, fired a 4-under-par 67 Wednesday and holds a two-stroke lead after the second round of the first AJGA event held in Colorado since 2013.

Kinney chipped in from 30 feet for eagle at No. 11 and played his final 11 holes in 5 under par on Wednesday en route to a 7-under 135 total.

“Most of the time I’m used to coming (from behind). It’ll be different tomorrow,” said Kinney, who’s committed to Iowa State. “I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of pressure. I’m going to have to go with it. I guess I kind of like pressure in a way. It keeps me focused. There’s going to be pressure, but there’s going to be pressure on everybody.”

Playing in the same threesome as Kinney, Ott likewise fired a 67 on Wednesday, leaving him in second place at 137. Staiano, Ott’s future teammate at CSU, holds down third place at 138 after consecutive 69s. Staiano, like Ott, is a 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier.

The third Coloradan in the top five is Aichinger, who carded a 67 Wednesday and shares fourth place with Reese McFarlane of Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Aichinger is a University of Colorado golf signee.

Welch, who like Staiano is a member of the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program at CommonGround, is tied for sixth place at 140, while CU signee Belk shares ninth at 141.

Welch, Staiano and Aichinger were high school teammates at Valor Christian.

“Hopefully we can get some Colorado kids on the top of the leaderboard tomorrow,” said Ott, who did his part on Wednesday with two 2s and five 3s on his card.

“It was pretty stress-free,” the left-hander said. “I’m excited (to be in contention). I’m going to need to play well tomorrow and probably shoot around the same as I did today. I just want to go out and have fun.”

Staiano (left), the 2013 CGA Junior Match Play champion, and Kinney are the only two players in the field — either boys and girls — to post two straight rounds in the 60s in the Irwin Colorado Junior.

“They moved some tees back and the pins were much, much, much more difficult” on Wednesday, Staiano said. “You had to put it in the right spot today or you’re making bogey,”

Californian Joseph Crisostomo, who made a hole-in-one on Tuesday during a first-round 64, dropped back to 16th place on Wednesday following a 79.

In the girls tournament, the 13-year-old who moved into a tie for the lead is Ellie Szeryk, a resident of Allen, Texas who just completed seventh grade. She stands at 1-under-par 141 after rounds of 69-72 and shares the top spot with three-time Oklahoma state high school champion Sydney Youngblood (below) of Durant. Youngblood doubled bogeyed back-to-back holes (Nos. 15 and 16) en route to a 75 Wednesday after posting a 66 on Tuesday.

Szeryk, who qualified for the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship last year at age 12, has made six birdies and five bogeys through two rounds.

“That I’m in the mix is pretty cool,” the AJGA “rookie” said. “It would be awesome (to win).”

Bibilani Liu of Cupertino, Calif., holds down third place at 144. Kupcho, the 2014 CWGA Player of the Year, is the top Coloradan as she stands in fourth place at 145. Her 74 on Wednesday included a snowman — a quadruple-bogey 8 — on the par-4 fifth hole to go along with four birdies and three bogeys.

“Before (the 8) I was playing great,” Kupcho said. “I just let that one get away from me. Otherwise I would have shot a great score and been down where (the leaders) are. But four strokes isn’t too bad. I definitely can make that up.”

As for Youngblood, who’s committed to the University of Oklahoma, she had a comfortable lead on Wednesday until coming to No. 15. There, a shot into the native and a three-putt resulted in a double bogey. She made another double on No. 16 when she needed two shots to get out of a fairway bunker and three-putted again.

“I’ve been hitting it real well all week,” she said. “Just two bad shots cost my round today. I can’t let that get to my head and ruin my confidence. I’ve been putting real well, so I’m going to take that into tomorrow.”

For scores from the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior, CLICK HERE.

The inaugural AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior, presented by MusclePharm, will be quite a national and international affair.

The tournament, which features some of the top junior players in the U.S. and beyond, will be held June 2-4 by CommonGround Golf Course, which is owned and operated by the CGA and CWGA. A junior-am and practice rounds are scheduled for June 1.

The 96-player field, with separate boys and girls divisions, is expected to include entrants from three nations — the U.S., Canada and Mexico — along with 17 states (Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington).

The American Junior Golf Association conducts one of the premier junior circuits in the world. Among those who have been regular tournament participants in the past are Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, Sergio Garcia, Stacy Lewis and Paula Creamer.

The AJGA held 108 tournaments in 2014, but the 54-hole Hale Irwin Colorado Junior will mark the AJGA’s first stop in the Centennial State since 2013. The AJGA circuit dates back to 1978, and a Colorado Golf Hall of Famer, J.R. “Digger” Smith, is an AJGA founder and a longtime chairman of the board of directors.

At CommonGround, about 40 percent of the field — all age 18 and younger — will be Coloradans. That includes at least seven in-state players who have signed national letters of intent to play college golf at NCAA Division I schools: Pierce Aichinger, Wilson Belk and Ross Macdonald (Colorado), Jake Staiano and AJ Ott (Colorado State), Jennifer Kupcho (Wake Forest), and Gillian Vance (Colorado).

Kupcho, the 2014 CWGA Player of the Year who recently won her second consecutive 4A girls state high school title by double digits, checks in at No. 179 in the girls division of the AJGA’s Polo Golf Rankings. The top competing Coloradan in the boys field, according to those same rankings, is Aichinger (No. 197).

Coloradans have a history of winning AJGA events in their home state. Just since 2008, in-state players who have accomplished that feat include Josh Seiple, Jimmy Makloski, David Oraee (twice), Wyndham Clark, Patricia Lee and Cole Nygren.

The man after whom next week’s tournament is named, three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin, cut his teeth as a Colorado junior golfer. In 1962, he captured his first state championship, prevailing in the CGA Junior Match Play. He then won the individual state high school title in 1963, helping his Boulder High squad claim the team championship.

That same year, having just turned 18, Irwin won the first of three consecutive CGA Stroke Play championships, becoming the first person to accomplish that feat. In 1966 in his hometown of Boulder, Irwin captured the CGA Match Play title, in the finals defeating three-time defending champion, current Colorado Golf Hall of Famer and CU teammate Larry McAtee, 5 and 4.

In ’66 as an amateur, Irwin also qualified for his first U.S. Open and went on to make the cut. Later that year, he was named an All-Big Eight defensive back in football for the second time. And the next spring he claimed the NCAA golf individual title while a CU senior.

As a pro, Irwin won 20 times on the PGA Tour, including the U.S. Open in 1974, ’79 and ’90, the last making him the oldest Open champion ever, at 45. Then he’s won 45 times on the Champions Tour — the most ever on that circuit by a remarkable margin of 16. And along the way, he earned his way into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Fittingly, the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program is based at CommonGround, site of next week’s AJGA event. Irwin himself will be on hand at CommonGround on Monday to conduct a by-invitation-only short-game clinic and participate in a Q&A session.

CommonGround, a Tom Doak-designed course which opened in 2009, should prove a good test for the AJGA competitors. It’s been the site of numerous state amateur championships and served as the second stroke-play course for the 2012 U.S. Amateur that Cherry Hills Country Club hosted. Among the players who participated in that championship were Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama and Justin Thomas.

A qualifying tournament for the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior will be held on Sunday, with six spots for boys and two for girls likely to be at stake. During next week’s tournament dates, tee times will run 7 a.m.-12:10 p.m. each day.

For more information in the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior, CLICK HERE.
 

But no matter how new the programs are to the local high school golf scene, that hasn’t kept them from producing some of the best talent to come from Colorado in recent years.

That’s been proven this past week during the early national letter of intent signing period for golf and other sports. Both Valor and Jefferson Academy had multiple players sign with college programs. Valor’s Ross Macdonald and Pierce Aichinger are going to the University of Colorado, while teammate Jake Staiano is headed to Colorado State. Jefferson Academy’s Jennifer Kupcho (pictured) signed on Monday with Wake Forest, while teammate Mariah Ehrman formally committed to Colorado Mesa University.

Well over a dozen Colorado junior players have inked NLIs since last Wednesday, including at least 12 with NCAA Division I programs. Valor was particularly a center of activity with all three seniors from this year’s 4A state championship team going to Division I programs in-state.

“There were attractive options for all three out of state,” said Jason Preeo, Valor’s boys golf coach and the individual instructor for Macdonald, Staiano and Aichinger. “But their first choice was in-state. They all got pretty much what they were looking for. It’s really important for in-state schools to make sure the top talent stays in the state. You have to own your home turf.”

Indeed, the University of Colorado men’s team, which had just six players on its roster in the fall season, landed three in-state players, all of whom finished in the top eight in the ultra-competitive 4A state tournament — Macdonald (third), Aichinger (sixth) and Cheyenne Mountain’s Wilson Belk (eighth). Macdonald, the CGA Junior Player of the Year, has won the last two CGA Junior Stroke Plays and Aichinger claimed the Colorado Junior PGA Championship this year.

As for CSU-bound Staiano, he won the 2013 CGA Junior Match Play, advanced to match play at the 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur, and was the runner-up in the 4A state tournament.

It’s little wonder why Valor, which once featured Oklahoma State-bound Wyndham Clark, has won four of the last six 4A state team titles and has now produced seven NCAA Division I signees.

All four Colorado players who signed with either the CU or CSU men are currently ranked among the top 500 boys national/international players on Junior Golf Scoreboard.

On the girls side, Kupcho is ranked No. 104 nationally/internationally among girls by Junior Golf Scoreboard. Although the reigning 4A state high school champ also considered the University of Denver and Colorado State, she’s headed for Wake Forest, which is currently the No. 10-ranked women’s college program in the nation.

“It’s really exciting to have it done,” said Kupcho, the CWGA Player of the Year and three-time Junior Player of the Year at age 17. “I’ve been looking forward to this day. Finally to just get it over with and know I’m going to college is kind of exciting. To go play Division I golf is a real exciting accomplishment.”

Wake Forest has been to 13 NCAA Championship finals in the last 22 years. Laura Diaz, a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour and a former Wake Forest standout, is a volunteer assistant coach for the Demon Deacons.

Kupcho cited the coaches and the climate (Wake Forest is in Winston-Salem, N.C.) as the primary reasons she chose to be a Demon Deacon.

“Obviously, I’ve always wanted to play for a higher (ranked) school so I can hopefully go play professional” eventually, said Kupcho, who finished runner-up in the 2014 HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open, a tournament that featured numerous top-level Symetra Tour players. “I would say that’s part of the steppingstone to playing professionally.”

Kupcho’s brother, Steven, plays for the University of Northern Colorado, though he’s redshirting this season. Jennifer Kupcho’s parents coach the Jefferson Academy girls golf team.

Here are the in-state players who have signed national letters of intent this month, and out-of-state players who have signed with Colorado-based NCAA Division I schools (note: this list was updated in May 2015):

BOYS
Pierce Aichinger, Valor Christian — Colorado
Wilson Belk, Cheyenne Mountain — Colorado
Li Chen, Legacy — Northern Colorado
Bretton Krantz, Windsor — Colorado Mesa
Ross Macdonald, Valor Christian — Colorado
Hayden Plewe, Montezuma-Cortez — Southern Utah
Grant Rogers, Boulder — Rice
Jake Staiano, Valor Christian — Colorado State
Taylor Rodriguez, 4A individual champ at Pueblo South — CSU-Pueblo
Jackson Vacek, Fairview — Occidental

GIRLS
Mariah Ehrman, Jefferson Academy — Colorado Mesa
Courtney Ewing, Pueblo West — CSU-Pueblo
Tori Goodman, Falcon — CSU-Pueblo
Anna Kennedy, Legend — BYU
Ashlyn Kirschner, Ralston Valley — Colorado Mesa
Jennifer Kupcho, Jefferson Academy — Wake Forest
Adara Pauluhn, Niwot — Boise State
Kylee Sullivan, Cheyenne Mountain — Oakland U.
Gillian Vance, Dakota Ridge — Colorado

Out-of-State Players Committed to Colorado Div. I Schools
Boys
Ben Bradley of Frankfurt, Germany — Colorado (eligible to compete in spring semester 2015)
Kade Crossland, transfer from Corban University in Solem, Ore. — Colorado
Tate Tatom of Gallatin Gateway, Mont. — Air Force Academy
Girls
Hanna Atkins of Phoenix — Northern Colorado
Lauryn Keating of Elma, Wash. — Colorado
Sophie Newlove of Nottingham, England — Denver
Katrina Prendergast of Sparks, Nev. — Colorado State
Janet Yeo of Los Angeles — Northern Colorado

Two high school golfers who didn’t win an individual title all season are in good shape to make the 5A state meet their first victory.

The only two players to match or better par in Monday’s first round of the 5A tournament at Colorado Springs Country Club were certainly dark horses to make a run at the championship. Hunter Paugh of Fort Collins shot the round of his life — a 2-under-par 69 — to grab the lead. And fellow junior David Packer of Arapahoe matched his best score ever numerically with a 70.

“I’ve only won one tournament before — 7th-grade districts for middle school,” Paugh noted. “I’ve had a couple top-10s on the Rocky Mountain Junior Golf Tour. Those are pretty nice to have. I haven’t really won anything big. It’s nice to go into tomorrow hoping I might have a chance.”

On a day when play was suspended twice due to lightning — for a total of two hours — and which also featured hail and plenty of rain (left), only one other player shot below 74 in Monday’s opening round of the 36-hole event: Trevor Olkowski of Grand Junction, who carded a 73. Olkowski was among four players who represented Colorado in the 2014 Junior America’s Cup.

Seven players shot 74, including 2013 4A state champion Isaac Petersilie of Coronado, who double bogeyed two of the last six holes; Legacy’s Li Chen, runner-up in the 5A tournament each of the last two years; and Fort Collins’ AJ Ott, a 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier.

In the team competition, Coronado, a program which moved up from 4A last season, leads the way with a 13-over-par 226 total. Highlands Ranch is next best, at 230, while Boulder is at 236. Regis Jesuit, winner of the last four 5A team titles, shares fourth place at 237 with Cherokee Trail.

Paugh, who like teammate Ott is a left-hander, birdied his first three holes of the day (10, 11 and 12), making putts of 6, 6 and 10 feet. Then he drained a 25-footer on No. 14 to go 4 under through five. He was still 4 under through 15, but he bogeyed his 16th and 17th holes before finishing his round — following the first weather delay — with a two-putt par.

Monday’s round was about six strokes better than Paugh’s season average and three better than his previous best high school tournament round.

“It’s just great,” he said. “I’ve been practicing a lot since regionals and I’ve been looking forward to this tournament. It’s nice to be able to play well.”

This marks Paugh’s third state appearance, with a 28th-place showing last year his best showing as a freshman or sophomore. But Tuesday will be his big opportunity.

“I hope to go out and do what I did today — play a solid round and we’ll see what happens,” he said. “I think I have a chance to win it. It’s going to come down to how everything goes tomorrow.”

Packer (left) could have had the outright lead — or at least a share of the top spot — but a double bogey on his final hole Monday dropped him back to 1 under par. His approach on the par-4 ended up well short of the green, and his pitch was still short, on the fringe. And he couldn’t get up and down from there.

“That’s a rough way to end it,” he said. “Nerves got to me, but you’ve got to look at it as a whole. You can’t (judge) it by one hole. I’m proud of the way I played today.”

Indeed, overall, Packer finished with an eagle, five birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey. He only posted seven pars. Packer’s eagle came on the 547-yard 15th hole (his sixth), where he hit a 5-iron in and sunk a 60-foot putt.

He had separate stretches in his round where he birdied three straight holes and where he went 4 under par in a four-hole run.

“I had the putter rolling really well and I hit a lot of fairways,” said Packer, who won an RMJGT event at Fort Carson in June. “I’ve got to work on finishing it for sure, but I’m excited for tomorrow. I feel good about my chances.”

Valor Posts 10 Under Par to Build Big Lead in 4A: The Valor Christian boys golfers once again lived up to their billing on Monday by posting an impressive 10-under-par 206 team total and putting all four of their players into the top six individually in the 4A state tournament at Walking Stick Golf Course in Pueblo.

The defending 4A team champions built a 14-stroke advantage over Pueblo South in their bid for four state titles since 2009.

Senior Jake Staiano, who made the round of 64 at the 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur, and junior teammate Coby Welch matched 5-under-par 67s and share the individual lead in 4A. Meanwhile, Valor’s other two players, seniors Ross Macdonald and Pierce Aichinger, are tied for sixth place at 72 with 2013 runner-up Wilson Belk of Cheyenne Mountain.

Staiano has verbally committed to Colorado State, while Macdonald and Aichinger are headed to the University of Colorado.

Staiano made six birdies and one bogey on Monday, while Welch recorded an eagle, four birdies and a bogey.

Taylor Rodriguez of Pueblo South holds down third place at 69, while Braden Bentley of Mesa Ridge and Britt Walton of Steamboat Springs are tied for fourth at 71.

Lambrecht, Sterling Feeling Right at Home in 3A: Trey Lambrecht of Sterling took advantage of having the 3A state tournament in his hometown by opening up a three-stroke lead at the halfway point of the event at Northeastern 18.

Lambrecht fired a 4-under-par 68, making an eagle, five birdies and three bogeys in the process. He played the four holes starting on No. 13 in 5 under par.

Sam Taylor of Peak to Peak and Max Messner of Colorado Academy share second place at 71. Cole Folwell of the Dawson School, who finished third at state last year, checked in at even-par 72 despite a 7 and a 6 on his card.

Host Sterling leads the way in the team standings, posting a 6-over-par 222. Defending champion Dawson, with just three qualifiers, sits in second place at 228.

Scores: For scores from the three state tournaments, click on the following: 5A, 4A, 3A.