There’s only one way to cap off an undefeated season, and Davis Bryant found out exactly how.
The Eaglecrest senior, who won every regular-season high school tournament in which he competed this season, then shared the regional title, fittingly finished things off with a victory in his final high school golf meet.
Bryant rallied from one behind going into Tuesday’s final round of the 5A tournament, pulling away on the back nine at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora for a two-stroke victory.
“I’ve been waiting for this for so long, it hasn’t quite sunk in yet,” said Bryant, the 5A runner-up last year. “I’m so excited and so happy that I could finally get the job done.
“This is probably the best (win) of my career because you’re playing against the best kids in the state and all different age levels.”
Also winning state titles on Tuesday were Darren Edwards of Thompson Valley in Class 4A at Raccoon Creek Golf Course in Littleton, and a second Davis, Davis Long of Peak to Peak, in the 3A tournament at Indian Peaks Golf Course, where Tuesday marked the only championship round after the course was saturated by rain on Monday. For more on those tournaments, see below.
At the 5A meet, Bryant parred the first 10 holes of Tuesday’s second round before making back-to-back birdies on 11 and 12 and parring his last six holes for a bogey-free 2-under-par 69. The future Colorado State University golfer finished at 3-under 139, two better than Fossil Ridge junior Dillon Stewart and three ahead of Grand Junction junior Canon Olkowski. Stewart and Olkowski both closed with 72s on Tuesday.
The three players in the final group — Bryant, Olkowski and first-round leader Stewart — were tied overall after the front nine on Tuesday. But after Olkowski eagled No. 11 from 4 feet and Bryant and Stewart two-putted there for birdie, Bryant made a move with a 25-foot uphill birdie putt on No. 12 that had to travel over a large hump before falling in (pictured above).
“Once I made the birdie putt on 12, that was huge,” he said. “That gave me a little momentum.”
The birdie pushed Bryant into a share of the lead with Stewart (left), the player he beat to win the Colorado Junior PGA title this year. But Stewart three-putted for bogey on No. 13 to fall out of the lead, missed a 7-foot birdie attempt at No. 14, then bogeyed 15 and 16.
Meanwhile, Olkowski had a wild ride in the middle of the round — going birdie, bogey, eagle, bogey, birdie in consecutive holes starting at No. 9 — before likewise losing ground to Bryant late on the back nine.
As for Bryant, he was grinding out six straight pars down the stretch, including with a 7-footer on No. 15 and long two-putts on 14 and 17.
“Once I had a little lead, I wanted to make them to have to chase me with birdies, and I wanted to make as many pars as I could,” he said.
For Bryant, the win adds another chapter to an impressive 2017 season. He’s won both of the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado majors in which he’s competed and he’s finished ninth individually at the Junior America’s Cup, 14th at the national Junior PGA and made it to the round of 64 at the U.S. Junior Amateur.
“I’d probably compare it to Jordan Spieth’s 2015 season (in which the PGA Tour player won the first two major championships before placing fourth in the British Open and second in the PGA Championship) a little bit,” Bryant said. “I’ve played so consistently since the beginning of April. The lowest (tournament round) I shot was 65 and the highest was 77. That feels pretty good. I started out strong (with a 65 at Todd Creek in May) and I finished strong.”
On Tuesday, he relied on his experience from the 2016 state tournament and the national events in which he’s competed this year.
“I learned from the experience last year against Kyle (Pearson of Highlands Ranch) and was able to make some of the par putts and grind it out a little better than I did last year,” Bryant said. “It was an awesome last two days.
“I think the summertime helped too — playing in those hard (national and international) tournaments with hard fields. And playing harder golf courses helped as well. Your mistakes are magnified when you play at those golf courses, so if you’re able to miss in the right spots, you give yourself shots at par. All the past experience, I was able to use and put together today. It feels really, really good to get the job done.”
Stewart, one of Bryant’s teammates on the Colorado Junior America’s Cup team this year, certainly wanted the title on Tuesday, but takes some consolation in the fact that he’ll get another crack at it next year.
“It’s obviously disappointing to take second,” he said. “I didn’t really play my best. Davis finished with a 69 today — that’s solid golf that he played and that’s pretty impressive to do that coming from behind.
“But putting myself in that position … and I still have one more year, so if I’m in this position again I can learn from what I did this year and move forward.”
In the 5A team race, Regis Jesuit (left) won for the third straight season, for the seventh time in the last eight years, and for the ninth time overall, tying the record for Colorado boys golf, set last year by Kent Denver.
This year’s Regis players included Cal McCoy, Cameron Kirke, Drew Anderson and Walker Fuller, with all but Fuller being seniors. McCoy has verbally committed to the University of Denver golf team.
“It’s a joy,” Regis coach Craig Rogers said. “I’m really happy, but especially this year because the senior class was about as good as I’ve ever seen. I think they felt a little extra pressure to make sure they didn’t have a letdown their senior year. So I’m a little more relieved because I knew we had the talent, but it’s golf and you never know what’s going to happen and there’s some great teams out here. So to see them complete the journey was really nice.”
With a 16-over-par 442 total, Regis finished seven strokes ahead of Cherry Creek and eight in front of third-place Grand Junction and Arapahoe.
Class 4A at Raccoon Creek: Thompson Valley senior Darren Edwards pulled away in the final round for a three-stroke victory in the individual competition. Edwards shot back-to-back rounds of 73 for a 2-over-par 146 total.
Edwards, who finished fourth at state last year, was 2 over for his first eight holes on Tuesday, but then birdied three of his next four to take control. He finished with three birdies and four bogeys in the final round.
Despite bogeying his final two holes, Barrett Jones of Eagle Valley posted the best score of the tournament, a 1-under-par 71, to tie for second place at 5-over 149. He made four birdies on Tuesday.
Also at 149 was Bridger Tenney of Evergreen, who birdied three of his final eight holes to shoot 74 on Tuesday.
Defending champion Luke Trujillo of Discovery Canyon finished 16th at 159.
In the team competition, 2016 runner-up Montrose won its second state title, besting Evergreen by six and Valor Christian by nine. The Indians, also champions in 2003, posted a two-day total of 34-over-par 466.
Class 3A at Indian Peaks: With the 3A meet being more of a sprint as an 18-hole tournament, Peak to Peak claimed both the individual and team titles.
Individually, sophomore Davis Long edged defending champion Oliver Jack of Kent Denver and Walker Franklin of Prospect Ridge. Long birdied the 16th and 18th holes — the latter from 15 feet — to shoot 3-under-par 69. He finished the day with six birdies and three bogeys.
Jack, who eagled the par-4 seventh hole after driving the green, was 4 under par through 11 holes, but double bogeyed No. 12 and played his final six holes in even. Franklin bogeyed his final hole — marking his only bogey of the day — for a 70.
But Long’s work for the day wasn’t yet done. He and his Peak to Peak teammates tied defending 3A state champion Kent Denver for top team honors at 1-over-par 217, then went to a playoff to decide a champion. Peak to Peak prevailed, winning its second state title in three years, this one at the Pumas’ home course. Kent Denver had been seeking an unprecedented 10th boys state golf championship.
Class 5A Top Finishers
At Par-71 CommonGround GC in Aurora
TEAM
Regis Jesuit 217-225–442
Cherry Creek 221-228–449
Arapahoe 228-222–450
Grand Junction 226-224–450
Denver East 229-228–457
INDIVIDUAL
Davis Bryant, Eaglecrest 70-69–139
Dillon Stewart, Fossil Ridge 69-72–141
Canon Olkowski, Grand Junction 70-72–142
Cal McCoy, Regis Jesuit 70-74–144
Tommy Parker, Arapahoe, 72-72–144
Connor Jones Mountain Range 72-74–146
Freddie Gluck, Boulder 73-73–146
Sam Blackwood, Heritage 71-75–146
Ryder Heuston, Fairview 72-74–146
Supawich (Beam) Boonta, Cherokee Trail 74-72–146
For complete 5A results, CLICK HERE.
Class 4A Top Finishers
At Par-72 Raccoon Creek GC in Littleton
TEAM
Montrose 233-233–466
Evergreen 238-234–472
Valor Christian 234-241–475
Palmer Ridge 240-238–478
Thompson Valley 249-237–486
INDIVIDUAL
Darren Edwards, Thompson Valley 73-73–146
Barrett Jones, Eagle Valley 78-71–149
Bridger Tenney, Evergreen 75-74–149
Micah Stangebye, Montrose 76-76–152
Jacob Smith, Rifle 77-75–152
Tyler Severin, Roosevelt 73-79–152
Jake Welch, Valor Christian 73-80–153
Jordan Jennings, Montrose 75-78–153
Wes Weber, Mountain View 77-77–154
Nathan Dwyer, Thompson Valley 79-75–154
For complete 4A results, CLICK HERE.
Class 3A Top Finishers
At Par-72 Indian Peaks GC in Lafayette
Note: Day 1 was rained out. Tournament was reduced to 18 holes.
TEAM
Peak to Peak 217 (won playoff)
Kent Denver 217
Aspen 224
Eaton 234
Colorado Academy 236
INDIVIDUAL
Davis Long, Peak to Peak 69
Oliver Jack, Kent Denver 70
Walker Franklin, Prospect Ridge 70
Thomas Messner, Coloradao Academy 73
Ian Thorpe, Peak to Peak 73
Dominic Lanese IV, Aspen 73
Peter Grossenbacher, Eaton 73
Jackson Klutznick, Kent Denver 73
Dawson Holmes, Aspen 73
Cris Rudosky, Montezuma Cortez 73
Billy Howenstein, Dawson 73
For complete 3A results, CLICK HERE.
Perhaps the cold, windy, raw first day at the 5A boys state high school tournament brought out the best in the best.
But for whatever reason, the three golfers who represented Colorado on the Junior America’s Cup team this year — and are in still in high school — find themselves at the top of the leaderboard after Monday’s first round of the 36-hole tournament at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora.
With temperatures in the 40s all day — and the wind making it feel even colder — junior Dillon Stewart (left) of Fossil Ridge took the lead with a 2-under-par 69. And right on his heels going into Tuesday’s final round are Junior America’s Cup teammates Davis Bryant of Eaglecrest and Cal McCoy of Regis Jesuit, along with Canon Olkowski of Grand Junction.
Those were the only players who broke par in challenging weather conditions at CommonGround as Bryant, McCoy and Olkowski posted 1-under 70s.
In the other state tournaments, day 1 of the 3A meet at Indian Peaks Golf Course in Lafayette was canceled due to rain, with the tournament being reduced to an 18-hole event, set for Tuesday. And at the 4A tourney at Raccoon Creek Golf Course in Littleton, three players share the lead at 1-over-par 73: Jake Welch of Valor Christian, Darren Edwards of Thompson Valley and Tyler Severin of Roosevelt. For more details on the 4A meet, see below.
At the 5A tournament, with stocking caps and several layers of clothing being commonplace for the players — and heavy jackets and mittens for many spectators — breaking par was no small feat.
“It wasn’t fun, but it was fun, obviously,” Stewart said after grabbing the 18-hole lead. “(The conditions) really tested your mental game. The ball isn’t going very far because it’s so cold. Conditions are hard, it’s windy. It’s not fun, but it really brings the best player out of everybody.
“I’m really proud of myself (for shooting 69). My goal was to be the leader after day 1, and I accomplished that. Hopefully it will continue tomorrow.”
Stewart has had a strong 2017 to date. He led the Rocky Mountain Open — competing against many pros as well as amateurs — after the first day. He finished 35th in the national Boys Junior PGA Championship, 52nd in the IMG Academy Junior Worlds, and was runner-up to Bryant at the Colorado Junior PGA. And Stewart, Bryant, McCoy and current University of Denver golfer Jackson Solem teamed up to finish fourth out of 18 teams in the Junior America’s Cup. During the high school season, Stewart has won four times.
On Monday at CommonGround, the junior finished with four birides and two bogeys on the day to grab the lead.
As good a year as Stewart has had in 2017, Bryant (left) has been even more impressive. The Colorado State University-bound golfer has won both of the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado majors in which he’s competed and he’s finished ninth individually at the Junior America’s Cup, 14th at the national Junior PGA and made it to the round of 64 at the U.S. Junior Amateur.
On Monday, Bryant had it to 3 under par through 11 holes, but bogeyed the next two and played the last five in even par.
“It could have been better, but it also could have gotten away from me and been a 75 very easily,” the senior said. “You can definitely shoot yourself out of it but you can’t win it on the first day. I was just trying to make some birdies and make a lot of pars and see how it went after 18 holes.”
Bryant, the 5A runner-up at state last year, has not been beaten in a high school tournament this season, winning six titles outright and tying for a victory in regionals.
“I’ll be disappointed if I don’t win (state), obviously,” he said. “That’s been my goal since I finished second to Kyle (Pearson of Highlands Ranch) last year. But if you’re thinking about that too much, you’re not going to play well, so I just take it one shot at a time and try to be as positive as possible.”
McCoy (left), a senior who will play his college golf at DU, was paired with Stewart on Monday and played his front nine in 3-under 33, but bogeyed 15 and 18 on the way in. McCoy, who finished sixth at state last year, ended up with three birdies and two bogeys on Monday.
Olkowski, a future University of Colorado golfer and the younger brother of current Buff Trevor Olkowski, finished strong to shoot his 70. He was 2 over par through 14 holes, but birdied three of his last four.
In the 5A team race, Regis Jesuit shot a 4-over-par 217 total and grabbed a four-stroke lead over Cherry Creek. Regis is seeking its seventh state title in the last eight years. Fossil Ridge is in third place at 222.
4A at Racoon Creek: Welch, younger brother of 2015 4A runner-up Coby Welch, shares the individual leader with Edwards and Severin after day 1. Welch was 1 under par through 16 holes, but triple bogeyed the par-3 17th and birdied 18 to finish at 73. He ended the day with four birdies, two bogeys and the triple.
Edwards, who placed fourth at state last year, birdied his final hole on Monday to shoot 73 and posted two birdies, one bogey and a double bogey. Severin, sixth at state in 2016, carded two birdies and three bogeys.
Defending individual state champion Luke Trujillo of Discovery Canyon shares fourth place at 75 with Roger Nakagawa of Thomas Jefferson, Jordan Jennings of Montrose and Bridger Tenney of Evergreen.
In the team competition, Montrose, the state runner-up last year, recorded a 17-over-par 233 total and holds a one-stroke lead over perennial power Valor Christian. Evergreen is in third place, five back of Montrose.
Class 5A Leaders
At Par-71 CommonGround GC in Aurora
TEAM
Regis Jesuit 217
Cherry Creek 221
Fossil Ridge 222
ThunderRidge 224
Fairview 226
Grand Junction 226
INDIVIDUAL
Dillon Stewart, Fossil Ridge 69
Davis Bryant, Eaglecrest 70
Cal McCoy, Regis Jesuit 70
Canon Olkowski, Grand Junction 70
Carter Kovarik, Cherry Creek 71
Sam Blackwood, Heritage 71
Evan Kalac, ThunderRidge 71
Brandon Bervig, Liberty 71
Cameron Kirke, Regis Jesuit 71
Tommy Parker, Arapahoe, 72
Connor Jones Mountain Range 72
Ryder Heuston, Fairview 72
For complete 5A results, CLICK HERE.
Class 4A Leaders
At Par-72 Raccoon Creek GC in Littleton
TEAM
Montrose 233
Valor Christian 234
Evergreen 238
Palmer Ridge 240
Mullen 242
INDIVIDUAL
Tyler Severin, Roosevelt 73
Darren Edwards, Thompson Valley 73
Jake Welch, Valor Christian 73
Jordan Jennings, Montrose 75
Roger Nakagawa, Thomas Jefferson 75
Bridger Tenney, Evergreen 75
Luke Trujillo, Discovery Canyon 75
Micah Stangebye, Montrose 76
Jacob Smith, Rifle 77
Wes Weber, Mountain View 77
For complete 4A results, CLICK HERE.
That was in 2005 — when there were just two classifications in Colorado boys golf, instead of the current three — and Green Valley Ranch hosted the 5A meet and Wellshire the 4A.
A dozen years later, all three state tournaments next week — Monday and Tuesday specifically — will be based at public courses in the Denver area. The 5A championship will be at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora, the 4A at Raccoon Creek Golf Course in Littleton, and the 3A at Indian Peaks Golf Course in Lafayette.
Suffice it to say that’s quite a change from last year, when the 5A meet was conducted in Grand Junction, the 4A in Carbondale and the 3A in Aurora.
Here’s a quick look at what to expect from each of next week’s 36-hole state tournaments:
— 5A at CommonGround: Based on how 2017 has gone so far, senior Davis Bryant of Eaglecrest should be the player to beat at CommonGround. The future Colorado State University golfer has won both of the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado majors in which he’s competed this year. In national/international events, he advanced to the match play round of 64 at the U.S. Junior Amateur and finished 14th at the Boys Junior PGA Championship and ninth individually in the Junior America’s Cup.
Bryant is the top returning player from last year’s 5A state tournament as he placed second to then-senior Kyle Pearson of Highlands Ranch.
In all, five top-10 finishers from last year’s state meet are back: Bryant; Cal McCoy and Drew Anderson of Regis Jesuit (tied for sixth in 2016), Kailer Dundiks of Denver East (ninth) and Josh Caridi of Fossil Ridge (ninth). McCoy has verbally committed to the University of Denver.
All three current high school players who represented Colorado on the Junior America’s Cup team this year — Bryant, McCoy and Dillon Stewart of Fossil Ridge — will compete in the 5A tournament. Also at CommonGround will be Canon Olkowski of Grand Junction, who has verbally committed to the University of Colorado, and Colorado Junior Match Play runner-up Jack Castiglia of Lakewood.
Bryant, Olkowski and McCoy were among those who recently won regional state-qualifying tournaments.
Team-wise, Regis will be seeking its seventh state title in the last eight years after improbably winning by a single stroke each of the last two seasons.
–– 4A at Raccoon Creek: Luke Trujillo of Discovery Canyon will be back to defend his indvidual title after defeating current DU golfer Jackson Solem in a playoff last year.
Trujillo shot a 5-under-par 65 to win a regional state-qualifying tournament at Elmwood Golf Course in Pueblo.
Discovery Canyon also will be trying to win its second consecutive team title. One of Trujillo’s teammates in that regard is Kaden Ford, who recently became just the fourth Coloradan ever to qualify for the finals of the Drive Chip & Putt Championship.
Joining Trujillo as a top-10 finisher from 2016 who’s returning to state are Darren Edwards of Thompson Valley (fourth last year), Tyler Severin of Roosevelt (sixth), Micah Stangebye of Montrose (seventh) and Caleb Blackburn of Discovery Canyon (10th).
Also in the field are Barrett Jones of Eagle Valley, one of the top players in JGAC tournaments this year, and TJ Shehee of Mead, who qualified for this year’s U.S. Junior Amateur.
— 3A at Indian Peaks: Oliver Jack of Kent Denver, like Trujillo, will be attempting to win his second straight state individual title. If either should prevail again, he would be the fifth two-time Colorado boys state high school champion since 1995. Last year, Jack, who’s verbally committed to CU, won in a playoff over Ivan Richmond of Estes Park, who likewise will return.
In all, 10 of the top 12 finishers from the 2016 3A state tournament will be back. Besides Jack and Richmond, there’s Ethan Tartaglia of Peak to Peak (third last year), Jackson Klutznick of Kent Denver (fourth), Nishant Datta of Peak to Peak (sixth), Ian Thorpe of Peak to Peak (sixth), Liam O’Halloran of The Classical Academy (sixth), Jacob Mason of Jefferson Academy (sixth), Peter Grossenbacher of Eaton (10th) and Billy Howenstein of Dawson School (10th).
Also in the field is Kent Denver’s Mateo Manzanares, a First Tee of Denver member who on Sunday teamed with PGA Tour Champions standout Scott McCarron to place fourth in the pro-junior competition of the PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach.
Kent Denver, the 2016 team champion, will be seeking its record 10th boys state high school team title. Eight of its victories have come since 2006.
With three top-six finishers back from last year’s state runner-up school, 2015 state champion Peak to Peak figures to make another run at the title, particularly playing at its home course.
Aspen may also be a contender as it finished 1-2-3-4 in the regional at Devil’s Thumb, posting a team total of 6 under par.
Here are the teams and individuals that won regional state-qualifying tournaments last week:
5A Southern at Colorado Springs CC — Team: Heritage +5; Individual: Canon Olkowski, Grand Junction, and Sam Blackwood, Heritage, 70.
5A Northern at Coal Creek — Team: Regis Jesuit +11; Individual: Cal McCoy, Regis Jesuit, 71.
5A Central at Plum Creek — Team: Fossil Ridge +5; Individual: Davis Bryant, Eaglecrest, and Kieran McMullen, Rock Canyon, 71.
5A Western at Broadlands — Team: Arapahoe +9; Individual: Tommy Packer, Arapahoe, 71.
4A Region 1 at Elmwood — Team: Discovery Canyon +11; Individual: Luke Trujillo, Discovery Canyon, 65.
4A Region 2 at CC of Colorado — Team: Valor Christian +37; Individual: Keaton Hulen, Cheyenne Mountain, 76.
4A Region 3 at Boomerang — Team: Thompson Valley +13; Individual: Wes Weber, Mountain View, and Tyler Severin, Roosevelt, 70.
4A Region 4 at The Bridges — Team: Montrose +3; Individual: Bridger Tenney, Evergreen, and Micah Stangebye, Montrose, 71.
3A Region 1 at East to Links — Team: Kent Denver +1; Individual: Oliver Jack, Kent Denver, 69.
3A Region 2 at CommonGround — Team: Colorado Academy +3; Individual: Christian Agelopoulos, Colorado Academy, and Peter Grossenbacher, Eaton, 69.
3A Region 3 at Estes Park GC — Team: Sterling +11; Individual: Riley Schaefer, Sterling, 70.
3A Region 4 at Devil’s Thumb — Team: Aspen -6; Individual: Carter Hall, Aspen, 69.
For Monday’s state championship tee times, CLICK HERE.
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As meetings go, what could be better than an event which features the Rules of Golf being taught Dr. Seuss style — complete with rhymes and big colorful hats — and adds equal doses kids-based philanthrophy, collaboration, awards and learning, with a little frivolity mixed in?
The CWGA Annual Meeting, held Saturday at The Inverness Hotel & Conference Center, included all of the above and more. With almost 200 people on hand, many representing about 75 clubs from around the state, there was a little something for everyone.
CWGA rules officials Jan Fincher, Karla Harding and Sandy Schnitzer set a humorous, yet educational tone by donning Dr. Seuss hats and even writing Seuss-like rhymes for their Rules of Golf breakout session:
Look at the greens. Look ’em over with care. Mark your ball and proceed. Do it with flair.
Did the ball move? Was it wind? Was it you? It doesn’t much matter with a rule that is new.
The rule that has changed is quite fundamental. Just put the ball back. Was it accidental? …
“We do it every year (with an ingenious approach to a Rules breakout session), but we’ve gotten more fun,” noted Harding, pictured below with Schnitzer.
“Every year we have Rules of Golf breakout sessions, and every year Jan Fincher, Karla Harding and Sandy Schnitzer come up with a new educational way to teach the Rules of Golf,” noted CWGA executive director Laura Robinson. “Last year it was a Jeopardy game. This year they came up with the Dr. Seuss adaptation. And they wouldn’t be the three of them without wearing the hats.
“It’s a balance. The Rules are complex and can be overwhelming, and what we’re trying to achieve in these breakout sessions is some education, and we’re going to bring it down to a level that’s easy to understand so that when you’re out on the golf course you have the confidence to apply some of these Rules. We’re not trying to teach all 500 pages of the Decisions book.”
Among those in attendance for the Annual Meeting festivities on Saturday was a who’s who of golf orgnizations from Colorado and beyond: There was representation from the USGA and leaders of the CGA, Colorado PGA, CoBank Colorado Open championships, the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado and the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. Included was Highlands Ranch resident Mark Passey, a director of regional affairs for the USGA who plans to retire from the national organization on July 1, after more than 27 years.
“Look around the room,” noted Colorado Golf Hall of Fame executive director Sammie Chergo, one of Saturday’s speakers. “You have so many people here from the world of golf in Colorado that want to work together and make golf in Colorado great.”
And much of that effort revolves around building a solid foundation for the future through support of junior golf. So on Saturday, the CWGA presented a check for $10,000 to the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado, a comprehensive set of programs and tournaments led by the CGA, Colorado PGA and the CWGA. In its inaugural year of 2016, the JGAC included 836 members, who played 3,695 rounds in Junior Alliance events. The JCAC also includes such things as the Colorado PGA Golf in Schools program, the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy, PGA Junior League, the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program and Drive, Chip & Putt competitions.
“Our beginning year we were hoping to shoot, using a golf analogy, 1 or 2 over par,” said Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Alan Abrams, the president of the JGAC . “But we had an incredible sub-par round and ended up winning the tournament. Exciting things happened for us that first year.
“Thanks to all of you (CWGA members) for … the wisdom to (support) junior golf. Obviously, that’s a legacy that you’ll have, and this Alliance covers everything junior golf in the state. Congratulations for giving us this great gift. I promise we will take it and do great things with it.”
(Abrams is pictured at top receiving the check from CWGA president Juliet Miner.)
In addition to the $10,000 — which was raised in 2016 by the CWGA — the association earned another $6,723 for junior golf through a silent auction and other sales held Saturday at the Annual Meeting.
“It looks like the silent auction once again broke the bank so we’re very pleased,” Miner said.
Overall regarding the meeting on Saturday, “In spite of the beautiful weather — it’s hard to compete with 70 degrees in March — we had a great turnout,” Miner noted.
Fitzsimons, Patty Jewett, Heggie Receive CWGA Awards: Saturday’s meeting also recognized the CWGA’s award winners for 2016, including the Club of the Year, which is a new honor.
The women’s clubs from Fitzsimons and Patty Jewett Golf Courses shared the inaugural Club of the Year Award for their work in raising money for charity, growing membership, etc.
Fitzsimons made significant charitable contributions thanks to annual golf events for the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the Colorado chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. And it took pro-active steps to bringing new golfers into the fold, and paid tribute to veterans and their families, which is inherent given the course’s military roots.
Patty Jewett raised almost $10,800 for charity through golf and related events in 2016. In addition to that money, members volunteered for Special Olympics, for cleanup day at the course, and for the CWGA.
“I think what you heard today through our Club of the Year awards and our fundraising efforts is that a lot of women’s organizations are very good at giving back,” Robinson said. “I think what you saw here was reaffirming that it really is about helping others through what we do.
“We tried to tally how much our clubs raised for charity this year through grassroots events and we think it’s well over $100,000, not including what we do in the office.”
Meanwhile, the 2016 CWGA Volunteer of the Year Award went to Vivian Heggie, who worked as a rules official at more CWGA championships and USGA qualifiers last year than any other volunteer. That included a dawn-to-dusk 36-hole U.S. Women’s Open qualifer in very cold and rainy conditions at Heritage at Westmoor.
“Our winner (Heggie, pictured in a yellow shirt-collar with Schnitzer) personifies dedication to the game of golf and dedication to making sure the players are well looked after and that they have a memorable experience,” Miner said. “It takes more than knowledge of the Rules to be a good rules official. It takes tact and the appropriate way to deliver a difficult message at times. Of course, it always helps if you have a delightful English accent (like Heggie). It takes perseverance and patience, and great respect for the players.”
The CWGA Player of the Year and Senior Player of the Year winners, both previously announced, also were recognized on Saturday. Both Jennifer Kupcho (the POY who is competing in a college tournament for Wake Forest) and Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton (the SPOY who is playing in a Legends Tour event in Arizona) could not attend because they’re at tournaments, but sent their thanks. For more on their accomplishments in 2016, CLICK HERE.
“I’d like to thank the Colorado Women’s Golf Association for selecting me for this award,” said Kupcho, who received the POY honor for an unprecedented third straight season. “It’s a great honor to be your Player of the Year … My first time at Denver Country Club (in winning the CWGA Stroke Play) was definitely one to remember.”
Said Eaton, the SPOY for the seventh time in eight years: “Thank you to the CWGA for this honor. I had every intention of being there today, but I received a better invitation — to play in the LPGA Legends Tour event in Arizona. I had a great year and did not want to pass up that opportunity. … I’m very grateful that I continue to play well and enjoy the game so much.”
Also receiving recognition Saturday was the nine-hole women’s club from Raccoon Creek Golf Course, which was the top 2016 CWGA fundraiser for the Evans Scholarship for caddies, bringing in $1,450. Almost 60 caddies currently receive full tuition and housing Evans Scholarships at the University of Colorado, with about a quarter of them being young women.
Chip Shots: Among the speakers on Saturday besides Chergo were CGA executive director Ed Mate and Colorado Open Golf Foundation CEO Kevin Laura, both of whom spoke on topics in the news this week. Mate, who serves on the USGA Rules of Golf Committee, gave attendees an update on the Rules changes the USGA and R&A proposed that are expected to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2019. And Laura noted some big news that was announced on Thursday — that the CoBank Colorado Women’s Open is increasing its purse to $150,000 and more than quadrupling its first prize to $50,000. …
CWGA Centennial Committee co-chairs Phyllis Jensen and Nancy Wilson assembled 357 slides, 511 pictures and a lot of memorabilia from CWGA centennial-year activities and events in 2016 into a scrapbook and a slideshow. On Saturday, they presented their work to Miner for CWGA historical purposes. “I want to thank (Jensen and Wilson) for stepping forward,” Miner said. “They made our centennial a great success.” (Wilson, Miner and Jensen are pictured at left.) …
With the CWGA planning to unveil an updated logo in the near future, 24 proposed logo submissions that the association received were showed off to attendees on Saturday. “Many people have said a woman with a long skirt (as in the current logo) is not representative of golf today,” Miner said. “We don’t want to necessarily change the logo to something that is unrecognizable, but we do want to modernize it.” …
CWGA organizers were pleased with Saturday’s attendance, which was just shy of 200. “We had one of the biggest turnouts, and as a follow-up to the centennial year, that says something,” Robinson said. “Today we achieved our objective by making it educational and giving lots of information, besides celebrating women’s golf in Colorado.”
For the 43-year period from 1972 through 2014, there’s been only one year (2007) that Colorado hasn’t hosted a significant tour event or a major national/international amateur golf competition.
The LPGA Tour held tournaments in the state for 16 consecutive years beginning in 1972. The Senior/Champions Tour had a six-year run in Colorado beginning in 1982. And the PGA Tour visited annually from 1986-2006 thanks to The International at Castle Pines Golf Club. In addition, there were numerous USGA championships and other big events held in the Centennial State during that time span.
And since The International exited, Colorado has hosted the U.S. Senior Open and the U.S. Amateur Public Links in 2008, the 2009 Palmer Cup (a Ryder Cup-like competition for the best college players), the 2010 Senior PGA Championship, the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open, the 2012 U.S. Amateur, the 2013 Solheim Cup and Junior Solheim Cup, and the 2014 BMW Championship.
If nothing else, the state deserves an “A” for variety of major golf events in recent years.
But with the calendar having just flipped over to 2015, this year is an anomaly by Colorado standards. No major tour is paying a visit, nor is a major national/international amateur event.
But that doesn’t mean there isn’t still a healthy smattering of significant and/or out of the ordinary championships to look forward to in Colorado golf and the surrounding area in 2015.
Here is a sampling of such events:
— 100th CWGA Match Play Championship: The CWGA Match Play was first contested in 1916, making it by far the oldest continuously played statewide women’s golf championship in Colorado. CWGA records list Mrs. M.A. McLaughlin, the wife of the first president of the CGA, as the winner of the first two Match Plays, in 1916 at Colorado Springs Country Club and ’17 at Denver Country Club.
The event has been played every year since — and now has a senior championship held concurrently. Among the winners of the tournament is Colorado Sports Hall of Famer Joan Birkland (a four-time champ), who won both state golf and tennis championships in the 1960s.
The 100th CWGA Match Play will be held July 7-9 at Raccoon Creek Golf Course in Littleton.
— Inaugural AJGA Hale Irwin Junior: Some of the best junior golfers in the nation — both boys and girls — will compete at CommonGround Golf Course as the AJGA returns to Colorado for the first time since 2013.
Hale Irwin, winner of four CGA championships, a Colorado state high school title and an NCAA championship while at the University of Colorado, will lend his name to this new event. The inaugural tournament is set for June 2-4, with a qualifying round scheduled for May 31 and a Junior-Am on June 1. CommonGround, which is owned and operated by the CGA and CWGA, served as one of the two courses for the stroke-play portion of the 2012 U.S. Amateur that Cherry Hills hosted.
— Women’s Pac-12 Conference Championships: Many of the best women’s college golfers in the world will come to Colorado for the Pac-12 Conference tournament that Boulder Country Club will host April 20-22.
Despite LPGA Tour qualifying prompting three of the conference’s top players to turn pro last month, four of the current top six teams in the nation, according to Golfweek — Washington, UCLA, Stanford and Southern California — will be among those competing in Boulder. In addition, the defending NCAA Division I champion (Doris Chen of USC) will be on hand.
— Girls’ Junior America’s Cup in Cheyenne: Though Cheyenne obviously isn’t in Colorado, it’s right across the state line — and just 100 miles from Denver. Cheyenne Country Club will host the 2015 Girls’ Junior Americas Cup competition that features some of the best female junior players from the western U.S., Canada and Mexico. The dates of the tournament are July 28-30.
Colorado fields one of the 18 teams that annually participate in the Girls’ Junior Americas Cup.
Meanwhile, here are the 2015 dates and sites for some of the top tournaments held annually in Colorado:
— June 3-5: HealthOne Colorado Senior Open, Green Valley Ranch Golf Club.
— July 6-10: CGA Match Play, Broadmoor Mountain Course.
— July 7-9: CWGA Match Play, Raccoon Creek Golf Course.
— July 21-23: CWGA Stroke Play, Pinehurst Country Club.
— July 23-26: HealthOne Colorado Open, Green Valley Ranch Golf Club.
— Aug. 13-16: CGA Stroke Play, CommonGround Golf Course.
— Sept. 14-16: Colorado PGA Professional Championship, Meridian Golf Club.
Note: The dates for the HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open haven’t been finalized, but they are expected to fall in the second half of August.
Stanford-bound Calli Ringsby of Cherry Creek will defend her 5A state high school title on Monday and Tuesday at Raccoon Creek Golf Course in Littleton. Among other seniors likewise expecting to be in the hunt there are Hannah Wood of Arapahoe (University of Oklahoma), Sarah Hankins of Legacy (Wyoming), Jenni Chun of Highlands Ranch (Cal State Bakersfield) and Jaylee Tait of Columbine (Montana State).
All told, nine of the top 10 5A finishers from a year ago are back for another run at the state title. Four of the top five performers from the 5A state tournament a year ago are now seniors.
And at the 4A state meet Monday and Tuesday at the Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs, junior Jennifer Kupcho of Jefferson Academy should be considered the favorite. Though Kupcho hasn’t formally signed with a college program — that isn’t allowed until the senior year — she has committed to play college golf at Wake Forest.
All in all, a lot of firepower will be on display.
Ringsby (pictured above) has finished second, fourth and first in her previous three state high school appearances. In 2012, she swept both the CWGA Junior Stroke Play and Junior Match Play titles, and was selected to play in the USA-China Youth Golf Match.
Wood, the winner of the last two CJGA Tournament of Champions titles, has gone 10th, third and third the last three years at the state high school tournament. She’s been a member of the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program at CommonGround Golf Course the last two years. In 2013, she competed in three USGA championships and won the prestigious Kathy Whitworth Invitational junior tournament in Texas.
Kupcho has finished third and second in her other state appearances (Kala Keltz, now at Northern Colorado, won the 2013 4A title). Kupcho competed in four USGA championships in 2013 and was named the CWGA Junior Player of the Year. Last year, she went to the U.S. Women’s Amateur, U.S. Girls’ Junior, U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links and the USGA Women’s State Team. She was also named to the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program at CommonGround.
Earlier this week, Kupcho placed an impressive sixth in U.S. Women’s Open Sectional Qualifying in Colorado.
Perhaps not coincidentally, Ringsby, Wood, Kupcho and Sydney Merchant made up the team that represented the CWGA in the Girls Junior America’s Cup last year.
Merchant, a sophomore at Dakota Ridge, won the CWGA Junior Match Play in 2013 and qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur. She’s been stellar this high school season, claiming two of her tournament victories with rounds of 68 and 63. She tied for third in the 2013 5A state tournament as a freshman and should certainly be in the mix again this year.
Team-wise next week, Cherry Creek will be seeking its fourth consecutive 5A state title, while Cheyenne Mountain will be defending in 4A. Cheyenne Mountain is led by Kylee Sullivan, who finished sixth individually last year and who will be playing at her home course (the Country Club of Colorado) for the state meet. Sullivan won the CJGA Junior Series Championship last year at that same course.
Here are the 2014 champions, both team and individual, for the regional state-qualifying tournaments that were held earlier this month:
5A Central Regional at Broken Tee — Team Winner: Regis Jesuit 228. Individual Winner: Sydney Gillespie, Regis Jesuit, 71.
5A Western Regional at Fox Hollow — Team Winner: Fossil Ridge 247. Individual Winner: Ali Pepper, Arvada West, 78.
5A Southern Regional at Colorado Springs Country Club — Team Winner: Arapahoe 246. Individual Winner: Hannah Wood, Arapahoe, 71.
5A Northern Regional at Highland Meadows — Team Winner: Rock Canyon 227. Individual Winner: Michelle Romano, Rock Canyon, 71.
4A Colorado Springs Regional at Eisenhower Silver — Team Winner: Cheyenne Mountain. Individual Winner: Kylee Sullivan, Cheyenne Mountain, 77.
4A Western Regional at Adobe Creek — Team Winner: Montrose 246. Individual Winner: Kiselya Plewe, Dolores, 72.
4A Southern Regional at Hollydot — Team Winner: Pueblo East 256. Individual Winner: Gia Zupancic, Pueblo East, 75.
4A Northern Regional at Olde Course in Loveland — Team Winner: Broomfield 259. Individual Winner: Haley Patterson, Yuma, 78.
4A Metro West Regional at Indian Tree — Team Winner: Colorado Academy 241. Individual Winner: Jennifer Kupcho, Jefferson Academy, 74.
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