Final scores from the girls state high school tournaments: 5A, 4A

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Gillian Vance points out that she and Jennifer Kupcho call themselves “Team Kupance”.

And why not — at least this month, which has been a memorable May for the two graduating Colorado high school seniors? A week ago in Oregon, they teamed up and advanced to match play at the inaugural U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship. And in the first round of matches, they came ever so close to knocking off the No. 3 seed, leading 2 up through 14 before falling in 20 holes.

Then they both returned to their home state and promptly each won a state high school title on Tuesday — Vance in Class 5A and Kupcho (above) for the second straight year by a double-digit margin in 4A.

“That was definitely our goal,” Vance (below) said Tuesday when the second round of the 5A tournament was canceled for weather-related reasons, giving her the victory after a first-round 68. “We call ourselves Team Kupance. We thought Team Kupance could go to Oregon and play our best, then go back and win state. We’ve made it so far together. We definitely wanted to go out with a bang together.”

And so it was for the friends who first met about eight years ago at an CJGA 10-and-under tournament at Cordillera west of Vail.

At the 4A state tournament at River Valley Ranch Golf Club in Carbondale, Jefferson Academy’s Kupcho became the first back-to-back girls high school state champion in Colorado since Salida’s Emily Wood won in 4A in 2009 and ’10. Overall, Kupcho is just the seventh golfer to claim two or more Colorado girls state high school titles. She joins Ashley Tait of Mullen (3), Lynn Ann Moretto of Cherry Creek (3), Becca Huffer of Littleton (2), Jennifer McCormick of Columbine (2), Kelly Jacques of Skyline (2) and Wood (2). The Wake Forest-bound Kupcho finished third, second, first and first in her four state high school meets.

A year after winning the 4A state title by 14 strokes, Kupcho posted a 10-stroke victory on Tuesday. In a day that started off sunny but turned cold, rainy and thundery — play was interrupted twice at River Valley Ranch on Tuesday — she shot a 3-under-par 69 despite closing with a double bogey. That gave her a 5-under 139 total.

“It feels pretty great to finish out that way,” said Kupcho, the 2014 CWGA Player of the Year. “It was a lot of fun playing with Kylee (Sullivan of Cheyenne Mountain) and Erin (Sargent of Silver Creek). We had two rain delays, which was kind of a downer. It was crazy, but we had a lot of fun out there.”

Kupcho had one significant blip early on Tuesday, making a double bogey after losing a ball in the weeds following her tee shot on No. 4. So how did she respond? She merely birdied five of the next seven holes — including making a 25-foot putt on No. 9 — all sandwiched around the first lightning delay. If there had been any suspense left regarding who would win the individual title, that certainly ended it.

“I had two doubles yesterday and I bounced back really well from those,” she said. “That carried over to today because I wanted to do the best I could and bounce back as well as I could.”

Kupcho finished with 14 birdies in 36 holes — seven each day. Strangely, though, she had far more double bogeys (4) than bogeys (1).

Sullivan placed second at 149 — marking her third straight top-six showing at state and leading Cheyenne Mountain to its third consecutive 4A team championship. At 499, the Indians ended up five strokes ahead of runner-up Colorado Academy.

Sargent finished third individually at 151.

Vance, who wrapped up her career at Dakota Ridge and will play at the University of Colorado beginning in the fall, prevailed in the 5A meet at the Olde Course at Loveland thanks to her 4-under-par 68 on Monday. That’s the best score posted at either the 5A or 4A girls state high school tournament since 2012.

Vance won by two over Regis Jesuit senior Sydney Gillespie, who shot a 70 Monday while playing in the same group as Vance. While Gillespie didn’t get a chance to catch the leader on Tuesday, the Colorado Christian University recruit did finish in the top 10 individually all four years at state and she can take some joy in Regis (left) winning its second consecutive 5A team title and fourth state crown in the last six seasons. The Raiders prevailed by 13 over Rock Canyon.

Morgan Sahm of Grandview, Alexis Chan of Rock Canyon and Ashlyn Kirschner of Ralston Valley shared third place individually at 73.

Vance, who like Kupcho competed in the 2014 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, won when Tuesday’s final round was washed out due to heavy overnight rain and considerable standing water at the Olde Course at Loveland. The results from Monday’s opening round became final, making the event an 18-hole tournament.

“I told myself we were going to play,” said Vance (below). “We were about to head out of our hotel room and the coach (Levi Bartholomew) called me and said, ‘Hi state champion.’ I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ I was really shocked.”

Tournament officials reported too much puddling at the Olde Course on Tuesday morning to hold the final round. Normal tournament policy for the state high school meets — both girls and boys — is to make round 1 results final if round 2 is canceled. Competitors and coaches were notified of that possibility on Monday.

In a similar scenario, the 1985 boys state high school tournament, won by Pomona’s Jakob Green at Fort Collins Country Club, was reduced to 18 holes because of snow.

Vance knew on Monday that there was a chance, given the forecast, that the first round might be the only round. After starting out the tournament with a bogey after a poor opening tee shot, she came on strong by going bogey-free the rest of the day in cold conditions, making five birdies.

“It’s completely fine that it’s an 18-hole tournament,” she said. “Everybody would have love to have played but if the weather doesn’t permit it, that’s just how it is. Either way, I’m just extremely grateful.

“This means the world to me. It really puts a smile on my face to go out with a bang, which is exactly what I wanted to do. I had a blast.”

Chris Thayer was a teammate of Luke Donald at Northwestern University in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Donald went on to become the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world. Thayer never did go pro and, in fact, gave up competitive golf for quite a while.

But Thayer did return to tournament golf four or five years ago, and since moving to Colorado in 2012, he’s been making inroads on the amateur scene.

The latest step came Sunday when the 34-year-old from Bear Creek Golf Club won a three-man playoff to capture his first CGA championship, in the 28th Mid-Amateur at River Valley Ranch Golf Club in Carbondale.

“This feels awesome,” he said. “I’ve played in Colorado tournaments the last couple of years, and there have been other times I felt like I played well enough to win one of these. Today I was in good position and I grinded it out, even with a couple of bogeys down the stretch.”

The CGA Mid-Amateur was decided by a playoff for the first time in the new millennium. And for the first time in five years, the winner of the event wasn’t Keith Humerickhouse.

While Thayer (left and above) prevailed on the third hole of sudden death in what started as a three-man playoff, Humerickhouse saw his streak of consecutive victories in the event end at four.

“I thought it was over after 13 holes (Sunday),” Humerickhouse said. “I thought the guys (in the last group) were playing decent. I honestly didn’t think I had a chance — and that’s hard to swallow when I come in one shot out of a playoff. I thought I was five or six behind. It hurts a bit coming in and seeing the score. I knew how big it was.”

In the tournament limited to players 25 and older, Thayer parred all three of the playoff holes to prevail, winning with a two-putt from 25 feet on the 18th at River Valley Ranch.

Air Force Academy men’s golf associate head coach Chris Wilson (left) matched Thayer’s pars on the first two playoff holes, but made a bogey the third time around, failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker. Wilson was also the runner-up in the 2012 CGA Mid-Amateur.

Zack Neiditz (below) of Aspen Golf Club, the leader going into Sunday, was the third competitor in the playoff. But after parring No. 18 the first time in sudden death, he hit into a hazard twice on the second playoff hole and was eliminated.

Thayer, who relocated from Chicago two years ago, won his first CGA championship. He prevailed despite shooting a 2-over-par 74 in the final round and playing the final six holes of regulation in 3 over. He finished at 3-under-par 213 overall along with Wilson and Neiditz. But the 2013 U.S. Amateur qualifier was the steadiest in sudden death.

“Keith (Humerickhouse) was one of the first people to congratulate me after the playoff,” Thayer noted. “He’s a real classy guy. I thanked him for winning four years in a row. It pushes everyone to get better. And then Michael Harrington this year goes to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Mid-Amateur. It’s great to compete against those players.”

Humerickhouse will have to settle for tying an all-time CGA record. The player from Glenwood Springs Golf Club was attempting to become the first competitor in the 114-year history of CGA championships to win five consecutive titles in the same CGA event. But he finished a stroke out of the playoff, in fourth place. “I didn’t putt well enough on the weekend,” the left-handed former pro said.

So Humerickhouse will remain one of just three players to have won the same CGA championship four consecutive years. Others to have accomplished that feat are Walter Fairbanks (1902-05 CGA Match Play) and Rick DeWitt (1999-2002 CGA Mid-Amateur).

Meanwhile, as for the runners-up, Wilson made just one bogey in his round of 69 on Sunday. Neiditz played the last six holes of regulation in 4 over par en route to a 75 in the final round. He bogeyed his final two holes in regulation.

Humerickhouse, who trailed by four heading into the final round, birdied two of his last four holes to close with an even-par 72, which left him at 214. Another stroke back, in fifth place, was 2009 champion Harrington, of Garden of the Gods Club, who carded a 69 on Sunday.

Thayer, a Denver-based financial analyst who works for Vail Resorts, won a Virginia state junior title in 1997, the same year he qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur. Last year, the U.S. Amateur was his second USGA championship. And now he’s won his second state championship, and first in Colorado.

“I’ve had a lot of good finishes, but something held me back,” he said. “I haven’t won that many tournaments in my golf career. It felt good to break through.”
 

CGA Mid-Amateur Championship
At Par-72 River Valley Ranch GC in Carbondale
x-won sudden-death playoff

x-Christopher Thayer, Bear Creek GC, 70-69-74–213
Christopher Wilson, Eisenhower GC, 74-70-69–213
Zack Neiditz, Aspen GC, 71-67-75–213
Keith Humerickhouse, Glenwood Springs GC, 68-74-72–214
Michael Harrington, Garden of the Gods Club, 72-74-69–215
Tristan Sanders, CommonGround GC, 71-71-74–216
Mark Zbrzeznj, Eagle Vail GC, 73-71-73–217
Andy Dannewitz, Meadow Hills GC, 72-72-74–218
Jon Lindstrom, Lakewood CC, 70-76-72–218
Ryan Axlund, CommonGround GC, 74-73-71–218
Nick Nosewicz, Meadow Hills GC, 73-72-73–218
Tom Musselman, Telluride GC, 73-76-70–219
Steven Irwin, Lakewood CC, 74-72-74–220
Richard Bradsby, Lakewood CC, 73-75-72–220
Lamar Carlile, City Park GC, 77-72-73–222
Robin Bradbury, Heritage at Westmoor, 73-76-73–222
Sean Thomas, Indian Tree GC, 75-73-74–222
Scott Sullivan, Bookcliff CC, 74-71-77–222
Brian Hawk, Ute Creek GC, 76-76-71–223
Chris Carlson, Highlands Ranch GC, 76-74-74–224
Jonathan Kuzava, Columbine CC, 78-73-73–224
David Delich, Broadmoor GC, 74-76-75–225
Jared Bickling, Gypsum Creek GC, 76-74-75–225
John Luoma, Colorado GC, 73-75-77–225
James Sisneros, Eisenhower GC, 74-76-75–225
Michael Dadlani, Broadlands GC, 73-75-77–225
Paul Erdman, Colorado AvidGolfer Club, 73-75-78–226
Alan Boyko, Heritage at Westmoor, 79-75-72–226
Jim Doidge, Pueblo CC, 73-75-79–227
Tim Kratz, CommonGround GC, 75-77-75–227
Joey Haack, Ironbridge GC, 76-75-76–227
Matt Hall, Bookcliff CC, 71-80-77–228
Adam Thoutt, Legacy Ridge GC, 77-76-76–229
Michael Abrams, Lake Valley GC, 75-79-75–229
John Grillion, CommonGround GC, 76-76-77–229
John Ingram, Colorado GC, 75-76-81–232
Michael Passananti, Desert Hawk GC, 75-79-80–234
Mitch Perry, CC of the Rockies, 78-75-82–235
Davin Sjoberg, Dos Rios CC, 76-77-85–238
Scott Shore, Meridian GC, 75-78-WD

Missed 36-Hole Cut
Phil Rosenbaum, Telluride GC, 77-78–155
Jay Orris, Boulder CC, 78-77–155
Tony Komatz, Eagle Ranch GC, 77-78–155
Chad Gonzalez, Pinery CC, 75-80–155
Bob Cloud, Bear Creek GC, 81-75–156
Kelly Crone, Highlands Ranch GC, 76-80–156
Sean Forey, Bear Creek GC, 78-78–156
Kirk Blaszyk, Glenwood Springs GC, 74-82–156
Michael Glaesel, Indian Tree GC, 73-83–156
Frank Vigil, Patty Jewett GC, 76-80–156
Scott Coffey, Colorado AvidGolfer Club, 81-75–156
Harry Johnson, Eagle Ranch GC, 79-78–157
Etienne Pienaar, Ironbridge GC, 80-77–157
Thomas Roos, Spring Valley GC, 80-78–158
Ben Sherlund, Colorado GC, 74-84–158
Scott Patterson, Eagle Ranch GC, 79-80–159
Steve Sullivan, Bear Dance GC, 83-76–159
Chuck Schmidt, CommonGround GC, 79-80–159
Gary Driber, Denver Amateur Golf Tour , 78-81–159
John Applegate, Meadow Hills GC, 84-76–160
Corey Stanton, Breckenridge GC, 78-82–160
Ryan Prew, Indian Tree GC, 82-79–161
Jack Huffman, Eagle Ranch GC, 82-80–162
Greg Didier, Roaring Fork Club, 85-77–162
Matt Matchette, River Valley Ranch GC, 80-82–162
Grant Porter, CommonGround GC, 83-80–163
Thomas Bacsanyi, Eagle Ranch GC, 80-84–164
John Augst, Flatirons GC, 79-86–165
Matt Mangold, Broadlands GC, 84-84–168
Terry Kunz, Applewood GC, 88-80–168
Michael Briggs, Columbine CC, 87-82–169
Mike Duffy, Aspen GC, 83-86–169
Shane Unfred, Highland Meadows GC, 90-80–170
Wyck Brown, Lakewood CC, 83-88–171
Kenny Burnham, Fossil Trace GC, 85-86–171
Taylor Osieczanek, Broadlands GC, 88-86–174
Adam Desmond, River Valley Ranch GC, 88-91–179
Jeff Ruden, Highlands Ranch GC, 88-NS
Jeffrey Hallock, The Club at Crested Butte, 80-WD