Through the first 19 holes of the event, he was 9 over par and looked like he was heading home after the two rounds of stroke play in his third U.S. Senior Am.
But three straight birdies and two more late in the round led to a 1-under-par 71 on Sunday, getting him into the top 64 that made match play.
Sullivan, the 2018 CGA Western Chapter senior champion, parlayed that into victories in the round of 64 (1 up) and the round of 32 (3 and 2). But he met up with co-medalist Jeff Wilson of Fairfield, Calif., in Tuesday afternoon’s round of 16, and Sullivan’s run came to an end, 2 and 1. (Thursday update: Wilson went on to win the Senior Am title.)
Wilson, the low amateur in this summer’s U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor, trailed early but led throughout the back nine. After the match was all square through eight holes, he won the ninth and 12th with pars to go 2 up. Sullivan won the 13th with a birdie and the 16th with a par, with Wilson prevailing on No. 14 with a birdie. That left Sullivan 1 down through 16. But Wilson closed out the match with a birdie on 17 while Sullivan made a bogey.
Sullivan finished 3 over par for the 17 holes of the match, while Wilson was 2 over.
In the morning round of 32, Sullivan defeated Jeff New of Scottdale, Ariz., 3 and 2.
Sullivan, who started off with a birdie, never trailed in the match. After being 1 up through 10, he won 11 and 12 with pars and parred out for the victory. He was 3 over par for the 16 holes.
Also in the round of 32, stroke-play co-medalist Greg Condon of the southern Colorado town of Monte Vista was upset 2 and 1 by 33rd-seeded Buzz Fly of Memphis, Tenn.
Condon, competing in this national championship for the second time, never led in the match, though he squared it up with a winning par on 9. But Fly, a former PGA Tour player who advanced to the semifinals of this event in 2013, won Nos. 11 and 13 with pars to go 2 up and the players halved the next four holes to close things out.
Condon, who made the round of 32 at the U.S. Amateur Public Links six years ago, finished 1 over par for the 17 holes.
Here were the results for the Coloradans competing this week in the U.S. Senior Amateur:
TUESDAY’S MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 16
Jeff Wilson, Fairfield, Calif., def. Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction, 2 and 1
TUESDAY’S MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 32
Buzz Fly, Memphis, Tenn., def. Greg Condon, Monte Vista, 2 and 1
Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction, def. Jeff New, Scottsdale, Ariz., 3 and 2
MONDAY’S MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 64
Greg Condon, Monte Vista, def. Kirk Wright, Oklahoma City, 4 and 3
Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction, def. Louis Brown, Marietta, Ga., 1 up
STROKE PLAY
Advance to Match Play
T1. Greg Condon, Monte Vista 67-72–139
41. Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction 80-71–151
Failed to Advance to Match Play
93. Guy Mertz, Longmont 80-76–156
For all the results from the championship, CLICK HERE.
Stroke-play co-medalist Greg Condon from the southern Colorado town of Monte Vista and Scott Sullivan (left) of Grand Junction scored victories Monday in the match play round of 64 at Eugene Country Club in Oregon.
Condon, who qualified for the Senior Amateur in Sandia Park, N.M., defeated Kirk Wright of Oklahoma City, 4 and 3. And the 47th-seeded Sullivan won the 18th hole with a par to beat 18th seed Louis Brown of Marietta, Ga., 1 up.
Condon, competing in this national championship for the second time, lost the first hole with a bogey but led most of the day. He won four holes in a six-hole stretch starting on No. 4 to go 3 up after nine, then closed out the match with a birdie on No. 15. Condon finished 1 over par for 15 holes.
“Today, I was a little off,” Condon told the USGA. “I didn’t play very well. I would mess up and he would mess up. That’s how it went. I hit a couple good shots when I needed to. Sometimes, match play goes that way.”
Condon will face former PGA Tour player Buzz Fly of Memphis, Tenn., in the round of 32, one of two match play rounds scheduled for Tuesday. Fly went to the semifinals of the U.S. Senior Amateur in 2013.
Sullivan played in a match in which neither player was ever more than 1 up. Brown held that 1-up lead through 14, but Sullivan won Nos. 15 and 18 with pars to pull out the victory. Sullivan, who made one birdie on Monday, was 4 over par for the round.
In Tuesday’s round of 32, Sullivan will meet Jeff New of Scottsdale, Ariz.
Here are the results for the Coloradans competing this week in the U.S. Senior Amateur:
MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 64
Greg Condon, Monte Vista, def. Kirk Wright, Oklahoma City, 4 and 3
Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction, def. Louis Brown, Marietta, Ga., 1 up
STROKE PLAY
Advance to Match Play
T1. Greg Condon, Monte Vista 67-72–139
41. Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction 80-71–151
Failed to Advance to Match Play
93. Guy Mertz, Longmont 80-76–156
For all the results from the championship, CLICK HERE.
Greg Condon of Monte Vista in southern Colorado shared stroke-play medalist honors Sunday in the U.S. Senior Amateur, while Scott Sullivan of Grand Junction shot a 1-under-par 71 in round 2 to join Condon in advancing to match play in Eugene, Ore.
The top 64 players in stroke play over the weekend earned spots in match play, which starts on Monday.
Condon, 56, who made the round of 32 at the U.S. Amateur Public Links six years ago, posted rounds of 67-72 for a 5-under-par 139 total. That tied for low in stroke play at Eugene Country Club with Jeff Wilson of Fairfield, Calif. But that’s not necessarily a good omen as the medalist hasn’t won the U.S. Senior Amateur since 1987, according to the USGA.
Condon (left in a USGA photo, and below), who’s competing in his second U.S. Senior Am, made two birdies and two bogeys in Sunday’s second round.
Meanwhile, Sullivan was in 116th place after shooting 80 on Saturday. His second-round 71, giving him a 7-over 151 total, vaulted him up to 41st place. Sullivan chalked up five birdies to go with four bogeys on day 2.
Guy Mertz of Longmont also played better on Sunday, but it wasn’t good enough to make match play. In his second straight Senior Am, he went 80-76 for a 156 total, good for 93rd place.
Here are the scores by the Coloradans competing this week in the U.S. Senior Amateur:
ADVANCE TO MATCH PLAY
T1. Greg Condon, Monte Vista 67-72–139
41. Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction 80-71–151
FAILED TO ADVANCE TO MATCH PLAY
93. Guy Mertz, Longmont 80-76–156
For all the results from the championship, CLICK HERE.
Condon bogeyed his second hole and was 1 over par through four holes. But he made six birdies and no bogeys from then on, and birdied three of his last four.
Condon (left in a Sun Country Amateur Golf Association photo) is two ahead of a trio of players going into Sunday’s final round of stroke play, after which the top 64 players will advance to match play, which starts on Monday.
The other two Coloradans in the field struggled on Saturday and will need to rally on Sunday to make match play.
Guy Mertz of Longmont, competing in this event for the second straight year, opened with an 8-over-par 80, which leaves him in 116th place. Mertz made one birdie, five bogeys and two double bogeys on Saturday.
Scott Sullivan of Grand Junction match Mertz’s 80 after a day that included one birdies, seven bogeys and a double bogey.
Here are the scores by the Coloradans competing this week in the U.S. Senior Amateur:
1. Greg Condon, Monte Vista 67
116. Guy Mertz, Longmont 80
116. Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction 80
For all the results from the championship, CLICK HERE.
At 3 over par through 13 holes on Tuesday at Omni Interlocken Golf Club in Broomfield, Guy Mertz wasn’t feeling good about qualifying for the U.S. Senior Amateur for a second straight year.
But it’s amazing what three birdies in his final five holes — and another on the first hole of a playoff — will do to change your outlook.
Mertz played his final six holes of the day, including the playoff, in 4 under par — and the final three in 3 under — to punch his ticket to the U.S. Senior Am again.
“I’m in shock,” he said of his late comeback. “It was totally unexpected. … I just wasn’t feeling it. I was just a little off. But I did it. It’s unbelievable to me. I stuck with it long enough, I guess. I’m really happy. I guess it proves last year wasn’t a fluke. Two years in a row; it can’t be a fluke, can it? Maybe I’m decent.”
The 59-year-old from Longmont joined Don Eklund of San Diego and Scott Sullivan of Grand Junction in booking return trips to the national championship for amateurs 55 and older.
This year’s U.S. Senior Am will be contested Aug. 25-30 at Eugene Country Club in Oregon.
Eklund, a 61-year-old who used to live in the Vail area, shot a 3-under-par 69 to land medalist honors — and his second trip to the U.S. Senior Amateur. Sullivan earned his third berth in the event thanks to a 71 and despite playing his final three holes in 2 over par. And Mertz, as noted, rallied to qualify through a playoff. (Eklund and Sullivan are pictured above, with the medalist at left.)
Mertz and two other contestants who have likewise previously competed in the U.S. Senior Am — CGA Executive Committee members Kent Moore of Centennial and Gary Albrecht of Denver — posted 72s on Tuesday, then played off for the final spot in the national championship.
Moore and Albrecht hit ideal drives in the playoff, with Albrecht putting his second shot on the par-5 on the green, 60 feet short of the flag, and Moore leaving his second in a greenside bunker. Mertz pushed his tee shot into the rough and had a semi-blind second shot over a knoll, and he hit a 3-wood to 40 yards shot of the hole.
After a mediocre pitch, Mertz (left) drained a 20-foot birdie putt. Albrecht ended up three-putting for par from 60 feet. And Moore, after a good bunker shot to 7 feet, missed his birdie try, leaving Mertz to advance to his sixth USGA championship. He’s previously gone to the now-defunct U.S. Amateur Public Links three times, the 1990 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Country Club, and last year’s U.S. Senior Amateur in Minnesota, where he grew up.
“I didn’t hit a very good pitch, but I hit a really good putt (in the playoff),” said Mertz, the reigning CGA Parent/Child champion with son Nick. “I’d rather have a bad pitch and a good putt than a great pitch and a bad putt.”
After Mertz secured the final qualifying spot on Tuesday, Moore subsequently made a par on the same hole to earn the first alternate position as Albrecht made bogey.
Earlier, Eklund had holed a 100-yard wedge shot for eagle on the eighth hole en route to his 69. He added two birdies and one bogey during a day in which he hit 16 greens in regulation.
“I didn’t see (the wedge shot) go in,” said Eklund, the 2017 San Diego City Senior Amateur champion. “But it never left the flag. I have hole-outs probably two or three times a year, especially with my wedge. I consider myself a very good wedge player.”
As for returning to the U.S. Senior Am after a five-year absence, Eklund said, “It’s going to be a lot better, I can tell you that. I’ve been wanting to go back for six years. The USGA puts on great events. It’s such a treasure to go to one of them. I hear good things about Eugene Country Club and I’m really looking forward to it.”
The same is true for the 60-year-old Sullivan, who recently won the senior division of the CGA Western Chapter Championship. On Tuesday, he carded four birdies and three bogeys in his round of 71. Sullivan previously played in the 2013 and ’15 U.S. Senior Amateurs and the 2010 U.S. Senior Open.
“It will be great” competing in another USGA championship, said Sullivan, who’s won multiple low-amateur/low-senior amateur titles in the Rocky Mountain Open. “I’ve heard great things about Eugene Country Club too. The USGA events are the important ones (on his golf schedule). That’s what I point to. They’re great. Especially at the Senior Open, they treat you like a king. But I just enjoy competition.”
As for Mertz, he’s aiming to make match play at this year’s U.S. Senior Am after falling short last year in Minnesota, where he lived the first 26 years of his life.
“Hopefully when I get there (to Eugene) I won’t be quite as nervous because last year I had a lot of people in Minnesota rooting me on,” he said. “I put more pressure on myself, which is never good.”
U.S. Senior Amateur Qualifying
At Par-72 Omni Interlocken GC in Broomfield
ADVANCE TO U.S. SENIOR AMATEUR
Don Eklund, San Diego 34-35–69
Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction 35-36–71
Guy Mertz, Longmont 39-33–72
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Kent Moore, Centennial 36-36–72
Gary Albrecht, Denver 38-34–72
For all the scores from Tuesday, CLICK HERE.
]]>Ross Macdonald put a big-time exclamation mark on his successful title defense Sunday at the 36th CGA Western Chapter Championship.
The University of Colorado golfer from the Country Club at Castle Pines played his final nine holes of the event in 7-under-par 29 at The Bridges Golf & Country Club in Montrose. That torrid stretch gave Macdonald a nine-stroke victory in the 36-hole event.
The 22-year-old from Castle Rock (left) finished with a 6-under-par 65 — the best championship flight score on Sunday by six shots — to post a 6-under 136 total. That made Macdonald the first back-to-back winner of the championship since Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Rick DeWitt accomplished the feat in 2001 and ’02. DeWitt won the Western Chapter title five times.
On the back nine Sunday, Macdonald recorded two eagles — on No. 10 and 17 — and added birdies on 11, 12 and 18 to shoot the 29. It marked the first time Macdonald has ever broken 30 for nine holes on a championship course, and the 65 is his low tournament score ever. In addition, he can never remember making two eagles in nine holes before.
Macdonald needed just 11 putts to negotiate the greens on the back nine on Sunday.
“That was really cool,” Macdonald said of his 29. “Going into 18, the only thing I was thinking about was shooting 29, which I’d never done in my life. That was definitely a good way to go out.”
Macdonald had started out his title defense by being 3 over par after five holes on Saturday. But he closed with three straight birdies that day for a 71. On Sunday, he was 1 over par through nine holes when things turned on a dime.
He made a 20 footer for eagle on 10, a 25 footer for birdie on 11 and a 10 footer for birdie on 12. He parred the next four holes, twice getting up and down, including making a 20 footer on No. 16.
On No. 17, he hit a 5-iron from 235 yards to a foot for another eagle. Then he rolled in a downhill slider from 15 feet on No. 18 to close with a birdie.
“It was really nice to put that round together — and that nine — to come in with a good margin of victory,” Macdonald said.
And the result — going back-to-back in the Western Chapter — was satisfying considering Macdonald originally wasn’t planning to play in the event.
“I feels really good,” he said. “Two weeks ago, I looked at it and didn’t have anything on my schedule (for this week). I just thought it would be a good one to play in. And I think it’s always good to pay respect and go back and defend a title. I’ve been playing really well the last five or six months so I felt really good. And I thought of this (course) as a good challenge — and a good challenge to see if I could go back to back.”
Macdonald now owns four CGA titles, having also won the Colorado Junior Amateur in back-to-back years (2013 and ’14).
As he noted, the CU golfer has been performing well in recent months, having placed second in both the Pac-12 Conference Championships and the CGA Match Play.
First-round leader Barry Erwin of Murphy Creek Golf Course tied for second place at 145 after a second-round 76 on Sunday. Sharing runner-up honors with him was Cameron Barnhardt of Dalton Ranch Golf Club, who closed with a 74. Blake Schneiter placed fourth at 146 after his second straight 73.
Meanwhile, the senior title was decided in extra holes on Sunday.
Scott Sullivan (left) of Bookcliff Country Club in Grand Junction tied three-time CGA Senior Player of the Year Robert Polk of Colorado Golf Club in regulation, with both players finishing at 2-over-par 144. But Sullivan broke the tie on the first playoff hole by making a par while Polk recorded a bogey.
Sullivan shot a 3-under-par 68 on Sunday, improving on his first-round score by eight. He played his final 14 holes of regulation in 4 under par. For the day, he made six birdies and three bogeys.
Polk birdied his final hole of regulation — No. 9 — to force the playoff. He finished the day with three birdies, three bogeys (including the playoff) and a double bogey.
Placing third among the seniors on Sunday was 2017 CGA Senior Player of the Year Keith Atkins of Highland Meadows Golf Course, who closed with a 71.
For scores from the Western Chapter Championship, click on the following: OPEN, SENIOR.
]]>Ivan, a former University of Colorado golfer, made four birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey on the day, and overcame two 6s on his card.
Shane Unfred of Highland Meadows Golf Course, Scott Sullivan of Bookcliff Country Club and John Hornbeck of Saratoga, Wyo., share second place after opening with 74s. Hornbeck, who competed in the 2016 U.S. Senior Open, made three birdies on Tuesday, while Unfred and Sullivan managed two each.
Tied in fifth place at 75 were three-time champion Robert Polk of Colorado Golf Club and Bob Schuler of Inverness Golf Club. They each carded two birdies in the first round.
Meanwhile, Tuesday proved a struggle for numerous players who have won this championship. Defending champ Kevin Ott of The Club at Rolling Hills shot an 85, while David Delich of The Broadmoor Golf Club carded an 84, Bill Fowler of Rolling Hills an 83, Charlie Post of Colorado Golf Club an 82 and Kent Moore of Cherry Hills Country Club and Harry Johnson of Eagle Ranch Golf Course a pair of 80s. And 2017 CGA Senior Match Play winner Pat Bucci of West Woods Golf Club opened with an 82.
The 54-hole championship, limited to players 51 and older, will continue through Thursday. The field will be cut to the low 40 players and ties after two rounds.
For all the scores from the CGA Senior Amateur, CLICK HERE.
]]>It may not rank up there with quarterback Joe Namath’s guarantee that his underdog New York Jets would win Super Bowl III, but David Delich of Colorado Springs did go out on a limb a little with a prediction he made Monday, albeit while wearing a smile.
Delich and Harry Johnson of Vail qualified for their first U.S. Senior Amateur a year ago, but they failed to be among the top 64 players who advanced to the match-play portion of the event.
So on Monday, after Delich and Johnson again qualified for the U.S. Senior Amateur, Delich vowed this time will be different.
“Harry and I are going to play a lot better” at the national championship, Delich said. “California is our comfort zone. I will wash dishes for a month if Harry and I don’t get into match play this year. We’re going to do it.”
Johnson, a spry 64, and Delich, 57, made it two U.S. Senior Amateurs in a row by finishing in the top three Monday out of a qualifying field at Meridian Golf Club that originally numbered 60. The third national qualifier was John Hornbeck of Saratoga, Wyo., who on Sunday won the Wyoming Mid-Amateur title by 10 strokes.
The U.S. Senior Amateur, limited to players 55 and older, will be held Sept. 13-18 in Newport Beach, Calif.
Johnson (pictured above) earned medalist honors Monday at Meridian by shooting an even-par 72. Delich, a former Colorado College hockey standout, and Hornbeck matched 73s and then prevailed in a three-man playoff.
Delich birdied the second playoff hole after hitting his second shot on the par-4 to 6 inches from the cup. Hornbeck two-putted for par from 30 feet on same hole to advance. Scott Sullivan of Grand Junction, who posted his 73 after playing the last five holes in 3 over par, was the odd man out in the playoff, making a triple-bogey 7 on the second extra hole after hitting his tee shot into the native grass left of the fairway, then struggling around the green.
“When you get in these things (playoffs), you’ve got to go make a birdie as quick as you can because too many funny things happen,” said Delich (left), the 2012 CGA Senior Player of the Year. Of the 92 1/2-yard shot that he hit so closely with a 56-degree wedge on the second playoff hole, Delich noted, “It was a good yardage for me. I wanted to land it 86 or 87 and I hit it right on the number. It took one hop and stopped. I had about 6 inches left. I was in my comfort zone.”
Johnson, the CGA Senior Player of the Year in 2011 and ’13, is eager to get back to his second U.S. Senior Amateur — and second USGA championship of any sort — after finding himself on the wrong end of the tee-time draw last year in Cashiers, N.C.
While Johnson very much enjoyed the quality of a USGA event and how the players were treated, the weather definitely put a damper on his experience. With about two inches of rain falling on the first day of stroke play, on Johnson’s first tee shot of the championship, his back foot slipped so badly that he fell to a knee. There was so much water that officials eventually were squeegeeing the tee box between each player hitting.
“So it was the best of times and it was the worst of times,” Johnson, the 2013 CGA Senior Stroke Play and Senior Match Play champion, said on Monday.
Just about “nobody from my section (of the tee time draw) made it (to match play),” he said. “Unfortunately, it was just the luck of the draw. But I’d love another shot at it. I can’t get wait to get back to another (USGA) event.”
Though neither Johnson nor Delich has played the Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach where the Senior Amateur will be held this year, neither is a stranger to the area. Delich is a member of the Southern California Golf Association and this month he won his second senior amateur championship there, the Senior Match Play. He claimed the Senior Amateur stroke play title in 2012.
And Johnson grew up in Los Angeles, owned a restaurant in Newport Beach during the 1970s and spends considerable time in the Palm Springs area during the winter these days.
“I would have people come see me (play at next month’s Senior Amateur), as strange as that might seem for an amateur event,” he said. “I know part of my family would come and (so would) some good friends from that area.”
Strangely enough, the U.S. Senior Amateur will mark Johnson’s second USGA championship ever, and both have come in his 60s. He will turn 65 in October.
“Maybe when I’m away from the golf course and the competition, I might think about that,” he said. “But when I’m on the golf course, it doesn’t even cross my mind.”
Meanwhile, Delich will be going to his ninth USGA championship. In addition to what will be two U.S. Senior Ams, he’s played in one U.S. Senior Open, three U.S. Mid-Amateurs and three USGA State Teams.
“I had a goal of 10 when I started playing competitive golf in my early 40s and maybe we’ll get there one day,” he said. “I don’t know, but I’m getting closer.
“Every one of them is special and unique. This one, because I started playing competitive golf so late … Now that the senior deal is 55 (and older) and I’m kind of a rookie in that age category, I feel like I have a chance to go compete. I can hit the ball far enough to play the golf course and be effective. I’m excited about this one.”
While Delich and Johnson will each be going to his second U.S. Senior Amateur, Hornbeck (left) is headed to his first. And, speaking of firsts, he hadn’t ever played Meridian before teeing it up on Monday.
“They had the pins kind of tucked today, and I wasn’t going to go over the greens since I didn’t know the course,” the 56-year-old Hornbeck said. “I had a lot of 20- and 30-foot putts for birdie where I normally hit it a little closer.”
Despite playing the course blind, Hornbeck was confident, having dominated the Wyoming Mid-Amateur over the weekend in winning the event for the third time.
“I was feeling pretty good about my game,” he said.
U.S. Senior Amateur Qualifying
At Par-72 Meridian GC in Englewood
ADVANCE TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Harry Johnson, Vail, Colo., 38-34–72
David Delich, Colorado Springs, Colo., 37-36–73
John Hornbeck, Saratoga, Wyo., 37-36–73
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction, Colo., 34-39–73
Kent Moore, Cherry Hills Village, Colo., 39-35–74
FAILED TO QUALIFY
Hal Marshall, Denver, Colo., 37-37–74
Craig Gardiner, Greenwood Village, Colo., 37-37–74
Robert F West, Denver, Colo., 37-38–75
Robert Cloud, Denver, Colo., 36-39–75
Robert Polk, Parker, Colo., 39-36–75
David Brown, Lafayette, Colo., 38-38–76
Roger Gunderson, Aurora, Colo., 39-38–77
Kary Kaltenbacher, Englewood, Colo., 38-39–77
Rick George, Greenwood Village, Colo., 40-38–78
Thomas Roos, Centennial, Colo., 40-38–78
Dennis Fields, Golden, Colo., 38-40–78
Brian Harris, Denver, Colo., 44-35–79
John Olive, Colorado Springs, Colo., 37-42–79
Guy Mertz, Longmont, Colo., 40-39–79
Grant Porter, Castle Pines, Colo., 39-40–79
John Leamon, Denver, Colo., 41-39–80
Steve Bell, Denver, Colo., 42-39–81
Jim LeMar, Littleton, Colo., 44-37–81
Pat Bowe, Denver, Colo., 42-39–81
Lonnie Miller, Grand Junction, Colo., 41-40–81
Dave Balling, Cody, Wyo., 43-38–81
Van Lefferdink, Juno Beach, Fla., 40-41–81
Michael Kern, Plano, Texas, 42-39–81
Sean Forey, Morrison, Colo., 41-40–81
Scott Crone, Denver, Colo., 41-41–82
Mark Barkley, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 40-42–82
Robin Bradbury, Superior, Colo., 39-43–82
Thomas McGeary, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 43-40–83
Jim English, Boulder, Colo., 42-41–83
Bruce Hogg, Colorado Springs, Colo., 40-43–83
Greg Mokler, La Quinta, Calif., 39-44–83
John Sostman, Littleton, Colo., 41-43–84
Ted Warner, Greeley, Colo., 45-39–84
Reed Myer, Denver, Colo., 42-42–84
David Merritt, Castle Pines, Colo., 40-44–84
Gary Borgese, Niwot, Colo., 43-42–85
Paul Edwards, Parker, Colo., 46-39–85
Michael Clark, Lafayette, Colo., 47-39–86
Jim Pierce, Oro Valley, Ariz., 46-40–86
Chuck Fisher, Westminster, Colo., 43-43–86
Bob Chandler, Black Hawk, Colo., 44-42–86
Robert Bulthaup, Centennial, Colo., 47-39–86
Geoffrey Solomon, Denver, Colo., 48-39–87
Charlie Post, Castle Rock, Colo., 45-42–87
Mark Runyan, Centennial, Colo., 43-44–87
Kelly Crone, Littleton, Colo., 46-42–88
Frank Wilkinson, Grand Junction, Colo., 47-41–88
Fredrick Steffers, Colorado Springs, Colo., 48-41–89
Danny Wyrick, Arvada, Colo., 46-46–92
Keith Fretwell, Colorado Springs, Colo., 49-47–96
Gary Albrecht, Denver, Colo., WD
David Brown, Highlands Ranch, Colo., WD
John Mitchell, Broomfield, Colo., NS
Tom Lawrence, Denver, Colo., WD
The University of Colorado golfer finished with a chip-in birdie and overcame a two-stroke deficit on the last hole Sunday to win the 31st CGA Western Chapter Championship at The Bridges.
Trujillo, who plays out of the Montrose-based course, holed a 15-foot chip on the final hole while first-round leader Branden Barron of South Suburban Family Sports hit his second shot into the water and took a double bogey. Barron missed a 10-foot bogey putt on No. 18 that would have forced a playoff.
Going into the final hole two down, “I was just thinking, ‘make birdie’,” said Trujillo (pictured above). “I just wanted to give myself a chance. I didn’t expect it to happen the way it happened.
“It was just a surprise and a shock when I came into clubhouse (and ended up winning).”
Trujillo overcame a 17th-hole bogey following an out-of-bounds ball and shot a 1-under-par 70 on Sunday to finish at 3-under 139 at his home course. Barron, a former state high school runner-up, closed with a 73 after making two double bogeys on Sunday, leaving him at 140. He went into the final round two ahead.
Jack Adolfson of the Fox Hill Club, who placed second Friday in the CGA Junior Match Play, finished third on Sunday at 142 after firing a 73.
In the senior championship flight, Scott Sullivan (pictured at left) of Bookcliff Country Club in Grand Junction went wire-to-wire and claimed the title going away.Sullivan, a former U.S. Senior Open contestant and the 2011 CGA Senior Match Play runner-up, shot a 4-under-par 67 Sunday to post a 7-under 135 total, which was good for a nine-stoke victory. Sullivan made five birdies and one bogey on Sunday.
Kelly Crone of Highlands Ranch Golf Club, a former CGA Senior Stroke and Senior Match champion, and Thomas Roos of Spring Valley Golf Club tied for second place at 144. Each runner-up closed with a 72.
As for the open championship, Trujillo was aiming for his first CGA title after finishing third in the Western Chapter last year and second in 2011. And earning the top spot was especially important given that the Western Chapter Championship was being held at his home course, and his parents were in attendance on Sunday.
“I’ve been in the last group on the final day in this event each of the last four years, and it was on my course, so I really wanted to get a win,” Trujillo said. “And the way I won was spectacular.
“I felt like this was my turf, so that made my desire to win even greater, and I was also playing in front of my parents.”
Trujillo initially tied Barron on Sunday after making consecutive birdies on holes 8, 9 and 10. But when Barron birdied 17 and Trujillo made bogey after hitting his tee shot out of bounds right, Barron was two ahead with one hole remaining. However, on 18 things took a big turn.
Barron hit his tee shot right into some long fescue. After Trujillo’s tee shot went into the rough, his approach just missed the green left. Barron’s second shot went into the water, then he hit his fourth to about 10 feet from the cup on the par-4. And when Trujillo chipped in and Barron missed his putt, the victory went to the junior-to-be from CU.
Trujillo, a 2011 U.S. Amateur qualifier, had quite the adventure on holes 17 and 18 both days. On Saturday, he went eagle-double bogey on those holes in the middle of his round, then Sunday it was bogey-birdie.
Though Trujillo is certainly no stranger to The Bridges, he doesn’t believe his home-course edge amounted to much.
“I didn’t think it was that great an advantage,” he said. “The course is right in front of you. If you hit good shots, you’ll be OK. I think it was pretty fair for everyone.”
CGA Western Chapter Championship
At Par-71 The Bridges in Montrose
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
Drew Trujillo, Bridges G & CC 69-70–139
Branden Barron, South Suburban Family Sports 67-73–140
Jack Adolfson, Fox Hill Club 69-73–142
Jim Doidge, Pueblo CC 73-70–143
Michael Jones, Eagle Vail GC 73-72–145
Kyle Fanning, CommonGround GC 75-71–146
Robert Barnhardt, Hillcrest GC 72-74–146
Sean Griswold, Hillcrest GC 70-76–146
Barry Erwin, CommonGround GC 74-73–147
Billy Ramsey, Lone Tree GC 74-73–147
Tristan Rohrbaugh, Ironbridge GC 76-72–148
Lamar Carlile, City Park GC 69-80–149
Mark Zbrzeznj, Eagle Vail GC 74-75–149
Trevor Mckune, Pinehurst CC 71-78–149
Cory Olsen, Murphy Creek GC 74-76–150
Kelby Breidel, Black Canyon GC 71-79–150
Kermitt Barrett, Hillcrest GC 79-71–150
Chris Berg, Tiara Rado GC 72-79–151
Joey Haack, Aspen GC 70-82–152
Jared Bickling, Glenwood Springs GC 76-77–153
Joe Distefano, Telluride GC 78-77–155
Nicolas Karavites, Glenmoor CC 78-77–155
Dillon McDonald, Red Sky GC 80-76–156
Ryan Siggins, Dalton Ranch GC 81-76–157
Tony Komatz, Eagle Ranch GC 73-84–157
Corey M Stanton, Breckenridge GC 78-81–159
Sam Phillips, Flatirons GC 82-79–161
Jim Miller, Haymaker GC 82-80–162
Joey Saad, Bookcliff CC 79-83–162
Taylor Foust, CommonGround GC 79-85–164
Jacob Hebbel, The Links at Cobble Creek 82-83–165
William Berg, Tiara Rado GC 82-83–165
Brian Huston, Silver Spruce GC 86-83–169
Steven Buchanan, River Valley Ranch GC 88-81–169
Paul Bersagel, Eagle Vail GC 86-85–171
Triston Quigley, Rifle Creek GC 89-82–171
Sey Johnson, Tiara Rado GC 81-91–172
Steve W Womacks, Colorado Avidgolfer Passport C 87-88–175
Michael Wommack, Haymaker GC 96-81–177
Shane Unfred, Highland Meadows GC 88-90–178
David Lawien, Tiara Rado GC 87-NC
Jay Wilson, Eagle Ranch GC 81-WD
Jeremy Lederer, Bridges 76-WD
SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
Scott Sullivan, Bookcliff CC 68-67–135
Kelly Crone, Highlands Ranch GC 72-72–144
Thomas Roos, Spring Valley GC 72-72–144
David Delich, Broadmoor GC 70-76–146
Grant Porter, CommonGround GC 70-76–146
Joe Morrill, Eagle Ranch GC 77-70–147
Mr. Harry Johnson, Eagle Ranch GC 70-78–148
Sean Forey, Bear Creek GC 72-76–148
Bruce Hogg, Patty Jewett GC 77-72–149
Scott Patterson, Eagle Ranch GC 73-76–149
John Vanderbloemen, Haymaker GC 78-73–151
Phil Herrera, Lincoln Park GC 72-79–151
Robert Polk, Colorado GC 81-70–151
Chuck Delich, Eisenhower Golf Club 72-80–152
Dave Woodruff, Bridges G & CC 76-76–152
Jim LeMar, Meadows GC 77-76–153
Mark Runyan, Canongate Colorado 74-79–153
Matt Hall, Bookcliff CC 79-74–153
Frank Wilkinson, Lincoln Park GC 77-78–155
Cary Dilzell, The GC at Redlands Mesa 78-78–156
Mike Trujillo, Bridges G & CC 77-80–157
Scott Crone, Pinehurst CC 83-74–157
John Meredith, Pole Creek GC 75-84–159
John Sostmann, Raccoon Creek GC 83-78–161
David Draper, Green Valley Ranch GC 78-85–163
Dennis Truitt, Kennedy GC 84-87–171
SENIOR FIRST FLIGHT
Rick Pirog, Clubs at Cordillera 72-79–151
Stuart Jones, Redlands Mesa GC 84-81–165
Eric Pocius, Salida GC 85-82–167
Jeff Kadereit, Redlands Mesa GC 82-85–167
Mark Adolfson, Fox Hill Club 80-88–168
Ken Bailey, Telluride GC 92-85–177
Stan Cole, Eagle Ranch GC 93-87–180
Jeff Price, Redlands Mesa GC 89-95–184
Larry Phillips, Adobe Creek National GC 92-93–185
Ricky Houtris, Lincoln Park GC 93-92–185
Daniel Earl Boehm, Lincoln Park GC 108-95–203
Wayne L Klassen, Littleton GC 101-NS
Go to CGA Western Chapter Results Archive
Connor Rakowski of Ironbridge Golf Club won his second CGA Western Chapter Championship in the last three years on Sunday at Battlement Mesa Golf Club.
Rakowski shot a 3-under-par 69 in the final round to post a 5-under 139 total, which was good for a three-stroke victory.
Rakowski also won the Western Chapter title in 2010 at The Links at Cobble Creek, where he prevailed by four shots.
On Sunday, Dillon McDonald of Red Sky Golf Club matched Rakowski’s 69 and finished second at 142. (Rakowski, at left, and McDonald are pictured above). Colorado Mesa University golfer Brandon Bingaman (71 Sunday) and the University of Colorado’s Drew Trujillo (70) tied for third place at 143. Last year’s champion, Keith Humerickhouse, shared eighth place at 149.
Meanwhile, Sean Forey of Bear Creek Golf Club claimed victory in the senior championship flight. Forey carded two straight 2-over-par 74s for a 148 total.
Scott Sullivan of Bookcliff Country Club took second place among the seniors as a final-round 76 left him at 151. (Pictured at left are Forey, in white shirt, and Sullivan.)
CGA Western Chapter Championship
At Par-72 Battlement Mesa GC
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
Connor Rakowski – 70-69–139
Dillon McDonald – 73-69–142
Brandon Bingaman – 72-71–143
Drew Trujillo – 73-70–143
AJ Morris – 74-72–146
Mark Zbrzeznj – 77-70–147
Sean Forey – 74-74–148
Keith Humerickhouse – 74-75–149
Lamar Carlile – 78-71–149
Scott Sullivan – 75-76–151
Jim Doidge – 75-77–152
David Delich – 78-75–153
Chris Berg – 73-81–154
Clayton Crawford – 80-74–154
Joey Saad – 74-81–155
William Berg – 78-77–155
Mike Lohse – 74-82–156
Thomas Roos – 82-74–156
Joe Elliott – 74-83–157
Erik Lundberg – 80-78–158
Jakob Rudosky – 86-72–158
John Sostmann – 79-80–159
Doug Jones – 80-80–160
Jim LeMar – 80-81–161
Zach Coe – 81-80–161
Michael Jones – 79-83–162
Davis Kinney – 80-83–163
Spencer Stern – 82-81–163
Bruce Hogg – 82-82–164
Frank Wilkinson – 81-87–168
Shane Unfred – 78-90–168
Casey Knuepfer – 90-81–171
Brady McDonald – 84-90–174
Nick Edwards – 85-90–175
Brian Huston – 86-91–177
OPEN FIRST FLIGHT
Tristan Rohrbaugh – 79-73–152
Taylor Foust – 79-76–155
Jack Elsea – 83-80–163
Gregg Mueller – 85-79–164
Jay Wilson – 77-87–164
Jeff Kadereit – 80-84–164
Robert Laro – 81-83–164
Michael Wommack – 86-80–166
Nick Hoffmeister – 85-83–168
Jay Ketchem – 91-78–169
Rick Ott – 85-85–170
Paul Bersagel – 87-85–172
Bob Fuller – 88-87–175
Ken Seidel – 86-89–175
Danny Schard – 85-91–176
Richard Woolley – 90-87–177
Max Martinez – 89-93–182
Wayne Smith – 89-93–182
Red Woolley – 92-99–191
Bob Armantrout – 103-93–196
Brandon Chicoine – 74-NS–NS
SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
Sean Forey – 74-74–148
Scott Sullivan – 75-76–151
David Delich – 78-75–153
Harry Johnson – 77-77–154
Dennis Lucero – 80-76–156
Thomas Roos – 82-74–156
Todd Novak – 79-77–156
John Sostmann – 79-80–159
Kelly Crone – 80-79–159
Doug Jones – 80-80–160
Jim LeMar – 80-81–161
Bruce Hogg – 82-82–164
Frank Wilkinson – 81-87–168
Bob Chandler – 82-92–174
SENIOR FIRST FLIGHT
John Meredith – 84-73–157
Alan Bateman – 79-80–159
Joe Morrill – 80-79–159
Scott Crone – 81-79–160
Bobby Ortega – 86-75–161
Tom Gentilcore – 82-80–162
Jack Elsea – 83-80–163
Gregg Mueller – 85-79–164
Robert Laro – 81-83–164
Ron Lundberg – 81-85–166
Walt Mathews – 83-84–167
David Vanderhoof – 81-89–170
Bob Prendergast – 86-85–171
Lonnie Miller – 78-93–171
Tom Dameron – 90-82–172
Stan Daily – 89-84–173
Bob Fuller – 88-87–175
Jon Burnett – 83-92–175
Ken Seidel – 86-89–175
Stuart Jones – 88-88–176
Max Martinez – 89-93–182
Jeff Franke – 96-89–185
Red Woolley – 92-99–191
Bob Armantrout – 103-93–196
Scott Fetzer – 90-WD