The former University of Colorado golfer, who won the Colorado Open in 1996, has competed in three Web.com Tour events this year, with a best finish of 33rd in the United Leasing & Finance Championship in April.

Last year at the Colorado Open, Kaye (pictured) finished at 20-under-par 268, three strokes behind champion Neil Johnson of River Falls, Wis.

Also in the field this week at Green Valley Ranch are Steven Fox of Hendersonville, Tenn., who won the 2012 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Country Club south of Denver.

Michael Weaver of Fresno, Calif., who lost to Fox in the title match of the U.S. Am at Cherry Hills, also is competing in the Colorado Open. The two will be paired together for the first two rounds — along with Cherry Hills PGA head professional John Ogden — and will tee off at 1:05 p.m. on No. 1 on Thursday and at 8 a.m. on No. 10 on Friday.

This will mark the second year that the Colorado Open has featured a $250,000 purse, with $100,000 going to the winner — or low professional. In 2015, the purse was $100,000, with the winner receiving $23,000.

This week’s 156-person field will include seven former champions, including Coloradans Zahkai Brown of Arvada (2013), Derek Tolan of Highlands Ranch (2009 and ’12), Ben Portie of Westminster (2011), Scott Petersen of Parker (2000) and Kaye.

Among the other players entered are Nick Karavites of Cherry Hills Village, who won the PNC Father/Son Challenge with stepfather David Duval in December; former CU golfer David Oraee, who just won the Wyoming State Open; father and son Doug and Tristan Rohrbaugh; 2016 CGA Player of the Year Kyler Dunkle; 2016 Colorado PGA Professional champion Geoff Keffer; Nick Mason of Denver, who’s competed in five PGA Tour events since 2010; and 2017 CoBank Colorado Senior Open champion Jeff Gallagher.

3 Coloradans Qualify for Open Monday at Legacy Ridge; Medalists Shoot 62: The fourth and final qualifier for the CoBank Colorado Open was held on Monday at Legacy Ridge Golf Course in Westminster, and among the 15 players who earned spots in the field at GVR were three Colorado amateurs.

Dylan Wonnacott of Longmont shot a 7-under-par 64 to advance, while Cole Nygren of Longmont and Neil Tillman of Arvada each posted a 68.

Bryan Fox of Roswell, Ga., and Eric Kline of Ponca City, Okla., each fired a sizzling bogey-free 9-under-par 62 to share medalist honors on Monday.

For all the qualifying scores from Legacy Ridge on Monday, CLICK HERE.

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Here are the essentials regarding the 2017 CoBank Colorado Open:

What — 53rd CoBank Colorado Open.

Where — Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver (4900 Himalaya Road).

When — Thursday through Sunday (July 20-23).

Live Scoring — CLICK HERE. 

Admission — Free.

Field — 156 players, with a cut to the low 60 and ties after 36 holes.

Purse — $250,000, with $100,000 going to the champion (or top professional). The purse has more than doubled from 2015, with first place more than quadrupling, from $23,000 two years ago.

PGA Tour Winner Entered — Former University of Colorado golfer Jonathan Kaye (2 victories).

Former Champions in Field — Neil Johnson of River Falls, Wis. (2016), Ian Davis of Edmond, Okla. (2014), Zahkai Brown of Arvada (2013), Derek Tolan of Highlands Ranch (2009 and ’12), Ben Portie of Westminster (2011), Scott Petersen of Parker (2000), Jonathan Kaye of Boulder (1996).

Thursday Tee Times — CLICK HERE.  “¨

“¨For More Information — Visit the CoBank Colorado Open website (CLICK HERE). 

Editor’s Note: With the CGA celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding in 1915, this is the 10th monthly installment of a series of stories looking back on the last century of golf in Colorado. All the articles are being published on coloradogolf.org. This chapter focuses on the period from 2005-present. For the previous installments, CLICK HERE

When it comes to big-time golf tournaments being held in Colorado, the last decade has certainly had its ups and downs.

And many of the “ups” may have largely been the result of the biggest “down”.

The dominoes began to fall early in 2007. That was when Jack Vickers, founder of The International and of Castle Pines Golf Club, and PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem announced at a Denver-based press conference that The International’s run in Colorado was ending after 21 consecutive years on the PGA Tour.

Though there were many contributing reasons, the lack of a title sponsor in the final years of the event played a major role. The tournament hadn’t had a title or presenting sponsor after 2002. Tiger Woods seldom playing in the event — he competed in 1998 and ’99 only — was another factor, as were problems with the tournament’s dates.

But whatever the case, there was a sense of mourning on the Colorado sports scene. The International had produced champions such as Phil Mickelson (twice), Davis Love III (twice), Greg Norman, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh. Among the many other giants of the game to have played at Castle Pines were Jack Nicklaus (designer of Castle Pines GC), Woods and Arnold Palmer.

And the event produced some incredible golf, including in 2002, when one of the most amazing finishes in Colorado golf history occurred. Ten points out of the lead with five holes left, Steve Lowery went birdie-eagle-bogey-double eagle in a four-hole stretch, twice holing out from the fairway during that run. Only an eagle at the 17th hole by Rich Beem and Lowery’s missed birdie putt on 18 kept Lowery from carting off the trophy.

With the International’s exit, for the first calendar year since 1971, Colorado was left without a PGA, LPGA or Champions Tour event in 2007.

But as it turned out, the void was largely filled, and the last decade has been full of top-level spectator events.

— Before 2005, the U.S. Women’s Open had been held in Colorado just once — at 1995 at The Broadmoor, with Annika Sorenstam winning. But twice in the seven-year period from 2005 through 2001, the Centennial State would host the top tournament in women’s golf.

Birdie Kim won the 2005 championship in spectatcular fashion at Cherry Hills Country Club, holing out for — what else, given her name — birdie from a deep greenside bunker on the 72nd hole.

Six years later, at The Broadmoor’s East Course, another South Korean, So Yeon Ryu (left, in orange), prevailed, winning in the first three-hole aggregate playoff in the tournament’s history. Like Sorenstam at The Broadmoor and Kim at Cherry Hills, Ryu made the U.S. Women’s Open her first LPGA Tour victory.

Both the 2005 and ’11 Women’s Opens in Colorado drew more than 130,000 spectators for the week.

–The Broadmoor attracted a similar number for the 2008 U.S. Senior Open, won by Eduardo Romero of Argentina. That tournament is remembered for the black bear that ran across a fairway in which Bernhard Langer was playing. And then there was the presence of then-celebrity couple Greg Norman and Chris Evert …

— Colorado would go on to host two Champions Tour majors in three years as the 2010 Senior PGA Championship came to Colorado Golf Club, with Tom Lehman claiming the title.

— In 2012, the U.S. Amateur came to Cherry Hills for the second time — Phil Mickelson’s win in 1990 being the first — with CommonGround Golf Course serving as the second stroke-play venue. Steven Fox won the championship this time in one of Jordan Spieth’s final amateur events.

— In 2013, the Solheim Cup — the female version of the Ryder Cup — came to the western U.S. for the first time, with Colorado Golf Club being the host. The Europeans (left) won the Cup on U.S. soil for the first time. The 18-10 score marked the largest final margin in the history of the event.

— And then in 2014, the PGA Tour returned to Colorado for the first time since 2006, with Cherry Hills hosting the BMW Championship, the penultimate event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Billy Horschel won the tournament en route to claiming the 2014 FedEx Cup title.

The 2014 BMW Championship (pictured at top, with Rory McIlroy competing at Cherry Hills) was later named the PGA Tour’s Tournament of the Year for the third straight season. With University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum George Solich serving as general chairman, the event raised a record $3.5 million for the Evans Scholars.

— And, looking ahead, another major spectator event is on tap for the state as the 2018 U.S. Senior Open will be contested at The Broadmoor the same year as the resort turns 100 years old.

Here are some of the other Colorado golf highlights of the period from 2005 to present:

— Two distinguished Colorado PGA golf professionals, Warren Smith and Charles “Vic” Kline, were both inducted into the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame in 2005.

— In 2005, the CGA and CWGA officially purchased the former Lowry golf course, the site of the present-day CommonGround Golf Course.

— Rick DeWitt became the oldest (at age 50) winner of the CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year Award, in 2006.

— In 2006, the Walking Stick course in Pueblo hosted the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship, with Tiffany Joh defeating Kimberly Kim in the final.

— In 2007, former University of Colorado athlete Hale Irwin won his record 45th Champions Tour event — 16 more than the No. 2 player on the list, Lee Trevino.

— In 2008, Murphy Creek Golf Course in Aurora was the site of the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, with Jack Newman earning the title. Among the other competitors were Rickie Fowler and Billy Horschel.

— The Tom Doak-designed CommonGround Golf Course, originally owned and operated by both the CGA and CWGA, opened in 2009, marking the last new 18-hole course to come on the scene in Colorado. A nine-hole Kids Course also opened, thanks in significant part to a $175,000 grant from the USGA. The Kids Course is largely used for junior golf development and community outreach. 

— In 2009 Steve Ziegler became the first player since Brandt Jobe in 1985 to sweep the CGA Match Play and Stroke Play titles in the same year.

— Coloradans John Elway and Tom Hart won the 2009 Trans-Miss Four-Ball title at Cherry Hills Country Club.

— Denver Country Club hosted the 2010 Trans-Miss Championship, won by Scott Pinckney, and the senior Trans Miss, won by Chip Lutz.

— After decades as a U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying site, Columbine Country Club lost that status after 2010.

— Wyndham Clark won the 2010 CGA Stroke Play at age 16, becoming the youngest winner of the event since Bob Byman in 1971. In the final round of the championship, Jim Knous shot a course-record 10-under-par 60 at Boulder Country Club to force a playoff, but Clark prevailed for the title.

— From 2010-13, Keith Humerickhouse claimed four consecutive CGA Mid-Amateur titles, becoming just the third person to win four straight CGA championships.

— In 2011, the Allied Golf Associations of Colorado became partners in the Colorado PGA Golf in Schools initiative, designed to introduce kids to golf through P.E. classes at school. The program has now reached more than 40,000 students.

— Green Gables Country Club, a storied course that dated back to the 1920s, closed in 2011. The course hosted six LPGA Tour events and one from the Senior PGA Tour.

— The CGA hosted the Junior America’s Cup at Hiwan Golf Club in 2011, when the Colorado team finished third, its best showing ever at the event (since matched in 2015).

— The CGA launched the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy at CommonGround Golf Course in 2012. The Academy, named for University of Colorado Evans Scholar alums George and Geoff Solich, provides incentives to take caddies as it pays the base fee for the caddies, with the players having the option to tip. The caddies attend weekly leadership classes and do volunteer community-service work each summer. In Colorado, the Academy concept has spread to Fort Collins Country Club and Meridian Golf Club.

— Part-time Lakewood resident Hollis Stacy, winner of three U.S. Women’s Opens and six USGA championships in all, was inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame in 2012.

— The philanthropic Colorado Golf Foundation was launched in 2012, with CU Evans Scholar alum George Solich providing a $2 million lead gift. The foundation provides funding for Colorado-based organizations and programs that use golf to build important life skills and character, with an emphasis on instilling hard work and self-reliance in young people.

— In 2012, Coloradan Christie Austin, while serving on the USGA Executive Committee, became the first woman to chair the USGA Rules of Golf Committee.

— Coloradan Derek Tolan, who competed in the U.S. Open as a 16-year-old in 2002, won the HealthOne Colorado Open twice in a four-year period starting in 2009.

— In September 2013, about 14 inches of rain in less than a week caused devastating flooding (left), leading to major damage at many Colorado golf courses, including CommonGround GC and Coal Creek GC.

— Colorado resident Mark Wiebe won the Senior British Open in 2013, marking the first major championship of his career.

— Melissa Martin of Grand Junction became the seventh player to win the CWGA Stroke Play at least three times, doing so in the course of five years (2009-13).

— In 2014, the Colorado Open was played for the 50th time.

— Also in 2014, Kent Moore completed a sweep of major CGA championships — and has won at least one in five different decades. His resume includes victories in the Junior Match Play (1973), Stroke Play (1986), Match Play (1989), Mid-Amateur (1995), Senior Match (2006) and Senior Stroke (2014).

— In December 2014, the Evans Scholarship for caddies surpassed the 10,000 mark in graduates, including 434 from CU.

— Paige Spiranac won the 100th CWGA Match Play Championship in 2015 in a stellar final in which she was 9 under par for 35 holes against University of Colorado golfer Brittany Fan. And Jennifer Kupcho put on an exhibition at the CWGA Stroke Play, winning by an amazing 21 shots in posting a 16-under-par total.

— For the eighth time in a nine-year period (2007-15), members of the Colorado PGA, or the Section itself, won a national PGA of America Award. The honorees during that stretch were Danny Harvanek and Ann Finke (Junior Golf Leaders); George Kahrhoff, Dale Smigelsky and Jim Hajek (Merchandisers of the Year); Clayton Cole (Bill Strausbaugh Award), Kyle Heyen (President’s Plaque Award), and the Colorado PGA Section as a whole (Herb Graffis Award).

— Doug Rohrbaugh won three straight Colorado PGA Professional Championships from 2013-15, tying a record previously established, then matched, by Ron Vlosich and Ken Krieger, respectively. Rohrbaugh also captured the 2013 HealthOne Colorado Senior Open title.

— The CGA and Colorado PGA announced they’re joining forces to bolster junior golf in the state. A Junior Tour, which will include four junior major championships, is scheduled to debut in 2016. 

— The CGA is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2015, culminating with a Century of Golf Gala in mid-November at The Broadmoor. Jack Nicklaus, who won his first and last USGA championships in Colorado (the 1959 U.S. Amateur and the 1993 U.S. Senior Open), is a guest of honor. Also among those who will be recognized are six People of the Century: Judy Bell (Woman of the Century), Hale Irwin (Male Player of the Century), Charles “Vic” Kline (Golf Professional of the Century), Dennis Lyon (Superintendent of the Century, Barbara McIntire (Female Player of the Century) and Will Nicholson Jr. (Man of the Century).

When the Denver native, a two-time winner of the HealthOne Colorado Open, was in the process of moving out of his house last month, he made a discovery that may change his career.

The day before leaving for the second stage of Web.com Tour qualifying, Tolan found a C-Groove putter that he had used during his senior season at the University of Colorado and in his first year as a playing professional.

Talk about opportune timing.

“I hadn’t been happy with my putting,” Tolan recounted in a phone interview last week. “I never felt great going into a round.”

That being the case, Tolan took his newfound putter with him to Kingwood, Texas, and wasted no time placing it into competition.

The discovery and decision paid immediate dividends. Even though Tolan didn’t hit the ball very well in the second stage of Q-school, his putting carried him as he earned a spot in the final qualifying stage for the first time in five tries. The result is that the Highlands Ranch resident will have a Web.com card in 2014 for the first time in his career.

“That feels good, but it’s not the end goal,” the 28-year-old noted, leaving unsaid that he’s eyeing the PGA Tour. “It’s nice to control my own destiny, though.”

Tolan will be one of 152 golfers competing in the final stage of Q-school at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif., Thursday through next Tuesday (Dec. 12-17). Also in the field are Mark Hubbard, who grew up in Denver, and Sam Saunders of Fort Collins, Arnold Palmer’s grandson. Hubbard earned a Web.com Tour card thanks to finishing in the top five on the PGA Tour Canada 2013 money list, but he’s hoping to improve his status by playing in the final stage of Q-school.

Likewise competing in La Quinta are Steven Fox, who won the 2012 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Country Club, and Scott Pinckney, who claimed the 2010 Trans-Mississippi Championship at Denver Country Club.

Much depends on how players perform at the Q-school finals. The top 45 finishers and ties after 108 holes will have much better status — and thus more tournament starts — than the rest of the field, which will receive conditional Web.com Tour status in 2014.

But in many respects, the biggest hurdle has already been overcome. Had Tolan not gotten through second stage — as was the case in 2011 (by one shot) and 2012 — he would have been without status on any of the major U.S.-based tours.

That’s why Tolan’s putting performance last month in Texas was so crucial. He finished the 72-hole event with 18 birdies, leading to an eighth-place finish in the 79-man field.

“I hung in there real well,” he said. “I did it while missing almost every fairway. I was kind of lucky, but I took advantage of (good putting).

“It’s not only my opinion but (those of) other guys I’ve talked to: The second stage is the toughest pressure you’ll ever have to face. There’s limitless benefit if you play well, but if you don’t play well, you get nothing. Nothing versus limitless. Getting your foot in the door is huge. I gained monumental confidence there.”

Up this this point — 4 1/2 years into his professional career — Tolan has competed in three PGA Tour events and six Web.com tournaments. The most notable of the bunch was the 2002 U.S. Open, when he was 16 years old. His best showings are 32nd on the PGA Tour (2012 Puerto Rico Open) and 15th on the Web.com Tour (2011 Stadion Classic at UGA).

“It’s so crucial to play well (in La Quinta),” he said. “If you do, you can set your schedule (for 2014). Just because you’ve gotten to finals, you can’t hang your hat on that. You’ve got to continue to play well.”

The one disappointing aspect of Tolan’s performance at Q-school is that it came in the first year in which there are no longer PGA Tour spots available through the process. Now the ultimate prize that can be reached through Q-school is full status on the Web.com Tour.

“That’s one of those deals where it could be frustrating, but I did have four (previous) years to get that done (earn PGA Tour status through Q-school),” Tolan said. “The only person to blame is myself. The new system caters to the more consistent golfer, so while in the short term it may not be as good (for me), in the longer term it’s best.”

Whatever the case, Tolan feels he’s much more prepared to compete on the Web.com — or PGA — Tour than he was very early in his professional career.

“I definitely do,” said the winner of the 2009 and 2012 Colorado Opens. “I keep getting better and better.

“I expect to do well (in La Quinta). My game feels good and I feel comfortable. I enjoy playing on bigger stages, so I’m excited for it.”
 

It includes Opening Day in baseball and the Final Four in college basketball.

And golf also fits nicely into the theme, with the first major championships of the men’s and women’s season on tap.

Next week’s Masters and this week’s Kraft Nabisco Championship always draw plenty of attention and generate lots of excitement. But if you’re looking for competitors with strong Colorado connections, the pickings are slim this year.

None of the “local” players who currently hold LPGA Tour cards — former University of Denver golfers Stephanie Sherlock and Sue Kim, and two-time Colorado state high school champion Kelly Jacques — are in the field for the Kraft Nabisco.

And, barring a victory by a local at this week’s Valero Texas Open, the only golfer with major Colorado ties at next week’s Masters will be Evergreen resident Craig Stadler, who earned an annual invitation by winning the 1982 title at Augusta National (pictured).

Stadler, who will turn 60 on June 2, will be making his 37th Masters appearance this year. He played in his first one in 1974 after earning a spot by winning the 1973 U.S. Amateur. He’s competed in every Masters since 1979, making the cut a total of 21 times. The 13-time PGA Tour winner last qualified for the final two rounds at Augusta in 2007, when he finished 49th. Last year, he struggled in posting scores of 81-82 while battling a bulging disc in his back.

Stadler greatly enjoys his annual rite of spring in returning to Augusta, Ga.

“I love coming back here,” he told the U-T San Diego newspaper last year. “I come back a couple of times a year. It never gets old. I’ve probably played here 150 times, and each time I turn in that gate, it is still pretty cool — mystical almost.”

Thirty-one years ago, Stadler overcame 40s on his first and last nine holes of the week to earn his Masters green jacket. “I played pretty good in the middle,” he said of his scores of 75-69-67-73.

After losing the four-stroke lead he held after 11 holes in the final round, Stadler clinched the title by beating Dan Pohl in a one-hole playoff for his only major championship title.

While current and former Coloradans will be in short supply at this year’s Masters and the Kraft Nabisco, the fields for both of those majors will include golfers who have won significant tournaments in the Centennial State. And with the Solheim Cup coming to Colorado in August, the Kraft Nabisco should be of particular interest as U.S. players will earn double the normal number of Solheim Cup points during this week’s tournament.

Here’s a rundown of Masters or Kraft Nabisco participants who have won in Colorado:

— Paige Mackenzie (Kraft Nabisco) is the only amateur ever to win the HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open (2006).

— South Korean So Yeon Ryu (Kraft Nabisco) claimed the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open title at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.

— Phil Mickelson (Masters) won the International at Castle Pines in 1993 and ’97, the U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills in 1990, and the CU Fox Acres Invitational in Red Feather Lakes.

— Ernie Els (Masters) earned the 2000 title at the International.

— Stewart Cink (Masters) prevailed in the 1996 Nike Colorado Classic at Riverdale Dunes in Brighton.

— Jose Maria Olazabal (Masters) won the International in 1991.

— Steven Fox (Masters) claimed the title at last year’s U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills.

— Vijay Singh (Masters) was victorious at the 1998 International.

— David Toms (Masters) followed that up by winning the 1999 International title at Castle Pines.

Very seldom during Sunday’s nine-hour-long U.S. Amateur final at Cherry Hills Country Club did Steven Fox seem much of a threat to win the national title.

The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga golfer was 8 over par through 27 holes of the final, and even though he heated up after that, he was still 2 down with two holes left to play.

Yet there he was late Sunday afternoon raising the Havemeyer Trophy and hugging his dad, caddie, coaches … just about anyone who wanted to celebrate with him.

And University of California golfer Michael Weaver was left wondering what hit him.

“The whole match is the definition of being ‘Foxed,'” the term’s namesake said after his 37-hole title-match victory over Weaver on Sunday. “Definitely 2 down with two to go, then winning the first playoff hole by making a 20-footer there, that’s the definition of being ‘Foxed.'” (Fox is pictured above with his dad Alan during Sunday’s awards ceremony.)

And maybe the whole 312-man field for the 112th U.S. Amateur was “Foxed”. Even going back to the 36-hole U.S. Amateur qualifying, Fox shot 73-64 to finish one shot ahead of a competitor who failed to make the national field.

Then at the Amateur itself, Fox needed a four-hole playoff to earn the second-to-the-last spot in match play. Then as the 63rd seed — the highest to win the U.S. Amateur since the USGA began the seeding process in 1985 — he knocked off the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world and five other opponents to reach the promised land. And on Sunday, he was 3 down after 22 holes and 2 down after 34.

With apologies to George Clooney, this was the real Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Let’s face it: Winning the U.S. Amateur is quite an accomplishment for a guy who a year ago would probably consider the 2011 Tennessee Golf Association Match Play title his biggest feat in golf.

“This is unreal,” the 21-year-old from Hendersonville, Tenn., said. “I mean, it doesn’t even feel real. The whole week is like a dream to me.”

And the end of Sunday’s match seemed particularly dreamlike. Through 27 holes, Fox had made a double bogey, eight bogeys and two birdies (one of which was a conceded 10-footer after Weaver made the mess of a hole). But Fox was still only 2 down because Weaver wasn’t playing great himself (roughly 4 over through 27).

But Fox came to life down the stretch, making five birdies in the last 10 holes.

Still, when Weaver sank a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 16 in the afternoon, you couldn’t blame him for feeling the Havemeyer Trophy was almost in his grasp.

“Just to see (the title) slip through my fingers, it sucks,” he said. “I know I had a great week and all that, but I’m not really thinking about that now. I know I led from the seventh hole and I lost on the 37th. I never trailed between then.”

Even Fox said that after Weaver’s birdie on 16, “I thought it was over. I definitely thought it was his day. Then it kind of switched.”

This Chattanooga Choo-Choo apparently couldn’t be stopped, no matter how bleak things looked.

“I’ll never be one to give up,” he said. “Things can click at any moment. You can find your swing or stroke wherever throughout a round.”

After Fox drained 12-foot birdie to win No. 17, Weaver had a 4 1/2-foot uphill par putt on 18 to win the title, but it horseshoed out, leaving him in disbelief (pictured at left).

“I hit a good putt, hit my line, and for it to lip out like that, I would rather it just not even have hit the hole. I mean, I would have rather just hit a bad putt. But to have that happen, I don’t know what to say.”

Even Fox thought the match was over.

“It was like dead center from my angle, and when I saw it bounce out, I kind of gasped a little bit,” he said. “I think I put my hand over my mouth. I was shocked. And quickly I had to gather myself to go to the playoff.”

On the extra hole, Weaver pulled his drive near the second tee, and while keeping his ball under tree limbs, he left his pitch short of the green. His chip then came up 18 feet short of the cup.

Fox hit a 6-iron off the tee and wedged to 20 feet past the flag. With Weaver already lying three, Fox trickled his downhill putt into the cup for a birdie and the victory, setting off a frenzy of celebration.

Among the people who hugged Fox were his dad, who caddied for him in the first 18 on Sunday; Chattanooga assistant coach Ben Rickett, who caddied for him the final 19; and Chattanooga head coach Mark Guhne. Rickett was especially happy to be along for the ride Sunday afternoon.

“I’ve never seen someone so clutch down the stretch.” Rickett said of Fox. (At left, Rickett celebrates Fox’s birdie on No. 17.)

Asked why he changed caddies after the morning round — he was 2 down after 18 — Steven Fox said, “I made a few mistakes and would just fire and not pick a target. And with Ben as my caddie, we did talk about every shot. Ben was perfect for the job.”

Fox had quite a large — and vocal — rooting section on Sunday, especially down the stretch.

“This is by far the coolest thing I’ve done,” he said. “Seeing them cheering, it was unreal. And we just kind of kept calm. For some reason, I wasn’t nervous at all. I don’t know why.”

Besides being U.S. Amateur champion, Fox receives some prestigious exemptions in 2013 — for the U.S. Open, British Open and probably the Masters, all provided he remains an amateur.

“I’ve tried picturing myself on the first tee at Augusta, and it doesn’t seem real,” Fox said.

Weaver, as the runner-up, also earns a berth to the U.S. Open and likely the Masters, also only if he’s still an amateur.

Sunday marked the first time the U.S. Amateur final has gone extra holes since 2003.

Finalists Bronco Buddies on Saturday Night: The night before they squared off for the U.S. Amateur title, Fox and Weaver attended the Denver Broncos-Seattle Seahawks game together at Sports Authority Field in Denver.

“We went to the Denver Broncos game last night and had a great time,” Fox reported.

Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway, a member at Cherry Hills, was on hand several times during the U.S. Amateur, and he spoke at the players’ dinner on the eve of the championship.

Attendance Report: USGA officials were very pleased with the attendance at the U.S. Amateur, saying the crowds were among the largest of any of the recent Amateurs.

On Sunday, the association reported that about 4,500 people watched the title match. That was roughly the same number that was on hand for Saturday’s semifinals.

Beyond that, the entire week was nearly ideal from the USGA’s perspective.

“It was wonderful,” USGA executive director Mike Davis said. “Every time we come to Cherry Hills, something magical just happens. Whether it’s the 1960 U.S. Open — which is one of the great U.S. Opens we’ve ever had … And this is where (Phil) Mickelson kind of made his name (at the 1990 U.S. Amateur). And you think about Jack Nicklaus winning here at the (1993) U.S. Senior Open. And we had a great Women’s Open (in 2005).

“The club couldn’t have done a better job. CommonGround couldn’t have been a better companion course for stroke play. The weather couldn’t have been better. And the golf course (at Cherry Hills) was a true championship test.”

For U.S. Am results, CLICK HERE.

It is, by several measures, an improbable final four.

Two University of California teammates earned semifinal berths in the U.S. Amateur on Friday, and so did two players who had to survive a playoff just to make match play.

In addition, four Americans advanced to the U.S. Am final four for the first time since 2004.

But one player who didn’t make the semis was the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, University of Washington golfer Chris Williams, who never trailed during his first three matches but never led in Friday’s quarterfinals at Cherry Hills Country Club.

Suffice it to say he was out-Foxed. University of Tennessee-Chattanooga golfer Steven Fox never gave the Idaho resident an opening in a 4 and 2 drubbing.

“This is by far the best thing I’ve done in my career,” said Fox, who didn’t lose a hole to Williams until making his only bogey, on No. 15. That’s not bad considering Williams had won his three previous matches 3 and 2, 5 and 3, and 3 and 2.

Joining Fox in Saturday’s semifinals will be Cal teammates Brandon Hagy and Michael Weaver, and college player of the year Justin Thomas from the University of Alabama.

Thomas, the No. 5-ranked amateur in the world, went to the 18th hole for the second straight match, defeating 18-year-old Australian Oliver Goss 2 up in the first quarterfinal. The the two Cal players won by 4 and 3 margins, Weaver over Ricardo Gouveia and Hagy over Cheng-Tsung Pan of Chinese Taipei.

The result is an all-American semifinals, which last happened in the U.S. Amateur eight years ago. Thomas will face Weaver at 8 a.m. on Saturday, while Fox will meet Hagy at 8:15.

Fox, seeded 63rd after barely making match play, is No. 127 in the world amateur rankings. He advanced to the round of 16 at this year’s U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship and won the 2011 Tennessee Match Play title, and on Friday he was solid as a rock in beating Williams.

In 16 holes, Fox made three birdies and one bogey on a formidable Cherry Hills set-up. From holes 9 through 13, Fox went 4-for-4 in getting up and down from off the green.

“He played great,” Williams (pictured at left) said of Fox. “He didn’t make any bogeys (until 15). I didn’t win a hole until the 15th, so it’s hard to win a match when you do that. He didn’t make any mistakes and when he did he got up and down. He beat me. I didn’t play terrible (roughly even par); he just played great.

“Quarterfinals at the U.S. Amateur isn’t bad. Obviously you want to go all the way, but only one guy can win.”

Fox knew he had to perform very well to beat Williams, but he wasn’t intimidated by his No. 1 ranking.

“I give him a lot of respect,” the bearded Tennessean said. “I knew I had to bring out my ‘A’ game, and luckily I did. … I was nervous the first couple of matches, but for some reason this match I kind of felt at home. I was finally playing with the galleries and enjoyed myself out there and really just had fun.”

With Williams out, Thomas is the top remaining player in the world amateur rankings. On Friday, he prevailed over Goss despite putting two balls in the water and making a triple-bogey 8 on the 17th hole.

Goss won that hole with a bogey to cut his deficit to 1 down, but he three-putted No. 18 to assure Thomas of the win.

Thomas has rallied to win despite being 2 down in each of his last three matches.

“It’s good to know that I’ve done it before,” Thomas said of the comebacks. “But at the same time it would be a lot nicer if I wasn’t 2 down. Then I wouldn’t have to deal with that. Hopefully I can get off to a little better starts and I won’t have to worry about that.”

As for the two Cal players, they’re both hoping to set up an all-Bear final by winning on Saturday. Weaver, like Fox, had to survive a playoff to get to match play, and he was seeded 60th in the match play bracket.

Two Cal players in the final “would be very special,” said Hagy, a long-hitter who drove a ball pin-high Friday on the 411-yard seventh hole. “We’re definitely pulling for each other.”

Three of the semifinalists are 21-year-olds: Fox, Hagy and Weaver, while Thomas is 19. The U.S. Amateur is the first USGA championship for Hagy.

For match play results and pairings, CLICK HERE.

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U.S. Amateur: All the Essentials

What: The 112th U.S. Amateur, the oldest USGA championship.

When: Aug. 13-19. Semifinal matches on Saturday begin at 8 a.m.

Where: Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village (7,409 yards, par-71). Cherry Hills is hosting its ninth USGA championship (3 U.S. Opens, 1 U.S. Women’s Open, 2 U.S. Amateurs, 1 U.S. Senior Open, 1 USGA Senior Amateur, 1 U.S. Mid-Amateur).

Format: 36 holes of stroke play Aug. 13 and 14, with each golfer playing 18 holes each at Cherry Hills and CommonGround. The top 64 players will advance to match play, which will be held exclusively at Cherry Hills. The first round of matches is Aug. 15, the second and third rounds are Aug. 16, the quarterfinals Aug. 17, the semifinals Aug. 18 and the 36-hole final is Aug. 19.

Starting Field: 312 players. (6,403 golfers originally sent in entries.)

Winner Receives Exemptions In: 2013 Masters, U.S. Open and British Open, along with the next 10 U.S. Amateurs, providing he remains an amateur.

Tickets: Available at King Soopers stores and at TicketsWest.com. A daily ticket is $17.50. Kids 17 and under are admitted free when accompanied by a ticketed adult.

Television: Aug. 17 6:30-8:30 p.m., Golf Channel; Aug. 18 2-4 p.m., NBC; Aug. 19 2-4 p.m., NBC.