Colorado has been sending teams to the Junior America’s Cup since 1975, and two of the state’s best six performances in the event have come in the last three years, with Davis Bryant of Aurora and Jackson Solem of Longmont playing on both of those teams.

On Thursday in Dupont, Wash., Bryant and Solem led the squad from the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado to a fourth-place showing in the tournament that features 18 teams from the western U.S., Canada and Mexico. Two years ago, the Coloradans were third, which matched the 2011 team for best finish by the Coloradans. This year’s fourth-place performance was the same as the golfers from the Centennial State posted in 1984, ’85 and 2012.

With the top three individual scores each day counting toward the team total, Colorado shot a 4-over-par 220 in Thursday’s final round at The Home Course. That left the Coloradans with a three-day total of 5-over 653, behind only champion British Columbia (645), runner-up Southern California (648) and third-place Utah (650).

It marked the fifth top-six finish at the JAC in the last seven years for Colorado.

Individually, Davis (left), winner of the first two JGAC majors of 2017, tied for ninth place in the 72-player field. He was even par for the tournament through 50 holes, but the future Colorado State University golfer bogeyed two of the last four for a 2-over-par 74 and a 2-over 218 total.

Solem, a former 4A state high school champion who has signed to play for the University of Denver, tied for 11th place after shooting the low round for any of the Coloradans at the JAC, a 1-under-par 71 on Thursday. After playing the last seven holes in 2 under, he carded a 3-over 219 total.

Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins also placed in the top 15, at 13th, despite going 2 par in his last six holes. He shot a 3-over 75 on Thursday, leaving him at 220.

Cal McCoy of Highlands Ranch rounded out the Colorado team, finishing 31st at 225 after closing with a 78.

Nolan Thoroughgood of British Columbia claimed the individual title on Thursday. He carded an 8-under-par 208 total after rounds of 71-67-70.

(The Colorado representatives are pictured, from left: Ashley Barnhart, Bryant, McCoy, captain Dustin Jensen, Solem, Stewart and Holly Champion. Jensen has served as a captain for all three of the Colorado teams that have placed in the top four since 2011.)

4. Colorado 216-217-220–653
9. Davis Bryant, Aurora 72-72-74–218
11. Jackson Solem, Longmont 76-72-71–219
13. Dillon Stewart, Fort Collins 72-73-75–220
31. Cal McCoy, Highlands Ranch 72-75-78–225

For all the scores from the Junior America’s Cup, CLICK HERE.
 

Through Wednesday’s second round of the 54-hole event at The Home Course, the Coloradans share fourth place out of the 18 teams from the western U.S., Canada and Mexico. With the best three scores each day counting toward the team total, Colorado carded a 1-over-par 217 total in round 2, leaving the squad at 1-over 433 overall. 

British Columbia leads at 427, while Southern California and Utah are tied for second at 429.

On Wednesday, Colorado counted the even-par 72s by U.S. Junior Amateur match play qualifiers Davis Bryant (pictured) of Aurora and Jackson Solem of Longmont, and the 73 by Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins. Each of the three made four birdies in round 2. Rounding out the foursome, Cal McCoy of Highlands Ranch carded a 75.

The Colorado contingent has recorded four top-six finishes at the JAC in the last six years, including matching the state’s best showing by placing third in 2015, when Bryant and Solem first competed.

Bryant, winner of the first two JGAC majors of 2017, is leading the way individually for the Coloradans as he shares seventh place in the 72-person field. He’s at even-par 144.

Stewart, who finished 52nd earlier this month at the IMG Academy Junior World Championships, is also in the top 10, at 145.

McCoy (147) shares 21st place, and Solem (148) is 25th.

Nolan Thoroughgood of British Columbia leads individually at 138 after rounds of 71-67.

The tournament will conclude on Thursday.

T4. Colorado 216-217–433
T7. Davis Bryant, Aurora 72-72–144
T10. Dillon Stewart, Fort Collins 72-73–145
T21. Cal McCoy, Highlands Ranch 72-75–147
T25. Jackson Solem, Longmont 76-72–148

For all the scores from the Junior America’s Cup, CLICK HERE.
 

Davis Bryant of Aurora, who advanced to the round of 64 at last week’s U.S. Junior Amateur, was joined at 72 by Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins and Cal McCoy of Highlands Ranch, who birdied three of his last four holes. The fourth Coloradan, Jackson Solem of Longmont, who made it to the U.S. Junior Am round of 32, rounded out the scoring with a 4-over-par 76. (The Coloradans are pictured, from left: Solem, McCoy, Bryant and Stewart.)

With the top three scores from each four-person team counting toward the team total each day, Colorado stands at even-par 216 with two rounds remaining. That puts the Coloradans three strokes behind leader Utah, one shot back of second-place British Columbia and tied for third with Southern California.

The Junior America’s Cup features 18 teams and many of the best junior players from the western U.S., Canada and Mexico. The Colorado team has been very competitive at the event in recent years, having posted four top-six finishes in the last six years. The 2015 squad, featuring Bryant and Solem for the first of three consecutive appearances, finished third, matching the best showing ever by a Colorado team in the event.

Individually this year, McCoy, Bryant and Stewart share 12th place in the 72-player field, while Solem is 42nd. Bryant, winner of the first two JGAC majors of the 2017 season, and Stewart each made two birdies and two bogeys on the day. McCoy was 3 over through 14 holes, but birdied his 15th, 16th and 18th holes. Davis and Stewart, meanwhile, each played his back nine in 1-under 35. Solem, a former 4A state high school champion, carded one birdie, one bogey and two double bogeys on Tuesday.

Austin Carnese of Oregon and Ty Griggs of Northern California are tied for the individual lead at 4-under-par 68.

Play will continue through Thursday in the 54-hole event.

T3. Colorado 216
T12. Dillon Stewart, Fort Collins 72
T12. Davis Bryant, Aurora 72
T12. Cal McCoy, Highlands Ranch 72
T42. Jackson Solem, Longmont 76

For all the scores from the Junior America’s Cup, CLICK HERE.
 

Hannah Wood and her dad, Don, won’t soon forget how they spent Father’s Day last year.

Wood, an alternate for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links after the qualifying tournament, received a phone call that Sunday notifying her that she had a spot in the national championship.

The only problem was, they were in Centennial, and the championship was in Norman, Okla., and competition was starting the next day.

The Woods packed up, hopped in the car about midday on Father’s Day and arrived in Norman about 11:30 p.m. Hannah didn’t have an opportunity to play a practice round, though Don checked out the course in the morning before her afternoon tee time.

Despite the disadvantage, Hannah finished 34th out of the 156-player field in stroke play, earning a spot in match play before losing in the first round.

It was all a fun and exciting experience, but this year, there will be no need to rush around at the last minute.

That’s because the recent Arapahoe High School graduate earned medalist honors on Tuesday in the national Women’s Public Links qualifier at Saddle Rock Golf Course in Aurora.

In fact, Wood left nothing to chance in that regard as her 2-under-par 70 was the best score of the day by a whopping five shots.

“It’s the best feeling in the world,” she said of qualifying for the Publinks again. “Honestly, I love the idea of the Publinks. It’s my favorite tournament by far. And I would love to go to Washington. It’s always been on my bucket list. Especially since this is the last Publinks, it means the world just to qualify.”

Wood, who’s been part of the first two classes of the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program at CommonGround Golf Course, will be going to her fifth USGA championship — all coming in the last two years. She’s also made it to a USGA Women’s State Team, where she finished 11th individually last year, a U.S. Girls’ Junior, a U.S. Women’s Amateur and the 2013 Publinks.

This year’s Women’s Publinks is scheduled for July 14-19 at The Home Course in Dupont, Wash.

Wood, a University of Oklahoma signee, was one of four qualifiers on Tuesday at Saddle Rock. Also advancing to the national championship are three players who carded 75s: Taylor Dorans of Erie, Mikayla Tatman of Fort Collins, and University of Denver golfer Elyse Smidinger of Crofton, Md. (The four qualifiers are pictured above. From left: Smidinger, Wood, Tatman and Dorans.)

Twenty-two players entered the qualifying tournament, though three withdrew beforehand.

Wood, winner of the last two CJGA Tournament of Champions, was coming off a disappointing ending of her high school career at last week’s 5A state tournament. She birdied the final hole to get into a playoff, but three putted the first sudden-death hole to finish second to Rock Canyon’s Michelle Romano.

“I would much rather play in a USGA event,” Wood said. “Of course, I wanted to win state high school, but this is quite the honor. (USGA championships) are the best tournaments in golf. I adore the USGA tournaments and how they set them up, and the courses are just amazing.”

On Tuesday, the 18-year-old (left) made five birdies and three bogeys, finishing on a high note with birdies on 17 and 18. Coincidentally, she also won a high school tournament at Saddle Rock this year with a score of 70, though it was set up much more difficult on Tuesday.

“I had three 5-footers for birdie,” Wood noted. “My ball-striking was pretty good. It was solid — a few birdies, a few bogeys and I just hung in there.”

While all of Tuesday’s other qualifiers have competed in USGA championships before, Tatman will be making her debut in Washington, which will be the site of the final Women’s Publinks after a 38-year run. Also in July, the last men’s U.S. Amateur Public Links will be held. The USGA announced last year that it is discontinuing both championships.

“This is my first USGA event that I’ll be going to,” said Tatman, a redshirt junior-to-be on the Colorado State women’s golf team. “I really wanted this one. I’m very pleased.

“I was one stroke away last year (from a potential playoff at this qualifier). I’ve been close but I’ve never been able to break through. It doesn’t matter if it’s the U.S. Women’s Open or the Amateur or the Publinks; it’s still a national tournament. I’m just ecstatic right now. I really am. It’s special, too, to be able to go to the last one. We’re going to have fun, that’s for sure.”

Tatman, the 2011 CWGA Junior Match Play runner-up, had to dig herself out of a hole Tuesday to qualify. She was 4 over par through three holes, having gone double bogey, bogey, bogey. But she went 1 under the rest of the way and made a 25-foot birdie on No. 18.

“I’ve really been working on mentally staying in it,” she said. “It’s not ever over until your last putt drops on 18. I just kept that mindset and it worked out.”

Tatman, who attended Silver Creek High School in Longmont and played golf for Skyline, was happy to come through not only for herself but in honor of her dad, Lloyd, who passed away in 2012 after battling cancer.

“I’ve just been trying to come out here and play the best I can for him,” Mikayla Tatman said. “So this is very special.”

Dorans, a University of Wyoming golfer who posted four top-six showings in the 4A state tournament while attending Broomfield High, will be going to her first U.S. Women’s Publinks. However, she did play in the 2012 U.S. Girls’ Junior.

On Tuesday, Dorans overcame a double bogey on the third hole to punch her ticket to nationals.

“It’s really special (to qualify) because it’s the last one,” the 19-year-old sophomore-to-be said. “Being able to represent the public courses is an honor. (Qualifying for a USGA event) is unbelievable. They treat you so well and the courses they set up for you are great. It’s like, all your hard work has paid off.”

Dorans, winner of the 2011 CJGA Junior Series Championship, was happy with her solid performance Tuesday after she had struggled some in recent rounds.

“It’s good to have a good round under my belt,” she said. “I felt really good about today, especially coming off the last couple of rounds I had — which weren’t exactly what I wanted them to be. Playing solid today, with a lot of pars, felt really good.”

In her first Women’s Publinks qualifier, Smidinger had to sweat out advancing after being in very good position two-thirds of the way through her round on Tuesday. She was 1 under par through 12 holes, but bogeyed her next four before righting the ship to close with two pars.

“It’s exciting to go there and represent my school as well,” she said of DU. “And we’ll be a part of history in the last one, which is kind of exciting. I’m looking forward to it.”

This will be Smidinger’s fourth USGA championship, and she has the distinction of being one of the rare 64th seeds to beat out a medalist at the U.S. Women’s Amateur. That was in 2011, when she prevailed in a 5 players-for-1 spot playoff that earned her the final spot in match play. She then defeated co-medalist Jihee Kim in her first match before falling in the round of 32.

“That was a lot of fun,” said the two-time Maryland state high school champion. “Hopefully I can make it a little higher on the leaderboard (this time at the Publinks) so I don’t have to beat the No. 1 seed.”

U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Qualifying
At Par-72 Saddle Rock GC in Aurora

QUALIFIED FOR NATIONALS
Hannah Wood, Centennial 70
Taylor Dorans, Erie 75
Elyse Smidinger, Crofton, Md. 75
Mikayla Tatman, Fort Collins 75

ALTERNATES (In Order)
Morgan Sahm, Centennial 77
Somin Lee, Centennial 77

FAILED TO QUALIFY
Jennifer Kupcho, Westminster 77
Paige Crawford, Colorado Springs 78
Molly Dorans, Erie 79
Tori Glenn, Castle Pines 79
Kayla Riede, Colorado Springs 79
Mary Weinstein, Highlands Ranch 80
Amy Chitkoksoong, Aurora 82
Jenni Chun, Lone Tree 83
Jaylee Tait, Littleton 83
Shanon Spinuzzi, Pueblo 83
Julia Kim, Aurora 85
Jennifer Hocking, Colorado Springs 94
Savannah Walker, Denver 100
Delaney Benson, Littleton WD
Sydney Gillespie, Highlands Ranch WD
Tonya Hardman, Highlands Ranch WD