Former Masters champion Craig Stadler, a resident of Colorado for more than two decades, and Ann Finke of Colorado Springs, the first female member of the Colorado PGA and a national leader in junior golf, were voted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame on Wednesday.

The two will be inducted as the Hall of Fame’s 44th class next year, likely in mid-May.

“I can hardly put into words (my reaction),” Finke said Wednesday. “It’s amazing. I can’t help but think about that kid playing golf a hundred years ago and wonder, ‘How did I get here?’ I can’t tell you how neat it is. I’m taken aback, to be honest.”

Stadler, an Evergreen resident since 2003 and a Coloradan since 1994, has won 13 times on the PGA Tour, including the 1982 Masters, plus nine times on the Champions Tour, along with the 1973 U.S. Amateur.

Between the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, 11 of Stadler’s victories have come since he moved to Colorado, including two Champions Tour majors: the 2003 Ford Senior Players Championship and the 2004 JELD-WEN Tradition.

Propelled by his victory in a playoff against Dan Pohl at the Masters, Stadler led the PGA Tour money list in 1982, when he posted four wins overall. Twenty-one years later, he became the first Champions Tour player to win on the PGA Tour as he claimed the title at age 50 in the B.C. Open.

Later in 2003, Stadler was named the Champions Tour Rookie of the Year, and in 2004 he earned Champions Tour Player of the Year honors after a five-win season. In his first 15 months as a senior player, the Walrus notched eight victories. Among those was the 2004 First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, where Stadler teamed with Aaron Woodard — son of now-Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Tom Woodard — to also win the junior-pro best-ball competition.

In 2013 at age 60, Stadler claimed another distinction by winning the Encompass Championship — that of having the longest time between victories on the Champions Tour (8 years, 8 months, 28 days).

During his PGA Tour career, Stadler played in each of the first 17 Internationals contested at Castle Pines Golf Club, placing in the top 15 five times.

Stadler’s son Kevin is also a player of some prominence, and Craig caddied for Kevin in his son’s professional debut at the 2002 Colorado Open at Sonnenalp Golf Club just west of Vail, where the younger Stadler won in a playoff over PGA Tour player Gary Hallberg and Brian Kortan. That same year, Craig and Kevin teamed up to win the nationally televised Office Depot Father/Son Challenge. In 2014, the two became the first father and son to compete in the same Masters (pictured above).

In addition to his outstanding playing record, Craig Stadler has co-designed a course in Colorado (with Tripp Davis), Grand Elk Ranch & Club in Granby.

“I’ve had some great memories in Colorado,” Stadler told Golf Digest in 2012. “Denver is a perfect place to be. The city and surrounding area has a great sports scene, a wide variety of golf courses, a ton of things to do and fantastic restaurants. It’s home, and we love being here.”

Stadler, now 62, has previously been inducted into several other Halls of Fame: San Diego Breithard Hall of Fame (1996), the University of Southern California Athletic Hall of Fame (1999), the Argentine Golf Association Hall of Fame (2012) and the Southern California Golf Association Hall of Fame (2014).

Finke (left, teaching kids), meanwhile, has been a fixture on the Colorado golf scene for three decades. During that time — all spent at the Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs, where she’s now director of instruction — she’s given about 38,000 lessons, more than 40 percent of those to juniors.

“When you think 40 or 50 swings for each of those, that’s a lot of swings,” Finke said with a laugh on Wednesday.

Finke was the first female to become a member of the Colorado PGA, joining in 1985, six years after she turned pro. She was also the first woman member in the Nebraska Section PGA, gaining that status in 1983.

Finke has drawn particular acclaim for her work with junior golfers, and in 2010 she was named the PGA of America’s national Junior Golf Leader, making her the first female member of the Colorado PGA to earn a major national PGA award.

Finke has had an impact on thousands of junior golfers over the years — not just from her club, but from all around southern Colorado and even Denver and Wyoming — so much so that an area at the Country Club of Colorado has long been dubbed “Finke Hill” by her students. Finke gives roughly 1,000 junior lessons each year and does almost 50 hours of golf clinics, according to the PGA of America.

Perhaps the most recognizable junior player to have been taught by Finke was Tom Glissmeyer, who grew up playing the Country Club of Colorado and went on to qualify for the U.S. Open as a 16-year-old in 2003.

Finke (left) also has taken a very active role in the Pikes Peak Junior Golf organization, including serving as president from 1991 through 2002.

Finke was just the ninth female nationally to become a quarter-century PGA member. This fall, she and Hale Irwin received a legacy award from The First Tee of Pikes Peak, and next month she’ll be honored with the Noble Chalfant Award for distinguished service to the Colorado PGA.

“I’ve had so many neat things happen this year,” Finke said. “I keep thinking, ‘Wow!’ We go out and do our thing, and it’s very gratifying to do something you love. To be recognized for that is really neat.”

On the same night that Stadler and Finke are inducted into the Hall of Fame, the Hall will hand out three awards.

Jim Hajek, the PGA head professional at Fossil Trace Golf Club in Golden, will receive the Golf Person of the Year Award. Hajek recently earned the PGA of America’s national Public Merchandiser of the Year honor, becoming the eighth Colorado PGA national honoree in the last nine years.

Mike and Terri Knode will be given the Distinguished Service Award. They founded the Western Colorado Golf Foundation, a longtime beneficiary of the Rocky Mountain Open which has awarded many educational scholarships to junior golfers from the Western Slope over the years. The Western Colorado Golf Foundation owned the Rocky Mountain Open before being sold last year. Mike Knode serves on the CGA Board of Governors and has also been president for the CGA’s Western Chapter.

Coloradan Homer McClintock will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. McClintock played a key role in the acquisition of the Evans Scholars house for caddies at the University of Colorado in the late 1960s and in the CGA’s Eisenhower Scholarship linking up with the Western Golf Association’s Evans Scholarship. McClintock also served on the CGA Board of Governors when the CGA started to greatly expand its reach and services. 

But that’s exactly what’s happening next week, weather-permitting. And if early-week conditions do cause rescheduling, things could be even more condensed.

As things stand, 18-hole U.S. Open Local Qualifying will be held at two sites on Monday (the Broadmoor Golf Club’s West Course in Colorado Springs and Heritage at Westmoor in Westminster) and one on Tuesday (Collindale Golf Course in Fort Collins). Then on Wednesday, it’s back to Heritage at Westmoor for 36-hole U.S. Women’s Open Sectional Qualifying.

For the record, Heritage at Westmoor is one of just three courses nationwide that will host both U.S. Women’s Open Sectionals and U.S. Open Locals this year.

The stakes are high for the players competing. The top two performers over two rounds on Wednesday will earn spots in arguably the top tournament in women’s golf, the U.S. Women’s Open, which this year will be contested at Pinehurst Resort’s No. 2 course in North Carolina June 19-22.

The U.S. Open will be held at the same site the previous week — June 12-15 — but the route there is more involved for most entrants. The 18-hole Local tournaments are the first of two stages of the qualifying process. Those who overcome the Local hurdle will play in one of a dozen 36-hole Sectionals, with the 10 qualifiers in the U.S. scheduled for June 2.

All told, a record 10,127 golfers sent in entries for the U.S. Open, while 1,702 players — also the most ever — signed up for the U.S. Women’s Open.

Given the stakes involved, next week’s qualifying events draw some of the best fields of the year for Colorado-based tournaments.

Here’s a brief rundown on each of the four qualifiers in Colorado:

— U.S. Open Local Qualifying Monday at the Broadmoor’s West Course: As of Friday, the field at the Broadmoor numbered 84, with the top five finishers advancing to Sectionals.

Two-time HealthOne Colorado Open champion Derek Tolan (pictured) of Highlands Ranch and Tom Glissmeyer of Colorado Springs are two of the more notable entrants, having each qualified for the U.S. Open as 16-year-olds (Tolan in 2002 and Glissmeyer in 2003). Both made it to Sectionals from qualifying at the West Course last year, but came up short of making it back to the Open itself.

Other competitors at the Broadmoor this year are Shane Bertsch of Parker, a longtime PGA/Web.com Tour player who competed in the U.S. Open in 1998 and 2013 (he won a Sectional qualifying tournament last year); former CGA Player of the Year Steve Irwin of Arvada, a contestant in the 2011 U.S. Open; and Air Force Academy senior Kyle Westmoreland, one of the co-medalists in Local Qualifying at the West Course last year.

— U.S. Open Local Qualifying Monday at Heritage at Westmoor: This qualifier also features 84 players vying for five spots in the Sectionals.

The field here includes reigning HealthOne Colorado Open champion Zahkai Brown of Arvada; 2013 CGA Match Play winner David Oraee of Greeley; Keith Humerickhouse of Eagle, a former playing professional who has won the last four CGA Mid-Amateurs; University of Colorado freshman Jeremy Paul, a second-team All-Pac-12 Conference selection this year; Scott Petersen of Parker, who won a Web.com Tour event and the Colorado Open in 2000; and Caine Fitzgerald of Parker, who qualified for the 2013 PGA Championship.

— U.S. Open Local Qualifying Tuesday at Collindale: Eighthy-three players are signed up for this site, with the top four finishers moving on to Sectionals.

Former PGA Tour player Leif Olson of Golden will compete at Collindale, along with former HealthOne Colorado Open champion Nathan Lashley of Scottsdale, Ariz.

Also in this field are Jason Preeo of Highlands Ranch, who made the cut in the 2010 U.S. Open and who advanced to Sectionals last year; 2010 CGA Public Links champion Riley Arp, who likewise made the grade at the Collindale Local Qualifying in 2013; and several college golfers from Colorado State and the University of Northern Colorado (Cameron Harrell, Parker Edens, Steven Kupcho and Ben Krueger among them).

— U.S. Women’s Open Sectional Qualifying Wednesday at Heritage at Westmoor: This field will include 57 players who will battle it out over 36 holes for just two Women’s Open berths. Westmoor will be one of 24 Sectional sites internationally.

The great majority of entrants at this site are amateurs — 45, to be exact. Those include some of the top players at Colorado-based Division I universities — including Norwegians Tonje Daffinrud and Mariell Bruun from the University of Denver, and Jennifer Coleman of the University of Colorado — as well as two-time CWGA Player of the Year Somin Lee, who competes for Pepperdine. Daffinrud is ranked No. 15 among the nation’s women’s college golfers by Golfstat.

The four players who qualified in Colorado for the U.S. Women’s Amateur last year — Jennifer Kupcho, Coleman, Jennifer Yang and Hannah Wood — are also in the field.

Some of the top contenders for the state high school titles, which are set for May 19-20, are likewise competing at Westmoor: Wood, Kupcho, Calli Ringsby and Sydney Merchant.

Among the professionals entered is former HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open champion Erin Houtsma. Also playing is Kayla Riede, medalist in the last two U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links qualifiers held in Colorado.
 

But that’s exactly what’s happening next week, weather-permitting. And if early-week conditions do cause rescheduling, things could be even more condensed.

As things stand, 18-hole U.S. Open Local Qualifying will be held at two sites on Monday (the Broadmoor Golf Club’s West Course in Colorado Springs and Heritage at Westmoor in Westminster) and one on Tuesday (Collindale Golf Course in Fort Collins). Then on Wednesday, it’s back to Heritage at Westmoor for 36-hole U.S. Women’s Open Sectional Qualifying.

For the record, Heritage at Westmoor is one of just three courses nationwide that will host both U.S. Women’s Open Sectionals and U.S. Open Locals this year.

The stakes are high for the players competing. The top two performers over two rounds on Wednesday will earn spots in arguably the top tournament in women’s golf, the U.S. Women’s Open, which this year will be contested at Pinehurst Resort’s No. 2 course in North Carolina June 19-22.

The U.S. Open will be held at the same site the previous week — June 12-15 — but the route there is more involved for most entrants. The 18-hole Local tournaments are the first of two stages of the qualifying process. Those who overcome the Local hurdle will play in one of a dozen 36-hole Sectionals, with the 10 qualifiers in the U.S. scheduled for June 2.

All told, a record 10,127 golfers sent in entries for the U.S. Open, while 1,702 players — also the most ever — signed up for the U.S. Women’s Open.

Given the stakes involved, next week’s qualifying events draw some of the best fields of the year for Colorado-based tournaments.

Here’s a brief rundown on each of the four qualifiers in Colorado:

— U.S. Open Local Qualifying Monday at the Broadmoor’s West Course: As of Friday, the field at the Broadmoor numbered 84, with the top five finishers advancing to Sectionals.

Two-time HealthOne Colorado Open champion Derek Tolan of Highlands Ranch and Tom Glissmeyer of Colorado Springs are two of the more notable entrants, having each qualified for the U.S. Open as 16-year-olds (Tolan in 2002 and Glissmeyer in 2003). Both made it to Sectionals from qualifying at the West Course last year, but came up short of making it back to the Open itself.

Other competitors at the Broadmoor this year are Shane Bertsch of Parker, a longtime PGA/Web.com Tour player who competed in the U.S. Open in 1998 and 2013 (he won a Sectional qualifying tournament last year); former CGA Player of the Year Steve Irwin of Arvada, a contestant in the 2011 U.S. Open; and Air Force Academy senior Kyle Westmoreland, one of the co-medalists in Local Qualifying at the West Course last year.

— U.S. Open Local Qualifying Monday at Heritage at Westmoor: This qualifier also features 84 players vying for five spots in the Sectionals.

The field here includes reigning HealthOne Colorado Open champion Zahkai Brown of Arvada; 2013 CGA Match Play winner David Oraee of Greeley; Keith Humerickhouse of Eagle, a former playing professional who has won the last four CGA Mid-Amateurs; University of Colorado freshman Jeremy Paul, a second-team All-Pac-12 Conference selection this year; Scott Petersen of Parker, who won a Web.com Tour event and the Colorado Open in 2000; and Caine Fitzgerald of Parker, who qualified for the 2013 PGA Championship.

— U.S. Open Local Qualifying Tuesday at Collindale: Eighthy-three players are signed up for this site, with the top four finishers moving on to Sectionals.

Former PGA Tour player Leif Olson of Golden will compete at Collindale, along with former HealthOne Colorado Open champion Nathan Lashley of Scottsdale, Ariz.

Also in this field are Jason Preeo of Highlands Ranch, who made the cut in the 2010 U.S. Open and who advanced to Sectionals last year; 2010 CGA Public Links champion Riley Arp, who likewise made the grade at the Collindale Local Qualifying in 2013; and several college golfers from Colorado State and the University of Northern Colorado (Cameron Harrell, Parker Edens, Steven Kupcho and Ben Krueger among them).

— U.S. Women’s Open Sectional Qualifying Wednesday at Heritage at Westmoor: This field will include 57 players who will battle it out over 36 holes for just two Women’s Open berths. Westmoor will be one of 24 Sectional sites internationally.

The great majority of entrants at this site are amateurs — 45, to be exact. Those include some of the top players at Colorado-based Division I universities — including Norwegians Tonje Daffinrud (pictured) and Mariell Bruun from the University of Denver, and Jennifer Coleman of the University of Colorado — as well as two-time CWGA Player of the Year Somin Lee, who competes for Pepperdine. Daffinrud is ranked No. 15 among the nation’s women’s college golfers by Golfstat.

The four players who qualified in Colorado for the U.S. Women’s Amateur last year — Jennifer Kupcho, Coleman, Jennifer Yang and Hannah Wood — are also in the field.

Some of the top contenders for the state high school titles, which are set for May 19-20, are likewise competing at Westmoor: Wood, Kupcho, Calli Ringsby and Sydney Merchant.

Among the professionals entered is former HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open champion Erin Houtsma. Also playing is Kayla Riede, medalist in the last two U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links qualifiers held in Colorado.
 

Q-school, that is.

After a few weeks off since the initial stages of qualifying for the 2014 LPGA Tour and Web.com Tour, things heat up again starting Tuesday.

The LPGA Tour is at stage II of the three-stage qualifying process, with a single tournament set for this week — Tuesday through Friday — in Venice, Fla.

The Web.com Tour, now the top U.S.-based men’s tour that still features a Q-school, completed pre-qualifying tournaments late in the summer and now is ready for the “first stage” of the three remaining.

In both cases, numerous golfers who made a name for themselves in Colorado are pursuing their dreams of reaching some of the top levels of competitive golf.

Here is what’s upcoming this week, with the local players in the field:

LPGA Stage II Oct. 8-11 in Venice, Fla. — A total of 195 players will take part in this 72-hole, no-cut event. After four rounds, the top 80 finishers and ties will advance to the final stage of LPGA Tour qualifying, set for Dec. 4-8 in Daytona, Beach, Fla.

Players with significant Colorado ties in the field are Ashley Tait of Littleton (pictured above), Dawn Shockley of Estes Park, and former University of Colorado golfers Jessica Wallace, Alex Stewart and Emily Childs. Childs and Stewart, who each played just one season at CU, competed in the stage I qualifying tournament to earn a berth in this week’s event.

As for the first stage of Web.com Tour Q-school, it’s being contested at a dozen sites over the next three weeks. The fields for later in the month haven’t yet be announced, but this week’s are finalized. Likewise to be determined is the exact number of players from each site that will advance to stage 2, but a total more than 20 is expected.

The second stage of Web.com Tour Q-school will be held at six sites in mid-November, while the final stage is Dec. 12-17 in La Quinta, Calif. The top 45 finishers and ties in La Quinta will receive priority status on the 2014 Web.com Tour, with the other finalists being conditionally exempt.

Here are the players with strong Colorado ties scheduled to compete in 72-hole first-stage tournaments this week, Tuesday through Friday:

Maricopa, Ariz. Oct. 8-11 — Tom Glissmeyer of Colorado Springs, Jim Knous of Basalt, former Colorado Springs resident Justin Spray, former CSU golfer Kirby Pettitt, former Castle Rock resident Jamie Marshall.

Lantana, Texas Oct. 8-11 — Riley Arp of Fort Collins, James Love of Denver, former CSU golfer Dustin Morris, former Fort Collins resident Drew Stoltz.

Vero Beach, Fla. Oct. 8-11 — Former CU golfer Kevin Kring.

Lakeland, Fla. Oct. 8-11 — Former CU golfer Jason Burstyn.
 

Though there have certainly been significant golf tournaments already held in Colorado in 2013 — including many involving girls high school golfers — the ball really gets rolling in the coming few weeks.

The CJGA tournament season begins this weekend (April 27-28) in Pueblo and the CGA championship campaign starts with the Four-Ball and Senior Four-Ball next weekend (May 3-5).

But by far the most notable tournaments in Colorado over the next few weeks are the three Local Qualifying stops for the U.S. Open. “Locals” are the first of two qualifying stages for the second major championship of the year. After the top Local finishers advance to Sectionals, the best performers at 13 36-hole Sectional tournaments earn spots in the Open itself, which is set for June 13-16 at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa.

The application process for the U.S. Open closed on Wednesday (April 24) and the USGA announced on Thursday that it received a record 9,860 entrants. Most will compete at one of 111 Local Qualifying sites in the U.S. between May 3 and 16.

A total of 228 entrants are scheduled to tee it up at one of the three Colorado-based Local qualifiers: May 6 at the West Course at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs (60 players), and May 13 at the Heritage at Westmoor in Westminster (84) and Collindale in Fort Collins (84). Collindale has hosted U.S. Open Local Qualifying for more than a decade, according to the USGA.

The fields in Colorado include numerous former U.S. Open contestants, HealthOne Colorado Open champions, and former PGA and Web.com Tour regulars.

For instance, at the Broadmoor on May 6, two Coloradans who competed in consecutive U.S. Opens (2002 and 2003) as 16-year-olds, Derek Tolan (pictured) and Tom Glissmeyer, are in the field. Tolan has won two of the last four Colorado Opens. Also playing at the same site will be 2011 U.S. Open qualifier Steve Irwin, and former Web.com Tour players James Love and Dustin White, winner of the 2006 Colorado Open.

At Collindale, former PGA Tour player Leif Olson is scheduled to play, along with Jason Preeo, who made the cut in the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, and Wyndham Clark, who won the 2010 CGA Stroke Play Championship as a 16-year-old.

At the Heritage at Westmoor, the field includes 2011 Colorado Open champion Ben Portie, who played in the 2002 U.S. Open along with Tolan. Also planning to compete are former Asian Tour event champion Kane Webber and Rob Hunt, winner of two of the last four Colorado PGA Professional Championships.
 

During the next two weeks, 14 “first stage” tournaments will be held around the country, and dreams of plenty of Coloradans — as well as many other top-level golfers — will be on the line.

While PGA Tour cards won’t be handed out until the third and final stage — Nov. 28-Dec. 3 in La Quinta, Calif. — many competitors will lose out on that opportunity by the end of this month.

And the stakes are only compounded by the fact that this will be the final Q-school in which PGA Tour cards will be awarded. Starting next year, the final reward in the qualifying process will be spots on the Web.com Tour.

But even with the PGA Tour door still ajar for Q-school competitors this year, the odds are still heavily stacked against most of the players. After pre-qualifying weeded out many golfers, the first stage will be where most players enter — and exit — the process.

Though the number of golfers who will advance to next month’s second stage hasn’t yet been announced, typically about one out of four Stage I players advance. Then those who do move on will have to survive the second stage to get to the finals, where the top 25 finishers and ties will earn 2013 PGA Tour cards and the other competitors will gain some Web.com Tour status.

PGATour.com hasn’t yet revealed the fields for next week’s first-stage tournaments, but the players who will compete this week (Tuesday through Friday) are set.

A total of 15 golfers with strong Colorado ties will play at one of the six sites being utilized this week. Included are the last three CGA Players of the Year — Zahkai Brown, Gunner Wiebe (pictured) and Steve Ziegler — along with current Web.com Tour player James Love, a former University of Denver golfer.

Also scheduled to compete is 2006 HealthOne Colorado Open champion Dustin White of Pueblo West and Colorado Springs’ Tom Glissmeyer, who qualified for the U.S. Open as a 16-year-old in 2003.

Here are all the local competitors and where they’ll be playing in this week’s first-stage tournaments:

Oct. 16-19 in Lantana, Texas — Nick Hodge of Littleton, James Love of Denver, former CSU golfer Dustin Morris, former Fort Collins resident Drew Stoltz.

Oct. 16-19 in Dayton, Nev. — Former CU golfer Justin Bardgett, Jeff Franks of Highlands Ranch, Darrin Hall of Lakewood, Dustin White of Pueblo West, Gunner Wiebe of Aurora, Steve Ziegler of Westminster.

Oct. 16-19 in Palm Desert, Calif. — Zahkai Brown of Arvada, Tom Glissmeyer of Colorado Springs.

Oct. 16-19 in Madison, Miss. — Former Durango resident Tom Kalinowski, Nick Mason of Denver, Blake Moore of Denver.

Meanwhile, Champions Tour qualifying starts this week. Two regional tournaments are set for this week — Murrieta, Calif., and ChampionsGate, Fla. — and one Oct. 30-Nov. 2 in Montgomery, Texas.

Those who advance will gain berths in the Champions Tour Q-school finals Nov. 13-16 in Coral Springs, Fla.

Among the local players entered in regionals are PGA professional Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale and former Castle Rock resident Esteban Toledo.
 

It was a day more than 20 years ago, but Ben Portie recalls the details as if it were yesterday.

Long before Portie won the 2011 HealthOne Colorado Open, a few hours he spent at the International PGA Tour event helped set him on the path toward becoming a professional golfer.

At the end of a weather delay at Castle Pines Golf Club when he was 12 or 13 years old, Portie was sitting behind the practice tee. Out of the blue, Tour player Russ Cochran invited Portie — a lefty like himself — out on to the range to hit a few balls.

“He actually let me hit some of his clubs,” Portie recalled on Tuesday. “I remember hitting a 6-iron and it was the heaviest club that I’d ever swung. He let me hit three balls. After the rain delay I followed him around for the last nine. Most of the people had left, so I got to chit-chat with him for about nine holes. I still remember it to this day. And that’s what kind of (got me thinking), ‘this is what I want to do — play professional golf.'”

And on Tuesday, Portie — along with nine fellow professionals with strong ties to Colorado — had an opportunity to pay it forward. With a few hundred people in attendance — many of them kids — Portie (pictured above) thought he might be doing for some youngster what Cochran did for him way back when.

The International episode “was a little different, but it was kind of similar to this,” he said.

The “this” Portie was referring to was the U.S. Amateur Alumni Day the CGA and CWGA held Tuesday at CommonGround Golf Course as a way of promoting next month’s U.S. Amateur, and getting kids involved in the game. CommonGround will serve as the second stroke-play course for this summer’s Amateur, while Cherry Hills Country Club will be the primary host course for the Aug. 13-19 championship.

A total of about 30 past U.S. Amateur qualifiers from Colorado showed up to participate in the Alumni Day, including Jim English, who competed in the event about five times from 1947 to 1961. English hit a shot on the CommonGround practice tee to start a Skills Challenge in which 10 U.S. Amateur alums competed against one another and put on a show for the kids and adults in attendance.

For the record, Gunner Wiebe won the “Phlop” shot contest (named in honor of Phil Mickelson). Scott Petersen was tops in accurately curving the ball around an obstacle to a designated target (a la Bubba Watson at the Masters). Former Air Force Academy golfer Tom Whitney earned the distance title with a 342-yard drive. And Tom Glissmeyer, who qualified for the U.S. Open as a 16-year-old in 2003, landed the overall title with the best combined score in the three contests.

Besides the “Skills Challenge” per se, there was some trick-shot freelancing by some of the players, including hitting drives off their knees and whacking balls in mid-air. (Charlie Soule is pictured above.)

“To see the guys interacting with all the kids and interacting with each other, and giving each other a little grief when they hit a bad shot, that was fun,” said Wiebe, whose dad, Mark, was in attendance and signed autographs a couple of days after finishing eighth in the U.S. Senior Open. “I have never been to something like this on such a wide scale.” (Mark Wiebe is pictured below signing autographs.)

Combined, the Skills Challenge contestants have won a couple of Colorado Opens, five state high school titles and eight CGA Stroke Play or Match Play championships. They’ve also competed in four U.S. Opens.

At the end of the day, the “alumni” seemed to be having just as much fun as the kids and adults who watched the show.

Besides seeing some skillful demonstrations, the kids received a free lunch and a U.S. Amateur hat for autographs and got an up-close-and-personal look at the U.S. Amateur replica trophy that was on hand.

“Personally I wish we had the opportunity to do this more often,” said Steve Ziegler, a quarterfinalist in the 2009 U.S. Amateur. “This is the kind of thing that inspired all the guys here who are performing to get to the higher levels of golf. Seeing all these kids … it’s a special opportunity. I think it’s wonderful.”

Gunner Wiebe, who like Ziegler grew up honing his skills on the Colorado junior circuit, spoke with CGA executive director Ed Mate six or seven months ago about the possibilities for what eventually became Tuesday’s Alumni Day. And the end result left a big smile on Wiebe’s face.

“I think this is one of the coolest things we could do as part of the CGA, the U.S. Amateur or anything,” said Wiebe, who won a CGA Match Play Championship at CommonGround. “We don’t get enough opportunities to come back and have fun with a bunch of kids who just want to see golf. We might not be Tiger Woods or Phil (Mickelson), but to them we might be more than just your normal everyday (golfer).

“I just wanted to come back and say thanks really more than anything because I think I owe these guys (at the CGA) a lot. And since I don’t have enough money yet to donate back, I can at least donate my time. I wish I could do it more.”

Mate, who came up with many of the ideas that led to the Alumni Day, thinks such events could become mainstays at other venues set to host USGA championships.

“I think this is a perfect model for every state and regional golf association anytime they’re the host association for a USGA championship,” he said. “It makes sense to do an event like this where you invite all your past qualifiers from the event and make sure there’s lots of activities for the kids to keep them entertained.”

The festivities will be held Tuesday, July 17 at CommonGround Golf Course, which will serve as the second stroke-play course for the U.S. Amateur. The CGA and CWGA own and operate CommonGround, which is located at Havana and 1st Ave., in Aurora.

Cherry Hills Country Club will be the host for the U.S. Amateur, with competitors playing one stroke-play round each at Cherry Hills and CommonGround Aug. 13-14 before all of the match-play portion of the event is held at Cherry Hills Aug. 15-19.

The July 17 U.S. Amateur Alumni Day at CommonGround, which runs from noon to 2 p.m., is open to the public, free of charge. Youngsters age 17 and under are especially encouraged to attend. In fact, any adult who brings kids will receive a ticket to the U.S. Amateur.

Free lunches, courtesy of King Soopers, will be given to the kids at noon, and Imperial Headwear will provide them a U.S. Amateur hat and pen for autographs. In addition, the youngsters will be eligible for prize drawings.

The Skills Challenge will begin at 1 p.m., with 10 Coloradans who have competed in the U.S. Amateur demonstrating their golf abilities to those in attendance. Among the players expected to participate are Steve Ziegler, who made it to the quarterfinals of the 2009 U.S. Amateur, and past HealthOne Colorado Open champions Ben Portie and Scott Petersen.

Also planning to be on hand are Tom Glissmeyer, who qualified for the 2003 U.S. Open as a 16-year-old; two-time U.S. Open qualifier Jason Allen; Gunner Wiebe; brothers Zen and Zahkai Brown; former Air Force Academy golf standout Tom Whitney; and one other player to be determined.

Combined, the confirmed participants have won two Colorado Opens, a Web.com Tour event, eight CGA Stroke or Match Play Championships and five state high school titles, and they’ve competed in four U.S. Opens.

All of the attending U.S. Amateur “alumni” from Colorado will be presented Alumni Day commemorative medals, and they’ll be available to sign autographs after the Skills Challenge.
 

In short, they’ve got some serious golf skills.

And the skills of those participating golfers will be on display July 17 when the CGA holds its U.S. Amateur Alumni Day Skills Challenge and related activities at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora. CommonGround, which the CGA and CWGA own and operate, will be the second course for the stroke-play portion of this year’s U.S. Amateur. Cherry Hills Country Club is the host club for arguably the world’s top amateur championship, which is set for Aug. 13-19.

The public is invited to attend the July 17 festivities — free of charge — from noon to 2 p.m., and youngsters are especially encouraged to come. In fact, any adult who brings kids will receive a ticket to the U.S. Amateur.

Free lunches, courtesy of King Soopers, will be given to kids (17 and under) at noon, and Imperial Headwear will provide them a U.S. Amateur hat and pen for autographs. In addition, the youngsters will be eligible for prize drawings.

One of the highlights of the day will be a Skills Challenge exhibition put on by Coloradans who have qualified for the U.S. Amateur in years past. Eight golfers who fall into that category have indicated they plan to participate in the Skills Challenge, which begins at 1 p.m. on July 17.

That’s where all of the earlier-mentioned golf credentials come in.

Among those expected to demonstrate their skills is Steve Ziegler (pictured above), who not only qualified for the 2009 U.S. Amateur, but made it to the quarterfinals before losing in 21 holes to the eventual champion. Barring changes to the July 17 lineup, joining him will be players ranging in age from teenager to 40-something: Wyndham Clark, Gunner Wiebe, Scott Petersen, Tom Glissmeyer, Ben Portie, and brothers Zen and Zahkai Brown.

Here’s a brief rundown of some of the top golf accomplishments for each expected participant:

— Wyndham Clark: Won the 2010 CGA Stroke Play Championship at age 16, becoming the youngest winner of that event since 1971. The Oklahoma State-bound golfer also claimed two 4A state high school titles and was recently named the Denver Athletic Club’s male high school student-athlete of the year. He’s qualified for the U.S. Amateur each of the last two years.

— Gunner Wiebe: Won the CGA Match Play title in 2010, the same year he placed second in the HealthOne Colorado Open, the best finish by an amateur in that event since 1997. He was named the CGA’s Player of the Year that season. The son of Champions Tour regular Mark Wiebe, Gunner competed in the 2009 and 2010 U.S. Amateur, making it to match play in 2010.

— Scott Petersen: In 2000, he won both the Colorado Open and the Nationwide Tour’s Inland Empire Open. The year before, he claimed the title in the Canadian PGA Championship. In the early 1990s, Petersen won two CGA Stroke Play Championships and two Division I college tournaments while playing for the University of Colorado. He was medalist in U.S. Amateur qualifying in both 1990 and ’92.

— Tom Glissmeyer: Qualified for the 2003 U.S. Open as a 16-year-old, a year after fellow Coloradan Derek Tolan managed a similar feat. Glissmeyer won two 4A state high school titles and finished third individually at the 2009 NCAA Championships while competing for the University of Southern California.

— Ben Portie: Was the CGA Player of the Year in 2001, a year before qualifying for the U.S. Open. The former University of Colorado golfer won the Colorado Open last summer and the Enstrom’s Rocky Mountain Open in 2010.

— Zen Brown: Won the CGA Match Play title in 2007. The following year, he qualified for the U.S. Amateur along with his brother Zahkai.

— Zahkai Brown: Won the 2011 CGA Stroke Play en route to being named the association’s Player of the Year. The former 5A state high school champion qualified for the 2008 U.S. Amateur at the same site as older brother Zen. He also earned a spot in the 2011 U.S. Am, where he advanced to match play. Brown won two individual college titles while at Colorado State University.

— Steve Ziegler: Had one of the best performances ever by a Coloradan at the U.S. Amateur, making it to the final eight in 2009 before losing on the third extra hole of his quarterfinal match to Byeong-Hun An, who went on to win the national title. Earlier that year, Ziegler won the CGA Match and Stroke Play Championships, becoming the first person to sweep the titles in the same calendar year since 1985. (As you might imagine, he was named CGA Player of the Year in 2009.) The two-time 5A state high school champ also qualified for the 2008 U.S. Amateur.

All of the attending U.S. Amateur “alumni” from Colorado will be presented Alumni Day commemorative medals, and they’ll be available to sign autographs after the Skills Challenge.

To access a PDF of a CGA promotional flier on the U.S. Amateur Alumni Day, CLICK HERE.