Qualifying for a U.S. Amateur is a big deal under any circumstances. Earning a spot in the championship for the first time adds considerably to the excitement. And doing it when the tournament is being hosted by historic and spectacularly scenic Pebble Beach Golf Links makes that excitement go off the charts.

That’s what Austin Hardman and Coby Welch, both of Highlands Ranch, along with Nick Costello of Austin, Texas, experienced Monday evening when they all punched their tickets to their first U.S. Am.

Pebble Beach, site of the 2019 U.S. Open, will be home to the U.S. Amateur Aug. 13-19, with Spyglass Hill serving as the second stroke-play course in the Monterey area of California.

“My grandparents used to live in Monterey, so Pebble is my favorite place on the entire planet, without question,” Hardman said. “I’m pretty excited about it for sure. This U.S. Amateur will definitely be the biggest tournament I’ve ever played in.

“I’ve played Pebble Beach (Golf Links) twice. It was a hit and giggle out there for six hours, which is the best six hours in my life.”

The three 20-year-old college golfers — Hardman just completed his second and final year at Mesa Community College in Arizona, Welch his second year at the University of Northern Colorado, and Costello his second year at the University of Texas — all advanced thanks to their performances Monday at Columbine Country Club in Columbine Valley. They’ll be part of a 312-man field at Pebble Beach. (The qualifiers are pictured above, from left: Hardman, Costello and Welch.)

Hardman (left) earned medalist honors in the 36-hole event, finishing at 6-under-par 138 after rounds of 70-68. Costello placed second at 139 (71-68) and Welch third at 141 (69-72) out of a field that originally numbered 84.

Hardman was 3 over par through his first five holes of the qualifier, but rallied and finished the day with 12 birdies and six bogeys.

Costello carded an eagle, nine birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey.

Welch, the 2015 Colorado Boys Junior Player of the Year, recorded an eagle, eight birdies, five bogeys and a double bogey. Welch becomes the second UNC golfer in two years to qualify for the U.S. Am as Li Chen made the grade last year.

It’s been a big week at the Welch house as Coby’s younger brother Jake won the boys division of the Colorado Junior Amateur on Wednesday.

“It’s pretty cool,” said Coby (lower left), winner of the 2016 Colorado Mark Simpson Invitational college tournament. “(Jake) played really well. Good for him. I’m glad he did that.”

And now Coby, who’s previously competed in the U.S. Junior Am, will give the U.S. Amateur a shot.

“It will be awesome,” said Coby, who had to sweat out his position after playing his final six holes in 3 over par. “I’ve never been there (to Pebble Beach), so it’ll be great. I played in the Junior Am, so I like making the U.S. Am.”

With pin positions set up a little more difficult than recent years at Columbine, a score that forced a playoff last year (138) was medalist this time around. But to earn that honor this year was quite a feat for Hardman, considering he had to play his final 31 holes in 9 under par to get there.

“This is going to sound cliche, but after I was 3 over after five holes, my caddie and I kept saying, ‘It’s a marathon, not a sprint,'” said Hardman, who finished 11th in this year’s Junior College Division II national championship. Hardman will be transferring to a new NAIA program, Ottawa University Arizona, for the new school year.

Costello, a veteran of two U.S. Junior Amateurs, only came to this U.S. Amateur qualifier because he made it into a tournament that conflicted with his plans to attempt to qualify in San Antonio. So he changed sites and came up with a friend who likewise competed.

“The course conditions aren’t really what we get in Texas,” said Costello, whose only previous tournament in Colorado was the 2015 AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior. “It’s really nice playing on pure grass. I really enjoyed that. And from a few years ago, I knew how the elevation affects the yardages, so I knew what I was getting into and was ready for it.”

Costello (left) started and finished his final round on a high note, which assured him of the U.S. Am berth. He played his first three holes in 4 under par, eagling the par-5 12th from 4 feet. Then after a double bogey on No. 5 (his 14th hole), he two-putted for birdie on his penultimate hole and made a 2-footer for birdie on his last.

Tristan Rohrbaugh of Carbondale, a 2016 U.S. Amateur qualifier at Columbine, landed the first alternate spot on the third hole of a playoff with George Markham of Phoenix, a Colorado School of Mines golfer. But despite a second-round 69, Rohrbaugh lamented playing his last five holes of regulation in 3 over par.

Monday marked the second and final U.S. Amateur qualifying tournament in Colorado this year. Qualifying for the U.S. Am at Fort Collins Country Club two weeks ago
were Dan Erickson of Loveland, AJ Ott of Fort Collins and Kyler Dunkle of Parker.
 

U.S. Amateur Qualifying
At Par-72 Columbine CC in Columbine Valley 
ADVANCE TO U.S. AMATEUR
Austin Hardman, Highlands Ranch 70-68–138
Nick Costello, Austin, Texas 71-68–139
Coby Welch, Highlands Ranch 69-72–141
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Tristan Rohrbaugh, Carbondale 73-69–142
George Markham, Phoenix 71-71–142

For all the scores from Columbine, CLICK HERE.

Dan Erickson’s first competitive round in his new home state of Colorado was a doozy.

The Texas A&M golfer, whose family moved to Loveland early this year, shot a 9-under-par 61 Monday and set the course record — by two strokes — in the first round of U.S. Amateur qualifying at Fort Collins Country Club.

The 19-year-old backed that up with a 3-under 67 in the afternoon, giving him a 12-under 128 total for the day, good for medalist honors out of a field that originally numbered 83.

The stakes were high on Monday as Pebble Beach Golf Links, site of the 2019 U.S. Open, will be hosting the U.S. Amateur Aug. 13-19.

Joining Erickson in earning berths Monday to the historic venue were Colorado State University golfer AJ Ott of Fort Collins, and University of Utah golfer Kyler Dunkle of Parker. (The qualifiers are pictured, from left: Ott, Erickson and Dunkle.)

“We grew up playing Pebble on the Wii and the Tiger Woods (video games) and stuff like that,” Ott noted with a smile. “That was always everyone’s favorite course. It will be really fun.”

Added Dunkle, the 2016 CGA Player of the Year and a former 5A state high school champion: “You’re going to basically the golf mecca. Pebble has had numerous U.S. Opens and other big tournaments. They have a PGA Tour stop there every year. The amount of history there … To be able to walk down those fairways and remember some of the shots hit — like Tiger’s 3-wood onto the green on No. 18 … That will be an experience itself. Being able to play the golf course, that will be really fun, knowing what’s happened there. One of the coolest things will be playing it this year and watching the U.S. Open there next year. It’s a special place, and to have the opportunity to go there will be really cool.”

It will be the second straight U.S. Amateur for Ott, who narrowly missed advancing to match play last year, and the third overall for Dunkle, who went to the match play round of 16 in 2016. Meanwhile, next month will mark the U.S. Amateur debut for Erickson. None of the three has had the pleasure of playing Pebble Beach.

Erickson (left), who claimed one individual victory in the spring portion of the college schedule, had a tap-in eagle on his first hole of the day Monday after hitting a 7-iron from 210 yards, and added nine birdies and two bogeys in round 1. By draining a 40-foot birdie on No. 18 — his fourth in a row — he shot the best score of his golf career and bettered his competitive best by three strokes.

“When we were playing the practice round yesterday and I birdied the first hole and chipped in for birdie on 2 I was like, ‘Oh man, what’s the course record?’ Now I guess I figured it out,” Erickson said with a smile. “That felt pretty good.

“I was driving it fantastic all day to put myself in good positions. I was hitting every drive almost perfect. I did everything pretty good obviously. Everything was just working. This course is great. I love every second of being out here. It was good all around.”

In the afternoon round, Erickson was a bogey-free 6 under par through 12 holes, making him a whopping 15 under for the day. But two double bogeys down the stretch, with a birdie sandwiched in between, left him at 12 under.

Coincidentally, the Fort Collins CC course record that Erickson bettered by two belonged to Dunkle, who shot a 63 in the first round of the Ram Masters tournament in 2015 while he was a CSU golfer before he transferred to Utah.

“That’s insane,” Dunkle said of someone shooting 61. “That’s golf. That’s an unbelievable score. Knowing historically some of the scores that have qualified here and even in CSU’s tournament, it’s really hard to see an individual take it over two or three rounds to 6 or 7 under and he shot 9 under in one round. That’s impressive.”

On Monday, Dunkle  (left) wasn’t quite as good, but shot consecutive 67s despite a balky putter. That left the 21-year-old in third place.

“I hit the ball great, unbelievably well,” said Dunkle, who’s been battling back problems but recently finished second in the Utah State Amateur. “Over 36 holes I missed three greens (in regulation). Proximity to the hole was awesome. I don’t want to even begin to count how many putts I had.”

But in the end, Dunkle, who now primarily lives in Salt Lake City, squeaked in for his third trip to the U.S. Am in the last four years.

He said when he advanced to the round of 16 in the 2016 national championship at Oakland Hills in Michigan, “that was by far the most fun I’ve ever had at a golf tournament. Being able to play these world-class golf courses under U.S. Open conditions is something not very many people get to do. The fact that I’ve done it twice and I get to go again, it’s awesome.”

Ott, who won the CGA Match Play last month, grew up in Fort Collins and plays Fort Collins CC regularly as a member of the CSU golf team. On Monday, he qualified for the U.S. Am at the site for the second straight year, this time finishing second. The 20-year-old posted rounds of 68-65, playing his final nine holes in 4 under par.

“Last year playing in the U.S. Am was a real confidence boost for me because I was close (to making match play),” Ott said. “I didn’t play my best and I missed the cut by one out there. The whole U.S. Am experience is cool. It means a lot to go back.

“I struggled so much my freshman year (at CSU), and to go out there (to the 2017 U.S. Amateur) and not play my best and still be right there to make match play, that was a huge confidence boost. I think that’s a big reason I improved my sophomore year.”

The scores on Monday were considerably lower than normal at the Fort Collins CC U.S. Amateur qualifier. Last year, 1-over-par 141 earned a spot in the national championship. This year, it took 6-under 134.

A second qualifying tournament for the U.S. Amateur will take place in Colorado on July 16 at Columbine Country Club.

U.S. Amateur Qualifying

At Par-70 Fort Collins CC
ADVANCE TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Dan Erickson, Loveland 61-67–128
AJ Ott, Fort Collins 68-65–133
Kyler Dunkle, Parker 67-67–134
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Cal McCoy, Highlands Ranch 68-67–135
Daniel Martinez, Austin, Texas 68-67–135

For all the scores from Fort Collins CC, CLICK HERE.

Having Pebble Beach Golf Links in the Monterey area of California serve as host will do that. And Spyglass Hill as the second stroke-play course isn’t bad either.

Pebble Beach GL, which will be home to the 2019 U.S. Open, will do the honors for the U.S. Am Aug. 13-19.

Two qualifying tournaments in Colorado will fill six spots in the 312-man international field. Fort Collins Country Club (on Monday, July 2) and Columbine Country Club in Columbine Valley (July 16) will hold 36-hole qualifiers, with the top three finishers at each site earning trips to “Pebble”. The qualifying fields number 83 at Fort Collins and 84 at Columbine.

Three golfers who qualified for the 2017 U.S. Am will be back hoping for a return trip: Colorado State University players AJ Ott and Jake Staiano, along with the University of Northern Colorado’s Li Chen — all of whom are in the field at Fort Collins CC.

Ott, winner of the CGA Match Play last week, finished a stroke out of a playoff for the final match play spots at last year’s U.S. Am. Staiano also went to the U.S. Amateur in 2015. Chen was the medalist in qualifying at Fort Collins CC last year.

Two former CGA Players of the Year will be competing in Fort Collins: Staiano (2017) and Kyler Dunkle (2016). Another, Michael Harrington (2014), will be at Columbine.

Among the others competing Monday will be 2017 CGA Match Play champ Chris Korte, 2018 Match Play runner-up Ross Macdonald; 2017 Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado Boys Player of the Year Davis Bryant, who was first alternate in U.S. Am qualifying in Fort Collins last year; 2016 CGA Amateur winner Colin Prater; and Hunter Paugh, who won a 5A state high school title at Fort Collins CC.

The competitors at Columbine, in addition to Harrington, will include three-time CGA Mid-Amateur champion Jon Lindstrom, two-time U.S. Open Sectional qualifier Josh Seiple and 2012 CGA Match Play champion Brian Dorfman.

For tee times at Fort Collins CC, CLICK HERE.

For tee times at Columbine CC, CLICK HERE.

In 2016 and ’17, a dozen players have qualified in Colorado for the U.S. Amateur. Eleven of the 12 have been college age or younger.

Then there’s Steve Irwin.

On Thursday, the 42-year-old from Arvada and Lakewood Country Club struck a blow for the slightly older set by punching his ticket to the U.S. Am — and for the second time in three years, no less.

At Fort Collins Country Club, Irwin joined two Coloradans who play their college golf in the Centennial State, Li Chen of Broomfield and AJ Ott of Fort Collins, in advancing to the national amateur championship. (The qualifiers are pictured, from left, Ott, Irwin and Chen.)

Irwin, son of three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin, earned his third trip to the U.S. Am by shooting rounds of 67-74 for a 1-over-par 141 total. It marked his second time in three years qualifying at Fort Collins CC. (“I may need to join up here. This course has been good to me,” he said.) Irwin also competed in the championship in 2011, when he was exempt after playing in that year’s U.S. Open.

“This will be No. 3. I’m pretty proud of that — especially at 42,” he said. “I’ve always thought the U.S. Amateur is one of the hardest tournaments to qualify for. There’s so many guys and so many great players — a lot of young guys that are playing every day. When you’re only taking two, maybe three, guys (at a given qualifying site), it’s always been one of those harder ones for me to qualify for. Now to do it a little later in my career — and also with all the other things I’ve got going in my life, it feels pretty good.”

Irwin (below), a former CGA Player of the Year and University of Colorado golfer who currently serves on the CGA Board of Governors, made six birdies and seven bogeys over the 36 holes. He got up and down from in front of the green on his final hole to avoid a playoff.

The reward is a trip to a USGA championship for the 13th time, by his reckoning. Give or take, there’s been one U.S. Junior Amateur, three USGA State Teams, five U.S. Mid-Amateurs, the U.S. Open, and now his third U.S. Amateur.

And this time around, he qualified despite playing much less golf than usual in the first half of the year.

“Golf most definitely has not been the focus this year. It hasn’t even been in the top five,” said Irwin, a guiding force — along with his dad — behind Hale Irwin Golf Services and Irwin Golf Management. “I’ve been busy with work, and been involved in an exciting new business venture. We’re getting ready to merge with another company, so I’ve been focused on that. Golf has been one of those things where I might go out for 20 minutes a couple nights a week and that’s about it. I don’t want to say it’s a surprise (to qualify) but it’s gratifying to know that when I focus on it for a little bit, I can still play a little bit.

“When you get on the golf course, your mind frees up a little, which happened in the first round today. The second round I was holding on for dear life. My swing felt like an unfolding lawn chair and I couldn’t make a putt. Other than that it was a good round.”

In all, 81 players teed it up Thursday for three spots in the U.S. Amateur, which is set for Aug. 14-20 at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Coincidentally, one of Hale Irwin’s 20 PGA Tour wins came at Riviera, in the 1976 Glen Campbell Los Angeles Open.

While this will be U.S. Am No. 3 for Steve Irwin, it will be the first for both Chen, a junior-to-be at UNC, and Ott, a sophomore at CSU.

Chen, twice a runner-up in the 5A state high school tournament when he played at Legacy, earned medalist honors on Thursday. He made seven birdies — including two runs of three straight — in a round of 5-under-par 65 in the morning, then carded a 72 in the afternoon for a 3-under 137 total. The 65 marked Chen’s best score ever for a round. He noted that he felt comfortable at Fort Collins CC after finishing 21st individually there at the Ram Masters Invitational college tournament last September.

“It was a great round this morning, but after the round I tried not to think about it as much,” said the 20-year-old, who’s the son of Windy He, a highly-regarded Colorado rules official. “Everybody knows on 36-hole days, you can shoot 65-85 pretty easy. I tried focus on the next round.”

Not only did Chen earn his first trip to a U.S. Amateur, but it’ll be his first USGA championship of any sort.

“To be honest, I don’t even know when and where (the 2017 U.S. Amateur) is,” he said. “But it’ll be a great experience. It shows me that over the last two years playing college, I’ve improved my game. It’s a great step up and a confidence boost to know I have the ability and skills to make it into a tournament of that size and level.”

Ott, who’s lived his entire life in Fort Collins, is very familiar with Fort Collins CC as CSU practices and qualifies for college tournaments there quite often and hosts the Ram Masters Invitational there each September. Ott figures he’s played the course roughly 50 times, and he used that course knowledge to record rounds of 71-70 to tie Irwin for second place at 141. Ott made three birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey on the day.

“(This course) has probably been my second home this year just being at CSU,” said the 19-year-old, who was the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado’s boys player of the year in 2016. “The Ram Masters is set up pretty similar to how they set this up.

“I had to qualify for just about every (college) event, so I was used to hitting the shots around here. I learned a lot this first year about the kind of shots to play on this course and I knew it would culminate with this tournament because this is a big one to get in. It’s definitely an advantage being here at home.”

It will be the second USGA championship for Ott, who competed in the 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur.

“It means a lot” to qualify for the U.S. Am, he said. “It’s something I’ve wanted to get in since I started playing when I was little. It’s going to be fun.”

Davis Bryant of Aurora, who won the Colorado Junior Amateur on Wednesday, was on pace to earn a U.S. Am berth, but an errant tee shot on his 36th hole led to a double bogey and he missed by one stroke at 142. He’ll be the first alternate.

Jackson Solem of Longmont, like Bryant a 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier, landed the second alternate position at 143. The former 4A state high school champion made two triple bogeys in his morning round of 73.

Last week, three other players qualified at Columbine Country Club for the U.S. Amateur. Jake Staiano of Cherry Hills Village was joined in advancing by incoming CSU golfer Parathakorn Suyasri and UCLA player Cole Madey. Like Ott, Staiano is a CSU golfer.

Earlier this week, former University of Colorado golfer Kenny Coakley qualified in Morton, Minn., for the U.S. Amateur. The Phoenix resident earned medalist honors at that qualifying site.

Coloradan Kyler Dunkle, who qualified at Fort Collins Country Club for the 2016 U.S. Am, where he advanced to the round of 16, will be competing at a Monday (July 17) qualifying tournament in Highland, Utah. Dunkle plays for the University of Utah.
 

U.S. Amateur Qualifying
At Par-70 Fort Collins CC
QUALIFIED FOR U.S. AM
Li Chen, Broomfield 65-72–137
Steve Irwin, Arvada 67-74–141
AJ Ott, Fort Collins 71-70–141
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Davis Bryant, Aurora 71-71–142
Jackson Solem, Longmont 73-70–143

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

Fifty years to the month after Columbine Country Club hosted the PGA Championship, Coloradan Jake Staiano, Colorado State University teammate Parathakorn Suyasri of Thailand, and UCLA golfer Cole Madey from West Linn, Ore., had reason to celebrate at the club on Monday.

The three qualified for the U.S. Amateur by setting the standard over 36 holes in a tournament field that originally numbered 83.

Suyasri, who turned 17 years old on Monday and will begin his CSU golf career in September, earned medalist honors by posting rounds of 67-68 for a 9-under-par 135 total at Columbine. Staiano went 66-71 and birdied the final hole from 8 feet to land the second spot at 137. And Madey, who just won the Oregon Amateur Championship, carded scores of 68-70 for a 138 total, then prevailed in a playoff against Henrik Olsson of Austin, Texas, a Southern Methodist University golfer who went 70-68.

Staiano (left) particularly relished earning a berth on Monday as it’ll be his second time around at the U.S. Am. Two years ago, as an 18-year-old, he tied for eighth place out of 312 golfers in stroke play, beating current PGA Tour players Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau (who claimed that U.S. Am title in match play) and 2017 NCAA champion Braden Thornberry in the medal-play portion of the championship. After a rough draw, the CSU golfer then bowed out in the first round of match play to Sam Horsfield of England, who was the No. 3-ranked amateur in the world before turning pro in May.

“It means a lot” to go the U.S. Am a second time, said Staiano, a junior-to-be at CSU. “It was a great experience (in 2015). Just having that experience under your belt is always key. I know what it takes to get into match play. If I can do that again, then I’ll see if I can make something special happen.”

What did Staiano take from the U.S. Am two years ago?

“Just the fact that I can play with the best players in the world. I beat Jon Rahm in the stroke-play portion, I beat DeChambeau in the stroke play. I beat a bunch of the top 20-30 players in the world. That sort of stands out and gives me confidence that I can compete with these guys and beat these guys, which is always good to feel.”

For Suyasri, Staiano and Madey, their U.S. Amateur berths will take them to Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., for the U.S. Amateur, which is set for Aug. 14-20. While it’ll be the second U.S. Am for the 20-year-old Staiano, it’ll be the debut for both Suyasri and Madey. Madey’s UCLA golf team plays frequently at Riviera and at Bel-Air Country Club, the compansion course for stroke play for next month’s U.S. Am. In fact, his college apartment is right across the street from Bel-Air CC.

“Especially with the U.S. Am at my home course, it’s pretty special,” Madey said.

On Monday at Columbine, after Madey made a 10-foot par putt on the first hole of sudden death, the 20-year-old hit a wedge on the second extra hole, the par-4 18th, from 81 yards to 6 inches from the cup and tapped in the birdie to advance. Olsson, whose approach shot from the right rough hit a tree but still managed to finish 30 feet behind the pin, left his birdie putt short and will be the first alternate from the Columbine site.

Zachary Zurcher of Parker, who made a hole-in-one on the 186-yard seventh hole in the afternoon, landed the second alternate spot at 140 after rounds of 73-67.

But it was Suyasri, on his 17th birthday, that really thrived on Monday. He finished the day with an eagle, 10 birdies and three bogeys over the two rounds. (Suyasri is pictured at left with Staiano.)

“My putting went well today,” he said. “It was really good today. My putting is bad one day, then another it’s really good. This was my (good) day.”

The Thai golfer is no stranger to playing well in big events as he’s posted two top-30 finishes in Asian Tour pro tournaments this year — as a then-16-year-old. He also won the 11-12 age division of the IMG Academy Junior World Championships — arguably one of the top two junior tournaments in the world — in 2012. But this will be his first U.S. Amateur. In fact, it will be his first USGA championship of any sort.

“I’m pretty excited because it’s my first time there,” said the lanky teenager. “I’ll try to do my best.”

As for his new CSU teammate Staiano, he was extra determined to earn a U.S. Amateur berth after missing out last year at Columbine, where he was in contention for a national spot until going triple bogey-double bogey on Nos. 5-6 — two par-4s under 350 yards — in the second round.

This time around, he wasn’t going to be caught unprepared, so Staiano played Columbine roughly a half-dozen times in the weeks leading up to Monday’s qualifier. The extra preparation paid dividends as he racked up a dozen birdies, offset by five bogeys.

“Playing it that much really helped me feel comfortable, especially with the tee shots,” Staiano said. “To do well on this course, I think you need to play it pretty aggressive off the tee. I hit drivers on holes where my playing competitor hit 4-iron.

“I was really determined to get back, especially after what happened last year.”

For Staiano, it will be his third USGA championship. Besides the two U.S. Ams, he went to the 2014 U.S. Junior Am, where he also made match play. He’s also advanced to U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying twice.

As for Madey (left), he’s been on a roll of late. As a UCLA sophomore, he finished ninth in the Pac-12 Championship tournament at Boulder Country Club at the end of April, then earned honorable mention all-conference honors. And last week, he won the Oregon Amateur on his home course in West Linn. And now, the U.S. Amateur awaits him.

He qualified at Columbine despite just playing nine holes of practice on the course after flying in on Sunday morning. Madey, who couldn’t try to qualify for the U.S. Am in the Northwest because of tournament conflicts, carded nine birdies and three bogeys on the day.

“I had to gather myself on each shot because I don’t play at elevation (much) like most of the players here and I don’t know the course as well,” he said. For the Pac-12 tournament, “My (UCLA) coach made a card for us to help with the yardage differences from sea level to up here. I used that this week.”

A second Colorado-based U.S. Amateur qualifying tournament will be held July 13 at Fort Collins Country Club, where the top three finishers will advance to the national championship.
 

U.S. Amateur QualifyingӬ
At Par-72 Columbine CC in Columbine Valley
QUALIFIED FOR U.S. AM
Parathakorn Suyasri, Thailand 67-68–135
Jake Staiano, Cherry Hills Village 66-71–137
Cole Madey, West Linn, Oregon 68-70–138
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Henrik Olsson, Austin, Texas 70-68–138
Zachary Zurcher, Parker 73-67–140

For complete results, CLICK HERE.
 

And two other Coloradans — Jake Staiano (2015) and Wyndham Clark (2016) — have likewise earned spots in the 64-man match play field in the 312-player event.

All those golfers began their U.S. Amateur journey with a 36-hole qualifying tournament in Colorado. Two of those qualifying events are on tap in the next two weeks as Columbine Country Club will host one on Monday (July 3) and Fort Collins Country Club one on July 13.

In each case, the top three finishers out of a field of 80-plus players will earn berths to the U.S. Am, scheduled for Aug. 14-20 at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif.

The qualifying field for Monday at Columbine features 2016 CGA Amateur champion Colin Prater, who earned a U.S. Am berth at Columbine last year. Also set to compete are 2017 CGA Match Play winner Chris Korte; former U.S. Am qualifiers Staiano, Chris Thayer, Spencer Painton and Jeff Chapman; Josh Seiple, the 2016 CGA Match Play runner-up who recently advanced to the round of 32 at the British Amateur; and 2015 CGA Match Play champ Nick Nosewicz.

At Fort Collins CC on July 13, 2016 U.S. Am qualifiers Tristan Rohrbaugh and Colton Yates are in the field. Also scheduled to play are Steve Irwin, who’s twice competed in the U.S. Amateur and once in the U.S. Open; 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur qualifiers Jackson Solem and Davis Bryant; and former 5A state high school champion Hunter Paugh.

For pairings, click on the following: COLUMBINE CC, FORT COLLINS CC.

Wyndham Clark made his U.S. Amateur debut as a 16-year-old in 2010 at Chambers Bay, which would go on to host the 2015 U.S. Open.

And thanks to his performance Monday at Columbine Country Club, he’ll likely make his final U.S. Amateur appearance at Oakland Hills in Michigan, home to six U.S. Opens, three PGA Championships and a Ryder Cup over the years.

Clark, the Highlands Ranch resident who twice won the 4A state high school tournament and claimed the 2010 CGA Amateur title as a 16-year-old, had qualified for the U.S. Am four previous times, but wanted to make sure he made it to one more before likely turning pro late next spring following his senior season at the University of Oregon. That’s his new college golf home after playing his previous years at Oklahoma State.

“I’m running out of chances to play in it because I’m looking to turn pro soon,” the 22-year-old said Monday. “It’s definitely important to me. I really wanted to make it, especially not making it last year. It always sucks watching it from a distance. It’ll be nice to be there this time and compete and see where my game is at.”

The 2014 Big 12 Player of the Year joined Tristan Rohrbaugh of Carbondale and Colin Prater of Colorado Springs in punching their tickets to the 116th U.S. Amateur through a 36-hole qualifying tournament at Columbine. While Clark will be going to his eighth USGA championship overall, Rohrbaugh and Prater will be making their USGA championship debuts. (The qualifiers are pictured above, from left: Rohrbaugh, Clark and Prater.)

Rohrbaugh (left), a former 3A state high school champion and a junior-to-be at Boise State, captured medalist honors Monday, shooting rounds of 68-66 for a 10-under-par 134 total. Rohrbaugh holed out from 97 yards for eagle at the par-4 17th hole in the morning and racked up a dozen birdies go along with four bogeys.

Prater, a University of Colorado-Colorado Springs golfer who won the Pikes Peak Amateur on Saturday, went 68-69 to check in at 137. He carded 11 birdies and four bogeys on the day.

Clark matched Prater’s 68-69 day, chalking up an eagle (from 30 feet on his 20th hole of the day), eight birdies and three bogeys overall.

While Clark (left), who’s No. 461 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, overcame a necessary hurdle on Monday, he has bigger things in mind. After all, the 2014 Big 12 Player of the Year twice made it to the 64-man match-play bracket in the U.S. Am and would like to be a contender for the title this time around.

“It’s good to be back,” he said. “I love playing that (U.S. Am) tournament. My game is OK right now. I need to hit it a little better. If I hit it good, I know I can play really well. All the guys I play against on a regular basis are the ones that play at the U.S. Am and have a chance to win it. I know I can do that. I just need to get my game in shape and take it to the course and hope that I show up. Once you get into match play, it’s a crapshoot. You can play good and lose and you can play bad and win. The first goal is to get into match play because that’s really where the tournament starts.”

Of course, Rohrbaugh and Prater would like to make some noise on the national stage as well. But the step of qualifying for the U.S. Am for the first time is a major accomplishment in itself.

“It’s pretty cool,” Rohrbaugh said. “It’s cool to even go play that place (Oakland Hills), let alone going to the U.S. Amateur there. I’m pretty excited. It hasn’t really sunk in.”

Said Prater (left): “It’s a dream come true. I think this is the fourth year I’ve tried to qualify for the U.S. Am, and the first time I make it. This is the tournament I circled on the schedule; this was the biggest one. This is what I wanted to peak for.”

For Rohrbaugh, while he will be competing in his first USGA championship, he’s certainly not a stranger to being inside the ropes at such events. He’s caddied at three U.S. Senior Opens for his dad, three-time Colorado PGA Professional Champion Doug Rohrbaugh.

To be sure, though, playing in a national championship — and arguably the most prestigious amateur tournament on the planet — will be unique. That’s why Rohrbaugh had to work to keep his emotions in check on Monday at Columbine.

“I just tried to stay as calm as possible out there, especially coming down the stretch,” he said.

And it seemed to work, as his double-digit-under-par total would indicate.

“I think this was pretty good,” Rohrbaugh said. “I didn’t miss much, and when I did I’d hit it to like 3 feet every time. I had a lot of birdies inside 10 feet (and) probably four or five inside 5 feet. It’s not like I was putting lights out. I was just hitting it good.”

Prater, meanwhile, carried over his strong play from the Pikes Peak Amateur, where he easily prevailed in Saturday’s 36-hole final match to take the title.

“That (win) gave me some confidence coming into this today,” said Prater, who advanced to U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying last year.

“Overall today, I made a lot of putts. I think I just had complete control of my game. I hit wedges correct distances, I hit it in the correct spots, I gave myself good looks at birdie. When I missed the green or hit it in the trees, I was able to hit a wedge close. I think that’s what saved me today. I hit a couple balls in the trees. I punched them back into play, hit it inside 15 feet and made the putt or par.”

All told, 75 players competed Monday for the three U.S. Amateur berths.

In the earlier U.S. Amateur qualifier held in Colorado — on July 18 at Fort Collins Country Club — Parker residents Kyler Dunkle and Tanner Jenson, and Colorado State University golfer Colton Yates, punched their tickets to the national championship.

Overall, 312 players will compete in the U.S. Am.

For interactive scores from Monday, CLICK HERE.

U.S. Amateur Qualifying
At Par-72 Columbine CC in Columbine Valley

QUALIFIED FOR U.S. AM
Tristan Rohrbaugh, Carbondale, Colo., 68-66–134
Colin Prater, Colorado Springs, Colo., 68-69–137
Wyndham Clark, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 68-69–137
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Ethan Freeman, Denver, Colo., 71-70–141
Christopher Thayer, Denver, Colo., 74-68–142
DID NOT QUALIFY
Easton Paxton, Riverton, Wyo., 73-70–143
Timothy Amundson, Littleton, Colo., 72-72–144
Jake Staiano, Englewood, Colo., 69-76–145
Ryan Schmitz, Littleton, Colo., 71-74–145
Philip Lee, Denver, Colo., 74-74–148
Darrin Hall, Lakewood, Colo., 73-75–148
Spencer Painton, Aurora, Colo., 75-73–148
Jordan McBrayer, Carlsbad, Calif., 74-75–149
Jake Kelley, Littleton, Colo., 76-74–150
Taylor Kennedy, Littleton, Colo., 75-75–150
David Lysaught, Aspen, Colo., 79-71–150
Clayton Crawford, Aspen, Colo., 74-77–151
Benjamin Sherlund, Denver, Colo., 77-74–151
Brittain Walton, Steamboat Springs, Colo., 77-74–151
Sean Crowley, Littleton, Colo., 75-77–152
Brian Dorfman, Denver, Colo., 77-75–152
Mark Zbrzeznj, Edwards, Colo., 78-74–152
Coby Welch, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 78-74–152
John Gorell, Colorado Springs, Colo., 77-77–154
Bradley Phelps, Arvada, Colo., 79-75–154
Clint Miller, Lone Tree, Colo., 80-74–154
Jeff Chapman, Centennial, Colo., 81-74–155
Troy Anderson, Denver, Colo., 78-77–155
Gus Lundquist, Parker, Colo., 79-76–155
Jonathan Doern, Denver, Colo., 75-81–156
Hayden Nicholaides, Englewood, Colo., 75-81–156
Zach Fowlds, Lone Tree, Colo., 78-78–156
Jack Lazzeri, Littleton, Colo., 77-79–156
John Hayes, Denver, Colo., 79-77–156
Austin Lienemann, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 74-83–157
Bridger Ryan, Broomfield, Colo., 79-79–158
Harris Butler, Denver, Colo., 79-79–158
Bryan Cannon, Columbine Valley, Colo., 85-73–158
Alan Boyko, Greenwood Village, Colo., 77-81–158
Barry Erwin, Aurora, Colo., 84-74–158
Roy Carlsen, Arvada, Colo., 84-74–158
Nick Leibold, Littleton, Colo., 79-79–158
David Leede, Greenwood Village, Colo., 79-80–159
Kailer Rundiks, Denver, Colo., 83-76–159
Joey Saad, Grand Junction, Colo., 78-81–159
Cole Cunningham, Centennial, Colo., 79-81–160
Barrett Jones, Eagle, Colo., 79-81–160
Shawn Mercer, Arvada, Colo., 80-80–160
Braden Bentley, Colorado Springs, Colo., 81-79–160
Andrew McCormick, Denver, Colo., 80-81–161
Drew Vance, Lakewood, Colo., 83-78–161
Nicholas Michas, Golden, Colo., 78-83–161
Ross Hansen, Englewood, Colo., 77-85–162
Kyle Koelbel, Centennial, Colo., 79-83–162
Andrew Cooper, Englewood, Colo., 77-86–163
Ryan Alger, Denver, Colo., 78-85–163
Brock Dowdy, Denver, Colo., 80-84–164
Michael Boylan, Denver, Colo., 82-82–164
Clayton Thatch, Aurora, Colo., 84-81–165
Wesley Martin, Denver, Colo., 78-87–165
Brandon Bervig, Colorado Springs, Colo., 83-82–165
Zach Zurcher, Parker, Colo., 81-84–165
Eric Oneth, Greenwood Village, Colo., 78-88–166
David Packer, Greenwood Village, Colo., 84-84–168
Russell Otten, Centennial, Colo., 88-81–169
Eli Mackay, Colorado Springs, Colo., 80-90–170
Austin Hardman, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 81-91–172
Burhan Muzaffar, Denver, Colo., 91-82–173
Dylan Mitchell, Breckenridge, Colo., 86-87–173
Michael Glaesel, Arvada, Colo., 90-85–175
Harrison Murphy, McKinney, Texas, 79-WD
Dan Weisser, Denver, Colo., 79-WD
Kurt Walker, Denver, Colo., 90-WD
Nicholas Schippel, Lakewood, Colo., 90-WD
 

Kyler Dunkle may no longer be a member of the Colorado State University men’s golf team, but he sure hasn’t forgotten how to play Fort Collins Country Club, one of CSU’s home courses.

Dunkle, who recently transferred to the University of Utah from CSU, used his knowledge of Fort Collins CC to qualify for the U.S. Amateur at the site for the second straight year on Monday.

And this time around, the golfer from Parker went so far as to earn medalist honors out of a field of 71.

“I’ve played here a lot, and I think that’s why I’m so comfortable here,” said Dunkle, who finished fourth after an opening-round 63 last fall at CSU’s Ram Masters Invitational at Fort Collins CC. “This course is awesome. The greens are always in great shape. The staff does an incredible job of keeping it in awesome shape. It makes it fun for us to go play because you know if you’re on the green and you hit a good putt, it’s going to go where you hit it.”

A day after winning the CGA Western Chapter Championship in Eagle, Dunkle parlayed his good play into a four-shot “victory” at Fort Collins CC.

The 2012 5A state high school champion made 13 birdies over two rounds and finished with a 6-under-par 134 total. He carded rounds of 66-68.

“The last three days have been really fun,” Dunkle said. “I’ve been playing a lot of really good golf.”

Joining Dunkle (left), 19, in advancing to the U.S. Am were fellow Parker resident Tanner Jenson and Colton Yates of Scottsdale, Ariz., a CSU teammate of Dunkle’s last season. Jenson, who carded six birdies on the day, went 70-68, while Yates had 10 birdies while going 71-69.

Like his former teammate, Yates used his extensive knowledge of Fort Collins Country Club to his advantage on Monday.

“Obviously I know this course really well,” he said. “It is an advantage because I feel comfortable on every tee shot, I know where everything is. The greens, obviously it’s a huge advantage knowing the breaks.”

Yates, who has been battling sickness the last several days, admitted he didn’t have his best stuff on Monday, but grinded out the rounds, with the key being back-to-back birdies he made on his 32nd and 33rd holes of the day after double-bogeying hole 31. Had he not made both of those birdies, at best he would have been in a playoff for the final national berth.

“If I wouldn’t have made back-to-back birdies, I probably would have been out of it because I was starting to feel the sickness,” he said. “I wasn’t feeling great and 36 holes isn’t particularly easy.”

With Blake Cannon having previously qualified for the U.S. Amateur, three Rams from last season are now headed for arguably the world’s top amateur championship.

It will be the second U.S. Am for Dunkle and the first for Jenson and Yates. Jenson, 23, will be a senior on the Utah State golf team, while, Yates, 20, will be a junior at CSU.

“It’s unbelievable,” Jenson said of qualifying for the U.S. Am. “It’s something you look forward to your whole life. If you get that chance to play in one USGA event as an amateur, it’s something special. It’s something I’ll cherish for a long time.”

Jenson is in the midst of a college golf career which was interrupted after his freshman season by a two-year Mormon mission in Chile. In South America, the Chaparral High School graduate never played a round of golf in those two years, but he hit a few balls occasionally.

“They had one driving range (open to the general public),” he said. “It was like a field. They give you one golf club that’s like from 1990 right? And you hit all your balls with that one club. I went there about five times in my two years there. Surprisingly, it didn’t take me that long (to regain his golf form once he returned to the U.S.). I birdied my first hole coming back. That was pretty cool. It only took me a few weeks or a month to get back to where I was. I felt I actually improved by the time the summer was over compared to before I left.”

As for his fellow Parker resident Dunkle, making it to the U.S. Amateur twice as a teenager is no small feat.

“It’s awesome” to go to the U.S. Am two straight years, Dunkle said. “Obviously last year when I went I didn’t play my best golf (finishing near the bottom of the field at the national championship). So it will be fun to see if I can prove myself and play a little better and represent myself and (the University of) Utah at the U.S. Am.”

On Monday, Dunkle birdied the first three holes and the last two (from tap-in range) in the morning round, and two of his first three in the afternoon. He won the qualifier by four despite bogeying two of his last three holes.

“I was able to get off to quick starts, which really helped me confidence-wise,” he said.

All told, 312 players will compete in the U.S. Amateur, which this year is set for Aug 15-21 at Oakland Hills in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., a course that’s hosted six U.S. Opens, three PGA Championships and a Ryder Cup.

“I think everybody does their research (about the national site),” Dunkle said. “It’s going to be a really fun experience. Last year Olympia Fields was awesome (for the U.S. Am). It was by far one of the coolest courses I’ve played. I’m really excited to see what Oakland Hills has to offer because of the sheer history that it has. You think about the names that have been there. It will be fun to walk down the fairways that some of the really good players have walked.”

The second and final U.S. Open qualifier in Colorado will be held July 25 at Columbine Country Club, where another three spots into the national championship will be at stake.

For interactive scores from Monday, CLICK HERE.
 

U.S. Amateur Qualifying
At Par-70 Fort Collins CC

QUALIFIED FOR U.S. AMATEUR
Kyler Dunkle, Parker, Colo. 66-68–134
Tanner Jenson, Parker, Colo. 70-68–138
Colton Yates, Scottsdale, Ariz. 71-69–140
ALTERNATES (in order)
Ben Albin, Santa Fe, N.M. 72-69–141
Isaac Petersilie, Colorado Springs, Colo. 70-71–141
DID NOT QUALIFY
Dominic Kieffer, Fort Collins, Colo. 70-72–142
Cole Nygren, Niwot, Colo. 75-68–143
Jackson Solem, Longmont, Colo. 71-72–143
Jon Lindstrom, Broomfield, Colo. 74-70–144
Ryan Axlund, Denver, Colo. 74-70–144
Brenden Bone, Bluffdale, Utah 70-75–145
Jimmy Makloski, Pueblo, Colo. 71-74–145
Steven Irwin, Arvada, Colo. 68-78–146
Nathaniel Goddard, Fort Collins, Colo. 75-72–147
John Murdock, Laramie, Wyo. 76-72–148
Dylan Wonnacott, Longmont, Colo. 76-72–148
AJ Ott, Fort Collins, Colo. 77-71–148
Pierce Aichinger, Englewood, Colo. 70-78–148
John Souza, Phoenix, Ariz. 75-73–148
Chris Korte, Littleton, Colo. 71-78–149
Connor Klein, Lone Tree, Colo. 73-76–149
Michael Tait, Littleton, Colo. 75-74–149
Josh McLaughlin, Loveland, Colo. 76-74–150
Eric Hill, Fort Collins, Colo. 73-77–150
Joshua Hill, Superior, Colo. 75-75–150
Alex Kephart, Colorado Springs, Colo. 77-73–150
Jack Cummings, Arvada, Colo. 74-76–150
Josh Seiple, Castle Rock, Colo. 77-73–150
Cooper Taylor, Superior, Colo. 80-71–151
Andrew Romano, Lone Tree, Colo. 74-77–151
Quintin Pope, Cheyenne, Wyo. 77-74–151
Alec Bone, Bluffdale, Utah 74-77–151
Cole Krantz, Windsor, Colo. 77-74–151
Andrew Howe, Longmont, Colo. 76-76–152
Josh Caridi, Fort Collins, Colo. 74-78–152
Cameron Connor, Boulder, Colo. 71-82–153
Pierce Trumper, Fort Collins, Colo. 75-78–153
Matthew Goddard, Fort Collins, Colo. 81-73–154
Glenn Workman, Pueblo West, Colo. 80-74–154
Troy Dangler, Grand Junction, Colo. 77-78–155
Frederick Gluck, Boulder, Colo. 80-75–155
Ryan Zetwick, Castle Rock, Colo. 80-75–155
Luke Travins, Colorado Springs, Colo. 77-78–155
Thomas Downing, Holliston, Mass. 83-72–155
Keegan Sheard, Wheat Ridge, Colo. 80-76–156
Neil Tillman, Arvada, Colo. 79-78–157
Damon Dageenakis, Erie, Colo. 81-76–157
Sam Taylor, Nederland, Colo. 85-73–158
PJ Collier, Houston, Texas 77-81–158
Ji Jang, Aurora, Colo. 79-79–158
Curt Ozmina, Ft Collins, Colo. 79-79–158
Tyler Kahn, Castle Rock, Colo. 81-77–158
Doug Manske, Littleton, Colo. 84-75–159
Samuel Scheer, Steamboat Springs, Colo. 82-77–159
Jared Edeen, Cheyenne, Wyo. 79-80–159
Brett Krantz, Windsor, Colo. 83-76–159
William Myer, Denver, Colo. 78-82–160
Ross Macdonald, Castle Rock, Colo. 78-82–160
Kevin Liao, Littleton, Colo. 77-84–161
Tyler Bricker, Fort Collins, Colo. 83-81–164
Matthew Gutowski, Louisville, Colo. 78-86–164
Brett Hawley, Westminster, Colo. 77-88–165
Samuel Toillion, Longmont, Colo. 80-85–165
Nathaniel Wood, Grand Junction, Colo. 84-82–166
Robb Bierbaum, Arvada, Colo. 80-86–166
John Amato, Lakewood, Colo. 88-82–170
Daniel Garbee, Arvada, Colo. 85-85–170
Joel Poorman, Boulder, Colo. 78-WD
Adam Pladson, Aurora, Colo. 79-WD
Wilson Belk, Colorado Springs, Colo. 78-WD
Behrod Keshtavar, Erie, Colo. 87-WD
 

The Centennial State will host two 36-hole U.S. Amateur qualifying tournaments, Monday (July 18) at Fort Collins Country Club and July 25 at Columbine Country Club. Seventy-seven players are in the field in Fort Collins and 80 at Columbine. At each site, three spots into the 312-player national championship will be at state.

The 2016 U.S. Amateur will be contested Aug. 15-21 at Oakland Hills in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., a course that’s hosted six U.S. Opens, three PGA Championships and a Ryder Cup.

Among those in the field at Fort Collins CC are two 2015 U.S. Amateur qualifiers, Kyler Dunkle of Fort Collins and Steve Irwin of Arvada, who went to his second U.S. Am last summer. Also entered there are 2016 CGA Match Play winner Nathaniel Goddard of Fort Collins and runner-up Josh Seiple of Castle Pines; 2015 CGA Stroke Play champ Chris Korte of Littleton; and last year’s CGA Mid-Amateur winner Jon Lindstrom of Broomfield.

Meanwhile, on July 25 at Columbine, the competitors will include four-time U.S. Amateur qualifier Wyndham Clark of Lone Tree and Colorado State golfer Jake Staiano, who finished eighth in the stroke-play portion of the 2015 U.S. Am and advanced to the round of 64 in match play. Likewise set for Columbine are incoming University of Colorado golfer Spencer Painton, who also qualified for the U.S. Am last year; two-time U.S. Amateur qualifier Gus Lundquist; and 2013 qualifier and 2014 alternate Chris Thayer.

For July 18 tee times from Fort Collins CC, CLICK HERE.

Sometimes, a golfer just senses that he or she is destined to perform well on a given day.

Monday, it should be noted, was not one of those days for Steve Irwin.

In fact, the night before the Arvada resident competed in the U.S. Amateur qualifier at Fort Collins Country Club, the former University of Colorado golfer told his wife, Jessi, that he had few expectations.

“I told her that I’m just going to go up there and try to have some fun and just not think about it,” Irwin recalled.

And, of course, Irwin proceeded to not only qualify for his second U.S. Amateur, but shared medalist honors out of a field that originally numbered 78.

Irwin, 40, and home-course favorite Kyle Danford of Fort Collins CC, 32, tied for the best scores over 36 holes, and they were joined in earning spots in the national championship by another Fort Collins resident, 18-year-old Kyler Dunkle. (The qualifiers are pictured above, from left: Dunkle, Danford and Irwin.)

Those three will be among the 312 competitors in the U.S. Am, which is set for Aug. 17-23 in Olympia Fields, Ill.

Irwin, son of three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin, and Danford will be going to their second U.S. Amateur, while Dunkle is headed for his first. Irwin competed in the 2011 championship thanks to qualifying for the U.S. Open that same year. And Danford played in the 2013 U.S. Am, also after qualifying at his home course.

“This was unexpected to say the least,” said Irwin, the 2004 CGA Player of the Year. “I definitely did not have much of a golf game today. Fortunately, I putted very, very well. I took advantage of the par-3s (with five 2s on his card) and holed one out for eagle. I was leaking some oil coming in (with bogeys on his 33rd, 34th and 35th holes of the day before a 4-foot birdie on his last), but I hit some good shots when I needed to.

“It took all my wits to gather some sort of golf swing for each and every shot.”

Irwin (left) and Danford matched 3-under-par 137 totals for 36 holes, with Irwin carding rounds of 67-70 and Danford going 69-68. Both players holed out shots at the par-5 first hole on Monday, Irwin in the morning from 111 yards and Danford in the afternoon from 50 yards. Irwin racked up 10 birdies and nine bogeys in addition to his eagle. Danford complemented his eagle with four birdies and three bogeys, but certainly didn’t feel in the zone.

“I really wasn’t comfortable most of the day,” Danford said. “I scored well. I got up and down a lot and had a lot of good par saves. I chipped in twice the last nine — one for eagle and one for par. It was a little struggle. I just had to grind it out the whole day.”

But just as his home course knowledge paid dividends two years ago in U.S. Amateur qualifying, likewise was the case on Monday.

“It’s tough playing against guys who play every day,” said Danford, whose wife gave birth to their fourth child just nine days before the qualifier. “But (playing at Fort Collins CC) definitely gives me an advantage. It can almost be a double-edged sword where you put too much pressure on yourself. But this year, I had a big break with where the pins were. I know how the greens react. These greens are tricky. I’ve been a member for 25 years now, so I know them, which is lucky. And I know where to miss off the tee box too.”

Two years ago, Danford struggled considerably in his first round of stroke play at the U.S. Amateur, shooting a 92. But he bounced back to fire a 73 in round 2.

“I kind of want a little redemption,” he said. “The nerves definitely got to me on that first round. It was a rough one, but it was fun (competing in the U.S. Am). Playing a course like that (The Country Club at Brookline, Mass.) was pretty special. It still gives me nightmares. But I bounced back the second day, which showed me I could hang in there with some of those guys. Getting another shot at it is all I can ask for.”

Dunkle, the 2012 5A state high school champion, likewise had a certain home-course advantage on Monday. As a Colorado State University golfer, he plays Fort Collins CC on a regular basis, perhaps 50 times by now.

“It’s kind of a home-field advantage for me just because CSU gets to play here every day,” said Dunkle, who made five birdies and three bogeys on Monday. “On some of the greens, you know what some putts are going to do. It’s nice because you’re a little more comfortable and have a feel for the kind of tee shots you need to hit. I think that definitely helped.

“I didn’t do anything incredible today, but I didn’t make too many mistakes.”

The result is that he’s headed for his first USGA championship. It’s just another step in a solid summer for Dunkle, who teamed up with his dad to win the CGA Father/Son title and later advanced to the quarterfinals of the CGA Match Play Championship.

“I found how to work hard,” Dunkle said of his recent strong play. “When you put that work in, the results will show. I feel like I’m in a groove for sure. I’ve been playing really well.”

However Dunkle and Irwin and Danford made it happen on Monday, the payoff was large.

“It’s the biggest amateur tournament in the world,” Irwin said of the U.S. Amateur. “To get through like this is something I’ve never done before so that’s definitely something very exciting for me.”

Monday marked the second and final Colorado-based U.S. Amateur qualifier. Last week at Columbine Country Club, Spencer Painton of Aurora, David Oraee of Greeley and Canadian Tyler Saunders advanced to the national championship.
 

U.S. Amateur Qualifying
At Par-70 Fort Collins CC

QUALIFIED
Kyle Danford, Fort Collins, Colo., 69-68–137
Steven Irwin, Arvada, Colo., 67-70–137
Kyler Dunkle, Fort Collins, Colo., 69-69–138
ALTERNATES (in order)
Ryan McCullough, Las Vegas, Nev., 74-67–141
Sam Nichamin, Avon, Colo., 72-70–142
FAILED TO QUALIFY
Ryan Axlund, Denver, Colo., 71-71–142
Steven Kupcho, Westminster, Colo., 72-71–143
Joshua Seiple, Castle Rock, Colo., 72-71–143
Sam Marley, Centennial, Colo., 74-69–143
Wade Petersilie, Colorado Springs, Colo., 74-70–144
Jimmy Makloski, Pueblo, Colo., 73-71–144
Daniel Pearson, Longmont, Colo., 73-71–144
Tanner Jenson, Parker, Colo., 74-70–144
Ethan Freeman, Denver, Colo., 71-73–144
Andrew Romano, Lone Tree, Colo., 65-80–145
Behrod Keshtavar, Erie, Colo., 74-72–146
Kamrin Allen, Sheridan, Wyo., 72-75–147
Wyndham Clark, Stillwater, Okla., 73-74–147
Sean Kato, Greeley, Colo., 75-72–147
Cole Nygren, San Luis Obispo, Colo., 79-70–149
Sunwoo Choi, Usaf Academy, Calif., 79-70–149
Griffin Barela, Lakewood, Colo., 79-70–149
Alan Berry, Littleton, Colo., 75-75–150
Jonathan Doern, Denver, Colo., 77-73–150
Blake Cannon, Mesa, Ariz., 76-75–151
Matthew Goddard, Fort Collins, Colo., 75-76–151
Marc Shirazi, Greeley, Colo., 72-79–151
Ben Sherlund, Denver, Colo., 75-76–151
Jack Cummings, Arvada, Colo., 82-71–153
Jeff Tyrrell, Casper, Wyo., 79-74–153
Damon Dageenakis, Erie, Colo., 75-79–154
Luke Travins, Colorado Springs, Colo., 78-76–154
Pierce Trumper, Fort Collins, Colo., 77-77–154
Josh Caridi, Fort Collins, Colo., 78-77–155
Dylan Mitchell, Breckenridge, Colo., 81-74–155
Steven Montabone, Fort Collins, Colo., 76-79–155
Adam Pladson, Aurora, Colo., 81-74–155
Aaron Purviance, Winston Salem, N.C., 77-79–156
Sam Taylor, Nederland, Colo., 79-77–156
Cameron Connor, Boulder, Colo., 80-77–157
Eric Brown, Lake Charles, La., 80-77–157
Dylan Wonnacott, Longmont, Colo., 79-79–158
Ryan Zetwick, Castle Rock, Colo., 77-82–159
Weston Moran, Colorado Springs, Colo., 74-85–159
Drew Trujillo, Montrose, Colo., 80-79–159
Grant Dinkel, Boulder, Colo., 81-78–159
John Jarmul, Englewood, Colo., 76-83–159
Austin Burgess, Colorado Springs, Colo., 83-77–160
Connor Miele, Billings, Mont., 77-84–161
Will Fowler, Lakewood, Colo., 77-86–163
Jackson Vacek, Lafayette, Colo., 84-80–164
Johan Werge, San Luis Pototsi, 78-86–164
Colby Bundy, Ft Collins, Wyo., 82-83–165
Kyle Thurman, Boulder, Colo., 85-81–166
Harris Butler, Englewood, Colo., 87-81–168
Samuel Toillion, Longmont, Colo., 78-91–169
John Kane, Centennial, Colo., 85-85–170
Anthony Spikes, New York, N.Y., 86-85–171
Arnold Hoy, Castle Rock, Colo., 79-93–172
Jason Ward, Ft. Collins, Colo., 90-85–175
Kevin Koelbel, Centennial, Colo., 79-WD
Alex Kephart, Colorado Springs, Colo., 77-WD
James Jones, Centennial, Colo., 80-WD
Joshua Hill, Superior, Colo., 82-WD
Brian Craig, Aurora, Colo., 79-WD
Kyle Koelbel, Centennial, Colo., 78-WD
Jd Kiesewetter, Usaf Academy, Texas, 76-WD
Nick Leibold, Littleton, Colo., 78-WD
Nicolas Karavites, Englewood, Colo., 77-WD
Taylor Montgomery, Henderson, Nev., 73-WD