On Tuesday, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame named Kupcho its Amateur Athlete of the Year — regardless of sport — for 2018. She and the other athletes of the year — including Denver Broncos rookie Phillip Lindsay — plus the six CSHOF inductees (Missy Franklin, Daniel Graham, Todd Lodwick, Bob Smith, Marvin Kay and Tom Southall) will be honored at the organization’s Induction & Awards Banquet on April 3 at the Hilton Denver City Center (1701 California St.).

Kupcho had another stellar year in 2018, highlighted by becoming the first Coloradan to win the individual title at the Women’s NCAA Division I Golf Championships. The now-Wake Forest senior previously had finished sixth (as a freshman) and second (as a sophmore) at the NCAA national tournament.

That title helped Kupcho to be named the world’s female Amateur of the Year by digital golf news magazine Global Golf Post. Last summer, Kupcho became the first American woman to earn the Mark H. McCormack Medal (above) as the top women’s player in the World Amateur Golf Rankings at the time (she’s currently No. 2).

In November, Kupcho capped off the year in fine fashion by earning her 2019 LPGA Tour card by placing second in the eight-round LPGA final qualifying tournament. But Kupcho will defer joining the Tour until after completing her college elibility in May.

Last summer, Kupcho represented the U.S. in three international competitions as American prevailed in the Curtis Cup, Arnold Palmer Cup and the World Amateur Team Championship. And she finished second individually — out of a field of 170 — at the World Amateur Team Championship.

Kupcho played in the LPGA Tour’s Marathon Classic in July, placing 16th, her best showing in an LPGA event.

Last fall, Kupcho was named the Golf Person of the Year by the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame for the second time in three years.
  

Before we bid adieu to 2018, we have one last bit of unfinished business regarding our year-end retrospectives.

Yes, it’s time to revisit some of the most memorable, insightful, profound and/or funny quotes of 2018 from the world of Colorado golf.

In other words, our most notable quotables.

Here are our picks for 2018:

— Baseball Hall of Famer John Smoltz on qualifying for the U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor:

“I don’t know if there’s a cloud higher than Cloud Nine, but that’s where I feel like I’ve been.

“It’s probably the No. 1 thing that I’ve ever accomplished. 

— Then-State Senator Lucia Guzman said after fellow Senator Jack Tate read a tribute to golf during Golf Alliance Day at the Capitol:

“Golf is a good thing. It’s good for the economy. It’s good for the soul, so get out and do it.”

— Former University of Colorado golfer Robyn Choi, who has never competed in a USGA championship other than the two U.S. Women’s Opens for which she’s qualified:

“It’s the biggest tournament. I feel like I’ve had a big jump. I feel like I’m missing the (USGA) in-betweeners. I think it’s weird.”

— Former CWGA/CGA president Juliet Miner (above), on being honored as the CGA women’s volunteer of year:

“I’m a comer, I’m a doer, I’m a participant.”

— Retired District Judge Tom Kennedy on winning the Jim Topliff Award as the CGA’s on-course rules official of the year in late 2017:

“I think it was a pretty easy transition for me because I spent my entire adult life dealing with the law, dealing with the rules and learning how to understand them and apply them to the factual situation that existed at that time. As I told people when I first started doing this, ‘I’m used to calling balls and strikes. That’s what I’ve been doing all my adult life.'”

— Oswaldo Morales, a Coloradan who received the full-tuition and housing Evans Scholarship for caddies in 2018:

The Evans scholarship will “not make A difference in my life, but THE difference.”

— An article in azcentral.com, the digital home of The Arizona Republic newspaper, on the social media phenomenon that is Paige Spiranac, who grew up in Colorado and won the 2015 CWGA Match Play title:

“She picked up her first individual win in years, and checked her phone as she walked off the course, assuming the stream of texts was to congratulate her. Then she checked Instagram.

“Thousands of people had followed her. As she searched for explanation, a friend texted her a link to an article on (name redacted), a website devoted to frat parties and college girls. Spiranac clicked the link. The bro-targeted site had declared, “The Whole World Is About To Fall In Love With Paige Spiranac,” complete with a dozen photos and a link to her Instagram account.

“… Thousands of more people found her and followed Spiranac. She told her sister she just wanted a ‘K,’ to see her follower count tick from ‘9,999’ to ’10K.’ That happened in a few hours. Then it kept climbing.

“Twenty-thousand. Fifty. By the next day, she had more than 100,000 followers.”

— Three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin, who grew up in Boulder, on the end of an era regarding 18-hole playoffs at the U.S. Open:

“It’s not a surprise, frankly. I’m sure there have been a lot of opinions expressed to see a winner determined on Sunday, be it fans or media or Fox Sports, which is paying umpteen millions to broadcast the U.S. Open. I think tradition had to take a backseat here to the times we live in.”

— CGA executive director Ed Mate, at the Women’s Annual Meeting regarding CGA/CWGA unification, which took place a year ago:

“We’re just better together. It’s that simple.”

— Mate, in an interview with We Are Golf, on caddying:

“Caddying embodies some of the most important and fundamental attributes of our sport that make it great. Golf is a game of a lifetime and caddying puts young and old together to share it. Golf promotes health and wellness and caddies make it more enjoyable for adults to walk and gets kids outside and away from their video screens. Golf is a social game; show me a group of four golfers with four caddies and I will show you eight people having a great time.”

— Three-time CGA Mid-Amateur champion Jon Lindstrom (left), on learning he had prostate cancer in 2017, shortly after turning 50:

“It wasn’t on my radar at all, then all of a sudden it went from 0 to 100 with a (mortality) scare. I was telling everyone I golf with who are over 40 to go get the blood test at the very least during your next physical because you never know. I had no symptoms or family history of this.

“Now that I’m a prostate cancer expert (he said with a bit of a laugh) … Obviously I had cancer before I was 50 because it didn’t just happen overnight, so I’d recommend at least having the discussion of the blood test starting at 40. Obviously I had it at some point in my 40s. The earlier you get it, the more options you have. That’s the biggest thing. There’s several different routes you can go, but the sooner you know, the more options you have.”

— CGA executive director Ed Mate, on Golf Alliance Day at the Capitol, an opportunity for golf industry leaders to meet state lawmakers:

“We have to kind of keep chipping away at the image” of the golf industry, referring to the stubborn perceptions that it wastes water and resourses and is inaccessible. “There’s always going to be people who think golf is the Masters. I think it’s worked out well that we follow the Masters (for Golf Alliance Day at the Capitol). It’s a nice landmark date. That (venue and event) is unique. This (Golf Alliance Day at the Capitol) is about affordability, and not emerald green (grass) but environmental stewardship.”

— Colorado PGA execuctive director Eddie Ainsworth, on a growing number of rounds played, according to the Public Golf Course Rounds and Revenue Survey:

“As long as the weather cooperates, I think rounds should continue to increase. All the things that everybody is doing to grow the game — all the efforts to make golf more inclusive, what we’re doing with junior golf and trying to get more families out at the golf course, private clubs becoming more family entertainment centers to get the entire family involved — I think everybody’s efforts are paying some dividends.”

— Runner-up Alex Buecking, after Jon Lindstrom teamed with Richard Bradsby and became the first person to win the CGA Four-Ball title at least four times:

“I’m going to create a conflict for Lindstrom next year” for this event.

— Wake Forest golfer and Westminster resident Jennifer Kupcho, after winning the women’s NCAA Division I individual title a week after turning 21 and on her parents’ 35th wedding anniversary:

“It’s awesome. It’s so fun to have my teammates here. To win this on my parents’ anniversary is even better. I’m really excited for that.”

— A year after Davis Bryant and younger sister Emma Bryant jointly won all four Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado majors in 2017, they completed a sweep of the boys and girls 5A state high school titles in the same school year. Said Emma:

“After he won state we were like, ‘Oh that would be so cool if Emma won state too. That’s never happened before.’ I was like, ‘It could happen. I don’t know. I guess you’ve got to see where the cards fall.’ Getting the Bryant Slam was so cool, but us both winning state … Thinking who won state this season, it’ll be, ‘Oh, Emma and Davis Bryant, they both won state.’ That’s so cool. I’m not exactly walking in his footsteps; I’m kind of building my own path a little bit. But I’m going back to his path a tad bit.”

— Two players with 44 CGA women’s championships between them at that point — Colorado Golf Hall of Famers Kim Eaton and Janet Moore (left) — teamed up for the first time to win another in May at the CGA Women’s Brassie. Said Eaton:

“We have never, ever played together as partners. It’s kind of like a no-brainer, right?”

— Despite his stellar record as a player, World Golf Hall of Famer Hale Irwin, who grew up in Boulder, was pleasantly surprised to become a Memorial Tournament honoree, joining a group which includes many of the top players in history.

“I have a hard time putting myself in that category with the greats of the past, so I am absolutely delighted.”

— Colorado PGA professional Doug Rohrbaugh, on qualifying for his fourth U.S. Senior Open, this one at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs:

“Four times (in the Senior Open) is obviously amazing, but to play in your backyard … I’ve been thinking about this ever since I saw it was on the schedule — thinking how cool it would be to have family and friends come down. It’s huge.”

— Guy Mertz, on teaming with son Nick to win the CGA Parent/Child title:

“I’d put this up there with any of the wins I’ve ever had, maybe above them all. When you win with your son it means more than just winning by yourself.”

— Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Janet Moore, on qualifying for the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open:

“This one is very special for me. Normally I don’t get too nervous for qualifiers. I was nervous for this one, and already I’m nervous for the tournament and it’s a month away. This is very special to play in the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open. It’s the biggest (USGA event) I’ve played in.

“My friend Ellen Port (a seven-time USGA champ) is exempt. And she said, ‘Janet, I want you to come out and watch.’ I said, ‘Ellen, I’m going to try to play.’ She’s like, ‘I’m sorry. I forgot.’ I’m anxious to text her and say, ‘Hey, I’m playing too.'”

— Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe, on returning to the state to play the U.S. Senior Open:

“This has always been home so it’s nice to come back. I’ve got nephews and nieces that have never even seen me play golf. That will be kind of cool.”

— Jobe, on finishing fifth at the U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor:

“It would have been so cool” to win in his old home state. “That was my goal. Two unbelievable chances (this and the 2005 International). It was out there for me. … I guess it wasn’t meant to be. It wasn’t my day.”

— Fred Couples, on playing the U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor:

“These greens, I think they’re (tougher) than Oakmont and Oakmont’s are the hardest greens I’ve ever seen. I think they’re brutal (here).”

Added Bernhard Langer, regarding the Broadmoor greens:

“They’re as severe as they get. Fred and I played in many Masters over the years. And they’re pretty severe and tough (at Augusta National). But these probably are another level still.”

— Colorado Sports Hall of Famer Hale Irwin, on possibly playing his final U.S. Senior Open in the Centennial State:

“If it was (my last) — and we’re not saying that — being here around family and friends and the old stomping grounds, sure there’s a great deal of nostalgia here. Going into the clubhouse and seeing the old 1967 Broadmoor Invitation (a tournament that Irwin won), that brings back a lot of fond memories. At the same time, I’m not one that gets hung up in the history and what used to be. I’m more, ‘what can I do today?’ That’s kind of what drives my life now. I have a lot of history and a lot of it is great, but I don’t live my life in the past. I want to live my life in the present and the future.”

— Irwin, on the 15-over-par 85 he shot in the second round of the Senior Open at The Broadmoor:

It was “the worst round I’ve ever had as a professional.”

— Colorado PGA professionals Doug Rohrbaugh, on having the honor to hit the first tee shot at the 2018 U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs:

“That was on my mind, it was. That’s kind of a cool deal to kick the thing off. I had my mom and dad sitting there, and a bunch of friends. I’m not going to lie — it kind of got to me a little. I got a little emotional about it.”

— U.S. Senior Open competitor Jerry Kelly, on jokingly being asked by fellow University of Hartford alum Tim Petrovic if he attended the school:

“I went to the school. I just didn’t go to class.”

— Russ Miller, director of golf at The Broadmoor, on the U.S. Senior Open there attracting 134,500 fans for the week:

“It’s amazing how well Colorado supports these things. It’s been proven over and over and over. That’s exciting.”

— AJ Ott of Fort Collins, on qualifying for the U.S. Amateur that was hosted by Pebble Beach:

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

— Tiffany Maurycy, after needing 20 holes in the title match to win the CGA Women’s Senior Match Play:

“I’m over the moon. I’ve now won state championships in New York, Vermont and Colorado. It’s a real feather in my cap. My dad is a golf pro and I come from a golfing family. This is a big deal, there’s no doubt. … This is it. I can’t believe that I won.”

— Guy Mertz, on rallying to qualify for the U.S. Senior Amateur for a second straight year:

“I guess it proves last year wasn’t a fluke. Two years in a row; it can’t be a fluke, can it? Maybe I’m decent.”

— Georgene McGonagle, who captained the Colorado Girls Junior Americas Cup team for four straight years in the 1980s, on the importance of the event, which this year was held at Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen:

“I think this is probably one of the most wonderful things for young girls for their development. It’s something they’re going to remember the rest of their lives. They have to work with lots of other people. They learn the pressure of competition, which will suit them for any realm the rest of their life. (The GJAC) has to go on forever because it’s so meaningful and important for the development of those kids.”

— Dru Love, on what his father, World Golf Hall of Famer Davis Love III, told him over the phone before Dru won the CoBank Colorado Open in a playoff:

“He gave me some advice. He’s been in a lot of playoffs. He’s won a lot of them and lost a lot of them so he knows what he’s doing. He gave me some good advice. He just told me to get back my contact, get some confidence back and go beat ’em. Take ’em down. I went to the range and did what he told me. And under that much pressure I didn’t hit a single bad shot in the playoff.”

— Kyler Dunkle, on winning the CGA Amateur:

“To have my name on the trophy with a lot of other really good players (including Hale Irwin, Steve Jones, Brandt Jobe, Bob Byman and Wyndham Clark), that will be a cool thing. Growing up in Colorado, this is the tournament that a lot of people want to win. This is where all the best players in the state play.”

— Kristine Franklin after winning the CGA Women’s Senior Stroke Play while her dad George Hoos was battling leukemia:

“I really wanted to do this for my dad. I just can’t wait to tell my dad (about winning). I get so much joy from watching my kids play. I didn’t realize that back when I played that my parents got that much joy.”

— World Golf Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam, on playing a round of golf at The Broadmoor with First Tee members from around the nation:

“The thing I do with my foundation is I tell people there’s no other sport like golf where you have great ambassadors like these young kids. These are the next generation of leaders or influencers — or whatever you want to call them. It’s so cool that they play golf. I think we really need to take advantage of these opportunities. I love being part of it — to see how focused these young kids are. I think they inspire me as much as hopefully I inspire them.”

— Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Janet Moore, on qualifying for her 28th USGA national championship:

“Which is really impressive until you hear Carol Semple Thompson’s 100-plus. Then it’s like, ‘Oh.’ I remember somebody said, ‘Janet, that’s so good.’ Then you go to the players’ dinner (at USGA events) and there’s 70, 80 and (Semple Thompson’s 100-plus). It’s a different league. There’s a whole different realm out there.”

— Patrick Reidy, on winning the Colorado PGA Professional Chamionship:

“Other than playing golf at (the University of Colorado in the mid-1980s), this is hands down the greatest thing I’ve ever accomplished in my golfing career. It’s great, seriously. It’s unexpected to be even having this conversation to be honest with you. To actually hold this (trophy) right now is absolutely crazy. It’s bringing tears to my eyes.”

— Robert Polk, chairman of the CGA Tournament Committee, on winning the CGA Senior Amateur at age 63:

“I’ve handed out trophies way too many times. I wanted to win. That was always painful. The older I get, the winning is wonderful but it means you didn’t lose. I take losing so much harder now, and I lose obviously a lot more than I win. It takes me a while to get over it. I think, ‘I left so many shots out there.’ You’d think I wouldn’t take it so hard. But to get it done is very exciting.”

— Sandra Young, on teaming with Louise Lyle to win the CGA Women’s Dunham Chapman Championship:

“It’s amazing. I’ve won a few smaller things, but not a state event. … I’m ready to pass out.”

— Kyle Danford, on pairing with David Johnson to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship:

“My wife is happy because the other three USGA events I’ve qualified for, she’s been pregnant. Now we’ve broken that little schneid so she doesn’t have to get pregnant any more for me to go to a USGA event.”

— Coloradan Jim Knous on qualifying for the PGA Tour by earning the last available card through the Web.com Tour Finals:

“It was a brutal day emotionally. I wasn’t quite sure how much my performance would affect the overall outcome. It kind of just depended on what everybody else did. That’s pretty terrifying. So I really just kind of did my best to stay calm and inside I was really freaking out and just super psyched that at the end of the day finished right there on No. 25.”

— Jack Nicklaus on Colorado Sports Hall of Famer and International founder Jack Vickers, who passed away in September:

“Jack was someone who cared deeply about the history and the traditions of the game of golf, and wanted to protect them for the future. Jack was always a huge supporter of the game — whether it was in Colorado or nationwide; whether it was the game played at the highest level or his support of grassroots programs. Simply put, Jack Vickers was very good for the game of golf. Jack was a good man, and very well-liked by all. Jack always handled himself incredibly well, and always with integrity. He was a very good man, and I”™m blessed to say he was my friend.”

— Fifteen-year-old Armando Duarte, a caddie for the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy:

“Before I started (caddying), I never knew anything about golf. I thought golf was the most boring sport ever. Now, I’m back to playing it. I tried out for my high school team. I didn’t make it but I’m still playing. I think it’s a great thing to do. I got all that from caddying.”

— 2018 CGA Mid-Amateur champion Jared Reid, on being paired in the final round with Jon Lindstrom and Chris Thayer, who have won the championship five times between them:

“Teeing off with those two and they’re announcing all the times they’ve won the championship and runner-ups and everything like that. I’m like, ‘Geez, how am I going to do this today? Hopefully I get out of their way most of the time.'”

— 3A boys state high school champion Jackson Klutznick (pictured, with Bob Austin), on what his one-time tennis coach told him that led to him giving up high-level competitive tennis in favor of golf:

“He told me that when I’m playing tennis, I need to be hating the person on the other side of the net. I came down to the decision, I didn’t want to do that. That’s not me. In golf, you’re telling (your playing partners) they hit a great shot or an awesome putt. You’re not trying to bring them down. I thought that was a much more positive mindset to be in than trying to hate the person I’m playing against.”

— Colorado State University men’s golf coach Christian Newton on the 67 CSU freshman Oscar Teiffel shot at Colorado Golf Club in brutal weather conditions to win the individual title at the Paintbrush Invitational:

“That’s the best competitive round I’ve ever seen — under pressure, playing for the lead, shoot 67 in blowing snow and 35 degrees. That’s as good as I’ve ever seen.”

— Hale Irwin, a design advisor during the redesign and construction project at City Park Golf Course in Denver, after visiting the site in the fall:

“It is exciting to physically see the progress being made on the City Park Golf Course project. When completed, this will not only be a place for us all to enjoy now, it will be a place we would encourage our children to come and play golf. This project is a legacy for the future.”

— Former Waste Management Phoenix Open champion Kevin Stadler, a part-time Denver resident, on returning to the PGA Tour after a three-plus-year absence due to a hand injury:

“The whole thing was a mess. I was told it was a stress fracture. A year later I was told it was fully healed, but it kept getting worse. I stopped after having about 6-8 MRIs on it. They told me it was healed for nine months in a row and I was still having pain. They couldn’t find the answer for it. The pain finally got back to day 1 excruciating last summer (in 2017). I was told it was 75 percent broken. I’d seen six different hand surgeons — and they’re all in major league baseball. I had two out of maybe six or seven guys tell me I needed surgery initially and the other guys said not to. But it’s doing great now. I just need to figure out how to get the game back in working order.”

— Lauren Howe, on her reaction to being voted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame:

“In the back of my mind, I knew it could be coming. And yet it still hit me … I’m tearing up now. It’s just so precious to me, especially having not played in a while and everything. It really hit me like a big wave.”

— Coloradan Jennifer Kupcho, on finishing second at the LPGA Q-Series and qualifying for an LPGA Tour card once she graduates from Wake Forest in May:

“I’ve been shooting for this goal for so long that it’s awesome to just be able to go back to school knowing that I have what I’m going to do after college already in the bank.”

— CGA executive director — and USGA Rules of Golf Committee member — Ed Mate, regarding the Rules changes:

“I used to say to people who were not rules experts and would say, ‘I’ve got reasonably good common sense,’ and I’m like, ‘That’s not going to help you'” understand the rules. “It doesn’t help you. There was ‘rules common sense’, and once you became a rules expert and understood the philosophy behind it then common sense in that context would work for you. But unless you understood this, it didn’t help you. Now (with the changes), if you just have common sense, they make more sense — if that makes sense.”

— Rules official Bob Austin, on how he and his wife Christie, a former chairperson of the USGA Rules of Golf Committee, enjoy studying about the Rules:

“Christie and I both joke about it. When we’re both studying for rules, we both have decision books on our bedside table. That’s sort of the standard joke with our rules officials. (Christie and I) will talk about situations that come up. She’ll ask me what I learned today. We actually talk about (the rules) a reasonable amount. As a past chairman of the USGA Rules of Golf Committee, she has a great knowledge also. Every time we take the test together, we have a little bit of a friendly (competition). I hope she gets 100, but we certainly have a friendly rivalry about it. She’s academically smarter than I am, and it drives me crazy because I work a lot harder at it that she does. But she can get to the same level as I am in less time. It drives me crazy, but I’m proud of her for it.”

— Tiger Woods, recalling one of his more memorable holes-in-one, at the 1998 International: “TV crews here have to take a mandatory union break, and it was on No. 7 at Castle Pines. I hooped it. They showed me on the sixth green, take the union break. I hoop it on 7. They catch me up on the eighth fairway, par-5 up the hill. So that was probably one of the more funny ones, because it went in the hole on the fly and tore up the cup.”

— Former CWGA executive director Laura Robinson, who worked for the CGA this year, on retiring from the golf business:

“This has been the most rewarding three years of my career. I had to pull knowledge from every aspect of all my experience together — from accounting and finance, employment law, human resources, marketing, customer service (and) operations in order the lead the CWGA, then to integrate the two associations (the CGA and the CWGA). I think I’ve been very, very lucky to have this as the capstone to my career. It’s been so much fun. 

— Paul Lobato, PGA head professional at Meridian Golf Club, on the retirement of longtime CGA director of course rating and handicapping Gerry Brown:

“Gerry is a golf pro’s best friend.”.

— New CGA president Janene Guzowski, on her impression of women taking more leadership roles in Colorado golf:

“It’s a phenomenon, and to me it represents what happened last year with the historic merger of the CGA and the CWGA. Women are coming forward and people are giving us a chance to show everybody what we can do with golf in Colorado. It’s not strictly a man’s world anymore with golf or anything else for that matter. For us it’s an amazing growth and coming together in Colorado golf.”

— Colorado Golf Hall of Fame inductee and PGA Master Professional Danny Harvanek, who was the first PGA head professional at Bear Creek Golf Club, has earned the Colorado PGA Golf Professional of the Year honor three times, has received an award from the CGA for outstanding contributions to amateur golf, has authored eight golf books, has earned the PGA of America’s national Junior Golf Leader award and who planted the seeds that led to the highly successful Colorado PGA Golf in Schools program:

It’s been “a Walter Mitty life.”

And now, it’s on to 2019. …

Following up from earlier this week, when we started our two-part retrospective on the top Colorado golf-related stories of 2018 (CLICK HERE for the first installment), we continue our countdown with the top dozen stories of the year — in reverse order. And at the end, included is a list of honorable-mention selections.

12. Stewart Signs With No. 1-Ranked College Team in Nation: It’s not often that a Colorado golfer signs a national letter of intent with the No. 1-ranked college program in the nation. But such was the case in November when Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins put his John Hancock on the dotted line with Oklahoma State. Stewart, who graduated from Fossil Ridge High School this month, will be headed to Stillwater for the fall semester next year. The Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado’s Boys Player of the Year is one of at least nine Colorado residents or JGAC members from the Class of 2019 who are headed to NCAA Division I golf programs. READ MORE

11. Another National Honor for Colorado PGA: Dating back to the late 1950s, members of the Colorado PGA or the Section itself have won 19 national awards from the PGA of America. Ten of those 19 have come since 2007, including this year’s Herb Graffis Award for player development, which the CPGA received for the second time since 2011. READ MORE

10. New CGA President Janene Guzowski Continues Trend in Colorado: The last several months of this year have proven to be a major boon for women in leadership roles in Colorado golf. Janene Guzowski is the new president of the CGA, Janet Moore is the new president of the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, and Molly Greenblatt has become the new chairperson of the Colorado Open Golf Foundation. And that’s in addition to Suzy Whaley being elected the first national president of the PGA of America. READ MORE

9. Colorado, Hiwan Shine as Girls Junior Americas Cup Hosts: The Girls Junior Americas Cup — a team competition featuring players from the western U.S., Canada and Mexico — is hosted just once every 18 years by Colorado, and 2018 was the Centennial State’s turn. Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen, where the Colorado Open was held from 1964 to ’91, was a fitting mountainous setting for the event. While Mexico swept the team and individual titles, Colorado posted its best finish since 2013 by placing fifth out of 18 teams. Staff and volunteers from the CGA and the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado played major roles in running this major junior event. READ MORE

8. Colorado Sweeps Team, Individual Titles at Boys Junior America’s Cup: At the same time the Girls Junior Amerias Cup was taking place at Hiwan, a Colorado team (left) was making history at the boys Junior America’s Cup in Montana. For the first time in the 44 years in which Colorado has competed in the event, its squad claimed the team title. In fact, a Colorado team had never finished better than third before this year in the competition that includes players from the western U.S., Canada and Mexico. To add to the feat, Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins won the individual title out of the 72-player field. Joining Stewart on the winning team were Cal McCoy of Highlands Ranch, Davis Bryant of Aurora and Walker Franklin of Broomfield. Former longtime CGA staffer Dustin Jensen captained the Colorado squad. READ MORE

7. 2 Coloradans Qualify for PGA Tour, 2 More for LPGA Tour: Seldom have players who grew up in Colorado enjoyed so much success in qualifying for the top men’s and women’s golf tours in the world as they did in the final half of 2018. Wyndham Clark and Jim Knous earned promotions to the PGA Tour with their performances on the Web.com Tour regular season and Finals, respectively. And Jennifer Kupcho and Becca Huffer landed spots on the LPGA Tour in 2019 by both finishing in the top 10 in the eight-round LPGA Q-Series, with Kupcho placing second and Huffer 10th. All four Coloradans will be rookies on those top circuits in 2019. In fact, the PGA Tour’s wraparound season began in October, and Knous recorded a top-10 finish in his first event as a member of that Tour. Joining Kupcho and Huffer in earning an LPGA card last month was former University of Colorado golfer Robyn Choi.

6. Gearing Up for Rules Changes: With the modernized Rules of Golf set to take effect on Jan. 1, the USGA and its affiliated Allied Golf Associations have been very busy trying to bring members up to speed on the changes. For the CGA, that effort has included weekly “Ready for the 2019 Rules” videos and four-hour Ready for the Rules seminars held at various locations around the state late in 2018 and also planned for the first several months of 2019. READ MORE

5. Year 1 of New-Look CGA: Our No. 1 story of 2017 in Colorado golf was the unification a year ago of the CGA and CWGA after both associations had celebrated their 100th anniversaries as separate — but complementary — organizations serving golf in Colorado. With 2018 being their first full calendar year together, things have gone, by just about any measure, extremely well. All of which is very good news, considering how many golfers the new-look CGA serves as members. There’s still work to be done, but it’s certainly been a stellar first year together.

4. CSU Golfers Claim USGA National Title: Golfers with strong Colorado ties don’t often get to say they’re reigning USGA national champions, but Colorado State University golfers Katrina Prendergast and Ellen Secor (left) earned that honor by winning the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball title in early May in Tarzana, Calif. The two never trailed in the first four matches they played at El Caballero Country Club. In the title match, they were 2 down with four holes left, but a big-time rally down the stretch netted them a 1-up victory over teenagers Yachun Chang of Chinese Taipei and Lei Ye of China — and the national championship. The victory was believed to be the first USGA national amateur championship by a person or team with strong Colorado ties since Jill McGill won the 1993 U.S. Women’s Amateur and 1994 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links. READ MORE

3. Vickers Passes Away: There are almost 12 dozen people in the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, but even in that select group, there are some that took it to the next level. A good rule of thumb as to who those people are is if they’ve also been inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. There are less than a dozen people who are members of both Halls of Fame. One of them passed away in September — 93-year-old Jack Vickers. Vickers made his mark in a variety of sports, but likely will be most remembered as the founder of Castle Pines Golf Club and The International that hosted PGA Tour events for 21 years. No less than Jack Nicklaus, who designed Castle Pines, paid tribute to Vickers the day he died. Vickers’ International ran from 1986 through 2006. It featured a unique modified Stableford scoring system, which promoted aggressive play as a birdie and a bogey were worth more than two pars. The tournament produced quite a few big-name champions, including Greg Norman, Davis Love III (twice), Phil Mickelson (twice), Vijay Singh and Ernie Els. READ MORE

2. Kupcho Phenomenon Continues: Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster may very well accomplish great things in the coming decades, but even long into the future, 2018 will be a year she’ll remember fondly. Here’s a brief rundown of what she accomplished: The Wake Forest golfer won an NCAA Division I individual title a year (left) after placing second. She became the first Colorado resident to win the prestigious individual championship on the women’s side. She helped three U.S. national teams capture international team titles in 2018 — at the Curtis Cup, the Arnold Palmer Cup and the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship. In the latter event, Kupcho finished second individually out of a field of 170. She also placed second at the eight-round final stage of LPGA Q-school. After concluding her college career in May, she’ll immediately begin her LPGA career. Kupcho finished an LPGA career-best 16th this year in the LPGA Marathon Classic. Overall in 2018, she won three individual college titles. Kupcho also claimed the prestigious Mark H. McCormack Medal, becoming the first American to win the women’s McCormack honor as the top female player in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings as of the conclusion of the U.S. Women’s Amateur. And she was named the world female Amateur of the Year by digital new magazine Global Golf Post. READ MORE

1. U.S. Senior Open a Hit at The Broadmoor: It had been almost four years since Colorado had hosted a big-time tour-level event — the kind that attracts 100,000-plus fans. But the drought ended this year when the U.S. Senior Open (pictured at top) was conducted at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. And the results didn’t disappoint. The announced attendance for the week was 134,500, the most for the Senior Open since the 157,126 in Omaha, Neb., in 2013. David Toms, who won the 1999 Sprint International at Castle Pines but hadn’t captured a title on the PGA Tour or PGA Tour Champions in seven years, captured the victory at the Senior Open by one stroke. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe placed fifth, marking his second straight top-5 performance in the U.S. Senior Open. Shortly after the conclusion of the championship, the USGA announced that the U.S. Senior Open will return to The Broadmoor in 2025.

Honorable Mention

— Lauren Howe, who grew up in Colorado, was a finalist in the U.S. Girls’ Junior as a 15-year-old and went on to win an event on the LPGA Tour, was voted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame.

— Patrick Reidy became the fifth 50-something player in the last six years to win the Colorado PGA Professional Championship.

— Players from Texas swept the two CGA women’s major titles in 2018, giving Texans three consecutive such championships. Emily Gilbreth, a lifetime Houstonian before moving to Denver, won the 2017 CGA Women’s Match Play; Kristin Glesne of San Antonio the 2018 CGA Women’s Stroke Play; and Kennedy Swann the 2018 CGA Women’s Match Play.

— Former BYU golfer Justin Keiley won his second straight Rocky Mountain Open, defeating former Montrose resident Brandon Bingaman in a playoff after the latter shot a course-record 11-under-par 60 in the final round at Tiara Rado in Grand Junction.

— Three Colorado courses — Castle Pines, Ballyneal and Cherry Hills — are ranked among the 150 Greatest International Courses, according to Golf Digest.

— Kaden Ford of Colorado Springs finished sixth — tying the best showing ever by a Coloradan — in the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta. At the 2019 National Finals, three Coloradans will compete — Caitlyn Chin of Greenwood Village, Chunya Boonta of Centennial and Grady Ortiz of Colorado.

— The University of Denver women’s golf team saw its remarkable string of league tournament championships end at 14, though the Pioneers’ Sophie Newlove claimed the individual title at Summit League Championship.

— CU’s Robyn Choi qualified in Colorado for the U.S. Women’s Open for a second straight year. Choi later earned her LPGA Tour card at the final stage of Q-school.

— Former Coloradan Kyler Dunkle, who won the CGA Amateur in August, claimed the Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational championship for the second straight year for his second individual college title in eight days.

— Doug Rohrbaugh, who was paired with Scott McCarron and Miguel Angel Jimenez at the Senior PGA Championship, became the first golfer to sweep the Colorado PGA Player of Year and Senior Player of Year honors in the same season. Like Rohrbaugh, Colorado PGA professional Chris Johnson qualified for two PGA Tour Champions majors in 2018 — the U.S. Senior Open and the Senior PGA Championship.

— Nicholas Pevny of Aspen captured a national title, prevailing in the boys 12-13 age division of the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships in Florida.

— Former Parker resident Elizabeth Wang finished 34th — fourth among amateurs — at the U.S. Women’s Open. Wang also made it to the round of 16 at the U.S. Women’s Amateur and to the round of 32 at the U.S. Girls’ Junior. Wang, now playing for Harvard, defeated Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster in 19 holes in the round of 64 at the U.S. Women’s Am.

— Fort Collins resident Dillon Stewart became to first Coloradan to win the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior boys title. Later, he captured a second AJGA championship, this time in Montana, and won 5A state high school individual and team titles.

— New Colorado resident Dan Erickson shot a 9-under-par 61 — a course record by two strokes at Fort Collins Country Club — en route to qualifying for the U.S. Amateur, where he made match play but bowed out in the round of 64 at Pebble Beach.

— Hadley Ashton of Erie finished fifth in the girls 9-10 division at the prestigious IMG Academy Junior World Championships.

— Thirty-two years after winning her first CGA/CWGA title, Kristine Franklin earned her second, this time overcoming five-time champion Kim Eaton in the Women’s Senior Stroke Play.

— Greg Condon of the southern Colorado town of Monte Vista shared stroke-play medalist honors in the U.S. Senior Amateur, while Scott Sullivan of Grand Junction advanced to the match play round of 16.

(Note: This story was updated on Jan. 2)

Each year has its own distinctive makeup. That’s true regarding life in general, or in Colorado golf.

And so it was in 2018, which is quickly coming to a close.

Since 2009, we’ve made it an annual habit to go back through the golf stories of the year, pick out the most prominent ones and rank them for a retrospective on the CGA website.

For most of the last several years, we’ve broken the list into two installments to keep things a little more manageable. We go in reverse order, for the sake of suspense, and add an honorable-mention list that will be included with Part II, which will be published in the coming days.

Today, we’ll cover Nos. 25 through 13.

So, without first ado, here’s our 10th edition of Colorado golf-related stories of the year:

25. Second Colorado Topgolf Site Gearing Up: Since August 2015, there’s been one Topgolf location in Colorado — the one in Centennial. But three months ago, ground was broken at a second site — at I-25 and 60th Ave., in Thornton. The 65,000-square-foot, three-level facility is scheduled to open to the public in late 2019. It will have 102 climate-controlled hitting bays — where players hit microchipped golf balls at targets with varying point values — in addition to a restaurant and three bars. There will be 250 HD televisions, a rooftop terrace with fire pits and 3,000 square feet of space devoted to private events. The Centennial Topgolf employs about 500 people, the same number that is expected in Thornton.

24. Annika Returns to Colorado for First Tee Event: Over the last three years, the folks who run the CoBank Colorado Open Championships and The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch have brought in tour players to conduct exhibitions and chat with kids from The First Tee programs in the state. During the first two years, doing the honores were Hale Irwin, Ryan Palmer, Paula Creamer, David Duval, Lexi Thompson and Mark O’Meara. This year, there was no letdown in talent as Matt Kuchar came for a late June exhibition at GVR, and World Golf Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam (above) for a CoBank PEAK Performers event in August at The Broadmoor, where Sorenstam won her first LPGA title — the 1995 U.S. Women’s Open. The PEAK Performers event was particularly unique as nine kids from First Tee programs around the country had the opportunity to play golf with Sorenstam for six holes each as part of a four-day, all-expenses-paid outing. READ MORE

23. Sibling Sweep for Bryants: A year after Davis Bryant and younger sister Emma completed the “Bryant Slam” by jointly winning all four Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado majors in 2017, they posted a “Sibling Sweep” when they prevailed at both the boys and girls 5A state high school tournaments in the same school year. Almost eight months after Davis Bryant claimed the 5A boys crown as a senior at Eaglecrest, Emma held up her end by capturing the 5A girls title as an Eaglecrest freshman in May at Boulder Country Club. It’s the first time two players with the same surname have won the boys and girls state individual prep championships in one school year. READ MORE

22. High Honor for Irwin: Hale Irwin (left) had to contend with Jack Nicklaus on the golf course plenty of times over the course of their careers. But in June, it was Nicklaus and the Captains Club that honored Irwin — a three-time U.S. Open champion and World Golf Hall of Famer who grew up in Boulder — as the 2018 Memorial Tournament honoree. And it’s no small tribute. Others who have received similar status since 2010 include Seve Ballesteros, Nancy Lopez, Tom Watson, Ray Floyd, Annika Sorenstam, Nick Faldo, Johnny Miller and Greg Norman. “I have a hard time putting myself in that category with the greats of the past, so I am absolutely delighted.” Irwin said.

21. Schalk Still Undefeated in High School Ranks: When then-Holy Family sophomore Hailey Schalk won the girls 3A state high school tournament in May, it gave her two titles in two seasons of high school golf. But even more impressively, Schalk remained unbeaten in her two years of high school tournaments and kept alive her chances for an unprecented four Colorado girls state high school golf titles. Schalk became the eighth player to win at least two Colorado girls state high school championships, joining Lynn Ann Moretto (3), Ashley Tait (3), Jennifer Kupcho (2), Becca Huffer (2), Kelly Jacques (2), Jennifer McCormick (2) and Emily Wood (2). Schalk, now a junior, later verbally committed to play her college golf at the University of Colorado beginning in 2020.

20. 25 and Counting for Eaton: Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton wasted no time in 2018 tying Carol Flenniken’s record for career CGA/CWGA women’s titles. In May, she teamed with fellow Hall of Famer Janet Moore in winning the Brassie Championship, giving her 25 such victories in her career. Though Eaton came up short — in a playoff — of notching No. 26 at the CGA Women’s Senior Stroke Play at her own home course at Greeley Country Club, she’ll have additional opportunities at the outright record in 2019. READ MORE

19. Spiranac Continues to Make a Splash: It’s hard to fathom how big a social media sensation 2015 CGA Women’s Match Play champion Paige Spiranac has become. At last check, the former Colorado resident had 1.5 million followers on Instagram and 215,000 on Twitter. Before largely giving up competitive golf, Spiranac not only won the 100th CWGA Match Play, but finished ninth in the 2016 CoBank Colorado Women’s Open and won the 2010 CWGA Junior Stroke Play as well as the 2006 CJGA Tournament of Champions — all in Colorado. Spiranac, who appeared in the 2018 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, is now a periodic columnist for Golf.com. READ MORE

18. 25 Years and Counting for Denver Golf Expo: What started out relatively modestly at the Colorado Convention Center in the early 1990s has turned into quite an annual affair. In 2018, the Denver Golf Expo, now run by Mark and Lynn Cramer, celebrated its 25th anniversary. The Cramers, who bought the show from Colorado PGA professional Stan Fenn in 2000, will be honored in June by the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame with a Lifetime Achievement Award. READ MORE

17. Memorable Year for Andonian-Smith: It was a year of “firsts” for Colorado PGA professional Sherry Andonian-Smith. She, along with fellow Coloradans Janet Moore and Marilyn Hardy, qualified for the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open. The Centennial resident became the first woman to qualify for the national Senior PGA Professional Championship and ended up finishing 29th out of a field of 264 there. She was named the Colorado PGA’s inaugural Women’s Player of the Year after tying for second place in the Colorado PGA Professional Championship and winning the Section’s West Chapter Championship for the second time in three years. And Andonian-Smith and Alexandra Braga became the first women from the Colorado PGA to qualify for the national PGA Professional Championship.

16. And Love-ing It: After getting advice from World Golf Hall of Famer Davis Love III, son Dru (left) made an eagle in a playoff to win the CoBank Colorado Open. The younger Love carded an eagle and nine birdies in his final 19 holes of the tournament. It was the biggest win of Dru Love’s career, and he made $100,000 in the process. Davis Love III won the PGA Tour’s International twice in Colorado, while Davis Love II claimed the title in the CGA Junior Match Play in both 1953 and ’54. READ MORE

15. Kevin Stadler, Kaye Make Long-Awaited Returns to ‘The Show’: The year 2018 marked the return to PGA Tour action for two Colorado-based veterans who hadn’t competed in golf’s top circuit for quite a while. Part-time Boulder resident Jonathan Kaye, a two-time PGA Tour winner, had last played in a PGA Tour event in 2011, but in March he landed a spot in the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, where he missed the cut. And part-time Denver resident Kevin Stadler, who hadn’t competed on the PGA Tour since 2015 due to a broken hand, returned for the Sanderson Farms Championship in October, but likewise missed the cut. Stadler is expected to be a regular in PGA Tour events in 2019 as he plays on a major medical extension.

14. ‘Youth on Course’ Debuts in Colorado: A year ago, CGA executive director Ed Mate predicted that the Youth on Course program could become a “game-changer for player development” in Colorado. The initiative, which makes golf more accessible to juniors by capping their cost for a round at $5 at participating facilities, came to Colorado in 2018. Fifteen Colorado courses participated this year, and many more are expected to be on board in 2019. READ MORE

13. Web Tournament Formalized for TPC Colorado: Colorado last hosted an open-age PGA Tour-affiliated event in 2014, when the BMW Championship PGA Tour playoff tournament was held at Cherry Hills Country Club. But in a September announcement, the Web.com Tour confirmed what had long been known — that a Web.com Tour event would be conducted at the new TPC Colorado course (left) in Berthoud for at least five years, starting in 2019. The event, known as the TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes, will debut the week of July 8-14, with 156 players competing for a $600,000 purse. The Web circuit — then known as the Nike Tour — previously had a tournament in Colorado in 1996 and ’97, when Riverdale’s Dunes Course in Brighton hosted the Nike Colorado Classic. READ MORE

Also on the subject of new courses in Colorado, Fred Funk said in late June that the Raindance National Golf Club course in Windsor that he’s co-designing may open as soon as the fall of 2020.

It’s getting to be a very enjoyable habit for Mary Weinstein.

Receiving player of the year awards is always a good sign, and the Highlands Ranch resident has done it with regularity in recent golf seasons.

In both 2015 and ’16, Weinstein was named what is now known as the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado Girls Player of the Year. Then in 2017, she landed the CWGA Player of the Year honors as fellow Coloradan Jennifer Kupcho was given the CWGA’s highest honor, the President’s Award, after dominating Colorado women’s golf for four straight years. And this fall, Weinstein has earned the CGA Women’s Player of the Year honor for 2018.

That’s quite a four-year run of Colorado golf awards for the University of Denver junior.

“I’m so blessed to be named the CGA Women’s Player of the Year,” Weinstein (left) said in a recent text. “It is a dream come true, as I used to look up to legendary players like Becca Huffer (the 2008 CWGA Player of the Year who recently earned her LPGA Tour card, along with Kupcho) when I was a junior golfer and now I am humbled with this honor once again.

“I would like to thank the CGA for this award and all the laughs and smiles that the volunteers and staff bring me each tournament,” added Weinstein, who also expressed gratitude for the support of her parents, her coach Terry Stearman and the DU women’s golf program.

Also earning a CGA women’s POY honor for 2018 was Kristine Franklin of Colorado National Golf Club, who was named Senior Player of the Year. For the CGA men’s players of the year story, CLICK HERE.

Weinstein, who’s in her second year at DU after transferring from Regis, was a factor in most of the tournaments in which she competed in 2018. The 20-year-old finished second in the CGA Women’s Match Play, qualified for her second straight U.S. Women’s Amateur, placed fourth in the CGA Women’s Stroke Play and shot an 8-under-par 64 at a fall tournament for DU.

In the finals of the CGA Women’s Match Play, Weinstein was 2 under par for 33 holes at The Fox Hill Club, but fell to Texan Kennedy Swann 5 and 3. That marked the Coloradan’s fourth straight top-four finish in a CGA women’s major championship. She’s placed fourth at each of the last two CGA Women’s Stroke Plays and lost in the semifinals last year in the Match Play.

In Colorado-based qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Amateur, Weinstein prevailed in a three-way playoff for the fourth and final national berth. She made a 40-foot birdie putt on the second extra to extend the playoff, then two-putted for par on the third playoff hole to advance.

But Weinstein said the thing of which she’s most proud, tournament-wise, in 2018 was the final-round 64 she shot at the Fazio Course at Red Sky Golf Club in Wolcott to place third in the Golfweek Conference Challenge. That score set a single-round program record for the DU women’s team, which finished third that week, and helped Weinstein post her best individual showing since joining the Pioneers. The 64 was a personal-best for Weinstein.

“Nothing could beat the excitement I felt when I made the eagle putt on my last hole to shoot 64,” she said.

Weinstein posted another top-five individual college finish in the spring, when he placed fourth in the Summit League Championship.

Elsewhere in 2018, Weinstein tied for 17th place in the CoBank Colorado Women’s Open, which was the fourth-best showing among amateurs.

As for Franklin, she earns the CGA Women’s Senior Player of the Year Award just a year after returning to competitive golf following an 18-year layoff. This year, the highlight for the Broomfield resident was winning the CGA Women’s Senior Stroke Play, 32 years after capturing her first CGA/CWGA title, the 1986 CWGA Stroke Play.

A former touring pro in Japan, Franklin (left) defeated five-time champion Kim Eaton, a Colorado Golf Hall of Famer, on the first hole of a playoff to win the Senior Stroke Play at Greeley Country Club, where Eaton won the same title by 16 strokes in 2012. Franklin joined Jill Gaschler (2015) as the only players who have beaten Eaton in a CGA Women’s Senior Stroke Play. Eaton is a four-time quarterfinalist in the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur. Franklin dedicated the Senior Stroke Play victory to her dad, longtime high school golf coach George Hoos, who was battling leukemia at the time and who passed away a little more than a month later.

Franklin also finished second in the other CGA women’s senior major championship of 2018, the Match Play. In the finals there, she went to extra holes with Tiffany Maurycy of Denver, who prevailed on the 20th hole with a 15-foot birdie.

Also in 2018, Franklin qualified for her second straight U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, this time by placing second in a qualifier in Colorado Springs. At the national championship, she was in a playoff for the final berth into the match-play portion of the event, but failed to advance.

In addition this year, Franklin and partner Lara Tennant of Portland, Ore., tied for second place in the Women’s Trans National Senior Four-Ball, and Franklin placed 10th in the North/South Senior Women’s Am at Pinehurst in North Carolina.

Franklin is the wife of University of Colorado women’s golf assistant coach Brent Franklin; the mother of Walker Franklin, one of the top junior players in the state; and the brother of former University of Denver men’s golf head coach Eric Hoos. This fall, Kristine Franklin served as an assistant coach at Prospect Ridge Academy, where Walker Franklin plays and where Eric is the head coach.
 

(Updated Dec. 7) The last three years, players who have started their college golf careers at Colorado State University have treated the CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year Award like a tag-team affair.

The honor has gone from one Ram signee to another to another.

Kyler Dunkle, who transferred from CSU to Utah in 2016, started the run that same year. In 2017, it was CSU’s Jake Staiano who earned the award as the top amateur golfer in the state. And this year, the Rams’ AJ Ott (left) has landed the CGA Les Fowler POY honor.

“It really means a lot,” Ott said recently by text regarding earning the award. “We have so many good players around the state and I’m very blessed just to be able to compete with those guys. We’re all very close friends and have played against each other in Colorado since we were kids, which makes competing against one another that much better.”

Ott, a Fort Collins resident who plays out of Ptarmigan Country Club, is one of three CGA men’s players of the year that have been decided for 2018. On Monday, we’ll publish a story on the CGA women’s players of the year.

Other CGA men’s honorees that have been settled on are Chris Thayer (below) of Walnut Creek Golf Preserve (Mid-Amateur POY), Steve Ivan of Patty Jewett Golf Course in Colorado Springs (Senior POY) and Sean Forey of The Club at Rolling Hills (Super-Senior POY). See below for the highlights of their 2018 seasons.

As for Ott, the 21-year-old left-hander won the 118th CGA Match Play title and qualified for his second straight U.S. Amateur to highlight a stellar season.

At the CGA Match Play at The Golf Club at Ravenna, Ott shot a 6-under-par 65 to finish second in the stroke-play qualifying round, then won six matches. He was particularly impressive in the last two. He made a double eagle in beating former champion Brian Dorfman 3 and 1 in the semifinals. Then in one of the most lopsided scheduled 36-hole finals in the event’s history, Ott defeated friend Ross Macdonald 9 and 8 for the title.

“I think the Match Play this year was great just because of the week-long test and it felt good to finally come through and get a win,” Ott said. “Playing against one of my best friends, Ross, was something I’ll never forget. He’s helped me a lot with my game in the past and we both have had our struggles at times so it was great to see us both get to that final match at the end of the week.”

In U.S. Amateur qualifying at Fort Collins Country Club, Ott fired rounds of 68-65 to finish second and earn a berth in the national championship for the second consecutive year.

Elsewhere this year, Ott placed 19th in the CoBank Colorado Open — third among amateurs — and 10th in the CGA Amateur. In college events in 2018, He finished fifth in the Mountain West Conference Championship and ninth in both the Ram Masters Invitational and the Paintbrush Invitational.

The CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year honor is the second statewide POY award for Ott, who was the 2016 Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado’s Boys Player of the Year.

As for highlights for the other CGA players of the year that have been decided …

— Chris Thayer of Walnut Creek Golf Preserve (CGA Mid-Amateur Player of the Year) — Thayer has now won this award the last four years, which establishes a record for the 25-and-older category.

Thayer has a remarkable record in the CGA Mid-Amateur in recent years. In the last five times the championship has been contested, he’s finished first, second, second, first and second. He was runner-up in the event in late September, a stroke behind champion Jared Reid.

Earlier in September, Thayer tied for 53rd place in the stroke-play portion of the U.S. Mid-Amateur, but failed in a playoff to advance to match play. The month before, he earned medalist honors in Colorado-based qualifying for the event.

Thayer also finished 13th in the CGA Amateur — following a final-round 66 at Pinehurst Country Club — and was among three players who represented Colorado at the Pacific Coast Amateur in San Francisco. Early in the season, he teamed with Nick Nosewicz to place third in the CGA Four-Ball Championship.

— Steve Ivan of Patty Jewett Golf Course (CGA Senior Player of the Year) — Ivan (left) has accomplished plenty in golf over the decades, but in the last 14 months or so, he’s certainly stepped it up a notch on the state level.

The former University of Colorado golfer — he was a teammate of 1996 U.S. Open champion Steve Jones — Ivan won the 2017 CGA Senior Amateur. He finished runner-up in the 2018 CGA Senior Match Play, falling to Wyoming resident John Hornbeck in the final. And he also placed second in his title defense at the 2018 CGA Senior Amateur, behind only three-time CGA Senior POY Robert Polk.

Ivan, winner of the 1979 CGA Junior Match, finished second among amateurs at the CoBank Colorado Senior Open, and was fourth in the qualifying tournament for the U.S. Senior Open, falling a little short of advancing to the national championship held at The Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado Springs.

— Sean Forey of The Club at Rolling Hills (CGA Super-Senior Player of the Year) — Now Forey will have bookends for his trophy case.

Eight years ago, the golfer from The Club at Rolling Hills earned the CGA Senior Player of the Year Award. And this fall, the 65-year-old from Morrison has added the CGA Super-Senior POY honor for players 62 and older.

Forey (left) recorded two victories in CGA super-senior events in 2018 — at the Super-Senior Stroke Play and the super-senior division of the CGA Senior Four-Ball — with Scott Radcliffe.

 At the Super-Senior Stroke Play in August at Perry Park Country Club, Forey notched a four-shot victory. After finishing second, third, fourth and fifth in previous appearances at the event, landing the title was a welcome outcome for him.

Besides his showings at the Super-Senior Stroke Play and the Senior Four-Ball, Forey was a semifinalist in the CGA Super-Senior Match Play and finished ninth in the CGA Senior Amateur that was won by 63-year-old Robert Polk.

Forey, the low amateur in the CoBank Colorado Senior Open in both 2008 and 2010, led the CGA super-senior points list this year.

Last week it was announced that the Colorado PGA has earned the PGA of America’s national Herb Graffis Award, given to a PGA Section for “extraordinary and exemplary contributions and achievements in the area of player development.” (READ MORE)

And on Tuesday, the Colorado PGA revealed many of its 2018 award winners, including the Section’s highest honor, which goes to the Golf Professional of the Year.

It’s a fairly common occurrence that the GPOY honor goes to the president of the Section, which certainly makes sense given the work a person in that position devotes to the Colorado PGA. And that’s the case this year, with president Ty Thompson (left) of Crosshairs Consulting earning the award.

Over the years, Thompson has worked at D’Lance Golf, Valley Country Club, The Pinery Country Club, Cherry Hills Country Club and Colorado Springs Country Club, where he was head golf professional starting in 2010, later becoming director of golf. Last year, the U.S. Army veteran started Colorado Springs-based Crosshairs Consulting, where he’s helping PGA pros manage efficient, lean operations. He’s been a PGA golf professional since 2005.

The Golf Professional of the Year honors “the working PGA Professional whose total contributions to the game best exemplify the complete PGA Professional. … The highest annual honor bestowed upon a PGA professional, the award is based on the candidate’s entire record, with special emphasis placed on performance and achievement over the past five years in the following criteria: overall performance as a PGA professional at his/her facility; service to the Colorado PGA Section; leadership ability; image and ability to inspire fellow PGA professionals; and promotion of golf.”

Thompson previously received two other awards from the Section: Assistant Professional of the Year in 2006 while on Clayton Cole’s staff at Cherry Hills, and Private Merchandiser of the Year in 2011 at Colorado Springs CC.

Other Colorado PGA awards — including players of the year, the Todd Phipers Media Award, President’s Award and the Vic Kline Award — will be announced later.

The honorees will receive their awards on Nov. 2 at the Colorado PGA Special Awards Gala at Colorado Golf Club in Parker.

Here are all of the award winners announced on Tuesday (updated October 2018):

Golf Professional of the Year — Ty Thompson, Crosshairs Consulting.

Dow Finsterwald Player of the Year — Doug Rohrbaugh, AndersonOrd Golf Apparel

Senior Player of the Year — Doug Rohrbaugh, AndersonOrd Golf Apparel

Women’s Player of the Year — Sherry Andonian-Smith, Valley CC

Associate Player of the Year — Ben Lanting, Bear Creek GC

“¨Teacher of the Year — Dan Sniffin, Omni Interlocken Resort

“¨Bill Strausbaugh Award (mentoring fellow PGA professionals) — Stuart Bruening, The Golf Club at Bear Dance.

“¨Assistant Professional of the Year — Ed Marzec, Country Club of the Rockies.

“¨Horton Smith Award (exceptional contributions to promote and improve PGA educational programs) — Ben Welsh, Frost Creek Club.
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Player Development Award — Trent Wearner, Trent Wearner Golf Academy.
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Youth Player Development Award — Erin Diegel, Legacy Ridge Golf Course.
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Warren Smith Award (special contributions to game of golf, the Colorado PGA, junior golf and their facility) — Kyle Heyen, Hiwan Golf Club.

“¨Private Merchandiser of the Year — Jake O’Dell, The Club at Flying Horse.
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Resort Merchandiser of the Year — Jeff Hanson, Red Sky Golf Club.

“¨Public Merchandiser of the Year — Brian Carlson, Walnut Creek Golf Preserve.
 

Due to severe and unprecedented weather this evening after the Pro-Am, we are postponing round 1 of the CoBank Colorado Open until Friday. A storm hit Green Valley Ranch Golf Club and has flooded parts of many holes, making it impossible to play round 1 tomorrow (Thursday). The decision has been made to shorten the championship to 54 holes.

A few important notes:
·         Friday, July 27th will serve as round 1 and Saturday, July 28th will serve as round 2. Tee times and pairings for these first two rounds will not change.
·         The 36-hole cut will be made upon the completion of round 2, with the final round being held Sunday, July 29 (weather permitting).
·         Green Valley Ranch Golf Club will be completely closed for repair and restoration tomorrow – Thursday, July 26th. Please do not come to the golf course for any reason.
 
We sincerely apologize that weather has created this circumstance. We will do everything we can to make the 54th annual championship the best possible, and appreciate your consideration and understanding.

Colorado Open Golf Foundation
 

Selected shots from Tuesday evening’s opening ceremonies for the Girls Junior Americas Cup at Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen. The competition, which features 18 teams from the western U.S., Canada and Mexico, begins on Wednesday and runs through Friday.

Top photo: Colorado’s players, from left: Lauren Lehigh of Loveland, Hailey Schalk of Erie, Emma Bryant of Aurora and Kelsey Webster of Boulder.

Third photo: Colorado team, led by captains Jennifer Cassell and Melissa Martin, a three-time CGA Women’s Stroke Play champion.

Hailey Schalk of Erie, Lauren Lehigh of Loveland, Kelsey Webster of Boulder and Emma Bryant of Aurora will have a distinction only eight other players in Colorado golf history can claim.

They’ll represent the Centennial State in a Girls Junior Americas Cup held in Colorado.

It happened previously only in 1982 and 2000, both at Eisenhower Golf Club at the Air Force Academy. Among the Colorado competitors in 2000, for example, was current University of Denver women’s golf head coach Lindsay Kuhle, then known as Lindsay Hulwick.

There’s something special any year about representing your state in such a major event, but to do so in your home state makes the occasion particularly memorable.

The 41st Girls Junior Americas Cup will be hosted by the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado and Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen, the site of the event next week. Opening ceremonies and a formal practice round are set for July 24, with championship rounds scheduled for July 25-27. The GJAC is open to the general public, free of charge.

Many of the best girls players from the western U.S., Canada and Mexico will compete in the event. Eighteen four-person teams will be in the field, with team and individual competition on tap. Each team represents a state, region or country.

Colorado’s squad will feature a diverse group, age-wise, as there’s one player who’s graduated from high school and is headed to the University of Colorado (Webster), one that’s going to be a high school senior (Lehigh), one a junior (Schalk) and one a sophomore (Bryant).

Among them, they’ve won five Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado majors (four by Schalk and one by Bryant) and four girls state high school titles (two by Schalk, one by Lehigh and one by Bryant).

Schalk and Lehigh also played on Colorado’s 2017 GJAC team — along with Jaclyn Murray and Charlotte Hillary — that finished sixth, and Schalk also participated in 2016.

Here’s a brief rundown on the Colorado representatives this year:

— Hailey Schalk of Erie: At 16, will be playing in her third GJAC. … Was the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado’s Girls Player of the Year for 2017. … Has won four Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado majors — one in 2016, two in 2017 and one in 2018. … Won the 3A girls state high school title in 2017 and ’18 as a freshman and a sophomore at Holy Family. … Won the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior girls title in 2017.

— Kelsey Webster of Boulder: Will be competing in her first Girls Junior Americas Cup. … Will play golf at CU beginning in the fall. … Finished third in the CGA Women’s Stroke Play last month. … Placed third as a Fairview senior at the 5A girls state high school tournament. … Tied for fourth in U.S. Women’s Amateur qualifying last month at Walnut Creek. … This month, finished 64th out of a field of more than 150 players in the girls 15-18 division of the IMG Academy Junior World Championships. … Qualified for the 2018 Optimist International Junior Golf Championship.

— Lauren Lehigh of Loveland: Will be playing in her second Girls Junior Americas Cup. … Has verbally committed to play her college golf at the University of New Mexico beginning in 2019. … Won the 4A girls state high school title in 2017 and finished second this year while representing Loveland HS. … Placed third last month in the girls division of the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior. … Recently competed in the national Girls Junior PGA Championship, finishing 111th. … Won the Big I Junior Classic state title in 2017. … Finished third in the Colorado Junior PGA Championship last month. … Qualified for the 2018 Optimist International Junior Golf Championship.

— Emma Bryant of Aurora: Will be playing in her first Girls Junior Americas Cup. … Won the 5A girls state high school title by seven strokes as a freshman at Eaglecrest. … Won the girls championship in the Colorado Junior Match Play last year. … Finished fourth among girls at both Colorado Junior PGA and Colorado Junior Amateur this year. … Qualified for the 2018 Optimist International Junior Golf Championship.

For a story on the boys who will represent Colorado at the Junior America’s Cup in Montana, CLICK HERE.

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GIRLS JUNIOR AMERICAS CUP: THE ESSENTIALS

What: The 41st Girls Junior Americas Cup competition.

Where: Hiwan Golf Club (left) in Evergreen.

When: Championship rounds July 25-27. Tee-time range each day: 7-8:30 a.m. Practice rounds July 23-24.

Fan Information: The public can attend the event free of charge.

Opening Ceremonies: July 24, 5 p.m.

Closing Ceremonies and Awards Presentation: July 27, approximately 1:30 p.m.

Format: 54 holes stroke play. Team and individual competition. The low three scores for each team each day count toward the team total.

Participating Teams: Colorado, Arizona, Alberta (Canada), British Columbia (Canada), Hawaii, Idaho, Mexico, Montana, Northern California, Northern Nevada, Oregon, San Diego, Southern California, Southern Nevada, Sun Country (New Mexico), Utah, Washington and Wyoming. For all the individual competitors, CLICK HERE.

Defending Team Champion: Southern California, which also won in 2016. (Colorado tied for sixth in 2017.)

Previous Years Colorado Hosted GJAC: 1982 and 2000, both at Eisenhower Golf Club at Air Force Academy.

Best Finish by Colorado Team: Won in 1993 with a team of Jennifer Kern, Heather Stock, Ann Grooms and Jennifer McCormick. Kern claimed the individual title that year.

Other Notable Coloradans Who Have Played in GJAC: Jennifer Kupcho, Jill McGill, Paige Spiranac, Ashley Tait, Becca Huffer, Kelly Jacques, Hannah Wood and Somin Lee.

Service Project: This year’s GJAC will include a service project, with the Special Olympics of Colorado Golf Clinic set for July 25. Competitors there will assist Special Olympians as they putt, chip and take full swings at the clinic.

Host Course: Hiwan was home of the Colorado Open from 1964 through 1991. Junior tournament-wise, the club has hosted the 1965 U.S. Girls’ Junior, the 1976 U.S. Junior Amateur, the 2006 AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions, the 2007 AJGA Rolex Girls Junior and the 2011 boys Junior America’s Cup. Among those who have competed in tournaments at Hiwan in the last dozen years are Patrick Reed and Rickie Fowler (in 2006); Lexi Thompson, Jessica Korda, Cheyenne Woods and Kimberly Kim (in 2007); and Bryson DeChambeau (in 2011).

Additional Information About GJAC: CLICK HERE.