The former Colorado School of Mines golfer tied for 10th place in his first tournaent as a PGA Tour rookie, at the Safeway Open in October.

Then on Sunday, in just his eighth career start on the circuit, the 29-year-old not only matched his age with a very respectable 29th place at Torrey Pines in San Diego, but he made the first hole-in-one at the Farmers Insurance Open since 2015.

The native of Basalt aced the 193-yard third hole — his 12th of the day — at the South Course, using an 8-iron. (He’s pictured signing the ball after the feat, in a photo on Twitter.)

Knous played his final 10 holes in 5 under par and shot a 3-under-par 69 on Sunday. That gave him an 8-under 280 total.

Another golfer who grew up in Colorado, Denver native Wyndham Clark, also posted a top-40 finish on Sunday, placing 35th. But after coming into the final round in 11th place, Clark struggled on his final nine holes, playing it in 4-over 40 despite two birdies. Clark closed with a 75 for a 281 total.

Justin Rose won the title on Sunday with a 267 total.

For all the scores from the Farmers Insurance Open, CLICK HERE.

But earlier this week, Woods relayed a rather amazing story — and it did indeed have a big link to Colorado.

Considering all he’s accomplished — 80 PGA Tour victories, including 14 major championship titles — it was astonishing to hear Woods indicate that while he made 19 holes-in-one before age 23, he hadn’t had one for over two decades — at least until this month.

In a casual round last week with Fred Couples in La Quinta, Calif. — and with his son Charlie also on hand — Woods aced the 210-yard second hole at The Madison Club, using a 5-iron.

And here’s the Colorado part of the story: Woods’ last hole-in-one prior to this month came at The 1998 Sprint International — specifically, on Saturday, Aug. 22, 1998. I was fortunate to have covered all 21 Internationals ever held, so that prompted me to dig a little deeper regarding the one Tiger made at Castle Pines Golf Club.

Combing through some stories I wrote that year and since then — along with other material — this is what I pieced together regarding the third and last ace Woods has made in PGA Tour competition.

It came at the seventh hole at Castle Pines, which was playing 185 yards that day. He took an 8-iron and holed it on the fly. Years later, when writing a retrospective on The International, I referred to the subsequent fan reaction as “one of the biggest crowd roars in tournament history.”

One of the most amazing things about it was that the ace wasn’t caught on TV — live or on tape.

As Woods (pictured with Nick Price at the 1998 International) said three years ago when recalling some of his more notable holes-in-one: “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.”

That was one of two eagles Woods made in round 3 and one of four for the week — two each in rounds 1 and 3 — which tied for the tournament record. Tiger, whose eagles were worth 5 points apiece in The International’s modified Stableford scoring format, finished fourth that year at The International, behind winner Vijay Singh, Willie Wood and Phil Mickelson.

Woods returned to Castle Pines in 1999, and barely missed advancing to Sunday. He never came back to The International, which was last played in 2006. His absence was considered one of the reasons the tournament ended its run — along with the lack of a title sponsor.

Tiger himself certainly found it amazing that he went 20 years without an ace, until ending the drought last week.

“Some of the best years of my career and I never made one,” Woods told ESPN’s Bob Harig.

Woods’ only other holes-in-one during official PGA Tour events came at the 1996 Greater Milwaukee Open in his pro debut and by far the most famous one — at the wild and crazy 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale in the 1997 Phoenix Open.
 

Siblings Davis and Emma Bryant of Aurora have made headlines for unique accomplishments on several occasions over the last year.

In 2017, it was for the two combining to capture the “Bryant Slam”, with Davis winning three Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado majors, and Emma earning the title in the one in which her brother didn’t compete.

Then last month, the two became the first siblings to sweep boys and girls Colorado state high school titles in the same season — in their case in the 5A classificiation.

And on Monday, the Bryants (left) struck again, albeit on a slightly lesser scale. With 60 boys and 30 girls competing at the Colorado Junior PGA Championship at Eisenhower Golf Club’s Blue Course at the Air Force Academy, Davis leads the boys tournament and Emma the girls after round 1 of the 54-hole event.

And to add to the storyline, Emma Bryant made her first hole-in-one during Monday’s round, holing a 9-iron from 134 yards on the third hole.

Davis Bryant, the JGAC Boys Player of the Year in 2017, took a five-shot lead on Monday in his title defense. The Colorado State University-bound golfer shot a 4-under-par 68 to open the tournament. He was 2 over par after five holes, but went 6 under for his last 13 holes and shot a 5-under 31 on his final nine (the front side on the Blue Course). Bryant finished the day with eight birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey.

Notably, Davis birdied the third hole, the one sister Emma aced.

Kailer Rundicks of Denver opened with a 73 — highlighted by an eagle at the par-5 11th hole, immediately following a double bogey — and stands in second place. Lucas Howell of Colorado Springs and Barrett Jones of Eagle share third place at 74.

Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins, who won last week’s AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior in Westminster, started with a 77.

On the girls side, 15-year-old Emma Bryant (left) finished with a 1-over 73, good for a one-stroke lead. In addition to her ace, she carded two birdies and five bogeys.

Another reigning state high school champion, two-time 3A winner Hailey Schalk of Erie, is Emma Bryant’s closest pursuer, having posted a first-round 74. Schalk, the JGAC Girls Player of the Year in 2017 and the defending girls champion in this event, finished with three birdies and five bogeys in round 1. She was 1 under through 13 holes, but made four bogeys and one birdie during the stretch run.

The only other girls player who shot below 78 on Monday was Caroline Jordaan of Lakewood, who carded a 75 and holds third place. Jordaan, a Colorado Academy senior-to-be who has verbally committed to play her college golf at the University of Denver, made an eagle, a birdie, two bogeys and two double bogeys on Monday.

Both the boys and girls tournaments will continue through Wednesday.

In addition to the Colorado Junior PGA Championship titles being on the line, the top two boys finishers and the top two girls will earn spots in the national Junior PGA Championship that will be held in Kentucky. The national girls tournament is set for July 9-12 and the boys for July 31-Aug. 3.

For scores from the Colorado Junior PGA: BOYS, GIRLS.
 

Just ask Christie Austin of Cherry Hills Country Club, owner of the 18 victories, or teammate Kathy West of Castle Pines Golf Club, who earned her first CWGA championship on Sunday.

The two paired up at Rifle Creek Golf Course for an eight-stroke win in the Brassie Championship, a best-ball stroke-play event. It was Austin’s sixth Brassie title, with West being her fourth partner in victory, following Liz Ivancie (1990), Janet Moore (1994, 2001 and 2010) and Tori Glenn (2014). (The 2017 champions are pictured, with Austin at left.)

“It’s always such a fun format,” said Austin, who was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2015. “I’ve enjoyed four-ball, both stroke and match, for close to 30 years playing in these events. I love playing partner events.”

Indeed, of Austin’s 18 CWGA titles, 15 have come in two-person team events: six each in the Brassie and Mashie, two in the Chapman and one in a Mixed event. (Individually, Austin has been victorious twice in the CWGA Senior Stroke Play and once in the Senior Match Play.)

In this case, Austin met West in Scottsdale, Ariz., at a club where both are members. And since West and her husband, who are primarily Tulsa residents, are spending more time in Castle Pines these days, Austin and West joined forces for the Brassie.

 “This is my first time to play in a CWGA championship,” West said. “It’s a really friendly group of people here, and that’s part of the fun of it.”

Another part was West making a hole-in-one during Saturday’s first round “” with a gap wedge on the 112-yard 15th hole. It was the third ace of West’s life, and second in competition.

“But it’s been a long time, so that felt like the first one actually,” she noted.

After Saturday’s 1-under-par 71 “” which included a two-stroke penalty for hitting from the wrong tee box on No. 13 “” Sunday’s final round was less eventful. Their even-par 72 in round 2 left them at 1-under 143 overall. They made three birdies and three bogeys in the second round.

“We hung in there today,” Austin said. “We had a few holes where one or the other of us wasn’t in the hole. And each of us had a couple of times where we did some really great things.

“What (fellow competitor) Kathy Malpass told us was, “˜You guys really paired well this week.’ She was right. When one of us hit it out of play, the other one hit it right down the middle. We managed our risk well. We made a couple of silly bogeys today, but all in all I’m really pleased with the way we paired as a team. It was very comfortable. We laughed and we joked. We kept it very light and easy, and we came out a winner.”

Malpass, from Hiwan Golf Club, and partner Katherine Moore-Lilly from Cordillera finished second in the championship flight at 151 after closing with a 77. Lynn Larson and Laurie Steenrod, who have twice won the Brassie as teammates, shared third place at 160 with Lynne Batchelder and Nancy Ziereis, who shot a second-round 81.

The gross-division winners of the other flights were Donna Edelen and Becky Finger (170 in first flight), Karla Hutchinson and Kathleen Mikoloyck (175 in second flight), and Sue Means and Nondis Lowther from Rifle Creek (172 in third flight).

With the exception of the first flight, the same teams won the net division titles. Penny Sykes and Candy Hammerich prevailed in the net competition in the first flight.

CWGA Brassie Championship

At Par-72 Rifle Creek GC in Rifle

GROSS SCORES

Championship Flight

Christie Austin, Cherry Hills CC Wga / Kathy West, Castle Pines Wga”“71-72″“143

Kathy Malpass, Hiwan Wga / Katherine Moore-Lilly, Cordillera Wga ““ Valley”“74-77″“151

Nancy Ziereis, Valley CC Wga / Lynne Batchelder, Valley CC Wga”“79-81″“160

Laurie Steenrod, Saddle Rock Wga / Lynn Larson, Pinery CC Wga”“77-83″“160

LeAnna Rosenow, West Woods Wgc / Patricia Swanson, West Woods Wgc”“79-84″“163

Pam Cortez, Riverdale Wga / Sue Knutson, Coal Creek Wga”“85-82″“167

Phyllis Emrich, Columbine CC Lga / Deborah Sturm, Stewart Park Golf Club”“85-84″“169

Karen Hale, CC of Castle Pines / Dee Baker, Eisenhower Wga”“84-86″“170

First Flight

Donna Edelen, Riverdale Wga / Becky Finger, Riverdale Wga”“84-86″“170

Lyn Bullen, Bookcliff Country Club / Judy Maillis, Broken Tee Englewood Wga”“80-91″“171

Janine Lowe, South Suburban Wga / Ellen Thomas, Lga at Blackstone/Black Bear”“84-88″“172

Penny Sykes, Rifle Creek GC / Candy Hammerich, Rifle Creek Wga”“87-86″“173

Constance Brodt, Fox Hill Club Wga / Karen Leuschel, Riverdale Wga”“84-89″“173

Jo Ann Higgins, Fox Hill Club Wga / Katie Maurer, Fox Hill Club Wga”“88-85″“173

Berta Thimmig, Riverdale Wga / Susan Elliott, Riverdale Wga”“85-92″“177

Kathryn Morris, Spring Valley Wga / Amy Hicks, Spring Valley Wga”“87-90″“177

Peggy Sontag, River Valley Ranch / Joanne Kates, River Valley Ranch Wga”“91-89″“180

Second Flight

Karla Hutchinson, Fox Hollow Lgc / Kathleen Mikoloyck, Willis Case Wga”“87-88″“175

Debbie Childs, Lone Tree Lga / Cheryl Berning, ““89-91″“180

Cindy Ortega, Foothills Wga / Kathy Diehl, Broken Tee Englewood Wga”“90-93″“183

Sharon Thiel, Riverdale Wga / Diane Storlie, Riverdale Wga”“93-93″“186

Mary Smith, Fox Hollow Wga / Suzanne Elkins, Fox Hollow Wga”“93-95″“188

Cynthia Elsener, Walnut Creek Golf Preserve Wga / Marita Rhea, Indian Peaks Wga”“88-101″“189

Adele Reester, Colorado National Wga / Julie Pate, Colorado National Wga”“104-91″“195

Deanna Messerli, Riverdale Wga / Dee Riedel, West Woods Wgc”“97-101″“198

Third Flight

Sue Means, Rifle Creek Wga / Nondis Lowther, Rifle Creek GC”“84-88″“172

Kim Gauthier, Glenwood Springs Lgc / Brit Glock, Glenwood Springs Lgc”“88-93″“181

Sandra Schnitzer, Riverdale Wga / Bunny Ambrose, Riverdale Wga”“91-96″“187

Dee Martinez, West Woods Wgc / Janet Squires, West Woods Wgc”“94-100″“194

Mary Graff, West Woods Wgc / Barbara Bender, Coal Creek Wga”“98-98″“196

Rose Rismanchi, Aurora Hills Wga / Margie Doss, Meadow Hills Wga”“103-98″“201

Karen Hessl, River Valley Ranch Wga / Pj Click, Lakota Canyon Ranch Wga”“101-102″“203

Audrey McEwen, Coal Creek Wga / Susan Wagner, Coal Creek Wga”“99-105″“204

Leticia Overholt, Fossil Trace Wga / Rhonda O’Reilly, Fossil Trace Wga”“105-101″“206

NET SCORES

Championship Flight

Christie Austin, Cherry Hills CC Wga / Kathy West, Castle Pines Wga”“67-68″“135

Sue Knutson, Coal Creek Wga / Pam Cortez, Riverdale Wga”“71-65″“136

Phyllis Emrich, Columbine CC Lga / Deborah Sturm, Stewart Park Golf Club”“71-67″“138

Kathy Malpass, Hiwan Wga / Katherine Moore-Lilly, Cordillera Wga ““ Valley”“68-71″“139

Nancy Ziereis, Valley CC Wga / Lynne Batchelder, Valley CC Wga”“71-71″“142

LeAnna Rosenow, West Woods Wgc / Patricia Swanson, West Woods Wgc”“67-75″“142

Laurie Steenrod, Saddle Rock Wga / Lynn Larson, Pinery CC Wga”“69-75″“144

Karen Hale, CC of Castle Pines / Dee Baker, Eisenhower Wga”“72-74″“144

First Flight

Penny Sykes, Rifle Creek GC / Candy Hammerich, Rifle Creek Wga”“68-66″“134

Susan Elliott, Riverdale Wga / Berta Thimmig, Riverdale Wga”“64-71″“135

Donna Edelen, Riverdale Wga / Becky Finger, Riverdale Wga”“67-70″“137

Constance Brodt, Fox Hill Club Wga / Karen Leuschel, Riverdale Wga”“67-70″“137

Janine Lowe, South Suburban Wga / Ellen Thomas, Lga at Blackstone/Black Bear”“67-71″“138

Kathryn Morris, Spring Valley Wga / Amy Hicks, Spring Valley Wga”“68-71″“139

Lyn Bullen, Bookcliff Country Club / Judy Maillis, Broken Tee Englewood Wga”“65-74″“139

Katie Maurer, Fox Hill Club Wga / Jo Ann Higgins, Fox Hill Club Wga”“72-71″“143

Joanne Kates, River Valley Ranch Wga / Peggy Sontag, River Valley Ranch”“73-70″“143

Second Flight

Karla Hutchinson, Fox Hollow Lgc / Kathleen Mikoloyck, Willis Case Wga”“68-66″“134

Debbie Childs, Lone Tree Lga / Cheryl Berning, ““70-71″“141

Cindy Ortega, Foothills Wga / Kathy Diehl, Broken Tee Englewood Wga”“69-72″“141

Cynthia Elsener, Walnut Creek Golf Preserve Wga / Marita Rhea, Indian Peaks Wga”“66-78″“144

Sharon Thiel, Riverdale Wga / Diane Storlie, Riverdale Wga”“72-73″“145

Mary Smith, Fox Hollow Wga / Suzanne Elkins, Fox Hollow Wga”“72-73″“145

Deanna Messerli, Riverdale Wga / Dee Riedel, West Woods Wgc”“75-75″“150

Adele Reester, Colorado National Wga / Julie Pate, Colorado National Wga”“82-70″“152

 Third Flight

Sue Means, Rifle Creek Wga / Nondis Lowther, Rifle Creek GC”“60-63″“123

Kim Gauthier, Glenwood Springs Lgc / Brit Glock, Glenwood Springs Lgc”“61-65″“126

Sandra Schnitzer, Riverdale Wga / Bunny Ambrose, Riverdale Wga”“66-71″“137

Dee Martinez, West Woods Wgc / Janet Squires, West Woods Wgc”“67-71″“138

Margie Doss, Meadow Hills Wga / Rose Rismanchi, Aurora Hills Wga”“73-68″“141

Audrey McEwen, Coal Creek Wga / Susan Wagner, Coal Creek Wga”“67-75″“142

Karen Hessl, River Valley Ranch Wga / Pj Click, Lakota Canyon Ranch Wga”“71-72″“143

Mary Graff, West Woods Wgc / Barbara Bender, Coal Creek Wga”“72-73″“145

Leticia Overholt, Fossil Trace Wga / Rhonda O’Reilly, Fossil Trace Wga”“74-71″“145

With West’s hole-in-one at the 112-yard 15th hole, she and Austin combined to shoot a 1-under-par 71 on Saturday and take a three-stroke lead at the midway point at Rifle Creek Golf Course in Rifle.

Ironically, West’s ace came two holes after she, and then Austin, hit from the wrong tee on the par-5 13th, where a two-stroke penalty left them with a double-bogey 7.

“(West’s) comment after the ball drifted into the hole (on 15 was) ‘I redeemed myself,'” Austin noted in a text. “It was hysterical and great, all at once.”

Austin and West carded an eagle, three birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey on Saturday in the best-ball stroke-play event.

Their closest pursuers in the championship flight going into Sunday’s final round are Kathy Malpass and Katherine Moore-Lilly, whose 74 included three birdies.

Sitting in third place are Lynn Larson and Laurie Steenrod, who won the Brassie in 2000 and ’08. They posted a 77 on Saturday.

The gross-score leaders in the other flights after round 1 are Judy Maillis and Lyn Bullen (80 in first flight), Karla Hutchinson and Kathleen Mikoloyck (87 in second flight), and Nondis Lowther and Sue Means (84 in third flight).

The tournament will conclude on Sunday.

For scores from the Brassie, CLICK HERE.

It’s been a unique week at the CoBank Colorado Open.

Through three days at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club …

— Twice the course record of 62 has been matched, including Saturday by Alex Kim (left) of Fullerton, Calif., who used a hole-in-one to vault into the 54-hole lead. It was the second ace of tournament week.

— Also on Saturday, the very rare “albatross” made an appearance at GVR, with James Back of La Palma, Calif., recording a double eagle on the 531-yard par-5 12th hole, flying a 229-yard approach into the cup with a 5-iron.

— With little wind and pure greens, the scores are so low this year that the 36-hole cut of 3 under par was a tournament record by three strokes. And Kim’s 18-under-par total is a 54-hole tourney record, also by three.

— And this year’s tournament also featured a female competitor, Sherry Andonian-Smith of Denver, for the first time ever.

Now, though, things will really take on a different look. In the first 51 Colorado Opens, the highest first-prize payout has been $38,800, in 1997. But on Sunday, $100,000 will go to the winner, more than quadrupling last year’s $23,000 winner’s check.

Suffice it to say that many of those in the running for the title this year have never truly been in contention going into the final round of a tournament in which the winner would receive a six-figure check.

Indeed, aside from for the two players on the leaderboard who have won PGA Tour events — Jonathan Kaye of Boulder and Parker McLachlin of Honolulu — Sunday will be novel experience for just about everyone who’s in contention.

And making it even more unique is the huge money difference between first and second place, $100,000 and $20,000.

“The purse is huge, especially for guys playing the mini tours,” said Kim, a former UCLA golfer who played in the 2015 U.S. Open. “We don’t play for this kind of purse ($250,000).”

As noted, Kaye (left) is an exception. The former University of Colorado golfer earned $900,000 for winning the 2003 Buick Open and $936,000 for his victory at the 2004 FBR Open on the PGA Tour.

“I always looked at it that they were giving away money and I was there to get it,” Kaye said Saturday. “I was like, ‘I’m going to go as low as I can.’ I wasn’t really thinking about the consequences at that point. I was trying to go as low as I could to make money.’

“My rookie year (on the PGA Tour), that was how I kept my card. I had the No. 1 scoring average on tour on Saturday, but I only made eight cuts. I played good when I had to.

“But the young kids now, they aren’t scared. They look at it as a (cash) giveaway, I think. They think they can win right away. I think these guys (in contention at the Colorado Open) are all pretty good. (But) hopefully they all get nervous and crumble and I can slide in there. I’ll still take the money. A hundred grand is a hundred grand.”

With Saturday’s 62 and an 18-under-par 198 total, Kim will take a one-stroke lead into Sunday. The previous 54-hole tournament record, in relation to par, was Derek Tolan’s 15 under mark in 2009. That year, the former CU golfer went on to finish a record 22 under par.

Wil Collins (left) of Albuquerque, N.M., the 2005 Open champion, played his final five holes in 3 under par on Saturday and his bogey-free 67 left him a stroke behind Kim heading into the final round.

Colorado native Nick Hodge of Littleton and Neil Johnson of Phoenix share third place at 201, with Hodge carding a 66 that featured a 30 on the front nine, and Johnson posting a 68.

“This is the biggest event we play during the year as mini-tour players,” said Hodge (below). “There’s a little extra on there. I’ve been playing really well all week. It’s definitely a big event. It would be important to me to win (having grown) up here and everything.”

The group four out of the lead — at 14-under-par 202 — features two former champions (Kaye and Zahkai Brown of Arvada) and, as noted, two players who have won on the PGA Tour (Kaye and McLachlin), along with Martin Trainer of Palo Alto, Calif.

Brown is in the hunt for his fourth top-2 Colorado Open finish in the last five years, while Kaye is playing his first tournament in two years. Both shot 70 after sharing the 36-hole lead with Collins.

“I’d much rather be closer, but I am where I am so I guess I’ll have to try to make it up,” said Kaye, who needed a 30-foot chip-in for bogey on No. 16 after hitting a tree and watching his second shot go into a hazard. “It was kind of ugly today. I didn’t play very well all in all. It wasn’t as clean as the other two days. Hopefully tomorrow will be better and we’ll try to make a run at it.”

Kim, meanwhile, put himself atop the leaderboard Saturday thanks to matching the course record of 62 set by Nick Mason in 2013 and matched by Collins on Thursday.

While Kim made nine birdies on the day — including a 7-footer on 18 — it was the ace on the 177-yard eighth hole that especially grabbed the attention. His 9-iron hit about 6 feet short of the flag, took a bounce and rolled in. It was his fourth hole-in-one, but his first in competition.

“I was plugging along at 2 under, and made that hole-in-one and it was just off to the races,” said Kim, who qualified for the Colorado Open on July 12 in Eagle. “I birdied the next hole and turned at 5 under. It easily could have been a 2-under front nine, but it helps when you make a ‘1’.

“One of my playing partners said while (his tee shot on 8) was in the air, ‘Go in’, and sure enough, it one-hopped and just disappeared. I threw my club in the air. That was pretty cool.”

As for the day overall, while Kim has shot 61 before, Saturday’s 62 was his best ever in competition.

“I’m pretty pleased with that,” said the South Korea-born 26-year-old, who’s playing his first Colorado Open.

Mark Me Down for a Deuce: As noted, James Back — whose hometown of La Palma, Calif., is about 10 miles from Kim’s hometown of Fullerton — had his own fireworks on Saturday.

After a good drive on the 531-yard 12th hole — his third hole of the day — he hit a baby draw with his 5-iron from 229 yards and the ball flew straight into the cup for a double eagle, the first of his life.

Only it took Back several minutes to realize his accomplishment.

“I hit it pretty good and I was looking at it,” he said. “I didn’t see any bounce. I went up to the green and I thought it had gone over. The guys were checking all over (for the ball). Finally, the guys checked the hole and it was in the hole. It hit the back of the cup and went in the hole. It was pretty crazy.

“I didn’t expect it to go in, but if it’s in, good for me.”

Back finished with a 7-under-par 65 on Saturday and shares 14th place at 11-under 205.

Ram Tough: The chase for low-amateur honors may come down to what amounts to an intrasquad competition for Colorado State University golfers from last season.

Jake Staiano of Cherry Hills Village will take a two-stroke lead in the amateur competiton into Sunday’s final round. Staiano, who advanced to match play at last year’s U.S. Amateur, has gone 68-68-69 for an 11-under-par 205 total. He played his last four holes in 3 under par on Saturday.

Two back of Staiano is former Ram Dominic Kieffer of Byron, Minn., who posted a 67 on Saturday. And Jimmy Makloski of Pueblo is another two back after carding a third-round 68.

University of Colorado golfer John Souza trails Staiano by five following a 74 on Saturday.

Sitting Out This Senior British: It might seem a bit unusual to see Mark Wiebe caddying for son Gunner in this week’s Colorado Open, considering the Senior British Open is being contested this week in Scotland. After all, Wiebe won the Senior British just three years ago.

But concerns over physical ailments — most notably neck problems — made the elder Wiebe think better of a trip overseas.

“Something is going on, so it’s been a real drag,” said Wiebe, a Colorado Golf Hall of Famer and five-time Champions winner who noted that he’s had to withdraw from all the senior majors so far in 2016. “And to go all the way over there, all I’m thinking is, ‘Am I going to get there and be able to play?’

“I’ve tried to play injured for over a year and I suck (at that). I’m no good injured. I need to be 100 percent.”

Gunner Wiebe, playing his first tournament in two months, shares 10th place at 12-under 204 after a 68 on Saturday. (Gunner and Mark are pictured together above.)

Notable: The lead threesome of Alex Kim, Wil Collins and Nick Hodge will tee off for Sunday’s final round at 9:25 a.m. … Part-time Denver resident Kevin Stadler, winner of the 2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open on the PGA Tour, shot a 4-under-par 68 on Saturday to move up to 29th place at 8-under 208 in his first tournament in over a year.

For scores from the Colorado Open CLICK HERE.
 

For Sunday tee times, CLICK HERE.