That Junior Solheim Cup featured World Golf Hall of Famer Kathy Whitworth, winner of a record 88 LPGA events, as the winning U.S. captain. Competitors that week included Georgia Hall, who’s currently eighth in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings; Bronte Law, who finished 41st on the 2018 LPGA money list; Andrea Lee, currently ranked fifth in the world among female amateurs; LPGA veteran Alison Lee; and Linnea Strom, who will be an LPGA Tour rookie in 2018.

In other words, many of the best female junior players in the world at the time competed in the event.

And now, with a similar event scheduled for late this year, Aspen resident Justin Leonard was recently named the captain for the U.S. team that will compete in the Junior Presidents Cup in Australia ahead of the regular Presidents Cup. The Junior PC, where Leonard’s American squad will square off with Australian Stuart Appleby’s International team, is set for Dec. 8-9 at Royal Melbourne Golf Club.

Leonard, who moved to Aspen from his native Texas in 2015, has competed in the Presidents Cup five times, in addition to three appearances in the Ryder Cup. The 46-year-old’s resume includes a dozen PGA Tour victories, with the 1997 British Open being the highlight; the 1992 U.S. Amateur title and ’94 NCAA Division I individual championship. Leonard was just the fourth player to advance directly from college golf to the PGA Tour, following the lead of fellow current Colorado resident Gary Hallberg, Scott Verplank and Phil Mickelson.

“It is a true honor to be named captain of this year’s Junior Presidents Cup team,” said Leonard (pictured in a photo on presidentscup.com). “I am so excited to be part of representing the U.S. with the best junior golfers our country has to offer. It will be so special for these young players to compete on the same course, Royal Melbourne, that the pros will play just a few days later.

‘After attending the Junior Presidents Cup (in 2017) to watch my nephew, Turner Hosch, compete, I realized how special this event is for all involved. I look forward to sharing my experience as a player and watch with awe how these junior golfers play the game.”

Leonard squared off with Appleby three times in the Presidents Cup, going 1-1-1. They met twice in 1998 at Royal Melbourne, where Appleby won once in four-ball and tied once in foursomes.

This year marks the second edition of the Junior Presidents Cup — and the first held overseas. The American team, captianed by David Toms, won in 2017 in Edison, N.J., 14-10.

U.S. competitors will qualify for the Junior Presidents Cup based on the Rolex AJGA Rankings as of Sept. 5. The International players will be the leading 12 qualified golfers from the World Amateur Golf Ranking on Sept. 5.
 

When it comes to sheer candidness, there are few players who have won on the PGA Tour who are more forthright than Jonathan Kaye.

The former University of Colorado golfer seldom hesitates to voice his true opinions — good, bad or otherwise.

Last year, in the week in which he won his second CoBank Colorado Open title, Kaye was talking about the subject of money and purses on the PGA Tour. And he said something that was both illuminating and candid.

“I passed Jack Nicklaus (in career PGA Tour earnings) my third year on the Tour,” Kaye said. “There’s no way I should ever pass Jack Nicklaus.”

With the Masters on tap this week, we decided to take a look at where the most prominent players in the history of Colorado golf stack up in a statistic seldom mentioned anymore: career money leaders on the major professional tours.

It’s not surprising that the PGA Tour competitors in the Tiger Woods era have received a disproportionate boost in money earnings compared to their earlier counterparts. What was eye-opening was just how much an effect that had.

For instance, regarding Nicklaus and Kaye, the Golden Bear may be the greatest player of all time, with 18 majors among his 73 PGA Tour victories. Kaye, meanwhile, has won twice in his PGA Tour career.

Yet look at the PGA Tour career money list and Nicklaus is No. 271 ($5.734 million) and Kaye is No. 164 ($10.585 million, just ahead of Bernhard Langer). Many people debate whether Nicklaus or Woods is the greatest golfer ever, but on the PGA Tour’s career money list the Bear is a pauper compared to Tiger, who has won more than 19 times as much money ($111.183 million).

Hale Irwin (pictured above), a Boulder High School and University of Colorado graduate, is unquestionably the most successful golfer the Centennial State has produced from an early age, with three U.S. Open victories among his 20 PGA Tour wins. But you’d never know it by looking at all-time PGA Tour money won. The World Golf Hall of Famer checks in at No. 263 ($5.966 million).

Another former CU golfer who won the U.S. Open is just a little ahead of Irwin. Steve Jones, whose eight-win career included the 1996 U.S. Open title, is No. 249 ($6.519 million).

As for other prominent players who grew up in Colorado and have had extensive PGA Tour careers, Brandt Jobe is 195th in career money at $9 million and one-time winner Kevin Stadler is 180th at $9.698 million. Both played their high school golf at Kent Denver.

Others with strong Colorado connections in the top 200 are Evergreen resident Craig Stadler (Kevin’s dad), winner of 13 PGA Tour events including a Masters (174th at $10.022 million); former Colorado State University golfer Martin Laird, a three-time PGA Tour champion (91st at $16.155 million); and Colorado resident David Duval, winner of 13 PGA Tour events including a British Open (78th at $18.984 million).

And, the top PGA Tour career money winner with major Colorado ties is Aspen resident Justin Leonard, who owns a dozen Tour wins including a British Open (22nd at $33.885 million).

Other PGA Tour winners with strong Colorado ties made less than $1 million in their PGA Tour careers, including Paul Runyan (28 wins), Ed Dudley (15 wins), Dow Finsterwald (11 wins), Dale Douglass (3 wins), Bob Byman (1 win) and Fred Wampler (1 win).

Dave Hill made $1.13 million in a career that included 13 victories, and Mark Wiebe earned $4.314 million in a career that featured two wins.

On the LPGA Tour, part-time Colorado resident and World Golf Hall of Famer Hollis Stacy (left, with Annika Sorenstam) earned $2.58 million in winning 18 times on the LPGA circuit, including four majors. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Jill McGill earned $2.342 million, though she didn’t win a tournament on that circuit. World Golf Hall of Famer Babe Zaharias, a Denver-area resident in the 1940s, won 41 times on the LPGA Tour but earned just $66,237. Sharon Miller, like Zaharias and McGill a member of the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, won $164,274 on the LPGA circuit, on which she posted two victories. Lauren Howe racked up $236,084 in career LPGA money after winning once. Sorenstam, who won the 1995 U.S. Women’s Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, leads the LPGA career money list, with $22.573 million.

As for PGA Tour Champions, Irwin was a check-cashing machine for many years. The former Buff, winner of a career-record 45 PGA Tour Champions events, has won a remarkable $27.089 million on the 50-and-over circuit, putting him No. 1 all-time.

Also ranking among the top 100 in what was once know as the Senior Tour are Craig Stadler (35th at $8.979 million with nine wins); Douglass (56th at $7.019 million with 11 wins), Wiebe (73rd at $5.69 million with five wins) and R.W. Eaks (91st at $4.693 million with four wins). 

And though Duval and Karavites very nearly pulled off the feat — they were tied for the lead with four holes left in Sunday’s final round in Orlando — they were turned away by Angel Cabrera and his son Angel Jr., who were late additions and first-timers to the field after Curtis and Tom Strange withdrew.

Duval and Karavites, who trailed by two going into the final round, eagled two of their first five holes on Sunday, with Duval chipping in at No. 3. But after they tied the Cabreras with a birdie on No. 14, they parred their last four, allowing the Argentines (pictured) to pull away.

Duval and Karavites shot their second straight 11-under-par 61 to finish at 22-under 122, leaving them tied for second in the 20-team field and three back of the Cabreras, who matched the tournament record at 25-under 119. The Duvals played their final 27 holes of the scramble tournament in 18 under par.

The other team with Colorado ties, Aspen resident Justin Leonard and dad Larry, finished 19th on Sunday at 10-under 134 after consecutive rounds of 67.

Last year’s victory by Duval was his first in a nationally televised tournament since 2001, the year the former world No. 1 won the British Open. Other players with strong Colorado connections who have won the PNC Father/Son Challenge are Craig and Kevin Stadler (2002) and Hale and Steve Irwin (2003).

To qualify for the Father/Son Challenge, players must have won either a major championship or The Players Championship in their careers. The professional’s partner must not currently hold a Tour card.
 

Coloradans David Duval and stepson Nick Karavites (pictured) captured the title last year in Orlando, and are in the hunt after Saturday’s first round of this December’s 36-hole event.

Duval and Karavites used a 29 on the back nine to fire an 11-under-par 61 and share third place in the scramble format, trailing leaders Angel Cabrera and Angel Cabrera Jr., by two strokes. Duval eagled the 14th hole on Saturday.

Mark and Shaun O’Meara are in second place at 60.

“I’d imagine we have to break 60 tomorrow to have a chance to win, but hey, stranger things have happened. I’ve even done it myself,” Duval said, noting the 59 he shot to win the Bob Hope Classic in 1999.

The other pair with strong Colorado ties competing this weekend, Aspen resident Justin Leonard and dad Larry, opened with a 67.

The players with strong Colorado connections to have won the Father/Son Challenge are Craig and Kevin Stadler (2002), Hale and Steve Irwin (2003) and Duval and Karavites (2016).

To qualify for the Father/Son Challenge, players must have won either a major championship or The Players Championship in their careers. The professional’s partner must not currently hold a Tour card.

For all the scores from the Father/Son, CLICK HERE.
 

But there was at least one surprising omission from the 20-team field: World Golf Hall of Famer Hale Irwin and son Steve. Hale, who grew up in Colorado, and Steve, a longtime resident of the state, were the only team to stay intact for the first 19 Father/Son Challenges — starting in 1995 with a three-year hiatus by the tournament beginning in 2009. But this will be the first year they’re not part of the field.

Asked the reason, Steve Irwin said via email, “Your guess is as good as mine.”

The Irwins won the tournament in 2003 and have finished second three times. They’ve placed 11th the last two years. Hale Irwin has won three U.S. Opens and a record 45 tournaments on PGA Tour Champions. Steve is a former CGA Player of the Year who has competed in a U.S. Open and three U.S. Amateurs.

The Father/Son Challenge, which features a scramble format over 36 holes, will take place Dec. 16-17 in Orlando, Fla.

Two British Open champions based in Colorado — Duval of Cherry Hills Village and Justin Leonard of Aspen — will be in this year’s field.

Duval and Karavites won last year’s title by one stroke, becoming the third team with at least one Colorado resident to capture the championship, following Craig and Kevin Stadler (2002) and the Irwins (2003).

Leonard will become the first PGA Tour player to compete in the event with his dad (Larry). Justin Leonard was part of the broadcast team for last year’s Father/Son Challenge.

“I’ve got to reacquaint myself with my golf clubs between now and then,” Leonard said on Golf Channel, where he’s an analyst. “I’m not sure how I’m going to do that in Colorado, but we’re looking forward to a fun weekend.”

Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino are among 11 World Golf Hall of Famers scheduled to compete in this year’s PNC Father/Son Challenge. For the complete field, CLICK HERE.

To qualify for the Father/Son Challenge, players must have won either a major championship or The Players Championship in their careers. The professional’s partner must not currently hold a Tour card.