And now it looks like the former Fort Collins resident and Air Force Academy golfer will be a regular on that circuit again in 2019.
Whitney finished fourth out of 99 players on Friday in a PGA Tour Latinoamerica Q-school tournament in Mazatlan, Mexico, which gives him fully-exempt status for the first half of the 2019 season.
Meanwhile, two other players with strong Colorado ties earned conditional PTLA status for 2019 — former Colorado State University golfer Blake Cannon and Castle Pines resident Josh Seiple, who’s in the midst of his senior season at the University of Mississippi.
Whitney, who shared the lead after three rounds, tallied scores of 67-70-65-67 for a 19-under-par 269 total that left him five strokes behind medalist Jacob Bergeron of the U.S., who closed with a 62 and is fully exempt for the entire season.
Whitney eagled a par-4 during Friday’s round, but also made a 7 on a par-5.
Players who finished 2-11 are fully exempt for the first half of the season.
Those who placed 12th through 35th and ties are conditionally exempt in 2019. That’s the category in which Cannon and Seiple fell. Cannon (66-69-71-69) tied for 15th at 275, while Seiple (69-70-69-72) shared 32nd place at 280.
Two more PGA Tour Latinoamerica Q-school events remain, both next week: in Brazil and Argentina.
Coloradan Chen Earns Conditional Status on PGA Tour China: Westminster resident and University of Northern Colorado golfer Li Chen landed conditional status on PGA Tour China on Friday by tying for 21st place out of 100 players in a Q-school tournament in Guangzhou.
The finishers in the 13-35 range earned conditional status through the first six events of 2019.
Chen posted rounds of 73-76-75-78 for a 22-over-par 302 total.
Chen is in the midst of his senior season at UNC. In 2017, he was medalist in qualifying for the U.S. Amateur at Fort Collins Country Club.
This week marked the first of four qualifying tournaments in 2019 for PGA Tour China.
Former Buff Jeremy Paul Wins in Scottsdale: Meanwhile, in mini-tour action, former University of Colorado golfer Jeremy Paul won a one-round tournament, the Waste Management Warm-Up in Scottsdale, Ariz., an Outlaw Tour event.
Paul shot a 5-under-par 67 for a one-stroke victory and earned $1,500 on Monday.
Steven Kupcho Runner-Up in Napa: Elsewhere on mini tours, former CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year Steven Kupcho recently posted his second top-10 finish in a month.
Kupcho tied for second in the Napa Open at Silverado Resort and Spa in California last week. The former University of Northern Colorado golfer posted a 7-under-par 209 total, finishing seven back of champion Corey Pereira and earning $3,500.
In December, Kupcho shared ninth place in a Mexico Professional Golf Tour event in Mazatlan.
The top 19 finishers and ties after four rounds of the Web.com Q-school second-stage tournament in McKinney, Texas earned spots into the final stage of Q-school, where all the players will at least receive conditional status on the Web circuit in 2019.
Former University of Colorado golfer Jeremy Paul finished 20th on Friday. One stroke better anywhere along the line during four days and Paul would have some status on the Web circuit next year. But it was not to be.
Paul, who holds the CU record for career stroke average, made four birdies in a round of 2-under-par 70 on Friday, but a bogey on the par-4 16th hole proved costly. He ended up at 8-under-par 280 for a week when 279 was necessary to advance.
In all, seven players with strong connections to Colorado competed in second stage tournaments this week, and all seven failed to advance to the final stage. Steven Kupcho of Westminster missed by four strokes in McKinney and former Colorado State University golfer Blake Cannon by five. Former Golden resident Andrew Svoboda missed the mark by five in Plantation, Fla.
Former CU golfer Josh Creel, from Cheyenne, earned a spot in the Q-school finals last week in a second stage tournament in Murrieta, Calif. The final stage will be held Dec. 6-9 in Chandler, Ariz., where 2019 Web.com Tour cards will be distributed.
Here are this week’s second stage scores for all the players with strong Colorado ties:
Q-School Second Stage (Nov. 6-9)
McKinney, Texas (Top 19 Finishers and Ties Advance to Final Stage)
Failed to Advance
20. Former CU golfer Jeremy Paul 70-69-71-70–280
33. Steven Kupcho of Westminster 74-71-67-71–283
37. Former CSU golfer Blake Cannon 72-71-68-73–284
51. Riley Arp of Fort Collins 70-73-71-74–288
Mobile, Ala. (Top 19 Finishers and Ties Advance to Final Stage)
Failed to Advance
59. Former DU golfer Chris Gilman 71-69-72-70–282
Plantation, Fla. (Top 18 Finishers and Ties Advance to Final Stage)
Failed to Advance
35. Former Golden resident Andrew Svoboda 68-68-70-74–280
64. AJ Morris of Aspen 72-72-72-72–288
He and his partner Braden Baer won the regionals at TopGolf in Centennial in 2016 and advanced to the national semifinals in Las Vegas before bowing out.
Then this year, Kupcho and former University of Northern Colorado teammate Conner Barr again won the regional title — on July 30 in Centennial — to advance and again made the eight-team match-play stage of the national event in Las Vegas. This time, however, Kupcho and Barr fell in Sunday night’s quarterfinals 289-238 to a team from Dallas-Fort Worth.
So that’s two top-eight finishes nationally in the last three years for Kupcho, the older brother of women’s NCAA Division I champion Jennifer Kupcho, who earned her 2019 LPGA Tour card on Saturday. Steven Kupcho, the 2012 CGA Amateur champion from Westminster, will compete this week in the second stage of Web.com Tour Q-school in McKinney, Texas.
Twenty-three two-person teams from around the country competed at TopGolf Las Vegas in the Tour Championship, where $50,000 went to the winning team. Eight teams emerged from two heats of preliminary competition to earn spots in the match-play bracket. Kupcho and Barr (pictured, with Kupcho at left) finished second in their heat and were seeded third in the match-play bracket.
A team from Austin, Texas claimed the title.
In Topgolf, players hit microchipped golf balls at targets with varying point values. In the Topgolf Tour competition, the players alternate shots.
Though the Centennial Topgolf location is the only one currently operating in Colorado, it will soon have company. Topgolf announced last month that it has broken ground on a second location in the Denver metro area, in Thornton at I-25 and E. 160th Ave. 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, 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 opened in August 2015 and employs 500, the same number that is expected in Thornton.
A good example was the Web.com Tour Q-school First Stage tournament that concluded on Friday in St. George, Utah.
There, 2012 CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year Steven Kupcho (left) of Westminster shot a 5-under-par 65 to advance to Stage 2 on the number. And Riley Arp of Fort Collins fired a 68 to also move on — with no strokes to spare. Kupcho, a former University of Northern Colorado golfer, played his final 12 holes in 5 under.
On the other side of the cut line in Utah, Beau Schoolcraft of Denver appeared to be in good shape after going 69-64-64 the first three rounds. But a final-round 75 left him one stroke shy of advancing — just a shot behind Kupcho and Arp. Schoolcraft played his final three holes in 3 over par, with a bogey on 16 and a double bogey on 17.
All told, five players with strong Colorado connections advanced this week to the Second Stage of the three-stage process, thanks to finishing in the top 21 or 22 — depending on the First Stage site in which they competed.
Joining Kupcho and Arp in moving on on Friday were AJ Morris of Aspen (fourth place in West Palm Beach, Fla.); Josh Creel, who started his college career at the University of Colorado (12th place in Dayton, Nev.); and former University of Denver player Chris Gilman (17th place in Nevada).
That’s in addition to the four players with strong Colorado connections who advanced last month from a First Stage Q-school tournament to Second Stage — Zahkai Brown of Golden, fellow former CSU golfer Blake Cannon, and former CU players Yannik and Jeremy Paul.
Among those falling short on Friday was Jimmy Makloski of Pueblo, another case that falls into the Q-school cruelty category. Makloski was in fourth place going into Friday in Dayton, Nev. — where the top 22 finishers and ties advanced — but a final-round 81 dropped him into 35th place.
See below for all the scores for local players and where they placed.
Next up, there will be five Second Stage Q-school tournmaments from Oct. 30-Nov. 9. The Final Stage is Dec. 6-9 in Chandler, Ariz., where 2018 Web.com Tour cards will be distributed.
Here are this week’s First-Stage scores for all the players with strong Colorado ties:
Q-School First Stage (Oct. 9-12)
Dayton Nev. (Top 22 Finishers and Ties After 72 Holes Advance to Stage 2)
Advance to Stage 2
12. Former CU golfer Josh Creel 70-71-72-72–285
17. Former DU golfer Chris Gilman 74-69-72-71-71–286
Failed to Advance
36. Jimmy Makloski, Pueblo 68-69-73-81–291
36. James Love, Denver 71-72-76-72–291
61. Former Coloradan Eric Hallberg 80-75-75-71–301
St. George, Utah (Top 21 Finishers and Ties After 72 Holes Advance to Stage 2)
Advance to Stage 2
20. Riley Arp, Fort Collins 68-67-68-68–271
20. Steven Kupcho, Westminster 70-67-69-65–271
Failed to Advance
25. Beau Schoolcraft, Denver 69-64-64-75–272
39. Mike Schoolcraft, Denver 73-70-69-63–275
39. Cole Nygren, Longmont 71-71-65-68–275
50. Tom Gempel, Lone Tree 68-71-72-67–278
The Woodlands, Texas (Top 22 Finishers and Ties After 72 Holes Advance to Stage 2)
Failed to Advance
30. Former Coloradan Tom Whitney 67-76-74-70–287
33. Jamie Marshall, Lone Tree 68-70-75-76–289
West Palm Beach, Fla. (Top 21 Finishers and Ties After 72 Holes Advance to Stage 2)
Advances to Stage 2
4. AJ Morris, Aspen 68-67-71-69–275
Murdock, a University of Wyoming golfer from Laramie, shot a 4-under-par 68 at Walnut Creek Golf Preserve in Westminster to lead the way out of 84 players in the first of three U.S. Open Local Qualifying tournaments that will be held in Colorado this year.
Also advancing to the second and final stage of qualifying — 36-hole Sectionals — on Monday were professional Steven Kupcho of Westminster, college golfers Josh Seiple of Castle Rock and Trevor Olkowski of Grand Junction, and pro Zahkai Brown of Golden. Kupcho, Seiple and Olkowski matched 69s in favorable weather conditions, while Brown carded a 70 and prevailed in a three-man playoff for the final Sectional berth.
(Pictured are, from left, Kupcho and Murdock.)
It was the second consecutive year of advancing to Sectionals from Walnut Creek for Seiple and Brown, the medalist at this site last year and the 2013 CoBank Colorado Open champion.
The 36-hole Sectional Qualifying in the U.S. will be contested on June 4 at 10 sites in the U.S., plus one in England that day and one in Japan on May 21. From there, the top finishers will land berths in the Open itself, set for June 14-17 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y.
To earn medalist honors, Murdock made an eagle (on his ninth hole, No. 18), four birdies and two bogeys on Monday.
Seiple, a University of Mississippi golfer, chalked up six birdies and three bogeys. Olkowski, a University of Colorado freshman, punched his ticket into Sectionals with a four-birdie, one-bogey day.
Kupcho, the former CGA Amateur of the Year and now a pro since 2016, successfully negotiated a USGA qualifier for the first time after numerous tries at events including the U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur, U.S. Amateur Public Links, U.S. Junior Amateur, etc.
“This should open some floodgates and give me confidence,” said Kupcho, who finished eighth last summer in the CoBank Colorado Open. “I haven’t been sucessful in qualifiers in my career; it’s different than playing a four-round tournament. So this is a pretty big day for me. I gotten over the first hurdle.”
On Monday, Kupcho advanced to Sectionals with a day that featured an eagle, three birdies and two bogeys. The eagle came on the 554-yard, par-5 sixth hole (his 15th of the day). He hit an 8-iron to 10 feet and drained the putt.
“That was big,” the 25-year-old said. “Otherwise I would have been in a playoff.”
In the three-man playoff for the final Sectional berth, Brown and Colorado State University golfer AJ Ott of Fort Collins birdied the first extra hole, while professional Anthony Aguilar from Arvada made par and was eliminated, ending up the No. 2 alternate.
On the third playoff hole, the par-5 18th, Brown two-putted for birdie, while Ott missed a 10-foot birdie attempt and was slotted in as first altenate.
In regulation, Brown eagled the sixth hole and added three birdies and two bogeys.
The U.S. Open is the only USGA championship that utilizes a two-stage qualifying process, with most entrants having to successfully negotiate Local and Sectional Qualifying in order to make it into the field for the second men’s major of the year.
Two more 18-hole Local Qualifying tournaments are scheduled in Colorado, with five more players at each site advancing to Sectionals. There’s one at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora on Wednesday and one at Collindale Golf Course in Fort Collins on May 15.
U.S. Open Local Qualifying
At Par-72 Walnut Creek Golf Preserve in Westminster
ADVANCE TO SECTIONALS
John Murdock, Laramie, Wyo. 68
Steven Kupcho, Westminster 69
Josh Seiple, Castle Rock 69
Trevor Olkowski, Grand Junction 69
Zahkai Brown, Golden 70
ALTERNATES (In Order)
AJ Ott, Fort Collins 70
Anthony Aguilar, Arvada 70
For complete results, CLICK HERE.
The former University of Colorado golfer, a two-time winner of the CoBank Colorado Open, posted rounds of 71-72-68-74 for a 3-under-par 285 total. Tolan played the two par-5s on the back nine in 3 over par, costing him a shot at exempt status for 2018.
The winner of the tournament (Cristobal Del Solar) will be exempt for the entire Latinoamerica season, while the next 10 finishers are exempt for the first half of the year. The rest of the players placing in the top 35 and ties will have conditional status.
Tolan (pictured) played in 11 PGA Tour Latinoamerica tournaments in 2015 and ’16 combined, recording a best finish of fifth place in 2015. The Denver native has also played in five PGA Tour events — including the 2002 U.S. Open as a 16-year-old — and 10 Web.com tournaments.
The PGA Tour Latinoamerica season begins March 15 with the Guatemala Open. Earlier this year, three other players with major Colorado ties also earned conditional status on PGA Tour Latinoamerica through other Q-school tournaments: former Buff golfer Jeremy Paul, Cole Nygren of Longmont and former University of Denver golfer Chris Gilman.
For scores from Q-school in Argentina, CLICK HERE.
No Weekend Play at Phoenix Open for Clark, but Laird in 8th Place: Denver native Wyndham Clark missed the cut on Friday in the Waste Management Phoenix Open, the eighth PGA Tour start of his pro career.
Clark, who made it into the field via a sponsor exemption, shot rounds of 74-73 for a 5-over-par 147 total at TPC Scottsdale.
It was an up-and-down two days for Clark, who has a Web.com Tour card this year. The winner of the 2017 Pac-12 title and the 2010 CGA Amateur made two birdies and five bogeys on Thursday. In round 2, he carded an eagle, three birdies, five bogeys and a double bogey.
Clark has made two cuts in his eight PGA Tour starts.
Meanwhile, former Colorado State University golfer Martin Laird, a Scottsdale resident, backed up his first-round 68 with a 67 on Friday afternoon and moved into a share of eighth place at 7-under 135. After a five-birdie, one-bogey day, he trails co-leaders Rickie Fowler and Bryson DeChambeau by three shots.
For Phoenix Open scores, CLICK HERE.
Former DU Golfer Arvidsson Leads in China: Former University of Denver golfer Oskar Arvidsson leads at the halfway point of an international PGA Tour China Q-school event in Haikou in southern China.
Arvidsson, who played in the 2016 British Open, fired a 5-under-par 67 on Friday, leaving him at 10-under 134 and with a two-stroke lead.
Former CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year Steven Kupcho shares 72nd place out of the 120-player field after rounds of 78-74.
The top 15 finishers after 72 holes will be fully exempt on PGA Tour China, with the next 25 conditionally exempt. This is the first of two international qualifiers for PGA Tour China.
For scores, CLICK HERE.
Top 10s in California for Gilman, Nygren: Former University of Denver golfer Chris Gilman and Longmont resident Cole Nygren recorded top-10 finishes Friday in a Golden State Tour tournament in Bakersfield, Calif.
Gilman placed fourth with a three-day total of 12-under-par 204, ending up four behind winner Manav Shah of Bakersfield. Gilman went 66-70-68.
Nygren, who like Gilman will have conditional status on PGA Tour Latinoamerica in 2018, finished 10th on Friday. He posted scores of 71-69-71 for a 5-under 211 total.
The two join former University of Colorado golfer Jeremy Paul in landing conditional status for this year. Paul placed 23rd last week at a Q-school tournament in Howie In The Hills, Fla.
Nygren (pictured), a rookie pro who finished fourth last summer in the CGA Amateur, ended up 26th out of 106 players in Mazatlan, while Gilman was 33rd.
The top 11 finishers received at least some exempt status on the Latinoamerica circuit, while those in 12th through 35th and ties earned conditional status.
Nygren, winner of the All Pro Championship at the inaugural Major Series of Putting on Halloween in Las Vegas, went 70-71-68-73 for a 6-under-par 282 total in Mazatlan. He carded three birdies and four bogeys in the final round.
Gilman, a regular on PGA Tour Canada last year, posted scores of 71-73-70-70 to end up at 284. He had four birdies and two bogeys on Friday.
For all the scores from Mazatlan, CLICK HERE.
Elsewhere on tour:
— Fort Collins resident Tom Whitney, trying to make his first cut ever on the PGA Tour, shares 36th place at the halfway point of the CareerBuilder Challenge in La Quinta, Calif., where he went to high school.
Despite a double bogey on his final hole Friday, the former Air Force Academy golfer has shot back-to-back rounds of 68 and stands at 8-under-par 136, leaving him eight strokes behind leader Andrew Landry.
Whitney, who made the field after receiving a sponsor exemption, recorded six birdies on Friday and will try to survive the 54-hole cut Saturday in La Quinta.
— Former CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year Steven Kupcho finished eighth at the Dreamchasers Tour’s Ocotillo Winter Championship that ended Thursday in Chandler, Ariz.
Kupcho, a former resident of Westminster, shot rounds of 67-73-65 for an 11-under-par 205 total. He made seven birdies in a bogey-free final round. Kupcho finished six stroke behind winner Shane Smith of Godfrey, Ill., in a field that featured 36 players.
— Former University of Colorado golfer Josh Creel posted two runner-up finishes this week on the Adams Pro Tour Winter Series. Creel, a Cheyenne resident who finished his college career at Central Oklahoma, placed second on Monday at the Woodforest Open in Montgomery, Texas, shooting a 69 and finishing two back of winner Sam Fidone.
Then on Friday, Creel went to a playoff in the 36-hole Lake Windcrest Championship in Magnolia, Texas, with he and Scott Kelly of Austin, Texas, tying at 6-under-par 138 and Kelly prevailing in sudden death. Creel carded rounds of 68-70.
Jacob Lestishen of Lone Tree, Steven Kupcho of Westminster, Luke Condon of Monte Vista and Curtis Garver of Dolores took that next step on Friday.
With either the top 37 or 38 finishers and ties advancing from each site, Lestishen (pictured), who finished second in the 2017 CoBank Colorado Open, tied for ninth place in Flower Mound, Texas. A 6-under-par 66 on Friday put him at 7-under 209 overall. Also punching his ticket from the same site was Garver, who placed 26th at 213 after closing with a 68.
Meeting the standard in Lincoln, Neb., was Kupcho, who placed 14th at 1-under-par 212. And advancing from Coto de Caza, Calif., was Condon, who finished 14th after going 70-80-68.
Three more Pre-Qualifying tournaments are scheduled for next week.
The First Stage will take place at 12 sites between Sept. 26-Oct. 13, the Second Stage at five sites between Oct. 31-Nov. 7, and the Final Stage Dec. 7-10 in Chandler, Ariz.
Here at the scores for all the players with strong Colorado connections who competed this week:
Lincoln, Neb. (Top 38 finishers and ties advance to First Stage)
HEADED TO FIRST STAGE
14. Steven Kupcho, Westminster 71-67-74–212
FAILED TO ADVANCE
46. Beau Schoolcraft, Denver 69-72-78–219
62. Gus Lundquist, Parker 73-74-77–224
Flower Mound, Texas (Top 38 finishers and ties advance to First Stage)
HEADED TO FIRST STAGE
9. Jacob Lestishen, Lone Tree 73-70-66–209
26. Curtis Garver, Dolores 70-75-68–213
Coto de Caza, Calif. (Top 37 finishers and ties advance to First Stage)
HEADED TO FIRST STAGE
14. Luke Condon, Monte Vista 70-80-68–218
FAILED TO ADVANCE
39. Former CU golfer Bob Kalinowski 68-77-78–223
NS. Josh Woodworth, Monument 84-80-NS
The former CGA Player of the Year moved into a tie for seventh place after Thursday’s second round of the Web.com Tour’s Pre-Qualifying tournament in Lincoln, Neb., where the top 38 finishers and ties after Friday’s final round will advance to the “First Stage” of the qualifying process. Kupcho made six birdies and two bogeys in a 4-under-par 67 on Thursday, which left him at 4-under 138 overall.
Several other locals also are on pace to earn spots into the First Stage: Beau Schoolcraft of Denver (21st place in Lincoln), Jacob Lestishen of Lone Tree (23rd in Flower Mound, Texas), Curtis Garver of Dolores (37th in Flower Mound) and former University of Colorado Golfer Bob Kalinowski (15th in Coto de Caza, Calif.).
Three more Pre-Qualifying tournaments are scheduled for next week.
The First Stage will take place at 12 sites between Sept. 26-Oct. 13, the Second Stage at five sites between Oct. 31-Nov. 7, and the Final Stage Dec. 7-10 in Chandler, Ariz.
Here at the scores for all the players competing this week with strong Colorado connections (all tournaments are 54 holes):
Lincoln, Neb. (Top 38 finishers and ties will advance to First Stage)
7. Steven Kupcho, Westminster 71-67–138
21. Beau Schoolcraft, Denver 69-72–141
51. Gus Lundquist, Parker 73-74–147
Flower Mound, Texas (Top 38 finishers and ties will advance to First Stage)
23. Jacob Lestishen, Lone Tree 73-70–143
37. Curtis Garver, Dolores 70-75–145
Coto de Caza, Calif. (Top 37 finishers and ties will advance to First Stage)
15. Former CU golfer Bob Kalinowski 68-77–145
41. Luke Condon, Monte Vista 70-80–150
73. Josh Woodworth, Monument 84-80–164
Jonathan and Jennifer Kaye’s kids, Ryelie and Breeze, weren’t even born when Jonathan last won a golf tournament, the 2004 FBR Open on the PGA Tour. So when Jonathan struck pay dirt on Sunday in the CoBank Colorado Open, it was certainly a family affair worth celebrating.
And celebrate they did (pictured) when the former University of Colorado golfer drained a 9-foot birdie putt on the final hole at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club to notch his second Colorado Open victory.
“I’ve got all my friends and family here,” said Kaye, who lives in Boulder during the summer and Phoenix during the school year. “My kids finally got to see me win a golf tournament for the first time. That was pretty special. They thought I was retired. They didn’t even know what I did.”
A year after finishing second in the Colorado Open to Neil Johnson — with whom he was paired on Sunday — Kaye claimed the $100,000 first prize this time. His eight-birdie 6-under-par 66 in the final round led to a 23-under total, which tied Johnson’s tournament scoring record — relative to par — set last year.
And Kaye needed all 23 of those to get a victory without a playoff. Fellow Coloradan Jacob Lestishen, of Lone Tree, made it a horse race down the stretch after it looked like Kaye might run away with the title. Lestishen played holes 11-15 in an amazing 6 under par, going birdie, birdie, birdie, 20-yard chip-in eagle, birdie to tie the two-time PGA Tour winner.
“I’ve probably done that a couple of times (had a similar run to that), but not on the back nine with this on the line. That was a lot of fun,” said Lestishen (left).
But the 29-year-old couldn’t add to his torrid stretch despite having legitimate birdie opportunities on 16, 17 and 18. And, after going into the 18th hole tied with Lestishen, Kaye hit a stellar third shot to the par-5 18th, ending up 9 feet above the hole. And he rolled in the winning birdie putt, punctuated with a fist pump, leaving Lestishen with the $20,000 second prize after his closing 65.
“I’m obviously disappointed,” Lestishen said. “When you play that well you want to win. At the end of the day, I had that great run on the back nine to give myself a chance. (Kaye) made the putt at the end, so you’ve got to move on. It was a good week still. Runner-up in a tournament like this, you’ve got to be pretty happy with that.”
Kaye, who last played tournament golf in an April Web.com Tour event, became the seventh player to claim at least two Colorado Open championships, joining Dave Hill (4), Bill Loeffler (3), Bill Bisdorf (3), Derek Tolan (2), Brian Guetz (2) and Jim Blair (2). Kaye was also the first Coloradan to win the Colorado Open since Zahkai Brown in 2013. With the $100K payday, Kaye becomes the all-time leading money winner in tournament history with $159,768, roughly $47,000 more than Blair, who now sits in second place.
“It seems like just yesterday I won it for the first time, but apparently it was 21 years ago,” said Kaye, who will turn 47 on Aug. 2. “It really makes me feel old. To be a two-time champ of this tournament, I’m really proud of it. It’s one of the best state opens in the country.””¨
“¨For the record, the 21 years between Colorado Open victories by Kaye (left) is a record, bettering the 14 years between Guetz’s wins (1994 and 2008).
Johnson and Oscar Fraustro of Mexico tied for third place on Sunday at 269.
Joining Kaye and Lestishen as Coloradans in the top 10 on Sunday were Steven Kupcho of Westminster and amateur Jake Staiano of Cherry Hills Village and Colorado State University, who tied for eighth place at 273. Kupcho shot a final-round 69 despite a triple-bogey 7 on the 15th hole, and Staiano carded a 72. Blake Cannon, a CSU teammate of Staiano last season before recently turning pro, placed seventh on Sunday at 272 after closing with a 67.
Lestishen’s back-nine run caught Kaye by surprise.
“Honestly, I thought I had a three-stroke lead (in the middle of the back nine), then my wife came and told me, ‘You’re tied. Some guy (Lestishen) just made a 2 on this (par-4 14th) hole.’ I’m like, ‘What?'”
But after sharing the lead with Lestishen after the latter made his eagle on 14, then again his birdie on 15 (after Kaye had birdied 14 behind him), it came down to the 18th hole for Kaye, as it had last year. In 2016, the former Buff made a bogey on the 72nd hole after badly mis-hitting his 5-wood second shot and having it go into the hazard.
This time, Kaye’s tee shot on No. 18 went into the rough and he drew “the worst lie I’ve had all week,” he said. “I really hit a terrible (second) shot and got a good break to end up where I was, then I hit probably one of the better shots I’ve hit all week on my third shot and I made the putt. It was a 4. There’s no pictures on the card so I’ll take it. It was a pretty dramatic finish really.”
Staiano, who was paired with Kaye and Johnson in the last group on Sunday, was duly impressed by how Kaye made things happen when he needed to.
“On 18, he’s got 217 in, (and) you know he’s going to make birdie,” Staiano said. “He gets the job done when he needs to. He just made the putts when he needed to and I didn’t make the putts when I needed to. I learned a lot.”
Kaye went to high school in Phoenix, but played almost all of his junior golf in Colorado, then went to CU. One of the highlights of his college career was beating Phil Mickelson in a playoff. He still maintains close ties to both his home states, regularly returning to Boulder when his kids are out of school.
Asked Sunday what he’s going to spend the $100,000 winner’s check on, he noted he’s having a new house built in Phoenix. “So it’s already spent,” he said.
Staiano Runs Away With Low Am-Honors: Staiano (left), who shared the overall lead after three holes on Sunday after starting birdie-birdie, was not only the low amateur on Sunday — by seven strokes — but he posted the top overall finish by an amateur since Cameron Harrell was fifth in 2014.
A year after a final-round 77 at GVR cost him low-amateur honors at the Colorado Open, the two-time U.S. Amateur qualifier left no doubt this time around. The next-best amateurs this year at Green Valley Ranch were CU golfer John Souza (seven back at 280), then Chris Thayer of Golden and Cole Nygren of Longmont (both nine back at 282).
“I got over the first hump, which is obviously low-am,” Staiano said. “If I have that experience of playing in the final group on Sunday as an amateur, in two or three years (it’ll help) when it actually counts (when Staiano is a professional).
“My swing has sort of been in a little rut, and with a little pressure it got to me and my swing got a little off (on Sunday). It’s something I can learn from and take to the next level.”
So what does Staiano draw from finishing 15 under par for the week and being low-amateur?
“It means a lot,” the 20-year-old said. “It shows the growth of my game over the last year and how I was able to stick to it. It felt good to finish. And it gives me some good momentum. I’ve got two tournaments left (before the college season begins) — the (CGA Amateur) and the U.S. Am. This gives me a nice boost going into those two tournaments.”
Notable: After Sunday’s final round, Jon Rizzi, editor of Colorado AvidGolfer magazine, was awarded the Ralph Moore Golf Journalism Award for the second time. Moore was a longtime sports writer for the Denver Post who covered golf, locally to nationally, for decades. … Two-time major champion Mark O’Meara will be conducting a junior exhibition, sponsored by CoBank, for The First Tee of Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs on Aug. 25. The venue has yet to be determined. It will be the third Colorado-based First Tee exhibition put on by a major championship winner this year. David Duval did one last month at Green Valley Ranch. Lexi Thompson has one planned on Aug. 12 at GVR.
For all the scores from the Colorado Open, CLICK HERE.