Cody Kent and Jonathan Park have prided themselves on being two of the best junior golfers in Colorado over the last few years, but major statewide victories have been elusive for both.
With this summer being their last hurrah in the junior ranks, Kent and Park have put a high priority on rectifying that situation. And with both players being in or near the lead during Wednesday’s final round of the CGA Junior Stroke Play, one of them was going to leave the Country Club at Castle Pines a happy camper.
After a day that featured three lead changes, Park was the one left smiling. The 18-year-old from CommonGround Golf Course trailed by two strokes with four holes to play, but used a hot putter to emerge the champion.
“This feels really great with this being my last year and everything,” said Park, a graduate of Overland High School. “I finished strong, I guess.”
Park shot an even-par 72 in the final round and finished at 6-over 222 for the tournament. That was one better than Kent, who plays out of Plum Creek Golf & Country Club but works at the Country Club at Castle Pines, making second place even tougher to swallow. Kent led after each of the first two rounds, but a final-day 74 opened the door for Park. Michael Lee of Greeley Country Club (77-229) finished a distant third.
Kent has had a strong junior career in the state. He finished second twice and fourth once in the 5A state high school tournament while playing for Douglas County High School. And Wednesday marked the third straight year he’s finished in the top 10 in the CGA Junior Stroke Play. The 2009 CGA Junior Player of the year, Kent will play college golf for the University of Tulsa beginning in the fall.
Park finished third and fourth in the last two 5A state high school meets, and he was fourth a year ago in the Junior Stroke Play. He’ll also play college golf starting later this year, at Colorado State University-Pueblo.
Both are accustomed to being in contention, but a victory in a major statewide tournament has been hard to come by.
“This one is starting to nudge me over the edge a little,” Kent admitted after another runner-up performance. “I’m not a big fan of second place, I’ll just say that. It’s kind of getting frustrating.”
Kent, who took a one-stroke lead into the day, held a two-shot advantage after draining a 15-foot birdie on the 14th hole. But Park picked up a stroke on each of the next three holes, then Kent’s 10-foot birdie putt on No. 18 — which would have forced a playoff — slipped by the left side of the cup.
“I let one slip,” Kent said. “He deserved it, though. It’s not like I gave it to him. He played well to keep it up. But it’s disappointing.”
Park can thank his putter for keeping his chances alive. He overtook Kent and built a two-stroke lead by making four birdies in his first seven holes Wednesday. That included holing a 40-footer on No. 3. And on the back nine, he one-putted five times, and sank two 12-foot putts and a 7-footer.
After being two down with four left, Kent missed a 2½-foot par putt on 15, Park birdied from 3 feet on 16, and Park got up and down on 17 while Kent didn’t.
Kent said he mis-clubbed on the short par-3 17th, flying the green. Park, meanwhile, spun his tee shot off the front fringe and down a hill. Kent faced the much tougher pitch, and couldn’t save par, but Park made a 7-foot par putt that ended up being the difference between the two.
“This means a lot to me,” Park said. “I felt a lot of pressure on the last three holes, like I better do something.”
Kent was disappointed he couldn’t take better advantage of his local knowledge of the Country Club at Castle Pines; he serves as an outside-services employee at the club.
“I’ve gotten to play enough to where I know the course,” he said. “This week was frustrating because I could have played a lot better. I missed a lot of short putts, so that put me behind the 8 ball coming down the stretch.”
No one in the field came close to matching or bettering par for the three-round event, but Park said the difficult scoring conditions helped his cause.
“The course was playing pretty tough,” he noted. “Playing a more difficult course tests you, but I just sort of hung in there and pulled through.”
CGA Junior Stroke Play Championship Results
At Par-72 Country Club at Castle Pines in Castle Rock
Jonathan Park, CommonGround GC, 76-74-72–222
Cody Kent, Plum Creek G & CC, 73-76-74–223
Michael Lee, Greeley CC, 77-75-77–229
Cody Vance, Raccoon Creek GC, 78-76-76–230
Nicholas Allen, Raccoon Creek GC, 78-76-77–231
Cameron Harrell, Eisenhower GC, 79-77-76–232
Benjamin Moore, Glenmoor CC, 75-77-80–232
Cole Cunningham, Valley CC, 78-78-77–233
Cameron Brown, Sonnenalp GC, 85-76-74–235
Clay Labrec, Ranch CC, 80-76-79–235
John Ahern, Bear Creek GC, 81-79-75–235
Chris Weinstein, South Suburban Family Sports, 74-77-84–235
Zach Fowlds, Colorado GC, 82-77-76–235
Josh Mclaughlin, Loveland Mens Golf Assoc, 77-79-80–236
Andrew Cornella, The Club at Flying Horse, 83-80-74–237
Ethan Freeman, Glenmoor CC, 77-84-76–237
Luke Condon, Cattails GC, 80-84-73–237
Steve Connell, Riverdale GC, 80-79-78–237
Steven Kupcho, CommonGround GC, 78-81-79–238
Tanner Jenson, Colorado GC, 79-81-79–239
Drew Trujillo, Bridges G & CC, 84-82-74–240
Ryan Schwark, Colorado National GC, 83-81-76–240
Jimmy Makloski, Pueblo CC, 82-83-76–241
Josh Borgmann, Perry Park CC, 75-81-85–241
Chris Dillon, Colorado Springs CC, 84-79-79–242
Chris Beabout, South Suburban GC, 85-82-75–242
Dario Ortega, Olde Course at Loveland, 79-83-81–243
Jack Adolfson, Fox Hill CC, 81-80-82–243
Gustav Lundquist, The Club at Pradera, 87-77-79–243
Cory Thelen, The Club at Pradera, 78-86-80–244
Nick Willenbrock, Glenmoor CC, 77-85-83–245
Spencer Sheets, Glenmoor CC, 78-86-81–245
Ryan Burke, Twin Peaks GC, 84-80-82–246
Ben Krueger, Pine Creek GC, 86-82-78–246
Justin Mortensen, Cattails GC, 83-81-83–247
Kevin Koelbel, Pinehurst CC, 85-83-79–247
Adam Johnson, South Suburban GC, 82-86-79–247
Taylor Wild, Plum Creek G & CC, 85-83-81–249
Michael Cole, Woodmoor Pines CC, 80-86-83–249
Jared Mannatt, Fox Hill CC, 81-81-87–249
Tyler Engel, Castle Pines GC, 77-85-88–250
Colin Hendrickson, Mariana Butte GC, 83-83-84–250
Ethan Yamada, Omni Interlocken GC, 84-84-84–252
Bryan Fickle, Perry Park CC, 85-83-89–257
Failed to Qualify for Final Round
Mathew Mayo, The Courses at Hyland Hills, 80-89–169
Kevin Wohlfarth, Green Valley Ranch GC, 87-82–169
Sam Phillips, Homestead GC, 82-88–170
Sam Rock, Coal Creek GC, 85-85–170
Tyler Steigerwald, The Club at Flying Horse, 81-89–170
Dominick Bregar, Elmwood GC, 83-87–170
Calvin Dorsey, Meridian GC, 78-92–170
Austin Raap, Highlands Ranch GC, 85-85–170
Derek Despres, Pinery CC, 80-91–171
Tyler Kahn, Meridian GC, 85-86–171
Randy Urso, CommonGround GC, 87-84–171
Matthew Weiss, Meridian GC, 84-87–171
Connor Morgan, Glenmoor CC, 83-90–173
Tyler Lovato, Ranch CC, 82-92–174
Tyler Hackenberg, Riverdale GC, 87-87–174
Nick Alfino, Highlands Ranch GC, 87-88–175
Connor Klein, Lone Tree GC, 87-89–176
Andrew Romano, Colorado GC, 86-91–177
Tyler Winslow, Lake Valley GC, 89-89–178
Alex Hiser, King’s Deer GC, 88-91–179
Jeff McFaddin, Highland Meadows GC, 95-85–180
Maxwell Pederson, The CC at Castle Pines, 95-85–180
Loren Glen, Thorncreek GC, 79-102–181
Dallas Perrault, The Courses at Hyland Hills, 90-91–181
Joey Saad, Bookcliff CC, 95-87–182
Shane Hausner, Patty Jewett GC, 99-84–183
Matt Dalton, The CC at Castle Pines, 97-86–183
Kevin Shafer, The CC at Castle Pines, 91-92–183
Austin Snedden, West Woods GC, 97-86–183
Clark Shafer, The CC at Castle Pines, 86-99–185
Bobby Taggart, Valley CC, 88-97–185
Jack Pederesen, Omni Interlocken GC, 91-96–187
Drew Vance, Raccoon Creek GC, 98-90–188
Sam Schweitzer, Meridian GC, 94-95–189
Nash Bledsoe, Fort Morgan GC, 92-97–189
Zach Peck, Heritage at Westmoor, 101-90–191
Keegan Sheard, Applewood GC, 111-96–207
Matt Porter, Ridge at Castle Pines North, 81-WD
Jordan Kennaugh, Westwoods GC, 82-WD
Ben Rippley, Woodmoor Pines CC, 93-WD
