The Wiebe name is already on the championship trophy for the HealthOne Colorado Open, but as far as Gunner Wiebe is concerned, the more the merrier.
That’s why the amateur from Aurora relishes the opportunity at hand. Thanks to a big charge on Friday, Wiebe finds himself in a tie for the lead at the halfway point of the Open. Should he remain in the top spot when play ends on Sunday, his name would join his dad’s on the list of Colorado Open champions.
“Dad (then-PGA Tour player Mark Wiebe) won in 1986 at Hiwan, and it would have been really cool to play it at the same course if I were to win,” Gunner said. “But the Colorado Open is still the Colorado Open.”
Wiebe matched the best score of the tournament this year, a 6-under-par 65, on Friday at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club to vault into a three-way tie for the lead at 9-under-par 133. Also sharing the No. 1 spot are Canadian Tour player Brad Fritsch, who has made just one bogey in two days in shooting 66-67, and James Woodson of Richmond, Va., who posted a 65 on Friday in his first Colorado Open.
Two Coloradans, Lakewood’s Matt Zions (68 Friday) and Arvada’s Dustin Mills (69) are tied for fourth place with Wyoming Open champion Nathan Lashley of Scottsdale, Ariz. (67).
An amateur has won the Colorado Open just twice — Gary Longfellow in 1974 and Brian Guetz in 1994 — but Wiebe sees no reason why he can’t join the group this week. After all, this is a year in which he’s qualified for a PGA Tour event, captured two college tournaments titles, and won the CGA Match Play.
“It’s just a golf tournament, and an “˜A’ just means amateur,” Wiebe said. “It doesn’t mean worse or better or anything. “˜A’ just means I still get to play amateur golf. Just because the (pros) are playing for more money than I am — because I’m playing for none — I still get the trophy if I win. And I’d get my name on that, and they (couldn’t) take that away from me.”
With his mom caddying for him — Mark Wiebe is in Scotland playing in the Senior British Open — and fresh off a five-minute tweak of his swing on Thursday, Gunner made seven birdies and one bogey in the second round.
“My goal before the tournament was to be in double digits (under par) after two days,” he said. “So I missed it by a shot. I’m OK with that. I’m very satisfied with where I’m at right now.”
And his mom’s encouragement seems to be working wonders.
“She’s doing great,” Gunner said. “She carries the bag. She says good shot when I hit a good one and probably says good shot when I hit a bad one too. But it’s lots of fun.”
Meanwhile, considering the status Mills had going into the week, the Arvada professional is sitting might pretty entering the weekend.
As of Monday morning, Mills didn’t even have a spot in this week’s tournament. But a course-record-tying 64 in a qualifying tournament at Legacy Ridge in Westminster took care of that issue.
Still, Mills wasn’t satisfied with merely gaining a spot in the Open. He proceeded to shoot rounds of 65-69 on Thursday and Friday, which leaves him tied for fourth place at the halfway point of the tournament.
“Since Monday everything feels really good,” the 27-year-old said. “I’m hitting it super solid, especially my tee shots. If I make some more putts like I did (Thursday, when he needed just 22 for the round), I should be good. I feel really good about my position.”
For the record, Mills took 34 putts on Friday, but hit 17 greens in regulation. And he’s still in prime position to contend for the Open title in the state where he’s lived his entire life.
“This is the one I want, man” he said of the Colorado Open championship. “Before I do anything else, I want this.”
Even par for two rounds was necessary to survive the 36-hole cut, and 64 players will be around for the weekend. Among those who won’t is defending champion Derek Tolan of Greenwood Village. A year after the former University of Colorado golfer shot a record 22-under-par for four rounds at GVR, he went 71-72 for a 1-over-par 143 total, one shy of what was necessary to play in the final two rounds. A bogey on the 17th hole proved the difference.
“I’m just in a slump basically,” he said. “That’s just the way it goes. I’ve been down that road before. I know sometimes it feels like you’re invincible but you’re not. Sometimes it feels like you’re miles away and you’re really not. I know I’m basically a little bit of confidence away from playing that way again (like last year).”
Another former CU golfer, Zions, had it to 10 under par Friday before playing his final eight holes in 2 over and settling in in second place. The 2005 Denver Open champion now ranks 15th this year playing on the Challenge Tour, the European equivalent of the Nationwide Tour.
“I thought today I was going to shoot 7 or 8 under, but just about as soon as I thought that, it probably (turned out to be) a bad thing,” he said. “But I figure 20 under par is probably a good number (to reach for for a winning total). That’s kind of still what I’m shooting for.”
Zions is back stateside for a few weeks, in part to attend the birth of his second daughter, which is imminent.
“I haven’t really been thinking about it on the course unless someone says something to me,” said Zions, whose wife is scheduled to have a C-section on Tuesday unless the baby has other ideas beforehand. “My wife is fine. There’s been no drama, no alarms.”
“¢ELWAY BOUNCES BACK WITH 70, BUT MISSES CUT: Former Broncos quarterback John Elway improved by a dozen strokes from day 1 to day 2, but his 1-under-par 70 on Friday still left him 10 strokes shy of surviving the 36-hole cut.
Elway, playing in his fourth Colorado Open, made three birdies and two bogeys on Friday and finished 133rd in the 156-man field.
“I was hitting the ball so much better; I had control of it today,” he said. “I wish I was playing on the weekend, but I shot myself out of it (Thursday).”
Elway said he would love to play in another Colorado Open in the future. Now 50, he has committed to be in the field for the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open Sept. 1-3.
“I’ll do that for the first time,” Elway said. “I’ll be a rookie again.”
“¢CHIP SHOTS: Three-time Colorado Open champion Bill Loeffler, the top money winner in tournament history, missed the cut Friday after rounds of 80-74. “¦ Sujjan Singh, a resident of India who is wearing a distinctive turban while competing this week, shot a 68 on Friday and shares 12th place at 5-under-par 137. Singh qualified for the tournament on Monday. “¦ Brian Watts, runner-up in the 1998 British Open, missed the cut by 10 strokes after posting rounds of 78-74. “¦ Tee times for Saturday’s third round run from 7 a.m. to 10:51 p.m. The three co-leaders will begin play at 10:51.
