Danny Riskam has some idea what it takes to be successful in tournament golf. In college — at Northwestern — he was a teammate of a player who has since become one of the best in the business, Luke Donald. And Riskam himself has played full-time professionally and now is one of the better amateur golfers in Colorado.
With that as background, he had this to say after a season of competing in top CGA tournaments in 2010:
“One thing that continues to amaze me about amateur golf these days, as opposed to when I was playing in college, is how much better everybody is,” Riskam said after finishing second in the CGA Mid-Amateur Championship in September. “When you play professionally, you know you have to shoot in the 60s pretty much every round. It used to be in amateur golf you could shoot even-par and if you didn’t win you’d be in the top two or three. Nowadays, you can’t afford to do that. Guys are just too good.”
Riskam struck the right chord as the CGA, CWGA and CJGA honor their top-performing players of 2010 — as well as special award winners — on Sunday (Nov. 21) at the Colorado Golf Awards Brunch at Pinehurst Country Club in Denver. (For information on the top honorees, CLICK HERE. All of the award winners are listed at the bottom of this article.)
As Riskam suggested, the bar separating the best from the rest in Colorado golf has been set very high, and this year was a good indication of that. With that in mind, and with the Awards Brunch at hand, we look back on some of the best Colorado golf performances in 2010:
Best round — A course-record 10-under-par 60 by Basalt’s Jim Knous (pictured) at Boulder Country Club in the final round of the CGA Stroke Play. After starting the day 10 strokes out of the lead, Knous forced a playoff, but finished runner-up when Wyndham Clark of Cherry Hills Village birdied the second extra hole. Knous’ 60 bettered the previous course record at BCC by two strokes, with Hale Irwin among those who have shot 62.
Best rounds (honorable mention) — Tom Krystyn of Denver, 63 in earning medalist honors in the U.S. Mid-Amateur qualifying at Flatirons Golf Course; Keith Humerickhouse of New Castle, 64 at Fort Collins Country Club en route to winning the CGA Mid-Amateur; Ben Portie of Westminster, 62 at Bookcliff Country Club on his way to a four-stroke win in the Enstrom’s Rocky Mountain Open; John Ahern of Morrison, a competitive-course-record 64 at the Club at Flying Horse on his way to overcoming defending champion Wyndham Clark and winning the 4A state high school title; Tyler Bishop of Longmont, a course-record 63 at Collindale Golf Club in U.S. Open Local Qualifying.
Best one-day performance in a CWGA championship — Part-time Denver resident Alison Whitaker (pictured at left) played the 29 holes of the CWGA Match Play final in 11 under par at CommonGround Golf Course. That resulted in a 9-and-7 victory and Whitaker’s second Match Play title.
Best one-day performance in a CGA championship — With his dad, Champions Tour player Mark Wiebe, caddying for him, Gunner Wiebe of Aurora went 15 under par and made four eagles in 31 holes in winning quarterfinal and semifinal matches at the CGA Match Play tournament at CommonGround. The next day, Wiebe claimed his first CGA title. The University of San Diego golfer also finished second in the HealthOne Colorado Open — the best showing by an amateur since 1997 — was medalist in U.S. Amateur qualifying for the second straight year, and won three college tournaments.
Best one-week stretch of golf — Wyndham Clark of Cherry Hills Village earned co-medalist honors in qualifying for his first U.S. Amateur, then became the youngest winner of the CGA Stroke Play since 1971 (16 years old).
Best one-week stretch of golf (honorable mention) — Scott Radcliffe of Golden won the CGA Senior Stroke Play, then was medalist in USGA Senior Amateur qualifying; John Ahern of Morrison won the 4A state high school title, then claimed the crown at the CJGA Tournament of Champions; Chris Johnson of Castle Rock won the Colorado PGA Professional Championship, then added the Colorado PGA Western Chapter Championship.
Best three-week stretch of golf — Arizona pro Nathan Lashley won the HealthOne Colorado Open, capping a run of three significant tournament victories in in the course of just 15 days. He previously won the Wyoming State Open and the Waterloo Open.
Best “what’s in a name” performance — Somin Lee of Denver, who was paired in the final round of the 5A girls state high school tournament with two other players with the same surname (Patricia Lee and Shinwoo Lee). Somin Lee stood out in earning a six-stroke victory in the one major in-state junior tournament that had eluded her. Lee also won an AJGA event, ran away with the CJGA Tournament of Champions girls title and finished second in the Optimist International Junior Championship in Florida.
Best big-name entrant in a non-Tour event — Tom Kite, winner of 19 PGA Tour events, came to Columbine Country Club in Littleton to try to qualify for the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, where he won his lone major championship, the 1992 U.S. Open. Despite going bogey-free for 36 holes, the World Golf Hall of Famer fell one stroke shy of the co-medalists and a playoff spot for an Open berth. Shortly thereafter, the USGA informed the CGA that after a run that lasted decades, Colorado would no longer host a U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying tournament.
Best performer over the decades — Kim Eaton of Greeley, who won her first CWGA individual title in 1977, continued her run this year by capturing the CWGA Senior Stroke Play and the senior division of the Match Play. That gives the Colorado Golf Hall of Famer nine individual CWGA championships in her career.
Best recovery — University of Colorado junior Jessica Wallace won her first college tournament — in CU’s home event, no less — less than 24 hours after being involved in a three-car accident which also involved four of her teammates.
Best recovery (honorable mention) — Somin Lee missed her flight back to Denver after finishing second in the Optimist International Junior Championship in Florida, but managed to make it to the CJGA Junior Series Championship five minutes before her first-round tee time. Playing with her dad’s clubs and a freshly-purchased pair of golf shoes in the first round, Lee went on to win the girls division of the Junior Series Championship for the third straight year.
Best two-day Cinderella story — Highlands Ranch-based teaching professional Jason Preeo qualified for the U.S. Open a week after going to an urgent-care medical facility after accidentally cutting his left index finger with a table saw. But not only did Preeo earn a spot in the Open, he made the cut and stood in 16th place after two rounds while competing against the best players in the world. Though he faltered on the weekend at Pebble Beach, it was still a memorable performance.
Best run by a Coloradan in an amateur USGA championship: — Kim Eaton of Greeley, a quarterfinalist in the 2009 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur, made it to the round of 16 at the 2010 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur.
Best year by a high school — Valor Christian High School not only won its second straight 4A boys state high school golf title, but players and coaches at the school made their mark in a big way. Boys coach Jason Preeo made the cut in the U.S. Open, Valor teammates Wyndham Clark and Spencer Sheets qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur, Clark also advanced to the U.S. Amateur, and Lindsay McGetrick earned a spot in the U.S. Girls’ Junior. McGetrick also won the CWGA Junior Match Play, beating two-time defending champion Somin Lee in the finals.
Best job of caddying — Bill Loeffler, the 1986 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, looped for Tom Krystyn when the Denver resident shot a 63 in Mid-Amateur qualifying at Flatirons. Krystyn not only advanced to the national tournament, but he went to the round of 32 in match play.
Best performance a week before turning pro — Former University of Denver golf standout Stephanie Sherlock made it to the semifinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur just days before making her professional debut.
Best set of bookend wins — Guy Mertz of Longmont claimed the CGA Senior Match Play title 22 years after winning his only other CGA individual championship, the 1988 Public Links.
Best use of the 18th hole — Chris Johnson of Castle Rock won the Colorado PGA Professional Championship after playing the 18th hole four times on the final day, including three times in a playoff with Caine Fitzgerald.
Best team upset — The Division II men’s team from the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs claimed the team title in September’s Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational, a Division I tournament featuring all the top teams in Colorado, including Colorado State, the 2010 Mountain West Conference champion.
Best timing for a first college win — Mark Hubbard of Denver, a senior at San Jose State, rarely plays collegiately in his home state, but earned his first college victory at CU’s inaugural Mark Simpson Invitational in Erie.
Best round in a women’s tournament — Erin Houtsma of Denver fired a second-round 65 at Green Valley Ranch, the lowest score in the 16-year history of the HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open. The former champion went on to tie for second place.
Best playoff — The AJGA Tournament of Champions boys event produced one of the longest playoffs of the year. It took five extra holes — with the sun having set by the time it all ended — for John Ahern of Morrison to overcome Cameron Harrell of Colorado Springs for the title.
Best “better late than never” performance — Riley Arp of Fort Collins won his first CGA title in his final CGA championship before turning professional, capturing the Public Links first-place trophy.
Best win after going through qualifying — Scott Radcliffe of Golden had to qualify just to get into the CGA Senior Stroke Play, then he made the best of it by winning the tournament.
Best tournament-winning shot — Arizona State golfer Scott Pinckney nearly aced a 212-yard hole with a 5-iron, then tapped in for birdie to beat Kevin Tway and win the Trans-Mississippi Championship at Denver Country Club.
Best ownership of a tournament — Melissa Martin of Grand Junction won back-to-back CWGA Stroke Play Championships, becoming the first person to pull off the feat since Nicki Cutler in 2000 and 01.
Best return to amateur status — In his first full season after having his amateur status reinstated, former pro Keith Humerickhouse of New Castle won the CGA Mid-Amateur and advanced to the round of 32 at the U.S. Mid-Amateur, where he lost in 19 holes to Tim Mickelson, brother of PGA Tour standout Phil Mickelson.
Best marathon performance — Nick Allen of Littleton outlasted John Ahern on Ahern’s home course, Bear Creek Golf Club, to win the longest match in the history of the CGA Junior Match Play. Allen was 1 up after 36 holes to capture the title.
Best exit — 2006 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Kimberly Kim spent only one season at the University of Denver before going pro. In her final event in Colorado, Kim earned medalist honors in U.S. Women’s Open qualifying at the Broadmoor. She then made her pro debut at the Women’s Open.
Best season by a Pro Football Hall of Famer — Former Broncos quarterback John Elway finished second in the CGA Four-Ball (with Tom Hart), missed the cut in the HealthOne Colorado Open and placed 52nd in the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open.
2010 COLORADO GOLF AWARDS BRUNCH HONOREES
CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year — Gunner Wiebe of Aurora.
CWGA Player of the Year and Senior Player of the Year — Kim Eaton of Greeley.
CGA Senior Player of the Year — Sean Forey of Morrison.
CWGA Junior Player of the Year — Somin Lee of Denver.
CGA Junior Player of the Year — Wyndham Clark of Cherry Hills Village.
CGA Mid-Amateur Player of the Year — Keith Humerickhouse of New Castle.
CWGA Most Improved Junior Player — Emma Johnson of Aurora.
Jim Topliff On-Course Rules Official of the Year — Mike Bureman of Red Rocks Country Club.
CWGA Special Recognition (Volunteer Appreciation) — Sheila Hasenkamp of Lakewood.
Dave Nelson Award for Excellence in Golf Journalism — Jerry Walters, radio host of “In the Fairway.”
CJGA ALL-STAR TEAM
John Ahern, Bear Creek GC
Dillon Baker, The Ridge at Castle Pines
Davis Bryant, Green Valley Ranch GC
Jack Castiglia, Fossil Trace GC
Amy Chitkoksoong, Aurora Hills
Seungha Choi, CommonGround GC
Wyndham Clark, Cherry Hills CC
Katy Dyachkova, South Suburban GC
Darren Edwards, The Olde Course at Loveland
Chase Federico, Elmwood GC
Sydney Gillespie, South Suburban Family Sports
Cameron Harrell, Eisenhower GC
Empress Hawkins-Kimmel, Fox Hill CC
Allie Johnston, Lone Tree GC
Caroline Jordaan, Cherry Hills CC
Kathleen Kershisnik, Columbine CC
Jennifer Kupcho, Omni Interlocken Resort
Steven Kupcho, Omni Interlocken Resort
Somin Lee, The Golf Club at Heather Ridge
Shinwoo Lee, The Golf Club at Heather Ridge
Ross MacDonald, Meridian GC
Lindsay McGetrick, Colorado GC
Sydney Merchant, Red Rocks CC
David Oraee, Greeley CC
AJ Ott, Ptarmigan CC
Henry Rock, Coal Creek GC
Taylor Rodriguez, Elmwood GC
Anna Roh, Broadlands GC
Morgan Sahm, South Suburban Family Sports
Johnny Schlager, Omni Interlocken Resort
Amisha Singh, South Suburban GC
Jake Staiano, Glenmoor CC
Kylee Sullivan, Cheyene Shadows GC
Lindsay Taylor, The GC at Bear Dance
Riley Thomson, Colorado GC
Alexandria Trask, Colorado National GC
Jackson Vacek, Indian Peaks GC
Gillian Vance, Green Gables CC
Chris Weinstein, South Suburban Family Sports
Mary Weinstein, South Suburban Family Sports
Coby Welch, The Links GC
Tyler Zhang, South Suburban Family Sports
CJGA ACADEMIC ALL-STAR TEAM
(GPA of 3.0 or higher for 2009-10 school year)
Jack Adolfson, Fox Hill CC
John Ahern, Bear Creek GC
Cameron Allan, Lakewood CC
Michael Allgood, Valley CC
Alex Anaya, Pueblo CC
Dillon Baker, The Ridge at Castle Pines
Christine Bang, South Suburban Family Sports
Stephanie Bang, South Suburban Family Sports
Ben Bayless, CC at Castle Pines
Braden Bentley, Antler Creek GC
Christian Bohren, CC of the Rockies
Tyler Bricker, Highland Meadows GC
Davis Bryant, Green Valley Ranch GC
Cole Bundy, Ptarmigan CC
Ryan Burke, Twin Peaks GC
Rachel Cavalier, Indian Peaks GC
Gavin Chamberlain, Murphy Creek GC
Dylan Christensen, Lake Arbor GC
Wyndham Clark, Cherry Hills CC
Ian Coberly, Riverview GC
Mackenzie Cohen, Inverness GC
Kyle Colen, South Suburban Family Sports
Luke Condon, Cattails GC
Andrew Cornella, The Club at Flying Horse
Jordan Daubenspeck, S. Sub. Family Sports
Derek Despres, Pinery CC
Calvin Dorsey, Meridian GC
Katy Dyachkova, South Suburban GC
Cole Edwards, Meridian GC
Darren Edwards, The Olde Course at Loveland
Delaney Elliott, Coal Creek GC
Jackson Elliott, Coal Creek GC
Gabriella Ello, South Suburban Family Sports
Kyle Fanning, Airport GC
Chase Federico, Elmwood GC
Jacob Fedora, Saddle Rock GC
Maggie Geolat, Woodmoor Pines CC
Sydney Gillespie, S. Suburban Family Sports
Trevor Glen, Riverdale GC
Trinity Goderstad, Colorado GC
Kacey Godwin, South Suburban Family Sports
Cooper Gould, Eagle Ranch GC
Jamie Griffin, Murphy Creek GC
Brendon Hardy, South Suburban Family Sports
Brendan Harp, The Links GC
Cameron Harrell, Eisenhower GC
Empress Hawkins-Kimmel, Harmony Club
Dylan Herr, Highland Hills GC
Andrew Howe, Fox Hill CC
Daniel Johnson, Highlands Ranch GC
Emma Johnson, Aurora Hills GC
Allie Johnston, Red Hawk Ridge GC
Kaylee Koeppen, Riverview CC
Jennifer Kupcho, Omni Interlocken
Steven Kupcho, Omni Interlocken
Alex Langdon, City Park GC
Michael Lee, Greeley CC
Somin Lee, The GC at Heather Ridge
Jason Lehigh, Cherry Creek CC
Margot Leibold, Wellshire GC
Matthew Leibold, Wellshire GC
Alex Liss, Loveland GC
Ross Macdonald, Meridian GC
Katie Maglia, Pueblo CC
Justin Markel, The Club at Pradera
Megan McCambridge, Boulder CC
Madison McCambridge, Boulder CC
Graham Mccoy, Patty Jewett GC
Matthew Messer, Red Hawk Ridge GC
Todd Millard, Twin Peaks GC
Nicholas Miller, Lone Tree GC
Kelly Moran, Boulder CC
Hayden Nicholaides, S. Suburban Family Sports
Cole Nygren, Colorado National GC
David Oraee, Pelican Lakes GC
Doogie Ortonward, Colorado Springs CC
AJ Ott, Ptarmigan CC
Spencer Painton, Green Valley Ranch GC
Kobe Padilla, Springhill GC
Adara Pauluhn, Flatirons GC
Colin Prater, Broadmoor GC
Austin Preiss, Patty Jewett GC
Jack Reeves, Highlands Ranch GC
Nicholas Reisch, Thorncreek GC
Henry Rock, Coal Creek GC
Sam Rock, Coal Creek GC
Christopher Rockers, Omni Interlocken
Scott Rosas, Northeastern 18
Austin Rowe, Columbine CC
Morgan Sahm, South Suburban Family Sports
Andrew Sander, Rolling Hills CC
Sonny Scheer, Red Hawk Ridge GC
Ryan Schwark, Colorado National GC
Spencer Sheets, Glenmoor CC
Ellie Sick, Greeley CC
Amisha Singh, South Suburban GC
Jake Staiano, Glenmoor CC
Jack Stimple, Broadmoor GC
Claire Stirdivant, Overland Park GC
Emilee Strausburg, Rolling Hills CC
Kylee Sullivan, Cheyenne Shadows GC
Sara Swaney, Perry Park CC
Mikayla Tatman, Twin Peaks GC
Samuel Taylor, Flatirons GC
Luke Toillon, Ute Creek GC
Samuel Toillon, Ute Creek GC
Alexandria Trask, Colorado National GC
Kim Trefz, Rolling Hills CC
John Tyree, Glenmoor CC
Jackson Vacek, Indian Peaks GC
Matthew Vacek, Indian Peaks GC
Drew Vance, Raccoon Creek GC
Gillian Vance, Green Gables CC
Alec Walters, Boulder CC
Chris Weinstein, South Suburban Family Sports
Mary Weinstein, South Suburban Family Sports
Kyra Whitworth, Southridge GC
Nicholas Willenbrock, Glenmoor CC
Kevin Wohlfarth, Green Valley Ranch GC
Jenny Wolicki, Pinery CC
Dyaln Wonnacott, Fox Hill CC
Tyler Zhang, South Suburban Family Sports
Adam Zuckerman, Hiwan GC
