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Connor Klein of Lone Tree made four eagles and seven birdies in 36 holes and shot a 9-under-par 63 in his afternoon round Monday to earn medalist honors in U.S. Junior Amateur Qualifying at Walking Stick Golf Course in Pueblo.
The senior-to-be at Highlands Ranch High School landed one of three available berths in the U.S. Junior Amateur, which will be played July 18-23 in Bremerton, Wash. Joining him at the national tournament will be Andrew McCain of Australia — who lived in Pueblo until three years ago — and San Diego resident Bobby Gojuangco, a high school senior-to-be who has verbally committed to play golf at the Air Force Academy starting in 2012. Gojuangco won a national PGA Junior Series tournament at the Academy’s Eisenhower Golf Club last summer.
Klein went 69-63 for a 12-under-par 132 total, which was five strokes better than his nearest competitor in the 58-player field. McCain (67-70) came in at 137, while Gojuangco (70-73) posted a 143.
Klein, who recently won the CJGA Haywhacker Championship for the second time, drove the green and eagled the 361-yard par-4 ninth hole of his afternoon round, then eagled the par-5 13th and 15th holes. He went 6 under par in four holes during his final nine to assure himself a national berth.
Benjamin Moore of Cherry Hills Village (71-74) won a playoff with Jake Staiano of Englewood (72-73) to earn the first alternate position.
Wyndham Clark of Greenwood Village, who advanced to match play in each of the last two U.S. Junior Amateurs, failed to qualify for the event for a third time. The CGA Stroke Play champion, who also played in the 2010 U.S. Amateur, shot 72-78–150 at Walking Stick.
U.S. Junior Amateur Qualifying
At Par-72 Walking Stick GC in Pueblo
QUALIFIERS
Connor Klein, Lone Tree, Colo. 69-63–132
Andrew McCain, Australia 67-70–137
Bobby Gojuangco, San Diego, Calif. 70-73–143
ALTERNATES (in order)
Benjamin Moore, Cherry Hills Village, Colo. 71-74–145
Jake Staiano, Englewood, Colo. 72-73–145
FAILED TO QUALIFY
Matthew Vacek, Lafayette, Colo. 73-73–146
Samuel Rock, Superior, Colo. 74-73–147
Zecheng Dou, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. 71-76–147
Joshua Seiple, Castle Rock, Colo. 72-76–148
Cole Nygren, Longmont, Colo. 72-77–149
Kevin Klatman, Boulder, Colo. 76-73–149
Eric Hallberg, Castle Rock, Colo. 73-77–150
Wyndham Clark, Greenwood Village, Colo. 72-78–150
Cameron Harrell, Colorado Springs, Colo. 73-77–150
Dylan Mitchell, Breckenridge, Colo. 76-75–151
Ryan Schmitz, Littleton, Colo. 76-75–151
Jacob Ice, Greeley, Colo. 77-74–151
Cole Cunningham, Centennial, Colo. 70-81–151
Jimmy Makloski, Pueblo, Colo. 75-77–152
Dylan Wonnacott, Longmont, Colo. 76-76–152
Ethan Yamada, Arvada, Colo. 76-76–152
Chris Weinstein, Highlands Ranch, Colo. 75-78–153
Eli Schoenbeck, Puebl West, Colo. 75-78–153
Josh Gardella, Littleton, Colo. 77-77–154
Randy Urso, Aurora, Colo. 74-80–154
Jesse Beetham, Woody Creek, Colo. 73-81–154
Jack Pedersen, Arvada, Colo. 73-81–154
Nicholas Reisch, Thornton, Colo. 76-78–154
Kevin Wohlfarth, Thornton, Colo. 80-75–155
Chris Aiken, Cortez, Colo. 79-76–155
Nick Willenbrock, Englewood, Colo. 76-80–156
Jack Adolfson, Longmont, Colo. 75-81–156
Ethan Freeman, Littleton, Colo. 75-81–156
Drew Vance, Lakewood, Colo. 77-79–156
Josh McLaughlin, Loveland, Colo. 80-76–156
Chase Federico, Pueblo, Colo. 77-79–156
Palmer Giro, Fort Collins, Colo. 79-78–157
Taylor Rodriguez, Pueblo, Colo. 74-83–157
Blake Young, Trinidad, Colo. 77-80–157
Christian Welsh, San Diego, Calif. 75-83–158
Colin Prater, Colorado Springs, Colo. 83-76–159
Gus Lundquist, Parker, Colo. 77-82–159
Peter Hassan, Boulder, Colo. 82-78–160
Kolton Kyne, Ridgway, Colo. 83-79–162
Clayton Crawford, Aspen, Colo. 81-81–162
Ryan Smith, Snowmass Village, Colo. 76-87–163
Jackson Vacek, Lafayette, Colo. 82-81–163
Matt Weiss, Highlands Ranch, Colo. 84-79–163
Mitchell Kaufman, Dallas, Texas 81-84–165
Andrew Gojuangco, Chula Vista, Calif. 85-83–168
Blake Patterson, Castle Rock, Colo. 86-82–168
Graham McCoy, Colorado Springs, Colo. 81-88–169
Michael Wilhelm, Boca Raton, Fla. 87-82–169
Carson Jones, Boulder, Colo. 84-87–171
Pierce Aichinger, Cherry Hills Village, Colo. 91-93–184
