With how much snow has fallen in Colorado in April, it appears the unofficial start of the competitive golf season in the state was timed just about right.
Though there have certainly been significant golf tournaments already held in Colorado in 2013 — including many involving girls high school golfers — the ball really gets rolling in the coming few weeks.
The CJGA tournament season begins this weekend (April 27-28) in Pueblo and the CGA championship campaign starts with the Four-Ball and Senior Four-Ball next weekend (May 3-5).
But by far the most notable tournaments in Colorado over the next few weeks are the three Local Qualifying stops for the U.S. Open. “Locals” are the first of two qualifying stages for the second major championship of the year. After the top Local finishers advance to Sectionals, the best performers at 13 36-hole Sectional tournaments earn spots in the Open itself, which is set for June 13-16 at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa.
The application process for the U.S. Open closed on Wednesday (April 24) and the USGA announced on Thursday that it received a record 9,860 entrants. Most will compete at one of 111 Local Qualifying sites in the U.S. between May 3 and 16.
A total of 228 entrants are scheduled to tee it up at one of the three Colorado-based Local qualifiers: May 6 at the West Course at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs (60 players), and May 13 at the Heritage at Westmoor in Westminster (84) and Collindale in Fort Collins (84). Collindale has hosted U.S. Open Local Qualifying for more than a decade, according to the USGA.
The fields in Colorado include numerous former U.S. Open contestants, HealthOne Colorado Open champions, and former PGA and Web.com Tour regulars.
For instance, at the Broadmoor on May 6, two Coloradans who competed in consecutive U.S. Opens (2002 and 2003) as 16-year-olds, Derek Tolan (pictured) and Tom Glissmeyer, are in the field. Tolan has won two of the last four Colorado Opens. Also playing at the same site will be 2011 U.S. Open qualifier Steve Irwin, and former Web.com Tour players James Love and Dustin White, winner of the 2006 Colorado Open.
At Collindale, former PGA Tour player Leif Olson is scheduled to play, along with Jason Preeo, who made the cut in the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, and Wyndham Clark, who won the 2010 CGA Stroke Play Championship as a 16-year-old.
At the Heritage at Westmoor, the field includes 2011 Colorado Open champion Ben Portie, who played in the 2002 U.S. Open along with Tolan. Also planning to compete are former Asian Tour event champion Kane Webber and Rob Hunt, winner of two of the last four Colorado PGA Professional Championships.
