Cameron Harrell had just returned from competing in his first USGA championship, and he wanted to waste no time in earning another trip.
“It’s cool,” he said of the experience. “You go there and you get all this kind of special treatment and you’re with all the top (amateur golfers) in the nation.”
Less than a week removed from whetting his USGA appetite by advancing to match play at the U.S. Amateur Public Links, the Colorado State University golfer qualified Monday for another USGA championship, the U.S. Amateur.
The Colorado Springs resident, who will turn 20 later this month, earned medalist honors in Monday’s 36-hole qualifying tournament at Fort Collins Country Club, where the field originally numbered 77.
Harrell, fellow Colorado Springs golfer Alex Kephart and Fort Collins Country Club member Kyle Danford all punched their tickets to the U.S. Amateur, which will be played Aug. 12-18 at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. (Pictured above, from left, are Danford, Kephart and Harrell.)
Harrell eagled a hole in the morning — the 569-yard 15th with a 5-foot putt — and shot rounds of 67-68 for the only sub-par total of the day, a 5-under 135. Kephart, 26, and Danford, 30, each went 71-69 for even-par 140 totals. No one else in the field was under 144.
While Kephart and Danford will be making their USGA championship debuts, Harrell gained plenty of valuable experience last week at the U.S. Publinks, where he made it to the round of 64 in Lorton, Va.
“I’ve really shown myself a lot that I can compete with those players and at that level,” said Harrell, who supplemented his eagle with seven birdies on Monday. “It gives me that much more confidence going into the last two years of college and (eventually going) pro even.
“This summer I’ve met all my goals except (going to) the U.S. Open Sectional. So I feel my game has been really good. Definitely things feel a lot more comfortable and I can really see the game coming around. It feels really good to have that confidence.”
Harrell and Danford used their considerable knowledge of Fort Collins Country Club to their advantage. Harrell has played the course often during his two years as a CSU golfer, and Danford grew up at the club and became a member himself six years ago.
Despite all his years playing the course — he’s a five-time club champion there — Danford felt his situation was a mixed bag.
“I had an advantage on my home course, but the disadvantage is expectations are a little too high,” he said. “We’ve had the (CGA Stroke Play and Mid-Amateur) here and I did OK in those, but I think it helps and hurts you at the same time.”
On Monday, after starting the day with nine straight pars, Danford eagled the 569-yard first hole with a 30-foot putt. He didn’t make his first birdie until his 26th hole of the day, but that kind of opened the floodgates as he holed five birdie putts in his last 11 holes.
Danford worried whether that would be enough, but at the end it sent him to his first USGA championship.
“It’s huge,” the former Fort Lewis College golfer said. “It’s the biggest amateur tournament in the world. To play in any USGA event is something special and something not a lot of people get to do.”
Kephart finds himself in the same boat — set for his USGA championship debut. A four-time CGA Father/Son champion with his dad Gary, Kephart estimates he’s tried 20 USGA qualifiers before finally succeeding on Monday.
“It’s unbelievable,” the former University of Colorado-Colorado Springs golfer said. “I was in a playoff last year in the Mid-Am (qualifying), but I’ve never made it to a USGA event, so it’s unbelievable. I don’t know words to describe it.”
Kephart doesn’t know Fort Collins CC as well as Danford and Harrell, but he did play in the CGA Stroke Play there last year.
“I had a lot of confidence here,” he said. “I’ve had a rough summer, so to kind of have it turn around like it did today is pretty spectacular. I putted great. I consider myself a great putter on fast greens and these are the fastest greens I’ve played on all year. It was a very good day putting.”
Monday marked the second and final 2013 U.S. Amateur qualifying tournament held in Colorado. Last week at Columbine Country Club in Littleton, Wyndham Clark of Greenwood Village, Gus Lundquist of Parker and Chris Thayer of Denver earned spots in the national championship.
U.S. Amateur Qualifying
At Par-70 Fort Collins CC
QUALIFIED FOR U.S. AMATEUR
Cameron Harrell, Colorado Springs, Colo., 67-68–135
Alex Kephart, Colorado Springs, Colo., 71-69–140
Kyle Danford, Fort Collins, Colo., 71-69–140
ALTERNATES (in order)
Minkyu Jeon, Lakewood, Colo., 75-69–144
Derek Fribbs, Boulder, Colo., 70-74–144
FAILED TO QUALIFY
Collin Pratt, Santa Fe, N.M., 76-68–144
Michael Lee, Greeley, Colo., 75-70–145
Benjamin Krueger, Colorado Springs, Colo., 75-72–147
Michael Wilhelm, Highland Beach, Fla., 75-72–147
Nicholas Nosewicz, Aurora, Colo., 76-71–147
Andrew Cornella, Colorado Springs, Colo., 77-71–148
David Holtgrewe, Cherry Hills Village, Colo., 74-74–148
Brendan Connolly, Castle Rock, Colo., 75-73–148
Jakob Rudosky, Cortez, Colo., 76-72–148
Steven Montabone, Fort Collins, Colo., 75-73–148
Christopher Good, Denver, Colo., 73-76–149
Jake Staiano, Englewood, Colo., 72-77–149
Andrew Romano, Littleton, Colo., 71-79–150
Cole Nygren, Longmont, Colo., 77-73–150
Eric Hallberg, Parker, Colo., 74-77–151
Palmer Giro, Ft. Collins, Colo., 74-77–151
Andrew Howe, Longmont, Colo., 72-79–151
Drew Trujillo, Montrose, Colo., 77-75–152
Jonathan Dresnick, Miami, Fla., 76-76–152
Tyler Harrison, Rye, Colo., 79-74–153
Colin Prater, Colorado Springs, Colo., 72-82–154
Nathaniel Goddard, Fort Collins, Colo., 77-77–154
Sean Kato, Greeley, Colo., 79-76–155
Dylan Wonnacott, Longmont, Colo., 77-78–155
David Oraee, Greeley, Colo., 76-79–155
Chris Korte, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 80-75–155
Taylor Murtland, Wheatland, Wyo., 78-77–155
Wesley Martin, Denver, Colo., 79-76–155
A. J. Ott, Fort Collins, Colo., 81-74–155
James Kurtenbach, Denver, Colo., 76-80–156
Matt McClure, Marana, Ariz., 80-76–156
Kevin Wohlfarth, Thornton, Colo., 76-81–157
Todd Millard, Longmont, Colo., 82-75–157
Joel Poorman, Boulder, Colo., 82-75–157
Josh McLaughlin, Fort Collins, Colo., 75-83–158
Garrett Harrison, Grand Junction, Colo., 79-79–158
Grant Dinkel, Boulder, Colo., 82-76–158
Tyler Bricker, Fort Collins, Colo., 80-79–159
Michael Glaesel, Arvada, Colo., 80-79–159
Garrett Jones, Arvada, Colo., 81-78–159
John Gorell, Colorado Springs, Colo., 77-82–159
Bryan Bane, Austin, Texas, 82-78–160
James Jones, Centennial, Colo., 78-82–160
Ryan Smith, Snowmass Village, Colo., 79-82–161
Bo Baker, Cedaredge, Colo., 79-83–162
Richard Bratton, Casper, Wyo., 81-81–162
Ryan Burke, Longmont, Colo., 85-78–163
Luke Condon, Monte Vista, Colo., 82-81–163
Blake Young, Trinidad, Colo., 86-78–164
Jackson Stimple, Colorado Springs, Colo., 81-83–164
Austin Raap, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 83-82–165
Douglas Rouse, Evergreen, Colo., 81-86–167
Matthew Goddard, Fort Collins, Colorado, 89-78–167
Marcel Quitoriano, Thornton, Colo., 87-81–168
Benjamin Moore, Englewood, Colo., 84-87–171
Michael Duffy, Yarmouth Port, Mass., 92-82–174
Alan Berry, Littleton, Colo., 81-97–178
Greg Rodgers, Denver, Colo., 94-86–180
Arnold Hoy, Castle Rock, Colo., 85-DQ
Mason Munn, Windsor, Colo., 88-NC
Wyatt Anderson-Meier, Belle Fourche, S.D., 78-NC
