When the boys state high school golf championships are held Monday and Tuesday, the fields will feature two players who made the final 64 at the U.S. Junior Amateur, the brother of a three-time girls state high school champ, a player who will be fresh off competing in a Champions Tour event at Pebble Beach, and a team that has won a Colorado-record seven consecutive state titles.
In other words, the three state tournaments won’t be lacking for storylines. When the 5A meet is played at Murphy Creek Golf Course in Aurora, the 4A at Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen and the 3A at Pueblo Country Club, here are some of the things to watch:
— Spencer Painton of Regis Jesuit, runner-up in the 5A state tournament last year, qualified for the 64-player match-play bracket at this year’s U.S. Junior Amateur. There, he lost to Scottie Scheffler of Dallas, who went on to win the national title.
Painton (pictured above) was a regional champion at Murphy Creek, the site of the 5A state tournament after it was moved following flooding at CommonGround Golf Course. Earlier this week, he also won a tournament that featured Colorado junior all-stars from all classifications, the CJGA Collegiate High School Invitational held in conjunction with the Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational college meet.
— Josh Seiple of Valor Christian, arguably the favorite in the 4A state meet, has qualified for the last two U.S. Junior Amateurs. This year he advanced to match play before losing in 19 holes in his round-of-64 match.
Seiple, who has committed to play college golf at the University of Mississippi, has finished in the top 10 at each of the last two 4A state tournaments.
(Seiple, in black, is pictured at left hitting, with defending 5A state champion Kyler Dunkle of Douglas County looking on.)
Two of Seiple’s Valor teammates won CGA junior state titles this year, with Ross Macdonald prevailing in the Junior Stroke Play and Jake Staiano in the Junior Match Play.
— Kobe Padilla of Cherry Creek will compete in the 5A tournament after spending the weekend at Pebble Beach playing in the Champions Tour’s nationally televised Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach. Padilla, a member of the First Tee of Denver, will be partnered there with fellow Coloradan Mark Wiebe, who is coming off his second Champions Tour victory of the year.
— Michael Tait of Columbine, a regional champion in Class 5A, is the brother of Ashley Tait, who won three 4A girls state high school titles from 2002-05 while attending Mullen. Michael Tait also plays football for Columbine.
— Meanwhile, Kent Denver, competing in Class 3A, will be trying to extend its Colorado record for consecutive state golf titles to eight. But unlike in recent years, the Sun Devils will be long shots to win. They finished fifth in their regional meet, but did qualify four players for state.
Here are some of the nuts and bolts leading up to the three state high school championships:
— 2012 Individual Champion Returning — Kyler Dunkle of Douglas County (5A).
— 2012 5A State Top 10 Individual Finishers Returning — Kyler Dunkle, Douglas County (first); Li Chen, Legacy (second); Spencer Painton, Regis Jesuit (second); Donny Kinnaman, Grand Junction (fourth); Chris Korte, Regis Jesuit (sixth); AJ Ott, Fort Collins (sixth); Neil Tillman, Ralston Valley (10th).
— 2012 4A State Top 10 Individual Finishers Returning — Glenn Workman, Pueblo West (third); Chase Federico, Pueblo South (fifth); Josh Seiple, Valor Christian (seventh); Jacob Rudosky, Cortez (eighth); Taylor Rodriguez, Pueblo South (ninth); Ross Macdonald, Valor Christian (10th).
— 2012 3A State Top 10 Individual Finishers Returning — Brian Coleman, Estes Park (fourth); Dylan Jirsa, Estes Park (fourth); Payton DeVencenty, Lutheran (seventh); Hayden Nicholaides, Lutheran (ninth); Cole Folwell, Alexander Dawson (10th).
— Defending State Team Champions — 5A: Regis Jesuit (three-time defending champs); 4A: Pueblo South; 3A: Kent Denver.
— 2013 Regional Team Champions — 5A: Boulder, Regis Jesuit, Columbine, Cherry Creek. 4A: Silver Creek, Valor Christian, Cheyenne Mountain, Durango. 3A: Aspen, Trinidad, Alexander Dawson, Holy Family.
— 2013 Regional Individual Champions/Co-Champions — 5A: Grant Rogers, Boulder; Erik Young, George Washington; Spencer Painton, Regis Jesuit; Michael Tait, Columbine; Brooks Hoffman, Fossil Ridge. 4A: Todd Millard, Silver Creek; Josh Seiple, Valor Christian; Glenn Workman, Pueblo West; Patrick Shin, Cheyenne Mountain; Jacob Rudosky, Cortez. 3A: Cooper Gould, Vail Christian; Mason Dotter, Salida; Cole Folwell, Alexander Dawson; Hayden Nicholaides, Lutheran.
— 2013 CJGA Collegiate High School Invitational Results (held Sept. 23-24 at Colorado National GC in Erie) — 1. Spencer Painton, Regis Jesuit, 82-71-69–222; 2. Josh Seiple, Valor Christian, 77-73-75–225; 3. Jake Staiano, Valor Christian, 76-77-74–227; 4. Glenn Workman, Pueblo West, 84-75-70–229; 5. Chris Korte, Regis Jesuit, 77-75-78–230; 6. (tie) Coby Welch, Valor Christian, 81-76-79–236; Kyler Dunkle, Douglas County, 82-77-77–236; 8. Ross Macdonald, Valor Christian, 80-79-79–238.
Here are tee time links for Monday’s first rounds of state: 5A, 4A, 3A.
