It was certainly a notable way to wrap up the CJGA tournament season for 2013.
— Spencer Painton almost drove the first green at Cherry Hills Country Club — a la Arnold Palmer in the 1960 U.S. Open — and made a 2-foot birdie there in a sudden-death playoff Sunday to win the CJGA Tournament of Champions.
— Hannah Wood (pictured at left), a caddie at Cherry Hills for the last several years, finally got to play the historic course over the weekend, with the result being a victory in the girls division of the T of C.
— In the boys playoff, Painton had to overcome a fellow senior on the four-time state champion Regis Jesuit golf team, Jake Kelley. Kelley, like Painton, qualified for the 2013 U.S. Junior Amateur. And, earlier in the week, Painton won the 5A state high school individual title, while Kelley tied for second.
— And Wood became just the second player in history to win the CJGA Tournament of Champions in back-to-back years, joining Lynette Duran (1999 and 2000). Somin Lee won the event twice in a row (2008 and 2010), but there was a year in between when the tourney was canceled due to weather.
All in all, it wasn’t a bad way to put an exclamation mark on 2013. Certainly Painton (pictured at left) and Wood think so.
“It feels awesome, especially to come off of 5A and win this prestigious Colorado trophy,” said the 17-year-old Painton, who plays out of Green Valley Ranch Golf Club. “I was in a state today where I didn’t care if I won or lost. I’m just very pleased with the way I’ve been playing recently.”
Added Wood: “I didn’t really realize (that she won two Tournament of Champions in a row) until just now. But back-to-back is pretty cool. It feels great. That’s fun.”
As for Painton and his sudden-death victory, he hit a driver on the 340-yard first hole — the same one where Palmer drove the green in the final round en route to winning the 1960 U.S. Open. Painton’s ball finished past pin-high just off the green.
He pitched his second shot to 2 feet and sank the birdie putt, while Kelley hit an overhanging tree limb with his approach shot and finished with bogey.
“Off the tee I knew (Spencer) was going to hit the green, so I tried to swing out of my shoes,” noted Kelley (pictured at left with Painton). “I missed it right, but I didn’t even see the tree (limb that his second shot hit). I was focusing on the distance.”
As for finishing twice in state tournaments for the second time in a week, Kelley said, “At least I’m losing to a good player; that’s always positive. I’m hoping to win soon, but I’m OK with this.”
Ironically, Painton had tried to drive the first green in his first two times playing the hole, but the result was a double bogey and a bogey.
“That was a nice shot — to hit a nice drive and make birdie — after what I had done the first two times I played it,” said Painton, who will play his college golf at the University of Kansas. “I knew that was the right play but I just had a couple of poor swings. I also knew Jake was going to pull driver and go for it so I just figured, ‘Why not?'”
Painton made six birdies — including one on the final hole — on Sunday in a 3-under-par 69 to post an even-par 144 total for two days. Kelley, who plays out of Pinehurst Country Club, went birdie-birdie-eagle to finish his round of 68 on Sunday and force a playoff.
Grant Rogers, Josh Seiple and Jacob Allenback tied for third place at 147.
Wood (pictured at left and below) shot the only sub-par round of the girls tournament — a 1-under-par 72 on Sunday — to win by six strokes. Wood, a member of the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program at CommonGround Golf Course, played her last 11 holes in 3 under par to pull away.
Wood, a 17-year-old senior at Arapahoe High School, finished with an even-par 146 total for two days. Jennifer Kupcho of CommonGround, who played in four USGA national events this year, placed second at 152 after closing with a 75. Calli Ringsby of Denver Country Club ended up third at 156 after her second consecutive 78.
It was another nice notch in the belt this year for Wood, who previously won the prestigious Kathy Whitworth Invitational in Texas and who competed in three USGA championships this year.
Even though Wood hadn’t played Cherry Hills before the weekend, she was certainly familiar with the course, having caddied there in summers throughout her high school years.
“When I’m caddying it feels like I’m the player,” said Wood, who plans to sign a national letter of intent with the University of Oklahoma. “I’ve been all over the course. The members hit it left and right. I’ve been everywhere you can think of. I just imagine myself hitting their shot, what I would do. It was kind of a nice advantage I had for this tournament.”
If nothing else, that manifested itself on the greens as Wood didn’t have a three-putt in two days at Cherry Hills.
And Wood hopes to parlay her good play in the Tournament of Champions into a solid showing Oct. 11-14 at the AJGA Ping Invitational in Stillwater, Okla. Only about 30 of the top junior girls players were invited to the tournament.
CJGA Tournament of Champions
At Cherry Hills CC in Cherry Hills Village
* — indicates won playoff
BOYS
*Spencer Painton, Green Valley Ranch Golf Club 75-69–144
Jake Kelley, Pinehurst CC 76-68–144
Grant Rogers, Omni Interlocken GC 77-70–147
Jacob Allenback, Elmwood GC 75-72–147
Joshua Seiple, Castle Pines GC 75-72–147
Glenn Workman, Desert Hawk GC 76-72–148
Chris Korte, Lone Tree GC 78-71–149
Jake Staiano, Glenmoor CC 78-71–149
Ross Macdonald, CC at Castle Pines 77-75–152
Aj Ott, Ptarmigan CC 77-76–153
Kyler Dunkle, The Club at Pradera 82-72–154
Donny Kinnaman, Lincoln Park GC 77-78–155
Isaac Petersilie, Colorado Springs CC 81-74–155
Erik Young, Commonground GC 79-77–156
Tristan Rohrbaugh, Ironbridge Golf Club 79-79–158
Justin Allenback, Elmwood GC 83-77–160
Sam Marley, South Suburban Golf Course 80-80–160
Taylor Rodriguez, Elmwood GC 83-78–161
Gregory Shelton, Raccoon Creek GC 83-84–167
Grant McGinty, Family Sports GC 85-83–168
GIRLS
Hannah Wood, South Suburban Family Sports 74-72–146
Jennifer Kupcho, Commonground GC 77-75–152
Calli Ringsby, Denver CC Lga 78-78–156
Morgan Sahm, Saddle Rock GC 85-82–167
Sydney Gillespie, Highlands Ranch GC 89-80–169
Kelsey McKenna, Patty Jewett GC 85-86–171
Sarah Hankins, Thorncreek GC Wga 85-86–171
Delaney Benson, South Suburban Family Sports 83-91–174
Holly Schaefer, Columbine CC Lga 86-WD
