Colorado has hosted plenty of qualifying tournaments for the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open, but it’s safe to say that rarely, if ever, before have four such events been slotted into a three-day period.
But that’s exactly what’s happening next week, weather-permitting. And if early-week conditions do cause rescheduling, things could be even more condensed.
As things stand, 18-hole U.S. Open Local Qualifying will be held at two sites on Monday (the Broadmoor Golf Club’s West Course in Colorado Springs and Heritage at Westmoor in Westminster) and one on Tuesday (Collindale Golf Course in Fort Collins). Then on Wednesday, it’s back to Heritage at Westmoor for 36-hole U.S. Women’s Open Sectional Qualifying.
For the record, Heritage at Westmoor is one of just three courses nationwide that will host both U.S. Women’s Open Sectionals and U.S. Open Locals this year.
The stakes are high for the players competing. The top two performers over two rounds on Wednesday will earn spots in arguably the top tournament in women’s golf, the U.S. Women’s Open, which this year will be contested at Pinehurst Resort’s No. 2 course in North Carolina June 19-22.
The U.S. Open will be held at the same site the previous week — June 12-15 — but the route there is more involved for most entrants. The 18-hole Local tournaments are the first of two stages of the qualifying process. Those who overcome the Local hurdle will play in one of a dozen 36-hole Sectionals, with the 10 qualifiers in the U.S. scheduled for June 2.
All told, a record 10,127 golfers sent in entries for the U.S. Open, while 1,702 players — also the most ever — signed up for the U.S. Women’s Open.
Given the stakes involved, next week’s qualifying events draw some of the best fields of the year for Colorado-based tournaments.
Here’s a brief rundown on each of the four qualifiers in Colorado:
— U.S. Open Local Qualifying Monday at the Broadmoor’s West Course: As of Friday, the field at the Broadmoor numbered 84, with the top five finishers advancing to Sectionals.
Two-time HealthOne Colorado Open champion Derek Tolan (pictured) of Highlands Ranch and Tom Glissmeyer of Colorado Springs are two of the more notable entrants, having each qualified for the U.S. Open as 16-year-olds (Tolan in 2002 and Glissmeyer in 2003). Both made it to Sectionals from qualifying at the West Course last year, but came up short of making it back to the Open itself.
Other competitors at the Broadmoor this year are Shane Bertsch of Parker, a longtime PGA/Web.com Tour player who competed in the U.S. Open in 1998 and 2013 (he won a Sectional qualifying tournament last year); former CGA Player of the Year Steve Irwin of Arvada, a contestant in the 2011 U.S. Open; and Air Force Academy senior Kyle Westmoreland, one of the co-medalists in Local Qualifying at the West Course last year.
— U.S. Open Local Qualifying Monday at Heritage at Westmoor: This qualifier also features 84 players vying for five spots in the Sectionals.
The field here includes reigning HealthOne Colorado Open champion Zahkai Brown of Arvada; 2013 CGA Match Play winner David Oraee of Greeley; Keith Humerickhouse of Eagle, a former playing professional who has won the last four CGA Mid-Amateurs; University of Colorado freshman Jeremy Paul, a second-team All-Pac-12 Conference selection this year; Scott Petersen of Parker, who won a Web.com Tour event and the Colorado Open in 2000; and Caine Fitzgerald of Parker, who qualified for the 2013 PGA Championship.
— U.S. Open Local Qualifying Tuesday at Collindale: Eighthy-three players are signed up for this site, with the top four finishers moving on to Sectionals.
Former PGA Tour player Leif Olson of Golden will compete at Collindale, along with former HealthOne Colorado Open champion Nathan Lashley of Scottsdale, Ariz.
Also in this field are Jason Preeo of Highlands Ranch, who made the cut in the 2010 U.S. Open and who advanced to Sectionals last year; 2010 CGA Public Links champion Riley Arp, who likewise made the grade at the Collindale Local Qualifying in 2013; and several college golfers from Colorado State and the University of Northern Colorado (Cameron Harrell, Parker Edens, Steven Kupcho and Ben Krueger among them).
— U.S. Women’s Open Sectional Qualifying Wednesday at Heritage at Westmoor: This field will include 57 players who will battle it out over 36 holes for just two Women’s Open berths. Westmoor will be one of 24 Sectional sites internationally.
The great majority of entrants at this site are amateurs — 45, to be exact. Those include some of the top players at Colorado-based Division I universities — including Norwegians Tonje Daffinrud and Mariell Bruun from the University of Denver, and Jennifer Coleman of the University of Colorado — as well as two-time CWGA Player of the Year Somin Lee, who competes for Pepperdine. Daffinrud is ranked No. 15 among the nation’s women’s college golfers by Golfstat.
The four players who qualified in Colorado for the U.S. Women’s Amateur last year — Jennifer Kupcho, Coleman, Jennifer Yang and Hannah Wood — are also in the field.
Some of the top contenders for the state high school titles, which are set for May 19-20, are likewise competing at Westmoor: Wood, Kupcho, Calli Ringsby and Sydney Merchant.
Among the professionals entered is former HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open champion Erin Houtsma. Also playing is Kayla Riede, medalist in the last two U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links qualifiers held in Colorado.
