If it wasn’t already obvious, the multiple layers of clothing, the knit hats and the warming mittens were dead give-aways on Sunday: This was the end of the tournament season for the CJGA.
With rain, strong wind and temperatures in the 40s, the only thing that was missing was snow flurries.
Coby Welch (left) of Highlands Ranch and Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster overcame the nasty weather conditions as well as all of their opponents on Sunday to win the CJGA Tournament of Champions at the Omni Interlocken Golf Club in Broomfield.
Welch and Kupcho both shot 2-over-par 74s in the final round to prevail in their respective divisions.
“It was a struggle having all of the elements,” Kupcho said. “… It was hard to get used to all the different stuff that was going on.”
Kupcho (left), a senior at Jefferson Academy who will sign next month with Wake Forest, ran away with the girls title, prevailing by a dozen shots over friend Gillian Vance of Lakewood, with Morgan Sahm of Centennial another three strokes back. Kupcho posted a two-day total of 2-over 146.
Welch, a junior at Valor Christian, rallied from three down beginning the final day to record a two-shot victory over Valor teammate Jake Staiano of Cherry Hills Village, who advanced to match play in the U.S. Junior Amateur this year. Jackson Solem of Longmont was another two back. Welch finished with a 3-over 147 total for the tournament.
“It was rough and usually I don’t play too good when it’s cold and rainy, but today was different,” Welch said. “I just stayed patient. I knew the rain would go away eventually. I needed the rain to go away. I didn’t mind the cold too much.”
It marked the third time in major Colorado junior events this year that Valor players have finished 1-2. Twice in those situations, Welch placed second — at both the CGA Junior Stroke Play and the CJGA Junior Series Championship.
That made Sunday all the sweeter, with Welch (left) calling the victory one of the top golf accomplishments of his young career.
“This means a lot,” he said. “All of us that are here have won a tournament so I know that I’m good enough to beat the best.”
Despite the difficult conditions, Welch played the final 11 holes in 1 under par on Sunday after carding double bogeys on Nos. 5 and 7. And he got up and down for par on each of the last three holes, sinking putts of 6, 10 and 8 feet.
“On the finishing holes when I knew I needed to make some putts, I made some clutch par putts,” the 16-year-old said.
Meanwhile, Kupcho picked up yet another victory in an outstanding 2014 season. She’s also won the CWGA Match Play and Junior Stroke Play, the 4A state high school meet and the CJGA Junior Series Championship. The 17-year-old also placed second in the HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open.
On Sunday, she birdied three of the first six holes and finished the day with four birdies 
and six bogeys. And that was despite having her share of putting problems.
“To continue winning and to win this is nice because I hadn’t won it yet,” Kupcho (left) said of the Tournament of Champions. “Hannah Wood has won it (the last two years), so it’s kind of nice to be like, ‘Yeah I won that too.'”
A 12-shot victory was certainly a nice way to cap off the 2014 Colorado season for Kupcho, who only has one tournament remaining this year — the prestigious Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship Dec. 28-30.
Between now and then, Kupcho will take her official recruiting visit to Wake Forest before signing her letter of intent with the Demon Deacons.
CJGA Tournament of Champions
At Par-72 Omni Interlocken GC in Broomfield
BOYS
Coby Welch, Highlands Ranch, CO 73-74–147
Jake Staiano, Cherry Hills Village, CO 74-75–149
Jackson Solem, Longmont, CO 72-79–151
Ji Woo Jang, Aurora, CO 70-83–153
Tyler Zhang, Lone Tree, CO 77-77–154
Cole Krantz, Windsor, CO 72-83–155
Pierce Aichinger, Englewood, CO 76-81–157
Aj Ott, Ft. Collins, CO 80-79–159
Brett Krantz, Windsor, CO 76-84–160
Davis Bryant, Denver, CO 81-85–166
Grant Olinger, Westminster, CO 73-NC–NC
Trevor Olkowski, Grand Junction, CO 81-WD
GIRLS
Jennifer Kupcho, Westminster, CO 72-74–146
Gillian Vance, Lakewood, CO 78-80–158
Morgan Sahm, Centennial, CO 78-83–161
Sydney Gillespie, Highlands Ranch, CO 77-87–164
Mary Weinstein, Highlands Ranch, CO 85-82–167
Jaclyn Murray, Grand Junction, CO 86-90–176
Kacey Godwin, Denver, CO 93-100–193
Lauren Murphy, Carbondale, CO 79-WD
