The Hale Irwin Elite Player Program will welcome its biggest class ever as 11 junior golfers from Colorado, including four returnees, have been selected to participate in 2015.
The third class of the program will feature two players who have been included in the program since its inception, Christian Agelopoulos and Roger Nakagawa, both of Denver.
The program, designed to nurture the budding careers of exceptional boys and girls golfers in the state, is named for the most successful golfer with Colorado roots. Irwin, a Boulder High School and University of Colorado graduate, has won three U.S. Opens, 20 PGA Tour events overall, and a record 45 tournaments on the Champions Tour. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1992.
In Colorado, Irwin claimed the 1963 state high school championship, three straight CGA Stroke Plays (1963, ’64 and ’65) and the CGA Match Play in 1966. He won the NCAA individual title in 1967 while competing for CU.
The third class for the program was announced recently at the Colorado Golf Awards Brunch. The players chosen receive free unlimited use of the practice range and Kids Course at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora — and of the championship course on a space-available basis — in 2015. CommonGround, which opened in 2009, is owned and operated by the CGA and CWGA, who established and administer the Irwin Elite Player Program.
Steve Irwin, Hale’s son, serves on the CGA board of governors and was instrumental in the establishment of the Elite Player Program. The visionary behind the program was another CGA governor, former Cherry Hills Country Club head professional Clayton Cole.
The 2015 Irwin Elite Player class includes two members of the two-time defending 4A state high school championship team from Valor Christian, Jake Staiano (left) of Cherry Hills Village and Coby Welch of Highlands Ranch. Staiano qualified for the 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur and made it to the round of 64 in match play. The Class 4A state high school individual runner-up recently signed a national letter of intent to play college golf with Colorado State University. Welch won the CJGA Tournament of Champions this fall after finishing second in both the CGA Junior Stroke Play and CJGA Junior Series Championship, and placing fourth in the 4A state high school meet.
Welch’s younger brother, Jake, an eighth-grader at STEM Academy, also will be part of the Irwin Elite Player Program in 2015.
Ross Macdonald, another Valor player who earned the CGA Junior Player of the Year award, was an Irwin Elite Player in 2013 and ’14 and recently paid tribute to the program.
“It’s amazing and it’s growing every year,” he said. “It’s allowing kids to have that practice facility and (work on) all the skills they need to get better. And it allows older kids to mentor younger kids, which I think is an important value so that kids can grow in their golf game and grow in their personality to become young men (and women) people want to be like.”
In all, 18 junior players applied for the program this time around. Here are the 11 who were picked:
Christian Agelopoulos of Denver, a seventh-grader at Colorado Academy — 2015 will mark his third year in the program. … Was part of the winning team in the 2014 CJGA Junior Ryder Cup. … Competed in the 2014 Callaway Junior World Golf Championships in San Diego. … Was named to the 2014 CJGA Junior All-Star Team.
Traejan Andrews of Windsor, a fifth-grader at Winograd K-8 School in Greeley — Won the CJGA 10 & Under Junior Series Championship and finished second on the points list for that age group. … Was named to the 2014 CJGA Junior All-Star Team.
Jack Castiglia of Lakewood, a freshman at Lakewood High School — Won the CJGA 11-13 Junior Series Championship. … Finished first on the CJGA 11-13 points list. … Played on the winning team in the CJGA Junior Ryder Cup. … Was named to the 2014 Junior All-Star Team.
Delaney Elliott of Superior, a junior at Monarch High School — Qualified for and competed in the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships in Florida. … Finished sixth on the CJGA 14-18 girls points list.
Kacey Godwin of Denver, a junior at Colorado Academy — Won the girls division of the Colorado Junior PGA Championship. … Placed 12th in the girls points list for CJGA players 14-18.
Cade Kilkenny of Centennial, an eighth-grader at West Middle School — Competed in the CJGA Junior Ryder Cup. … Finished third on the CJGA 11-13 points list. … Named to the 2014 CJGA Junior All-Star team.
Roger Nakagawa of Denver, a freshman at Thomas Jefferson High School — 2015 will mark his third year in the program.
Ryan Sangchompuphen of Denver, a sixth-grader at Denver School of the Arts — This will be his second straight year in the program. … He competed in the CJGA Junior Ryder Cup competition.
Jake Staiano of Cherry Hills Village, a senior at Valor Christian High School — Selected for the program for the second straight year. … The 2013 CGA Junior Match Play champion qualified for the 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur and advanced to the round of 64. … Recently signed a letter of intent to play college golf at Colorado State University. … Finished second individually in the 4A state high school meet. … Played for Colorado in the Junior America’s Cup.
Coby Welch (left) of Highlands Ranch, a junior at Valor Christian High School — Won the boys division of the CJGA Tournament of Champions. … Finished second in both the CGA Junior Stroke Play (in a playoff) and the CJGA 14-18 Junior Series Championship. … Also placed fourth individually in the 4A state high school tournament. … Led the CJGA boys points list in 2014. … Played on Colorado’s Junior America’s Cup team. … Named to the 2014 CJGA Junior All-Star Team.
Jake Welch of Highlands Ranch, an eighth-grader at STEM Academy — Finished third in the CJGA 11-13 Junior Series Championship. … Competed in the CJGA Junior Ryder Cup. … Qualified for the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships in Florida.
