Granted, there are five par-3s at CommonGround Golf Course. But even so, having three holes-in-one in one day is an oddity, to say the least.
But that’s what happened Tuesday during the inaugural AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior, presented by MusclePharm. The one in the boys tournament was made by the first-round leader, while the two recorded by girls came from the same threesome and on the same nine.
Joseph Crisostomo from Fullerton, Calif., used an ace at the 179-yard 14th hole at CommonGround en route to the best score of his life, a 7-under-par 64, which gave him a three-stroke lead after Tuesday’s first round.
The high school senior-to-be made two eagles and three birdies on the back nine, with the second ace of his life coming via an 8-iron on No. 14.
“I hit it pretty good (on 14),” said Crisostomo, who’s playing in just his second AJGA open tournament. “I was like, ‘Hopefully it’s the right distance.’ I went to put my club away and I heard someone scream as if they were like dying or something. I look and everyone was all happy.”
In all, 13 boys broke par on Tuesday, including seven Coloradans. Daniel Pearson (pictured above) and Jackson Solem from Longmont matched 67s to share second place in the three-round tournament. Other Coloradans in the top 11 are Jake Staiano of Cherry Hills Village, Coby Welch of Highlands Ranch and Wilson Belk of Colorado Springs (all 69s, tied for eighth place), and AJ Ott of Fort Collins and Cameron Berndt of Elizabeth (70s, tied for 11th place)
Staiano, who made match play at the 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur, and Ott are Colorado State University signees, while Belk is headed to the University of Colorado.
Welch, winner of the 2014 CJGA Tournament of Champions, was 6 under par after 11 holes, having made two eagles, but struggled down the stretch to post his 69.
In the girls competition, Sydney Youngblood (left) of Durant, Okla., a three-time Oklahoma state high school champion, grabbed the first-round lead with a career-best 5-under-par 66.
The three aces weren’t the only unusual happening on Tuesday. The two players that share second place at 67 in the boys competition are not only both Longmont residents — and both high school juniors-to-be — but they tee it up regularly together.
“I play golf with Daniel every day so there’s a level of comfort there that just makes it a lot easier,” Solem said. “It takes a lot of the nerves out of it.”
Pearson, a 16-year-old who attends Fairview High School in Boulder, made six birdies and two bogeys on Tuesday.
“It’s probably one of my better rounds,” he said. “I’ve shot 66 before, which is my low in a tournament, but considering it’s during an AJGA and I haven’t played (at CommonGround) a ton, this is definitely a good round for me.
“It would be awesome (to be in contention coming down the stretch on Thursday). There’s great competition, players from all over the country. It’s definitely a goal of mine to play well tomorrow so I can be in contention come the third day.”
Solem, who placed ninth last year in the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships, had to rally for his 67 on Tuesday. He was 2 over par through six holes, then played the final 12 in 6 under, punctuated with an eagle on No. 11.
“It definitely wasn’t the start I wanted but I came back for sure.” said Solem, who’s competing in his first AJGA tournament. “I was confident the whole time, but I just wasn’t making the putts. Once I got one to drop — I made the one for eagle on 11 from 10 feet — that just boosted the confidence, then I started making some more.
“This is definitely one of my better rounds ever.”
Youngblood, who has verbally committed to join the University of Oklahoma golf team in 2016, was 6 under par through 11 before bogeying three straight starting on No. 15. She closed out the day with an eagle from 6 inches on No. 18 after a 6-iron from 173 yards.
“I played this course a couple of times and I felt real comfortable with it,” Youngblood said. “I played my game and it worked. I feel like the course suits me. I feel like I hit it far, and coming up here to Colorado I hit it just a little farther (at altitude). That helps me with attacking the par-5s in two.”
Jennifer Kupcho (left) of Westminster, a two-time Colorado 4A high school champion and the 2014 CWGA Player of the Year, was in the same group as Youngblood and managed a 71 in what she said will be the first and last AJGA tournament of her career.
“(Youngblood) played really great today,” said Kupcho, a Wake Forest signee. “I watched her play all day and I could have easily been down there (score-wise). I had a couple of bad shots that put me in the weeds. But I can definitely contend. We’ll see how it goes the next two days.”
Ellie Szeryk of Allen, Texas was the only other girl to break par as she posted a 69. Kupcho checked in at 71 along with Bibilani Liu of Cupertino, Calif., Ashleigh Park of Mission Viejo, Calif., and Kenzie Wright of McKinney, Texas.
As for the two holes-in-one from the same threesome of girls on Tuesday, Emma Whitaker of Wichita, Kan., started things off my holing a shot with a 52-degree wedge on the 114-yard second hole. Then Felicia Chang of La Habra Heights, Calif., got in on the act by draining a 9-iron from 124 yards on the sixth hole. It was the second ace for Whitaker, who posted a 72, and the first for Chang, who finished with a 76.
As for two aces coming from the same group, “I was not expecting that at all,” Chang said.
For scores from the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior, CLICK HERE.
