Just since 2008, a half-dozen Coloradans have won titles at prestigious AJGA tournaments held in their home state.
The list includes Josh Seiple, Jimmy Makloski, David Oraee (twice), Wyndham Clark, Patricia Lee and Cole Nygren.
And after Thursday, maybe those six will have some company.
With the inaugural AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior, presented by MusclePharm, wrapping up on Thursday, perhaps five boys and one girl from Colorado have realistic chances of claiming a title at CommonGround Golf Course.
On the boys side, three of the top five players on the leaderboard are from Colorado — AJ Ott (pictured at top) of Fort Collins, and Jake Staiano and Pierce Aichinger of Cherry Hills Village — and another two Coloradans are also within six strokes of leader Tripp Kinney of West Des Moines, Iowa: Coby Welch of Highlands Ranch and Wilson Belk of Colorado Springs.
As for the girls, two-time Colorado 4A high school champion Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster remains in striking distance at four back of the leaders, one of whom is a 13-year-old Texan.
“It’s fun to represent Colorado as a whole,” said Staiano, a Colorado State University signee who has a chance to qualify for the U.S. Open on Monday in Memphis. “I think Colorado is a little underrated for (the players it produces). It’s fun to put Colorado on the map.”
Kinney (left), a two-time Iowa junior amateur champion, fired a 4-under-par 67 Wednesday and holds a two-stroke lead after the second round of the first AJGA event held in Colorado since 2013.
Kinney chipped in from 30 feet for eagle at No. 11 and played his final 11 holes in 5 under par on Wednesday en route to a 7-under 135 total.
“Most of the time I’m used to coming (from behind). It’ll be different tomorrow,” said Kinney, who’s committed to Iowa State. “I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of pressure. I’m going to have to go with it. I guess I kind of like pressure in a way. It keeps me focused. There’s going to be pressure, but there’s going to be pressure on everybody.”
Playing in the same threesome as Kinney, Ott likewise fired a 67 on Wednesday, leaving him in second place at 137. Staiano, Ott’s future teammate at CSU, holds down third place at 138 after consecutive 69s. Staiano, like Ott, is a 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier.
The third Coloradan in the top five is Aichinger, who carded a 67 Wednesday and shares fourth place with Reese McFarlane of Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Aichinger is a University of Colorado golf signee.
Welch, who like Staiano is a member of the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program at CommonGround, is tied for sixth place at 140, while CU signee Belk shares ninth at 141.
Welch, Staiano and Aichinger were high school teammates at Valor Christian.
“Hopefully we can get some Colorado kids on the top of the leaderboard tomorrow,” said Ott, who did his part on Wednesday with two 2s and five 3s on his card.
“It was pretty stress-free,” the left-hander said. “I’m excited (to be in contention). I’m going to need to play well tomorrow and probably shoot around the same as I did today. I just want to go out and have fun.”
Staiano (left), the 2013 CGA Junior Match Play champion, and Kinney are the only two players in the field — either boys and girls — to post two straight rounds in the 60s in the Irwin Colorado Junior.
“They moved some tees back and the pins were much, much, much more difficult” on Wednesday, Staiano said. “You had to put it in the right spot today or you’re making bogey,”
Californian Joseph Crisostomo, who made a hole-in-one on Tuesday during a first-round 64, dropped back to 16th place on Wednesday following a 79.
In the girls tournament, the 13-year-old who moved into a tie for the lead is Ellie Szeryk, a resident of Allen, Texas who just completed seventh grade. She stands at 1-under-par 141 after rounds of 69-72 and shares the top spot with three-time Oklahoma state high school champion Sydney Youngblood (below) of Durant. Youngblood doubled bogeyed back-to-back holes (Nos. 15 and 16) en route to a 75 Wednesday after posting a 66 on Tuesday.
Szeryk, who qualified for the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship last year at age 12, has made six birdies and five bogeys through two rounds.
“That I’m in the mix is pretty cool,” the AJGA “rookie” said. “It would be awesome (to win).”
Bibilani Liu of Cupertino, Calif., holds down third place at 144. Kupcho, the 2014 CWGA Player of the Year, is the top Coloradan as she stands in fourth place at 145. Her 74 on Wednesday included a snowman — a quadruple-bogey 8 — on the par-4 fifth hole to go along with four birdies and three bogeys.
“Before (the 8) I was playing great,” Kupcho said. “I just let that one get away from me. Otherwise I would have shot a great score and been down where (the leaders) are. But four strokes isn’t too bad. I definitely can make that up.”
As for Youngblood, who’s committed to the University of Oklahoma, she had a comfortable lead on Wednesday until coming to No. 15. There, a shot into the native and a three-putt resulted in a double bogey. She made another double on No. 16 when she needed two shots to get out of a fairway bunker and three-putted again.
“I’ve been hitting it real well all week,” she said. “Just two bad shots cost my round today. I can’t let that get to my head and ruin my confidence. I’ve been putting real well, so I’m going to take that into tomorrow.”
For scores from the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior, CLICK HERE.
