Hunter Paugh and AJ Ott will play their final round of high school golf on Tuesday, and the opportunity couldn’t be more ideal. The two Fort Collins High School seniors, both left-handers, not only are on the top of the leaderboard in the 5A state tournament, but they’re doing it in their hometown of Fort Collins. In fact, Paugh is closing out his prep career at the course where he and his family are members, Fort Collins Country Club.
Paugh (left), who finished third individually at last year’s state tournament, used his home-course advantage to shoot the lowest score of his life, a 4-under-par 67, in Monday’s first round of the 5A meet.
“It was a great day,” said Paugh, who has verbally committed to play college golf at the University of South Dakota. “I’ve been looking forward to this since last year, when I finished third. It’s my home course. It was a great day for golf. It was fun to hit the ball well and to play well.”
His teammate, Ott, played his back nine in 3 under par Monday to share second place, four behind Paugh. While he, like Paugh, is facing a little additional pressure this week while competing at home, he’s embracing the opportunity.
“It’s fun,” said Ott, who is likely to record his fourth top-10 finish at state on Tuesday. “I think it’s good for the town and good for our school.”
Ott (left) is one of four players who shot 71 and share second place four back of Paugh. Also at even-par are Griffin Barela of Lakewood, Austin Hardman of Mountain Vista and Regis Jesuit’s Andrew McCormick, the runner-up in the 2015 CGA Junior Match Play.
Paugh closed his round with three consecutive birdies — from 15, 8 and 2 feet — to give him five for the day, while carding one bogey.
“I knew it was there. I just had to do what I did, I guess,” said Paugh, winner of a Rocky Mountain Junior Golf Tour event shis summer. “There’s been some pressure because it’s my home course. I’m expected to play well. But I really didn’t let that get to me. I’m just going out to have some fun. It’s my last high school tournament, so enjoy it.”
As for Ott, it’s certainly no surprise to find him near the top of the leaderboard. This year, he finished third in the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior, second in a playoff at the CGA Junior Stroke Play, 13th at the Big “I” National Championship and 16th at the Junior America’s Cup. He’s verbally committed to Colorado State University.
On Monday, Ott had a rough start, double-bogeying the fourth hole en route to a 3-over-par 38 on the front nine. But he birdied 10, 11, 12 and 18 on the back — offset by a bogey on 17 — to fire a 33 on his incoming half.
“I just had to stay patient because I don’t think anybody is going to make a ton of putts out here,” he said. “I got off to a bad start, but I made a few coming in on the back side, which felt good. I think some of my experience in big tournaments this summer has helped me.”
Though two teammates will be among those who will battle it out for the 5A individual title on Tuesday, they’re accustomed to competing against one another.
“We’ve always competed since we were little since we’ve been in the same schools,” Paugh said. “It’s really been him and I all four years (at Fort Collins HS) and it’s always been a little rivalry. It’s always been fun, and it will be fun tomorrow.”
With Fort Collins not having the third player at state needed to compete as a team, the team competition is very tight after round 1. Lakewood and Regis Jesuit are tied for the lead at 6-over-par 219, with Fort Collins-based Fossil Ridge (221) and defending champion Coronado (223) within four of the top spot, and Mountain Vista (226) and Heritage (227) also well within striking distance.
Valor’s Lee Closes Strong to Fire 67 at 4A Tournament: Two Valor Christian teammates were the two players who broke par Monday in the 4A state tournament at the Fox Hill Club in Longmont.
Philip Lee shot a 3-under-par 67, while teammate Tim Amundson fired a 69.
Windsor’s Cole Krantz, the 2015 Colorado PGA Junior Championship winner, and Silver Creek’s Jackson Solem, who’s playing in his hometown of Longmont, matched rounds of 70.
Another Valor player, 2015 U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier Coby Welch, posted a 71.
Lee made six birdies on Monday, including on four of his last six holes.
Valor, winner of the last two 4A state team titles, holds an 18-stroke lead over Evergreen after shooting a 3-under-par 207 in round 1.
Peak to Peak’s Taylor, Datta Set Standard at 3A Meet: Sam Taylor and Nishant Datta, teammates at Peak to Peak, shot even-par 72s to share the lead after the first round of the 3A state tournament at Eagle Ranch Golf Course in Eagle.
The next-best players going into Tuesday’s final round are Kent Denver’s Oliver Jack and Basalt’s Linc Kleager, who carded 75s.
Defending champion Yale Kim of Dawson opened with a 79.
After posting a 6-over-par 222 total, Peak to Peak holds a 10-stroke advantage over Kent Denver in the team competition.
SCORING: For scores from the state tournaments, click on the following: 3A, 4A, 5A
