With just a few days left in the year, it’s almost time to turn the calendar page to 2016. But before we move on, it’s worthwhile to reflect on the top stories of 2015 in Colorado golf. This marks our seventh consecutive year of compiling the rankings, and for suspense sake, we like to go in reverse order, from 25 to 1, then note the honorable-mention selections.
And away we go …:
25. Delich’s Third CGA Senior Match Play Title: David Delich of Colorado Springs became the sixth golfer to win the CGA Senior Match Play at least three times. Full story: CLICK HERE. But that was hardly the former hockey standout’s only significant golf accomplishment in 2015. Delich also qualified for the U.S. Senior Open and U.S. Mid-Amateur, won the senior division of the Charlie Coe Invitational (with Ben Hargis) and earned CGA Senior Player of the Year honors for the second time.
24. Another Honor for Bell: Part-time Colorado Springs resident Judy Bell, the first female president of the USGA, accepted an honorary membership at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews in Scotland, becoming one of the first female members at the historic club. Full story: CLICK HERE.
23. Eaton ‘Unretires’ from CWGA Play, But Falls Short of Another Win: Almost two years after “retiring” from CWGA championship play after accumulating the second-most titles in CWGA history, Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton decided to return to action in an association championship in 2015. But after winning the CWGA Senior Stroke Play each of the first four times she competed in the event, Eaton had to settle for runner-up this year, as Jill Gaschler prevailed by two for the title. Full story: CLICK HERE.
22. Bertsch Wins Web.com Event, Regains PGA Tour Card: Shane Bertsch of Parker notched his third career victory on the Web.com Tour — and first in a decade — when the 45-year-old prevailed in the Rust-Oleum Championship in Westlake, Ohio. That helped Bertsch finish high enough on the season-long money list to regain his PGA Tour card for the first time since 2012. Full story: CLICK HERE.
21. Coloradans Shine at Junior America’s Cup: The CGA has been fielding teams in the Junior America’s Cup annually since 1975, and this year the Coloradans matched their best finish ever in the event that features representatives from the western U.S., Canada and Mexico. The CGA placed third in the 18-team field in Flagstaff, Ariz. The Coloradans also were third in 2011 at Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen. Full story: CLICK HERE.
20. Craig Stadler, Finke to be Inducted: Former Masters champion Craig Stadler, a resident of Colorado for more than two decades, and Ann Finke of Colorado Springs, the first female member of the Colorado PGA and a national leader in junior golf, were voted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. Stadler, an Evergreen resident since 2003 and a Coloradan since 1994, has won 13 times on the PGA Tour, including the 1982 Masters, plus nine times on the Champions Tour, along with the 1973 U.S. Amateur. Finke has been a fixture on the Colorado golf scene for three decades. During that time — all spent at the Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs, where she’s now director of instruction — she’s given about 38,000 lessons, more than 40 percent of those to juniors. Full story: CLICK HERE.
19. Moores Go Back-to-Back in USGA Qualifying: Janet Moore earned medalist honors for the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur qualifying the day after husband — and fellow Colorado Golf Hall of Famer — Kent Moore was medalist in U.S. Senior Amateur qualifying. And one day after the back-to-back feat, the Moores hosted a kickoff event leading up to the Century of Golf Gala, for which they served as honorary chairs. Full story: CLICK HERE.
18. Recent Skull Fracture Doesn’t Stop Saunders: Sam Saunders of Fort Collins finished tied for fourth in the Web.com Tour’s Hotel Fitness Championship for the second straight year, but that hardly was the most remarkable thing about his performance. No, it was the fact that Saunders played that well just weeks after suffering a fractured skull and an epidural hematoma in falling while riding an electric scooter in late August. He spent two nights in intensive care. Full story: CLICK HERE. Earlier in the year, Saunders posted his best finish ever on the PGA Tour, placing second after a playoff in the Puerto Rico Open.
17. Nosewicz, 31, Oldest Winner of CGA Match Play Since ’90s: Most winners of the CGA Match Play in recent years have been college-aged. But 31-year-old Nick Nosewicz prevailed in the 115th Match Play this year, becoming the event’s oldest champion since 1994. Full story: CLICK HERE.
16. Weinstein Makes History: Mary Weinstein of Highlands Ranch recorded the best finish ever by a Coloradan in the girls 15-17 age division of the prestigious IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championships in San Diego, placing 15th. Full story: CLICK HERE. Also in 2015, Weinstein won the CWGA Junior Stroke Play and the CJGA Junior Series Chamionship.
15. Broken Tee Earns National Player Development Award: Broken Tee Golf Course in Englewood received a prestigious national honor, earning the 2015 Player Development Award from the National Golf Course Owners Association. The award is given to “a course which has implemented a true and tested player development program, providing effective return-on-investment and an overall welcoming atmosphere for new golfers of all ages.” Full story: CLICK HERE.
14. Record-Tying Round at Inaugural AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior: Reese Ramsey of Austin, Texas not only set a course record at CommonGround but he tied the low round in the 37-year history of the AJGA with a 10-under-par 61 that vaulted the 16-year-old to victory in the inaugural AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior. Full story: CLICK HERE. Earlier in the event, competitors made three holes-in-one in a single day. And three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin held a clinic on the eve of the tournament, just days before his 70th birthday.
13. Oraee Makes Round of 16 at U.S. Amateur, Earns CGA Player of Year Award: Former University of Colorado golfer David Oraee put together a memorable U.S. Amateur, finishing second out of 312 players in the stroke-play portion of the event. Then he advanced to the round of 16 in match play before losing to Paul Dunne of Ireland, who made many headlines over the summer for sharing the British Open lead after three rounds. Also in 2015, Oraee became the first CU player since 2008 to compete in the NCAA men’s finals, and he went on to capture the CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year Award. Full story: CLICK HERE.
12. Fossil Trace’s Hajek Adds to Colorado PGA’s National Award Winners: The Colorado PGA and its members have made it a very pleasant habit in recent years to earn PGA of America national awards, and 2015 was no exception. Jim Hajek, the PGA head professional at Fossil Trace Golf Club in Golden, was named national Public Merchandiser of the Year. Hajek became the eighth Colorado PGA national honoree in the last nine years. Full story: CLICK HERE.
11. Littleton’s Leibold Wins National USGA-AJGA Presidents’ Leadership Award: Nick Leibold of Littleton earned a prestigious national honor for leadership, being named the male recipient of the 2015 USGA-AJGA Presidents’ Leadership Award. The award was created to recognize one male and one female junior golfer who demonstrate leadership, character and community service through their involvement with the Leadership Links program, a joint initiative founded by the USGA and AJGA to further develop junior golfers through volunteerism. Full story: CLICK HERE.
10. Jobe Wins Champions Tour Q-School Finals: Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Jobe, who turned 50 on Aug. 1, will go into his rookie season on the Champions Tour in style after winning the Q-school tournament outright. It was a big shot in the arm for Jobe, who has had limited status in recent seasons and has competed in just six PGA Tour events in the last two years. Full story: CLICK HERE.
9. CoBank Takes Over Title Sponsorships of Colo. Open Championships: After a dozen years of being known as the HealthOne Colorado Open, the venerable tournament will undergo a name change as the third title sponsor in the history of the event comes on board. After the conclusion of the 51st Open and with Denver mayor Michael Hancock on hand, tournament officials announced that Greenwood Village-based CoBank has signed a five-year agreement to become title sponsor of the Colorado Open, Colorado Women’s Open and Colorado Senior Open. Full story: CLICK HERE. The final HealthOne Colorado Open saw Jimmy Gunn make two eagles in the final seven holes to overcome 2013 champion Zahkai Brown. Gunn went on to earn his Web.com Tour card for 2016, while Brown landed conditional status.
8. 100th CWGA Match Play is One for the Books: The CWGA Match Play Championship was contested for the 100th time, with current social media phenom Paige Spiranac (left) edging Brittany Fan for the title. In the 35-hole final, the two players combined to make 22 birdies and were 15 under par. Full story: CLICK HERE.
7. Kupcho Blows Away Field in CWGA Stroke Play: Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster continues to amaze with her periodic dominance of tournaments in Colorado. Particularly eye-catching in 2015 was her 21-shot victory in the CWGA Stroke Play Championship, making it one of the largest — if not the largest — margin of victory in an event which dates back to 1948. The 18-year-old was 16 under par for three rounds. Also this season en route to repeating as CWGA Player of the Year, Kupcho won her second straight 4A state high school title, placed third in the Big “I” National Championship, made it to the final 16 at the U.S. Women’s Amateur before falling to eventual champion Hannah O’Sullivan, and posted three top-10 finishes in the fall as a freshman at Wake Forest. Kupcho currently sits 70th in the women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings. Full story: CLICK HERE.
6. Trifecta for Rohrbaugh: Not only did Doug Rohrbaugh match a record by winning his third consecutive Colorado PGA Professional Championship, but he continued to break the standard he’s previously set by claiming the title at unprecedented ages (53 in this case). Full story: CLICK HERE. Besides Rohrbaugh’s accomplishments in Colorado, the Carbondale resident competed in six events on the Champions Tour, placing as high as 15th.
5. Two More National Championships Set for Colorado: Colorado was awarded not one but two USGA championships in the final several months of 2015, marking the 32nd and 33rd USGA national championships to be set for the Centennial State. The association announced that the 2018 U.S. Senior Open will be held at The Broadmoor the same year the Colorado Springs resort turns 100 years old. Full story: CLICK HERE. Then the next year, Colorado Golf Club will host the U.S. Mid-Amateur, with CommonGround Golf Course serving as the second stroke-play course. Full story: CLICK HERE.
4. Colorado Golf Greats Pass Away: There’s no getting away from the passage of time, but far more than the usual number of people who have made an indelible mark in Colorado golf passed away during the course of the year. A partial list includes Colorado Golf Hall of Famers Warren Smith (a national PGA Golf Professional Hall of Famer), Jim Bailey (a life member of the PGA of America) and Jay Morrish (a renowned golf course architect). Also passing were former CGA president Bill Waggener, highly-regarded performance coach and psychologist Denise McGuire, longtime Colorado PGA professional Marv Mazone, and respected and well-liked volunteer rules official Joe Salvo, to whom the CGA dedicated its championship season. Suffice it to say the Colorado golf community is poorer for their passing.
3. CGA, Colorado PGA Join Forces for Junior Golf: When the executive directors and the staffs from the CGA and the Colorado Section PGA met in October 2014 to determine what programs it made the most sense to team up on, junior golf ended up major priority No. 1. A year later — after plenty of brainstorming, meetings and work on all sides — the seeds bore fruit as it was announced that the CGA and Colorado PGA are joining forces in a major effort to bolster junior golf in the state. Included will be a Junior Tour, including four junior major championships, and a developmental Junior Series. Another aspect of the collaboration will be the creation of a website that acts as a clearinghouse for all things junior golf-related in Colorado, including but not limited to registration for Junior Tour and Junior Series events; the PGA Junior League; the Colorado PGA Golf in Schools program, which exposes school kids to the game through P.E. classes; the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy; and the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship. Full story: CLICK HERE.
For the 2016 junior tour schedule, CLICK HERE.
2. Colorado Golf People of the Century Honored: As part of the Century of Golf festivities that marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CGA, six Colorado golf People of the Century were named and then honored at the Century of Golf Gala held last month at The Broadmoor. The honorees were:
Man of the Century — Will Nicholson Jr.
Woman of the Century — Judy Bell
Golf Professional of the Century — Charles “Vic” Kline
Superintendent of the Century — Dennis Lyon
Male Player of the Century — Hale Irwin
Female Player of the Century — Barbara McIntire
“This is one of those moments where you need to take it all in — to be able to say, ‘I was in the room when these people were honored.'” noted CGA executive director Ed Mate. “I mean, they’re legends of golf in Colorado. Of all the things we could have done to celebrate 100 years, I think this may be the most important, honoring these six people.” Full story: CLICK HERE.
1. Century of Golf Gala Draws 1,250 People, Raises $380,000: Choosing the Colorado golf story of the year was pretty much a no-brainer in 2015. After all, how many times do you have an event that attracts 1,250 people including a who’s who of Colorado golf, have Jack Nicklaus as a featured guest, honor six People of the Century, and raise $380,000 for the Colorado Golf Foundation — and its mission of youth development through golf — in the process? The Gala at The Broadmoor was the culmination of a year of initiatives and events built around the 100th anniversary of the CGA’s founding. “We made the most of the centennial,” Mate noted. The Gala was “the biggest golf gathering of our time. We raised a ton of money. We launched an exciting relationship with the PGA. It’s a home run. I look back on this as a special year. It’ll be a tough act to follow.” Full story: CLICK HERE. (Pictured at top are Nicklaus and Mate chatting on the 18th green of the East Course at The Broadmoor, where Nicklaus defeated Charlie Coe to win the 1959 U.S. Amateur)
Honorable Mention:
— Fort Collins HS Golfers Finish 1-2 in 5A State Meet in Their Hometown
— Welch Becomes First Player to Win All Age Divisions of Jr. Series Championship
— Former CU Golfer Talley Earns Ladies European Tour Card
— Keating, Trujillo, Chin Earn Spots in Drive, Chip & Putt Finals at Augusta
— DU’s Korte Fires 65, Overcomes 4-Shot Deficit to Win CGA Stroke Play
— Chitkoksoong, 14, Becomes One of Youngest Winners of CWGA Jr. Match Play
— Bruckner Becomes First Two-Time Winner of Colorado Senior Open
— Strauss, Medalist at U.S. Women’s Open Qualifier, Goes On to Earn LPGA Tour Card
— At Boulder CC, CU Posts Best Pac-12 Finish Ever (5th), Beats Nation’s No. 1 Team
— Keffer Finishes Off Threepeat at Colorado PGA Assistants Championships
— CU’s Edwards Named One of Nation’s Top 20 Men’s College Coaches in Survey
— CSU-Pueblo’s Kim Finishes 12th in NCAA Div. II Women’s Finals
— Former DU Golfers Kempter, Sue Kim Earn Symetra Tour Victories
Kempter: CLICK HERE.
Kim: CLICK HERE.
— Coloradan Hannah Wood Notches Individual Win as College Freshman
— Flatirons GC’s Brown Ties for Senior Title at National Superintendents Tourney
— Denver-Area Resident Duval Becoming Analyst for Golf Channel
— Langston Departing State After 23 Years as Highly-Regarded Rules Official
