It’s been a memorable 2015 in Colorado golf, but sometimes just as interesting as what happened are what people said about those happenings.
That leads us to our annual reflection on the most notable quotables in Colorado golf this year, which is quickly drawing to a close:
— Ann Finke, director of instruction at the Country Club of Colorado, on being voted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame:
“I can hardly put into words (my reaction). It’s amazing. I can’t help but think about that kid playing golf a hundred years ago and wonder, ‘How did I get here?’ I can’t tell you how neat it is. I’m taken aback, to be honest.”
— Jack Nicklaus, an honored guest at the Century of Golf Gala, on his history in Colorado:
“I’m really pleased to have had the pleasure to have Colorado be such a large part of my golfing life. … I’ve been blessed to be able to (design or redesign 10) golf courses in Colorado (with three other Colorado courses done by Nicklaus Design). I’ve had a blast coming here. I’ve had two or three homes in Colorado, skied a lot in Colorado and spent a lot of time with (President) Gerald Ford when he was here; what a man. What I’m trying to say is, we’ve had a great, great time in Colorado, and it’s nice to be back.”
— Nicklaus, on finishing second at the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills Country Club, as a 20-year-old amateur:
“Probably the best thing that ever happened to me in my career was not to win that tournament. Had I won that tournament, I probably wouldn’t have put my nose to the grindstone and would not have wanted to get better. It brings you down to earth.”
— New CWGA president Juliet Miner, on her golf volunteerism:
“I am so enthusiastic about golf. And I can’t say ‘no’.”
— Nick Nosewicz (pictured at top), on his excitement over winning the CGA Match Play:
“I don’t think I ever fist-pumped in my life on a tee box, and I did it like nine times this week, which tells you how bad I wanted this. I wanted it maybe more than anybody has wanted this trophy before.”
— CGA executive director Ed Mate, reflecting on Century of Golf-related events in 2015:
“We made the most of the centennial.” The Gala was “the biggest golf gathering of our time (with about 1,250 in attendance at The Broadmoor). 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.”
— Mate, on accepting an invitation to join the USGA Rules of Golf Committee:
“It’s pretty much a no-brainer for me. I’m a self-proclaimed Rules geek. I’ve always been interested in the Rules since I got involved in the game. So to be part of process is amazing.”
— Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, on Arnold Palmer:
“He was really the first approachable talent, if you will. Arnold Palmer knew how to treat his fan. He respected them with a wave and smile and made that fan feel special. He was always available for an autograph or a picture. I’ve tried to have (a similar) relationship with the fans.
“You always heard he had a very neat signature. That’s a powerful statement because it’s that moment with that individual person and you’re not going to get a chance to re-do that.
“Arnold Palmer really set the bar for being available, being approachable. … That gives an athlete like me a lot of inspiration to keep interacting with fans.”
— Rich Langston, reflecting on a favorite memory as a rules official in Colorado:
He noted how a competitor hit his tee shot into a greenside bunker, and when he took his stance, the ball moved. The player asked Langston how to proceed, and Langston told him to replace the ball and add a stroke. The golfer replaced the ball, took his stance and … once again his ball moved.
“He turned around and I looked at him and he said, ‘What the hell?'” Langston remembers. “At that time, probably a 2-foot-diameter big greenback turtle raises up out of the bunker (from beneath the surface of the sand). Part of his stance was probably mashing that turtle and underneath the sand she was moving around and raised up out of there. I said, ‘Go to a different part of the bunker, drop your ball and forget about that one stroke we talked about.’ We got to looking and I raked some sand and I saw some eggs. I called the golf shop. Eventually 74-75 (turtle) eggs were pulled out of there.
“It was funny as could be. … And by this time there were about three groups backed up on the 16th tee. But it’s sort of like when you make a birdie putt on 18 — something always keeps you coming back. Well, that’s what always kept me coming back.”
— Langston, on preferring to work a lot of junior tournaments during his many years as a rules official:
“I said I do not enjoy being on the golf course with a bunch of kids. But I love being out there with young players — and there is a difference. I don’t in any way, shape, fashion or form think that I have helped ‘sculpt their youth’. Hey, that’s for their mom and dad to do. But I enjoy being around young people. What I’ve always found is, you treat them with respect, and it comes right straight back to you.”
— Colorado PGA executive director Eddie Ainsworth, on the CPGA and CGA joining forces to bolster junior golf in the state:
“With the two organizations and what great things they’ve accomplished, just imagine now becoming one powerhouse where our focus is all going to be about the kids and the families. How can that not be great? For me, this is a major day. This is just huge.”
— Fort Collins’ Hunter Paugh, on closing out his high school golf career with a victory at state in his hometown and on his home course.
“This is just how my dream was — just exactly. I can’t picture it any better, with all my family and friends around to support me after winning the state title. It’s amazing.”
— Carbondale’s Doug Rorhbaugh, on tying a record with his third straight win in the Colorado PGA Professional Championship:
“That was everything. To be honest, that was my goal coming in. Yes, you’re trying to win, but knowing the three-peat hadn’t been done much, I was definitely thinking about it. To want a three-peat and do it, that makes it sweeter. It means a lot. It was more than just a win.”
— Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Janet Moore (left), on competing at Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen:
“I got within 20 feet of a (large) bull elk. It was a little bit intimidating. He was just staring at us. We were like, ‘What do we do now?'”
— Jill Gaschler, on beating decorated Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton at the CWGA Senior Stroke Play:
“She’s a great player. I have great respect for her. I enjoyed playing with her today, I really did. I’m sorry that she didn’t win, but I’m glad I did.”
— George Solich, who with brother Geoff (Duffy) Solich have lent their name to the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy, on the program now thriving at three golf courses in Colorado:
“I think it’s really pretty powerful what’s happened. Four years into it, I think it’s awesome.”
— After shooting a 4-over-par 76 in the final round of the Colorado Women’s Open, former University of Denver golfer Melissa Martin wasn’t entertaining thoughts of being the low amateur. In fact, when it was determined that she did, in fact, claim low-am honors, she was long gone from the premises at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club. Said Martin:
“I was literally at Chick fil A, and they were like, ‘Can you come back?'” to accept the low-am trophy.
— Janet Moore, on shooting an 80 to qualify for the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur the day after husband Kent shot 69 to qualify for the U.S. Senior Amateur:
“It is very special. But after careful calculation, we figured we played in a 12-shot wind today.”
— Ashleigh Wilson of Highlands Ranch, winner of the CJGA 10 & Under Junior Series Championship as an 8-year-old, after being apprised Elizabeth Wang accomplished the same feat seven years before winning the national Junior PGA Championship in 2015:
“Seriously? That’s cool.”
— Mary Weinstein, who called a two-shot penalty on herself during the CJGA Junior Series Championship, despite her playing partners not seeing any infraction:
“I don’t think it’s ever worth cheating.”
— Jimmy Gunn, on making two eagles in three holes on the back nine of the final round en route to beating Zahkai Brown at the HealthOne Colorado Open:
“When I chipped in for eagle on 14, that was like a dagger toward him.”
— Amy Chitkoksoong, on winning the CWGA Junior Match Play at age 14:
“It feels great. It would feel great winning it even if I’m 22, but winning at 14 is giving me a lot of confidence for the next years coming up.”
— Amateur captain Steve Irwin, on the ominous weather — heavy rain, gale-force winds, lightning, hail, flash flooding and a tornado warning — that shortened the Colorado Cup matches at CommonGround Golf Course:
“We were down on No. 12 and I was getting a little nervous because it was starting to get dark. I looked up and saw the cloud spinning, and that really got all of our attention. So we were glad they called it when they did. We were ready to get out of there.”
— Mary Weinstein, on one reason she enjoyed winning the CWGA Junior Stroke Play Championship:
“It’s a good feeling because one of the CWGA ladies came up to me before the tournament — she wanted to give a little spiel about every single person when we teed off — and she asked me if I’d won a CHSAA tournament or a CWGA tournament. I was like, ‘No, I haven’t. Sorry. My bad.'”
— Zahkai Brown, on shooting a 13-under-par 57 in a casual round at Lake Arbor Golf Club:
“I thought, ‘How is anyone going to believe this?’ It was effortless. I just hit fairways and greens and made putts.”
— Sixteen-year-old Texan Reese Ramsey, on the course-record 10-under-par 61 he shot at CommonGround en route to claiming the title at the inaugural AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior:
“It’s crazy that it actually happened. I didn’t really expect that it would, but it did. It was just a special day and a special moment, so I’m going to savor it. It was a round I’ll never forget.”
— Christie Austin, on being inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame:
“Have you ever had something happen in your life so special that you just can’t even believe it’s happening? Well, this is my something tonight. This is pretty amazing.”
— After friends and USGA teammates Jennifer Kupcho and Gillian Vance won each of the girls state high school titles:
“That was definitely our goal,” Vance said. “We call ourselves Team Kupance. We thought Team Kupance could go to Oregon (for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball) and play our best, then go back and win state. We’ve made it so far together. We definitely wanted to go out with a bang together.”
— Derek Tolan, who 13 years ago qualified for the U.S. Open at age 16:
“You know, (qualifying in 2002 at such a young age) doesn’t really mean much anymore. It was a great experience at the time. Even now if you make it, it doesn’t really mean anything unless you do well and do something with it. I don’t know if that’s part of growing up, having more expectations or my game improving. … You’ve got to really play well, and have a chance to parlay it into a career.”
— CU women’s golf coach Anne Kelly, on outdueling the top-ranked team in the nation, Southern California, in a head-to-head matchup at the Women’s Pac-12 Conference Championships in Boulder, and finishing a program-best fifth at the tournament:
“This is what college sports is all about.”
— Two-time CWGA Player of the Year Jennifer Kupcho, on having the chance to meet Judy Bell and Barbara McIntire at the CWGA Annual Meeting. (Bell was the first female president in the 121-year history of the USGA, in addition to being an outstanding player, and McIntire won two U.S. Women’s Amateurs and a British Ladies Amateur):
“It’s really cool because that’s my dream to win tournaments that big — the ones that they did. To be able to talk to them and get their phone numbers, that’s pretty sweet.”
