The 2016 CGA representatives for the Junior America’s Cup have quite a recent legacy to live up to.
Twice in their last five appearances at the event which features 18 teams from the western U.S., Mexico and Canada, the Coloradans have matched their best finishes ever by placing third. And overall, Colorado has posted three top-four finishes since 2011.
With that as background, the 2016 team will compete later this month, marking Colorado’s 32nd appearance in the JAC, which dates back to 1973. In the first JAC event held in Mexico since 1994, the tournament is scheduled for July 26-28 in Guadalajara.
Back on the CGA squad for the second straight year will be Jackson Solem of Longmont and Davis Bryant of Aurora. Rounding out the 2016 team will be Cole Krantz of Windsor and Daniel Pearson of Longmont.
Jackson won titles in both the 2015 4A state high school championship and this year’s Big I Junior Classic. He placed 38th individually at the 2015 JAC.
Bryant qualified for the 2015 U.S. Junior Amateur and placed third recently in the national PGA Junior Series event at Eisenhower Golf Club at the Air Force Academy. He also played in the pro-junior team portion of last year’s First Tee Open at Pebble Beach PGA Tour Champions event. Bryant was 49th individually at last year’s JAC.
Krantz won the 2015 Colorado PGA Junior Championship and qualified for the PGA Junior Championship. He advanced to the semifinals of the 2015 CGA Junior Match Play and finished seventh recently in the U.S. Junior Amateur qualfier.
Pearson placed second last month at the Colorado Junior Amateur and was fourth last year in that event’s predecessor, the CGA Junior Stroke Play. He also won the high school portion of the 2015 Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational and has qualified for the 2016 Optimist International Junior tourney.
To read about the CWGA’s Girls JAC team, CLICK HERE.