It’s certainly been a memorable week for Denver resident Mateo Manzanares.
First, he qualified for the 3A state high school championship by tying for fourth individually in a regional touranment and helping his Kent Denver team cruise to a regional title.
Then he not only had the opportunity to play one of the most famous and beautiful courses in the world — Pebble Beach Golf Links — but with one of the best players on the PGA Tour Champions circuit, Scott McCarron.
And to cap it all off, Manzanares and McCarron were in contention on Sunday for the pro-junior team title at the PURE Insurance Championship PGA Tour Champions tournament. The two ended up finishing fourth in the gross best-ball competition. After rounds of 62-68-67, they posted an 18-under-par 197 total, three strokes behind winners Bernhard Langer and Justin Potwora. Manzanares even received some air time on the Golf Channel, which showed his tee shot on the par-3 12th hole on Sunday.
“He’s got a bright future ahead of him,” McCarron said of Manzanares on the Golf Channel.
Manzanares was one of two representatives of The First Tee of Denver who competed in the PURE Insurance Championship, where 81 First Tee kids from around the country are paired with PGA Tour Champions players during championship rounds at Pebble Beach and Poppy Hills.
Cole Drew of Centennial teamed with Steve Flesch, but they didn’t make the 36-hole team cut, checking in at 4-under-par 139.
Colorado residents Craig Stadler and Aaron Woodard won the pro-junior in this event in 2004, when Stadler was the professional champion.
The juniors — age 14-18 — who competed were picked based on their playing ability and comprehension of the core values and life skills The First Tee teaches.
–– Saunders Drops to 24th Place in Web.com Tour Finals in Quest for Better PGA Tour Status: Despite missing the cut in the DAP Championship, former Fort Collins resident Sam Saunders remained in the top 25 with one event left in the Web.com Tour Finals.
Saunders will go into next week’s Web.com Tour Championship in 24th place in the four-event finals. Should he finish in the top 25 in the standings, he’ll regain full status on the PGA Tour.
Meanwhile, Denver native Mark Hubbard will need a very strong finish at the Tour Championship to make it into the top 25. He placed 54th on Sunday in the DAP Championship, which left him in 57th place in the standings.
Both Saunders and Hubbard were regulars on the PGA Tour in the 2016-17 wraparound season.
— Former DU Golfer Kempter Posts Symetra Tour Top 10: Former University of Denver golfer Katie Kempter finished a season-best 10th Sunday in the Symetra Tour’s Guardian Championship in Prattville, Ala. Kempter posted rounds of 70-69-70 for a 7-under-par 209 total, which left her five strokes behind champion Lindsey Weaver.
