When Eaton senior Peter Grossenbacher bogeyed two of his first three holes to start the 3A boys state high school tournament on Monday at Boulder Country Club, he didn’t despair.
After all, he just thought about Tiger Woods, who won the 1997 Masters after playing his first nine holes in 4 over par at Augusta National.
“I had a picture of Tiger Woods on my cart. I was just looking at him,” Grossenbacher noted on Monday. “He won his first major at the Masters (despite that slow start). Even if I would have double bogeyed 1, I could have still shot low today. It was fun — really fun.”
Indeed, what’s not fun about rallying to shoot a 5-under-par 65 — the best competitive round of his life by four and the best round of any type by two — and leading after the first round of the 36-hole state meet?
Oh, and by the way … that includes a cool 6-under-par 29 on the back nine.
“I came out here in the practice rounds and had pretty good scores — 69 and 70 — but today it felt like I was just seeing it and feeling it. It was awesome,” Grossenbacher said.
“I haven’t prepared for a tournament more than I have this one. I worked so hard leading up to it the last two or three weeks. I’m just happy I made it happen. It’s the best place to do it.”
On a day that three boys state high school tournaments cranked up, Grossenbacher posted the best score at any site on Monday.
Not coincidentally, the player in second place at the 3A state tournament came out of the same first-round pairing. That would be senior Jackson Klutznick of Kent Denver, who carded a 67. And while Grossenbacher shot a 29 on the back nine, Klutznick wasn’t shabby either, with a 31. (The two are pictured at left, with Grossenbacher in the white shirt.)
“We were making a joke throughout the round that it was kind of a (Rory) McIlroy and (Patrick) Reed scenario” from the 2016 Ryder Cup, Klutznick said. “It was really a good time. We were having a bunch of fun.
“The back nine was probably one of the better rounds I’ve ever played, especially with (Grossenbacher) playing as well as he did. We definitely fed off each other.”
After making the turn at 1 over par, Grossenbacher birdied No. 10 from 15 feet. Then on the 523-yard 12th, he took such an aggressive line that he thought he may have driven the ball out of bounds, so he hit a provisional. But it turned out his original ball was just 145 yards from the flag, meaning his unleashed a drive in the 375-yard range. He ended up making eagle from 20 feet.
“Something started clicking after that eagle,” he said. “I knew I was right back in it. I was 2 over through 3, so after being 2 under, I felt I had a bunch of room to run.”
So he added birdies on 13, 15 and 16 — all from inside of 10 feet.
“It doesn’t really come as a surprise almost because I’ve been thinking about it and visualizing this course in my head for so long,” Grossenbacher said. “I told my brother I was going to shoot 66 today. It’ll be fun to call him and tell him I shot 65.
“Up until now this is definitely one of the biggest moments of my life. I really want to get it done tomorrow (and win the title). It would mean the world to me. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything this bad.”
Grossenbacher (left) has won six individual titles in eight high school tournaments this season, including his second straight regional title.
Meanwhile, Klutznick also kick-started his round with an eagle on No. 12, with his putt coming from 14 feet. He backed that up with a 6-foot birdie on No. 13 and a 10-footer at No. 14.
“(Grossenbacher) was playing absolutely lights out and he kept making these long putts,” Klutznick said. “I was realizing I had to make them too. That’s just how that works. It was just back and forth with the putting is what it came down to.
“The back nine was probably one of the better rounds I’ve ever played, especially with him playing as well as he did. We definitely fed off each other.”
The only other player to break par at Boulder Country Club on Monday was Jack Pevny of Aspen, who carded a 68.
“This course, if you’re not on your game, it’s going to eat you alive,” said Prospect Ridge’s Walker Franklin, who sits in fifth place at 71 despite a double bogey on the 12th hole that Grossenbacher and Klutznick eagled. “So being three or four back is normally like being one or two behind on another course. So it’s not that big of a difference.”
In the 3A team competition, Aspen shot a 4-over-par 214 and leads nine-time state champion Kent Denver by one going into the final round. Holy Family is third at 225.
As for the other two boys state tournaments:
— 5A at Colorado Springs Country Club: Connor Jones of Mountain Range was the only player to break par on Monday as he shot a 3-under-par 68. Jones, who finished sixth last year at state, eagled the 404-yard, par-4 third hole and added two birdies and a bogey. Jones had also holed out for eagle on the same hole in Sunday’s practice round.
Ryan Liao of Lakewood is Jones’ closest pursuer as he trails by three after an even-par 71.
Tied in third place at 72 are Dillon Stewart of Fossil Ridge and Brandon Bervig of Liberty. Stewart, who shot a 63 in winning a regional tournament, is in the midst of an outstanding season, having won the individual and team titles at the Junior America’s Cup along with two AJGA championships.
Lakewood leads the team competition at 10-over-par 223, while Arapahoe and Fossil Ridge sit at 229. Regis Jesuit, winner of seven of the last eight 5A titles, shares fourth place with Cherry Creek at 231.
— 4A at The Club at Flying Horse in Colorado Springs: Micah Stangebye of Montrose opened up a four-stroke lead by shooting a 3-under-par 69 at Flying Horse. Stangebye, who tied for fourth place last year, birdied three of the first four holes and finished the day with six birdies, a bogey and a double bogey.
Three players share second place at 73 — Traejan Andrews of Northridge, Mac Konrad of Ponderosa and Jack Rotermund of Steamboat Springs. Rotermund was 3 under par through 11 holes, but went 4 over the rest of the way.
Montrose, winner of the 4A team title last year and the runner-up in 2016, grabbed an eight-stroke lead on Monday by firing a 5-over-par 221. Steamboat is second at 229 and Palmer Ridge third at 234.
In all three state tournaments, the individual leaders will tee off for Tuesday’s final round at 10:57 a.m.
Here are the leaders at the three tournaments:
CLASS 5A AT COLORADO SPRINGS CC
Team
1. Lakewood 223
2. (tie) Arapahoe and Fossil Ridge 229
4. (tie) Cherry Creek and Regis Jesuit 231
Individual
1. Connor Jones, Mountain Range 68
2. Ryan Liao, Lakewood 71
T3. Brandon Bervig, Liberty 72
T3. Dillon Stewart, Fossil Ridge 72
T5. Noah Dibiase, Lakewood 73
T5. Tarek Salem, Highland Ranch 73
T7. Cade Kilkenny, Cherry Creek 74
T7. Ty Findlow, Valor Christian 74
T7. Walker Fuller, Regis Jesuit 74
10. Caleb Busta, Arapahoe 75
CLASS 4A AT THE CLUB AT FLYING HORSE IN COLORADO SPRINGS
Team
1. Montrose 221
2. Steamboat Springs 229
3. Palmer Ridge 234
4. Mullen 239
T5. Northridge 241
T5. Ponderosa 241
Individual
1. Micah Stangebye, Montrose 69
T2. Jack Rotermund, Steamboat Springs 73
T2. Mac Konrad, Ponderosa 73
T2. Traejan Andrews, Northridge 73
T5. Kellen Kudrna, Mead 74
T5. Ryan Lords, Montrose 74
T5. TJ Shehee, Mead 74
8. Nick Vaver, Centaurus 75
T9. Clay Whitton, Evergreen 76
T9. Ethan Whidden, Durango 76
T9. Oliver Gibbons, Green Mountain 76
T9. Rhett Johnson, Mullen 76
CLASS 3A AT BOULDER COUNTRY CLUB
Team
1. Aspen 214
2. Kent Denver 215
3. Holy Family 225
4. Eaton 235
5. Basalt 241
Individual
1. Peter Grossenbacher, Eaton 65
2. Jackson Klutznick, Kent Denver 67
3. Jack Pevny, Aspen 68
4. Carlo Pine, Telluride 70
5. Walker Franklin, Prospect Ridge 71
T6. Jack Hughes, Aspen 72
T6. Liam O’Halloran, The Classical Academy 72
T8. Davis Long, Peak to Peak 73
T8. Jacobo Arango, Kent Denver 73
T10. Dawson Holmes, Aspen 74
T10. Jacob Mason, Holy Family 74
T10. Jimmy Clark, Lamar 74
