We recently passed the halfway mark of the tournament season for golf in Colorado, and already we have a full year’s worth of highlights.
With a mini-break in the action locally, it seems a good time to look back on an eventful first few months on the course. So without futher ado, here are some of the most noteworthy happenings of the Colorado tournament season to date:
“¢VALOR IN THE HEADLINES: Since the Valor Christian boys golf team won the 4A state high school title last fall, various people involved with Valor’s golf program have been making news on a regular basis. Boys golf coach Jason Preeo (pictured) not only qualified for the U.S. Open, but made the cut and stood in 16th place after two rounds.
Two of Preeo’s players, Wyndham Clark and Spencer Sheets, qualified for the 2010 U.S. Junior Amateur, with Clark advancing to match play. As one of the top 25 junior players in the country, Clark also won an American Junior Golf Association tournament earlier this year. And on the girls side, Valor’s Lindsay McGetrick claimed the CWGA Junior Match Play title and qualified for match play in the U.S. Girls’ Junior.
“¢MORE AJGA SUCCESS: Speaking of national junior events, Clark isn’t the only Coloradan to win an AJGA tournament this year. Also scoring victories were David Oraee, Patricia Lee and Somin Lee. Earlier in the year, Somin Lee captured the 5A state high school title.
“¢ELWAY MAKING THE ROUNDS: Former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway, a scratch player, has become more active on the Colorado tournament golf scene. After teaming with Tom Hart to win the Trans-Mississippi Four-Ball at Cherry Hills last September, Elway played in his first CGA championship (finishing second along with Hart in the CGA Four-Ball) and competed in his fourth HealthOne Colorado Open (missing the cut after rounds of 82-70). Elway plans to make his HealthOne Colorado Senior Open debut in early September.
“¢WIEBE CLIMBS THE RANKS: Aurora amateur Gunner Wiebe, son of Champions Tour player Mark Wiebe, has had a stellar year by just about any standards. In 2010, he’s qualified for a PGA Tour event, won two college tournaments at the University of San Diego, claimed the CGA Match Play title and finished second in the HealthOne Colorado Open.
“¢RIVETING FINISH AT SENIOR PGA: The Senior PGA Championship at Colorado Golf Club in Parker featured a memorable final day. Former British Open champion Tom Lehman won a three-man sudden-death playoff, but only after Fred Couples made back-to-back eagles on the 15th and 16th holes in regulation, and David Frost shot 65-67 on the weekend.
“¢KITE PLAYS IN FINAL U.S. OPEN SECTIONAL AT COLUMBINE: The U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying has been held annually at Columbine Country Club in Littleton for decades, but the 2010 version apparently will be the last after the USGA decided to eliminate the Columbine and St. Louis sites in a consolidation move.
Ironically, the final Sectional at Columbine drew the biggest name ever to compete in the event in Littleton. World Golf Hall of Famer Tom Kite, attempting to earn a return trip to Pebble Beach, where he won the 1992 U.S. Open, fell one stroke short of forcing a playoff at Columbine.
“¢ARNIE, CHERRY HILLS CELEBRATE 50TH ANNIVERSARY: Fifty years after Arnold Palmer overcame Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan to win the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills, the club brought back Arnie to celebrate one of the most notable major championships ever.
“¢LASHLEY MAKES IT 3 STRAIGHT AT COLO. OPEN: Arizonan Nathan Lashley completed a remarkable run by winning the HealthOne Colorado Open. In the space of three weeks, the former University of Arizona golfer claimed titles in the Wyoming Open, Waterloo Open and Colorado Open, claiming $80,000 in paydays on the process.
“¢MARTIN GOES BACK-TO-BACK IN CWGA STROKE PLAY: Melissa Martin of Grand Junction — and Colorado State University — won the CWGA Stroke Play Championship for the second straight year, becoming the first player to go back-to-back in the event since Nicki Cutler in 2000 and 2001.
“¢ARP WINS PUBLINKS, GOES PRO: In his final chance at a CGA title, Riley Arp of Fort Collins captured the CGA Public Links Championship. A few weeks later, the former CSU golfer turned professional at the HealthOne Colorado Open, closing with a 66 to finish 20th.
“¢KIM LEAVES DU, TURNS PROFESSIONAL: After earning medalist honors at U.S. Women’s Open qualifying at the Broadmoor, 2006 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Kimberly Kim revealed she’s leaving the University of Denver golf team after just one season. Kim made her professional debut at the U.S. Women’s Open, where she misses the cut.
“¢IN NEW ERA FOR TRANS-MISS, PINCKNEY EDGES TWAY: Kevin Tway, then the No. 7-ranked amateur in the world, forced a playoff in the Trans-Miss at Denver Country Club, but lost to Arizona State’s Scott Pinckney on the second extra hole. The event marked the first Trans-Miss since 1986 to allow college-age players to compete.
“¢HUFFER REACHES DOUBLE DIGITS IN USGA APPEARANCES: Becca Huffer of Denver qualified for her 10th and 11th USGA championships, earning spots in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Publinks and the U.S. Women’s Amateur. At the Publinks, the Notre Dame golfer played at the Irish’s home course and advanced to the round of 32.
“¢CSU MEN CAPTURE ANOTHER CONFERENCE TITLE: For the second time in three years, the Colorado State men’s golf team claimed the Mountain West Conference championship. Ram Ryan Peterson earned the individual title as CSU posted its fourth team victory of the season.
“¢HOUTSMA GOES LOW AT COLORADO WOMEN’S OPEN: Former champion Erin Kerr Houtsma of Denver shot the lowest round in the 16-year-history of the HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open — a 65 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club — on day 2 and went on to finish second in the event. LPGA Tour player Moira Dunn claimed the title.
“¢22 YEARS BETWEEN CGA TITLES FOR MERTZ: Guy Mertz of Longmont won his first individual CGA title since 1988 by taking home the hardware at the CGA Senior Match Play Championship. Mertz claimed the CGA Public Links crown 22 years ago.
“¢JUNIOR MATCH PLAY MARATHON: Nick Allen of Littleton went 36 holes to defeat John Ahern of Morrison for the title in what is believed to be the longest match in the history of the CGA Junior Match Play Championship.
