In a boys high school golf season that’s already featured its share of superlatives, three tournaments remain to add some more.
Among the things we’ve seen in the last month and a half:
— Sophomore Oliver Jack from Kent Denver shot a stellar 9-under-par 63 at The Pinery Country Club in a Metro League tournament. That broke the school record of 64 posted by Kevin Stadler, who last year won an event on the PGA Tour.
— A couple of weeks later at a Jeffco 4A League event at Deer Creek Golf Club, Valor Christian senior Coby Welch did that one better by firing a 10-under-par 62 for his school’s record. With Welch leading the way, Valor recorded a team total of 22 under par for its top four golfers.
Like the PGA Tour says in a tagline about its players, “These Guys are Good.”
They’ll get to prove that one more time this season as this week’s regional state-qualifying tournament set the fields for the 5A, 4A and 3A state tournaments that are scheduled for Oct. 5-6. The 5A meet will be played at Fort Collins Country Club, the 4A at the Fox Hill Club in Longmont, and the 3A at Eagle Ranch Golf Course in Eagle. Eighty-four golfers will compete in each event, culminating a two-month-long season.
Here are some of the 5A state storylines:
— Two of the state qualifiers are in Pebble Beach, Calif., this weekend competing in the Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, a Champions Tour event that will be nationally televised Friday through Sunday (Sept. 25-27). Both Davis Bryant of Eaglecrest and Brock Dowdy of Denver East are paired with Tour professionals who are also from Colorado — Bryant with Mark Wiebe and Dowdy with Craig Stadler. Bryant and Gowdy represent First Tee chapters in Colorado — Bryant The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch and Dowdy The First Tee of Denver.
Before heading out to Pebble Beach, Bryant shot a 78 at regionals to advance to state, while Dowdy carded a 79 at the same course, Lone Tree Golf Club. Bryant qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur this year.
— AJ Ott (pictured above) of Fort Collins, who will play his college golf at Colorado State, is a good bet for four consecutive top-10 finishes at state, having gone sixth, sixth and 10th his first three years and now wrapping up his high school career at a state meet in his hometown. Ott, who placed third in this year’s AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior and second in a playoff at the CGA Junior Stroke Play, carded a 70 in the Central Regional at Lone Tree. Ott finished 13th this year at the Big “I” National Championship and 16th at the Junior America’s Cup.
— Isaac Petersilie of Coronado has had an outstanding run at state the past two years, winning the 4A title in 2013 and finishing runner-up in 5A last year while Coronado claimed the team championship. Petersilie, who’s committed to the University of Denver, posted a 78 in the Southern Regional at Colorado Springs Country Club. Earlier this year, he won the CGA Junior Stroke Play.
— Andrew McCormick of Regis Jesuit tied Arapahoe’s David Packer for the lowest round of anyone at a regional tournament — a 68. This year, McCormick finished runner-up in the CGA Junior Match Play.
— Nick Leibold of Heritage earlier this year won a prestigious national honor for leadership as the male recipient of the USGA-AJGA Presidents’ Leadership Award. The award recognizes one male and one female junior golfer who demonstrate leadership, character and community service through their involvement with the Leadership Links program, a joint initiative founded by the USGA and AJGA to further develop junior golfers through volunteerism. Leibold advanced to the state meet with a 79 at the Northern Regional at Broadlands Golf Course.
— Regis Jesuit had its string of four consecutive 5A state titles snapped last year by Coronado, to which the Raiders finished runner-up. Regis is back with a four-man team this year. Coronado will return with the top three players from last year’s championship team: Petersilie, Austin Burgess and Wes Moran.
As for the 4A state meet:
— Welch (left), the senior from Valor Christian who shot 62 earlier this month, has had a strong year, qualifying for the U.S. Junior Amateur, finishing seventh at the Junior America’s Cup and winning the CJGA 14-18 Junior Series Championship. Welch, who placed fourth at the 4A state tournament last year, has verbally committed to the University of Northern Colorado. He shot a 74 at the 4A Metro Regional at Spring Valley to advance to state.
— As a team, Valor will be shooting for its third consecutive 4A state title and its fifth since 2009.
— Jackson Solem of Silver Creek won the 4A Northern Regional at Quail Dunes with a 73. Solem finished third earlier this year in both the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior and the CGA Junior Stroke Play. Meanwhile, Silver Creek teams have won eight consecutive regional tournaments. This time at state, the Raptors will be competing in their hometown of Longmont.
— Cole Krantz of Windsor, winner of the 2015 Colorado PGA Junior Championship, qualified for state with a 76 at the 4A Northern Regional at Quail Dunes.
And in the 3A tournament:
— Yale Kim from the Dawson School (3A) will be the only 2014 individual state champion back to defend his title as Pomona’s Grant Olinger (5A) and Pueblo South’s Taylor Rodriguez (4A) both graduated earlier this year. Kim shot a 74 at the 3A Northern Regional at Highland Meadows to punch his ticket to state.
— Sterling, the 2014 3A state team champion, will defend its title with a three-man contingent: Brayden Iambrecht, Bradon Baxter and Riley Schaefer.
— Jack, who shot that 63 at The Pinery earlier this season, fired a 70 at CommonGround to win the 3A Northern Regional title. He will lead the team from Kent Denver, which won an unprecedented seven straight Colorado state high school championships from 2006-12.
For Monday tee times for the three state tounaments, CLICK HERE.
Here’s a rundown on the teams and individuals that won regional state-qualifying tournaments this week:
5A Southern at Colorado Springs CC — Individual: David Packer, Arapahoe, 68. Team: Arapahoe 221.
5A Central at Lone Tree GC — Individual: Andrew McCormick, Regis Jesuit, 68. Team: Regis 215.
5A Northern at Broadlands GC — Individual: (tie) Daniel Pearson, Fairview, 73; Taron Ford, Prairie View, 73; and Reese Leiker, Heritage, 73. Team: (tie) Fossil Ridge and Heritage 228.
5A Western at Bookcliff CC — Individual: (tie) Austin Hardman, Mountain Vista, 71 and Danny Gallant, Monarch, 71. Team: (tie) Mountain Vista and Lakewood 223.
4A Southern at Shining Mountain GC — Individual: Matthew Casias, Pueblo South, 73. Team: (tie) Discovery Canyon and Pueblo West 238.
4A Metro at Spring Valley GC — Individual: Lenny Urbas, Evergreen, 73. Team: Valor Christian 225.
4A Northern at Quail Dunes — Individual: Jackson Solem, Silver Creek 73. Team: Silver Creek 233.
4A Western at Haymaker GC — Individual: Britt Walton, Steamboat Springs 71. Team: Durango (won playoff) and Steamboat Springs 223.
3A Southern at Hollydot — Individual: Hayden Wehe, Alamosa 72. Team: Alamosa 232.
3A Metro at CommonGround GC — Individual: Oliver Jack, Kent Denver, 70. Team: Kent Denver 223.
3A Northern at Highland Meadows GC — Individual: Harrison Turner, Resurrection Christian, 69. Team: Resurrection Christian 224.
3A Western at Steamboat Springs GC — Individual: Dominic Lanese, Aspen, 76. Team: Aspen 244.
