A month or so ago at a Colorado State University golf practice, the coaches were asking what major championship the players would most like to win.
Given that it was around Masters time, the Ram players almost unanimously said slipping on the green jacket would be the ultimate.
Senior Parker Edens begged to differ.
“I was the only guy who didn’t say the Masters. I said the U.S. Open because I like the grind,” the 23-year-old from Greeley recounted on Tuesday. “I like when par is valuable. And par was very valuable today. There are birdies out there, but there weren’t a lot to be had. So it’s special to move on and keep open the possibility of playing in our national championship.”
Edens, runner-up in the CGA Match Play each of the last two years, took the first step toward earning a berth in his cherished U.S. Open on Tuesday when he shared medalist honors in a Local Qualifying tournament at Collindale Golf Course in Fort Collins.
For the first time, Edens advanced to the 36-hole Sectional Qualifying, the final stage in the Open qualifying process. On a cold, windy day, he fired a 1-under-par 70 on Tuesday to tie for the top spot at Collindale with fellow amateur Cameron Brown of Edwards. Both Edens and Brown (pictured together above, with Brown at left) plan to turn professional within the next year.
Edens, who will graduate from CSU with a degree in communications on Saturday, and another player with strong Fort Collins ties, local resident Matt Rutledge, punched their tickets to U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying though their performance at Tuesday’s 18-hole Local Qualifying tournament.
Rutledge, the 2013 Wyoming State Open champion, and Miles Philpy of Thornton, both professionals, shot 71s, then made birdies on the first hole of a four-man playoff to move on. Both almost hit the green in two on the par-5 first hole of sudden death, then got up and down for birdies. Rutledge, who has periodically worked in the golf shop at Collindale over the years, made a 5-foot putt, while Philpy knocked in a 2-footer.
Former Fort Collins resident Riley Arp, who prevailed in a playoff in this tournament last year, came up short in sudden death this time, making a par on the first extra hole and settling for the first-alternate spot. Ethan Castle of Centennial likewise parred the first playoff hole and ended up second alternate.
Edens (left) put together a round suited for the U.S. Open — 17 pars and a birdie — to post one of Tuesday’s two sub-par scores.
“I just kind of plodded along and took what the course gave me and I ended up with a decent score,” he said. “It’s pretty rare when I make six or seven birdies a round. I usually make three or four and a ton of pars. I hit a lot of greens, a lot of fairways.”
In other words, he plays U.S. Open golf.
Like Edens, Brown will be making his first trip to U.S. Open Sectionals. The Battle Mountain High School graduate made four birdies on Tuesday en route to his 70.
“It’s awesome, a great step, and I’m really looking forward (to Sectionals),” said the 21-year-old. “I hope to keep playing well. It’s just a great experience. I feel like the golf game now is capable of (competing at bigger events). This is definitely one of my better golf accomplishments.”
Though Collindale isn’t his home course — Fort Collins Country Club is — Rutledge (left) has enough experience at the former that it’s fair to say he had a little advantage on the field Tuesday. The 28-year-old Fort Collins High School graduate estimates he’s played Collindale 60-70 times in his life. And two years ago, he likewise advanced to U.S. Open Sectionals from a Local Qualifier at the course.
“I had a good feeling when I woke up this morning,” said Rutledge, who made two birdies and two bogeys during regulation. “I haven’t played much golf the last three weeks. That was my first 18 holes in probably a month. But I guess all the putting I did the last week out here paid off. I just sat over 5-6 footers and putted those all day.
“I came out, no expectations, and just let her rip — and it worked out.”
Philpy (left), like Rutledge a 28-year-old playing professional, is going through the U.S. Open qualifying process for the first time. And a strong ending to the day on Tuesday paid off.
On the 17th hole of regulation, the Regis University graduate almost holed out from 134 yards for eagle, settling for a 1-inch birdie. Then after leaving his tee shot behind trees on No. 18, he hit a big-slicing 4-iron that ended up just left of the green. He narrowly missed chipping in for birdie. He did what he needed to do to get into a playoff, then went driver-4-iron, chip en route to his 2-foot birdie in sudden death.
“It’s a big deal for anyone (to advance),” he said. “If you get through Sectionals, you’re in the U.S. Open. That’s a pretty cool thing. I’ll be working hard, have my head down and try to do the best I can.”
Tuesday’s tournament marked the first of three U.S. Open Local Qualifiers planned for Colorado. The 18-hole Local Qualifers at Heritage at Westmoor in Westminster and the Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado Springs have been rescheduled twice due to this week’s snowfall.
Those tournaments, originally set for Monday and then moved back to Tuesday, will now be played later this week. The one at the Broadmoor’s West Course is now scheduled for Wednesday, with play beginning at 10 a.m. The qualifier at Heritage at Westmoor has been moved to Thursday, starting at 8 a.m. Heritage at Westmoor is scheduled to host a 36-hole U.S. Women’s Open Sectional Qualifier on Wednesday.
A total of almost 230 players are involved in this week’s 18-hole U.S. Open Local Qualifiers in Colorado, with 78 having competed at Collindale, 75 set for the Broadmoor on Wednesday and 76 at Heritage at Westmoor on Thursday. Five U.S. Open Sectional berths will be up for grabs at each site at the Broadmoor and Heritage at Westmoor.
Largely because of the two Monday qualifiers being moved due to the weather, quite a few players have withdrawn from the competitions, including several participants in the NCAA Division I regional tournaments that are set to begin on Thursday.
The players who advance this week will play in one of a dozen 36-hole Sectional Qualifiers, with the 10 in the U.S. scheduled for June 2. The U.S. Open itself will be held June 12-15 at the Pinehurst Resort’s No. 2 course in North Carolina.
Worldwide, a record 10,127 golfers sent in entries for the U.S. Open this year.
U.S. Open Local Qualifying
At Par-71 Collindale GC in Fort Collins
ADVANCE TO SECTIONALS
Cameron Brown, Edwards, Colo., 37-33–70
Parker Edens, Greeley, Colo., 35-35–70
Matt Rutledge, Fort Collins, Colo., 36-35–71
Miles Philpy, Thornton, Colo., 37-34–71
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Riley Arp, Fort Collins, Colo., 35-36–71
Ethan Castle, Centennial, Colorado, 36-35–71
FAILED TO QUALIFY
Cameron Freeman, Fort Collins, Colo., 34-38–72
Behrod Keshtavar, Erie, Colo., 35-37–72
Tom Gempel, Parker, Colo., 36-36–72
Klinton Krieger, Cheyenne, Wyo., 37-35–72
Nathan Lashley, Scottsdale, Ariz., 37-35–72
Tom Whitney, Usafa, Colo., 38-35–73
Brett Wilson, Mesa, Ariz., 35-38–73
Joe Lord, Arvada, Colo., 39-34–73
Cameron Harrell, Colorado Springs, Colo., 39-35–74
Charles Soule, Denver, Colo., 39-36–75
Nick Hodge, Littleton, Colo., 38-37–75
Jordan Burgess, Windsor, Colo., 37-38–75
Brendan Connolly, Castle Rock, Colo., 37-38–75
Dillon Joslyn, Castle Rock, Colo., 39-36–75
Michael Larson, Boulder, Colo., 37-38–75
Nick Umholtz, Greeley, Colo., 37-39–76
Kale Waaso, Aurora, Colo., 38-38–76
Marc Silva, Greeley, Colo., 39-37–76
Kyler Booher, Carbondale, Colo., 41-35–76
Kyler Dunkle, Larkspur, Colo., 40-37–77
Sean Kato, Greeley, Colo., 39-38–77
John Ogden, Castle Pines North, Colo., 40-37–77
Jason Preeo, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 41-36–77
Jeff Berthiaume, Fort Collins, Colo., 39-38–77
Shane Unfred, Windsor, Colo., 38-39–77
Quintin Pope, Cheyenne, Wyo., 38-39–77
Alex Gorman, Broomfield, Colo., 38-39–77
Matthew Sullivan, Denver, Colo., 40-37–77
Andrew Moore, Henderson, Colo., 39-38–77
Colby Anderson, Rapid City, S.D., 39-38–77
Leif Olson, Golden, Colo., 40-37–77
Trey Kidd, Fort Collins, Colo., 38-39–77
Ethan Yamada, Arvada, Colo., 39-39–78
Riley O’Neill, Colorado Springs, Colo., 38-40–78
Bryan Hackenberg, Thornton, Colo., 40-38–78
Charles Santaularia, Denver, Colo., 40-38–78
Barry Erwin, Aurora, Colo., 40-38–78
Jesse Wright, Littleton, Colo., 39-40–79
Vince Buelk, Fort Collins, Colo., 40-39–79
Jon Levy, Boulder, Colo., 39-40–79
Adam Joiner, Carbondale, Colo., 39-40–79
Austin Hardman, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 41-38–79
Patrick Adams, Greeley, Colo., 40-39–79
Brad Neher, Englewood, Colo., 41-38–79
Ryan Blechle, Denver, Colo., 37-42–79
Pierce Trumper, Fort Collins, Colo., 39-40–79
Timothy Meyer, Rapid City, S.D., 40-39–79
Richard Lee, Aspen, Colo., 40-40–80
Michael Passananti, Pueblo, Colo., 41-39–80
Paul Wosachlo, Longmont, Colo., 40-40–80
Zachary Wrobel, Aurora, Colo., 41-39–80
Matthew Goddard, Fort Collins, Colorado, 40-41–81
Tyler Bricker, Fort Collins, Colo., 38-43–81
Minkyu Jeon, Lakewood, Colo., 39-42–81
Dominic Kieffer, Byron, Minn., 41-40–81
Eric Hill, Fort Collins, Colo., 43-38–81
Bobby Bindert, Cheyenne, Wyo., 39-42–81
Chase Federico, Pueblo, Colo., 43-39–82
Tyler Kahn, Castle Rock, Colo., 43-40–83
Ryan Burke, Longmont, Colo., 42-42–84
Dean Sessions, Westminster, Colo., 42-42–84
Carson Henry, Englewood, Colo., 40-44–84
Trey Lambrecht, Sterling, Colo., 42-42–84
Conrad Miller, Boulder, Colo., 42-42–84
Cole Folwell, Boulder, Colo., 45-40–85
Jeff Shepherd, Kiowa, Colo., 43-42–85
Brad Besler, Colorado Springs, Colo., 47-39–86
Matt Yeager, Morrison, Colo., 42-45–87
Cole Anderson, Colorado Springs, Colo., 42-46–88
Travis Wolf, Denver, Colo., WD
Michael Swing, Thornton, Colo., WD
Patrick Kim, Pleasanton, Calif., WD
