(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

PUEBLO WEST — As Falcon’s Reese Knox walked off the ninth green at Desert Hawk golf course, he looked to his dad and complained about his putting.

So on the back nine, he decided to hole shots out rather than putt them. In a two-hole span he hit one fairway, one green in regulation and just a single putt while shaving three strokes of his score. By the time he got to the clubhouse he had carded a 3-under-par 69 to claim the Class 4A Region 1 title.

A big piece of that round came as he chipped in for eagle at the par-5 12th and holed out from a greenside bunker on 13. That stretched helped him fall back to around even where Coronado’s Noah Keller lingered most of the day.

Reese Knox. Bucket. That’s the big bird with the claws. ##copreps pic.twitter.com/5WmE9G113t

— Daniel Mohrmann (@DanMohrmann) September 21, 2020

“On the front I was lipping (putts) out a bit,” Knox said. “By the time I got to the back I just decided I was going to play golf and not worry about the score. I started playing and just fell into the moment. I started chipping in and getting some lucky breaks.”

His approach shot from the rough on No. 2 landed inches from the hole for his first birdie of the day, but his ensuing tee shot was out of bounds resulting in a double-bogey. He bogeyed No. 4 before making a birdie on the par-3 fifth and eventually made the turn at 1-over. He played the first six holes on the back at 4-under with a par and a bogey before coasting to three pars in the final three holes.

Pueblo West held off Falcon by three strokes to claim the team regional championship. The Cyclones got solid performances from Toby Sailnas and Noah Wagner at last year’s 4A tournament at the Bridges. They’ll head to the Country Club of Colorado looking to make another run at a state title and coach Dan Sanchez thinks the experience from last year is key.

“In all high school sports, if you’ve been in those pressure situations and you’ve felt the struggle, to me that’s what it’s all about,” Sanchez said.

It was announced last week that the 4A state tournament was moving to the Country Club of Colorado but for several players from all around the state, there is a feeling of excitement when it comes to qualifying for the tournament and getting a chance to play a new venue with new players to compete with.

“Today was fun, I had never really met these guys,” Durango junior Levi Tichi said. “I had played (Eisenhower) once or twice, it was my freshman year regional course. I was happy to hear about the change to the Country Club of Colorado because I’ve been struggling with putting all year.”

Not that the greens at CC of C are a cakewalk, but Eisenhower has proven to be one of the toughest putting courses in all of the front range. Regardless of the venue, the qualifiers from the Desert Hawk regional will get back to work on Tuesday with an eye on competing at state.

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

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Regionals elsewhere:

St. Mary’s claims team title at 3A Region 2

With two players finishing in the top three, St. Mary’s came away with a regional team title at Murphy Creek. Kent Denver’s Jeffrey Zhou shot 73 to claim medalist honors.

Sterling and Eaton send teams to Dos Rios

Sterling and Eaton each grabbed a pair of top 10 finishers at 3A Region 3 at Boomerang Golf Links. The Tigers won the team title as senior Trey Kuntz finished second overall with a 73. Strasburg’s Jacob Gilbert won the individual title.

Ford tames Country Club of Colorado

Discovery Canyon’s Kaden Ford was laughing the last time he played the Country Club of Colorado, calling it the “worst ball-striking day of my life.”

The result was much better at regionals. Ford claimed the individual championship at the Country Club of Colorado. Cheyenne Mountain won the team title as Ponderosa took second.

Rock Canyon’s team finishes under par at Raccoon Creek

Nick Fallin led the way with a 65 as Rock Canyon grabbed the individual and team regional titles at Raccoon Creek. Overall, five players shot under par at the tournament.

Ralston Valley’s Gage Messingham led Ralston Valley with a 67 and the Mustangs finished second to get their team to state.

Fossil Ridge edges Pine Creek at Hyland Hills

Lengend’s Ryan Parker claimed the 5A Northern regional title at Hyland Hills with a 71. Pine Creek’s Wesley Erling matched him, but ultimately finished second.

Fossil Ridge claimed the team title by beating out Pine Creek by just two strokes.

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

The Class 4A boys golf state championship is moving to the Country Club of Colorado, associate commissioner Tom Robinson announced on Friday.

The event was slated to be held at Eisenhower Golf Course, however circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic forced the move.

“We are thankful to the Air Force Academy, Eisenhower Golf Course, and the fact that they were willing to work with us, and have in the past. However a move is necessary at this time,” said Robinson, who administers golf. “We look forward to having a state championship event there in the future.”

The boys golf state championships will be held Oct. 5-6. Regionals are next week

Ralston Valley’s boys golf team captured the Class 5A Jeffco League title Monday at West Woods Golf Club in Arvada. The Mustangs will host the Western Regional on Monday, Sept. 21, at Raccoon Creek Golf Course in Littleton. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

ARVADA — The final Jeffco League boys golf tournament of the season had a very different feel than normal Monday afternoon at West Woods Golf Club in Arvada.

There was no final gathering of Class 5A and 4A Jeffco teams to hand out individual all-conference awards and league team titles due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, golfers were able to successfully finish off the final Jeffco League tournament of the season.

“I’m very pleased with how it turned out,” Ralston Valley boys golf coach Jeff Wasinger said. “There is a little letdown at the end of the tournament, even today. You finish your round, turn in your scorecard electrically and then go home. But we were allowed to play and actually had a season.”

Ralston Valley junior Gage Messingham hits his approach shot on No. 1 Monday morning at West Woods GC. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Ralston Valley wrapped up the 5A Jeffco League team title with the strong team of seniors Jack Larson, Trey Kirschner, junior Gage Messingham, along with sophomores Jordan McCaslin and Logan Forister. Messingham clinched the overall individual medalist title with a 4-under-par, 68.

Messingham edged Lakewood senior Ryan Liao by two strokes over the five league tournaments.

“It means a lot,” Messingham said of the Mustangs winning the league title. “Last year we couldn’t do it, but this year our team played really well throughout the season and pulled it off.”

The Mustangs were able to hold off Lakewood thanks to Messingham and Kirschner both finishing in a three-way tie for second with round of 68. Liao also shot a 68. Larson fired an even-par, 72 to finished tied for sixth.

“It’s a feel good thing. We set that out as a goal,” Wasinger said of Ralston Valley winning the league team title. “We knew we had a good team and it was kind of building over the years.”

The 5A Jeffco League proved to be one of the strongest conferences in the state. In fact, a round in the 60s was shot during each of the five league tournaments. Arvada West senior Tyler Tyson, Columbine senior Drex Duffy, Lakewood junior Max Lange, Liao Messingham, Larson and Kirschner were the seven individuals who all had at least one round in the 60s this season during league play.

“They are opening peoples’ eyes,” Wasinger said of the play of the top 5A Jeffco players this Fall. “Jeffco golf really has some powerful teams and impressive players. Going into regionals there is no reason to fear anybody.”

Ralston Valley will host the 5A Western Regional on Monday, Sept. 21, at Raccoon Creek Golf Course in Littleton.

“Of course we have to focus on regionals and qualifying as a team,” Messingham said. “Hopefully we win state. It is at a course we all know. Hopefully we can pull it off.”

The 5A state tournament will be Oct. 5 and 6 at The Club in Rolling Hills in Golden.

Lange — last year’s 5A Jeffco individual medalist — won the final league tournament with a 5-under-par, 67 at West Woods. The Lakewood junior will enter the 5A Central Regionals at Overland Golf Course on Wednesday, Sept. 23, coming off back-to-back tournament wins with rounds of 68 and 67 to close out league play.

“I didn’t have the greatest league season,” admitted Lange, who shot a 75 and 77 in his first two league tournaments. “I wish I would have shot 10-under today, but I’m not too disappointed with 5-under.”

Lange is excited about the location of the 5A state tournament in three weeks.

Lakewood junior Max Lange head to regionals next week after back-to-back rounds in the 60s to close out conference play. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

“I’m going to try to finish (regionals and state) how I finished my league season,” Lange said. “State will be at my home course at Rolling Hills. I play there every day.”

Liao — 5A Jeffco individual medalist as a freshman and sophomore — finished just behind Messingham for the title this season. The Lakewood senior has had back-to-back Top-4 finishes at the state tournament that past two years.

With Liao’s history, he is very capable of contending with a number of other strong Jeffco players at state coming up the first week of October.

“I was actually honestly expecting this low of golf scores last year,” Liao said of Jeffco. “Everyone had the talent last year. No one was really playing that well. Now this year everyone is playing to what they are supposed to and it’s looking good.”

Liao is one of the longest hitting players in the state and he has some wishes for the setup at Rolling Hills in a few weeks.

“I hope they play it longer to make it a little tougher,” Liao said. “I know the greens will be tough. Overall it’s a great course.”

On the 4A Jeffco side, Evergreen captured the team title. Senior Jack Mitchell led the Cougars winning the final 4A Jeffco League tournament with a 2-over-par, 74.

Green Mountain senior Oliver Gibbons is this year’s 4A Jeffco League individual champion. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Green Mountain senior Oliver Gibbons just edged Conifer senior Dakota Dolph for the overall individual medalist title by a single stroke over the five tournaments. Gibbons shot a 76 and Dolph had a 77 on Monday at West Woods. Gibbons and Dolph entered the final conference tournament with identical 9-hole averages of 37.83 strokes.

No matter what happens at regionals and state. Jeffco can say it completed a success conference season that might have looked a bit different.

“We’ve got to be grateful that CHSAA gave this opportunity to us and we’ve had to adhere to the safety protocols that have been set. We didn’t want to mess it up,” Wasinger said. “CHSAA gave us a gift and we took it as a privilege.”

Lakewood and Evergreen navigated West Woods and claimed wins at Monday’s Jeffco League boys golf tournament at West Woods.

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

PUEBLO — At first glance the Manitou Mustang Invite looked like any other boys golf tournament for St. Mary’s senior Luke Calvin. He navigated his way around the course fairly efficiently.

He hit good shots and he hit some bad shots. Such is golf.

But inside, he was going through an emotional battle. When he stepped on the the tee box for the first shot of the tournament, it was his first competition since his mother passed away from her battle with cancer.

He and the other competitors in the field pinned green and white ribbons to their hats during the round. The other teams in the field might have been battling against the Pirates, but they were more than happy to stand with a colleague and show support.

“It keeps things in perspective,” Primero’s Lance Peters said. “There’s no way to know how he feels and it has to be tough to do that.”

In some ways, it’s admirable that Calvin chose to play. There would have been no shame for him to sit out and gather himself before coming back to the team and helping the Pirates make a run at the Tri-Peaks League championship.

But Calvin loves golf. And his mother knew it. While his decision was admittedly tough, he nas no doubt he made right one.

“I know my mom would’ve wanted me to play,” he said. “So I toughed it out and got out here today.”

He didn’t just tough it out. He put together a top three finish. He shot a nine-over-par 79 to finish third and as just one of three players in the field to stay under 80. Peters got the tournament win with a 76 and Calvin’s teammate Peter Stinar shot a 78.

The best part of Calvin’s game was navigating the slippery greens at the Pueblo Country Club. While many players were left confused or frustrated, Calvin had this tendency to put the ball in the cup or at least keep it within gimme range.

“My chipping and putting wasn’t so bad,” Calvin said. “I’m pretty sure my mom willed in a few putts for me to make sure I broke 80.”

The Pirates claimed the team championship at the event thanks to Stinar and Calvin staying under 80 and RJ Davis shooting 81.

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

But more than his team getting a win, Calvin will remember seeing opposing players and opposing coaches pin a ribbon onto their hats and know that it was a sign of support directed at him.

“It was huge,” Calvin said. “It had me in tears this morning to see the support from everybody. Everybody that loved my mom and everybody in this community that just through golf that has always supported me. And it’s huge to see it from people who didn’t know my mom and just wanted to support me.”

As Peter alluded to, it’s also something that has helped Calvin and everyone play with a different perspective than before. The goal is always to go out, compete and hopefully win. But during Monday’s round they appreciated the opportunity to be able to do so and made sure to savor every minute.

“I definitely wanted to come out and play well because everybody was supporting me,” Calvin said. “I didn’t want to let anybody down, which I know I wouldn’t have, but I wanted to show everybody a good round.”

And that’s what he did through the course of an emotional day. He smiled when he needed to, he maintained his focus and he always kept his mother on his mind. And in some key moments on some tricky greens, his putts willed their way into the hole.

Such is golf.

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

The frosty weather hasn’t presented the ideal conditions for the current fall athletes, but things cleared up just enough for the Moffat County Bulldog Invite boys golf tournament to be played at the Yampa Valley Golf Course.

Steamboat Springs’ Jeremy Nolting worked his way around the course well enough to take medalist honors by shooting a 7-over-par 79. The Sailors had three players finish in the top eight allowing them to take the team title as well.

While Nolting didn’t make a birdie through his round, he did a fantastic job keeping himself out of trouble and not letting a hole get out of his grasp. He started the day with a bogey on No. 1 then followed it up with a double-bogey on No. 2.

Then he calmed down.

He made four straight pars before making bogey on the par-3 seventh to make the turn at 4-over. He made three bogeys on the back but that was the full extent of the damage. It turned out that managing the back nine was all he needed to do in order to come away with the win.

Battle Mountain’s Cal Hill, a 2019 Class 4A state tournament qualifier, finished second with an 81. His lone birdie on the day came on the par-3 11th hole. Hill made the turn tied with Nolting at 4-over and briefly held the lead after the birdie on 11.

He got tripped up with a triple-bogey on 12 and then bogeys on 13 and 14 before playing the rest of the back nine even.

MOffat County’s Dave Andujo shot 84 to take third. Lance Fullenwider was Coal Ridge’s top finisher with an 87 and Peter Hanks shot 91 for Meeker’s best score.

ARVADA — Friday at Indian Tree Golf Course was moving day of sorts for Class 5A and 4A Jeffco League boys golfers.

In the fourth of six scheduled Jeffco League tournaments, golfers made moves to position themselves for the final stretch that will determine individual and team titles.

Lakewood junior Max Lange, defending 5A Jeffco individual medalist, got himself in the mix to repeat as the conference champion. Lange shot the best round of the day with a 2-under-par, 68. The junior moved into seventh place for the individual medalist title.

Ralston Valley junior Gage Messingham and Lakewood senior Ryan Liao are leading the pack with Arvada West senior Tyler Tyson currently in third place. Ralston Valley senior Jack Larson, Columbine senior Drex Duffy and Ralston Valley senior Trey Kirschner are also still in the mix for the conference title. The top six golfers in 5A are separated by just 1-stroke when it comes to their 9-hole average.

Ralston Valley does have a sizable 47-shot lead in the team standings over second-place Lakewood.

In 4A, Conifer senior Dakota Dolph and Littleton junior Emmett Loomis tied for the individual title at Indian Tree. Both shot 5-over-par rounds of 75. Dolph and Green Mountain senior Oliver Gibbons are title atop of overall individual standings with a 9-hole average of 37.83.

The team race for the league title is just as tight. Evergreen and Green Mountain are tied with 1,310 total shots through the first four league tournaments.

The final two Jeffco League tournaments are scheduled for the Broadlands (Wednesday, Sept. 9) and West Woods Golf Course (Monday, Sept. 14). However, the possible winter storm that is forecasting from 5 to 8 inches of snow in the Denver Metro Area on Tuesday could cancel the tournament at Broadlands. If that becomes the case the individual and team titles will be decided at West Woods on Sept. 14.

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

For the second Thursday in a row, several Colorado high school boys golfers managed to get to their respective clubhouses after playing rounds under par.

Brighton’s Kyle Leydon had the best day of any of them as he helped Brighton claim the EMAC North tournament at Thorncreek. His 6-under-par 66 was the best round of the day throughout the entire state.

He made quick work of the front 9, getting out in just 30 shots thanks in big part to a 5-hole birdie streak starting on the par-5 third hole. His momentum cooled after the turn as he match his three birdies on the back 9 with three bogeys. Nonetheless, his 66 was 17 shots better than Prairie View’s Keagan Bond who finished second.

Pine Creek sophomore Wesley Erling took advantage of his him course and putted well despite the greens being recently aerated. He made back-to-back bogeys on No. 2 and No. 3 before getting both those strokes back with an eagle and the par-5 fourth.

Erling putted well at Pine Creek GC but also hit the occasional bomb #copreps pic.twitter.com/eyuJeJ2JXh

— Daniel Mohrmann (@DanMohrmann) September 3, 2020

He was comfortably at 4-under on the back but made bogey on three of his final four holes to win the Pine Creek Invite with a 71.

Windsor’s Brentyn Paiz had an adventurous route to his 71. He made a bogey on his second hole (No. 12) at Pelican Lakes but quickly moved under par with an eagle on 15. He made bogeys on 3 and 9 but still got through the stretch at even par thanks a birdie on No. 5.

He was even heading into 10, his 18th hole of the day, but finished his round off with a birdie to become the only player at the tournament to shoot a red number.

Oliver Gibbons shot 4-over-par 76 to grab a top-five finish at the Green Mountain boys golf Invitational on Monday.

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

COLORADO SPRINGS — Greg Lewis was at worst in a ho-hum mood as he strode up the 18th during the Cheyenne Mountain Invite on Monday.

For much of the day, the Lewis-Palmer junior had been at or under par. With the wind whipping on the 17th tee box his shot was perfect in terms of distance, but well off in terms of line. By the time he cleared the green he had made a double-bogey. He would bogey 18 to shoot a 3-over-par 74 which was still good enough to get the win.

Putting the ball in the water, while unfortunate, wasn’t a day killer. And really, he wasn’t even that mad about the shot.

“The distance was right on,” Lewis said as he strode to his ball just left of the 18 fairway. “I just pushed it a little right. Live and learn, I guess.”

Live and learn is something he tries to live by on the golf course. And that lesson reared its ugly head on the final day of the Class 4A boys golf state tournament last year. In hindsight, no one was going to beat Montrose’s Micah Stangebye on his home course. But the race for second turned out to be an exciting one. And Lewis was right there.

On his approach to the 18th green his ball found nothing but water. So he hit another one and that too splashed short of the green.

He took an eight on the final. Double-bogey would’ve tied him for second meaning bogey or better and he would’ve ended the week in solo second.

Live and learn, he guesses.

“That moment is not only one that I haven’t gotten over, but it’s one that I learned from and I’m really trying to learn from,” Lewis said. “That was a heartbreaking moment. I had a really good string and I was making a run. Then something like that happens and it stinks. But I live and learn from those incidents.”

Lewis-Palmer’s @GregLewisGolf just needed to get on the green to put himself in position to lock up a win. He does, but 3-putts for bogey. This isn’t over yet. #copreps pic.twitter.com/2Xvq3eXogV

— Daniel Mohrmann (@DanMohrmann) August 31, 2020

More than that, he uses those incidents to fuel his drive to win. He stumbled for a minute at the Doherty Spartan Invite and finished 12th but turned things around last week when he got his first win of the season at the Liberty Lancer Invite at King’s Deer. His win Monday at the Country Club of Colorado makes it two in his last two events.

This is the golf he wants and expects to play on a regular basis. Stangebye is gone from Montrose and a talented crop of 4A golfers return. Discovery Canyon’s Kaden Ford, Northfield’s Hunter Swanson and Pueblo West’s Noah Wagner all finished in the top 10 last year with Lewis and all are hoping to better their position.

But in his mind, Lewis has a bit of an edge. He knows how it feels to be in the mix and get tripped up. And the more he thinks about it, the more he’s pushing himself to succeed because of how that experience at the Bridges ended for him.

“That moment humbled me,” Lewis said. “I know I can be better that. That’s my drive that I take into every tournament. I want to be a better me and a better golfer.”

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)