Sophs Connolly, Lee Win Tourney of Champs
Castle Rock golfers go 1-2 in CJGA boys competition
By Gary Baines
Colorado Golf Journal, Sunday, October 19, 2008
BROOMFIELD -- This is becoming a pleasant habit for junior golfers from Castle Rock.
Players from the town have finished 1-2 in three of the biggest tournaments of the year for Colorado junior golfers.
After previously pulling off the feat in U.S. Junior Amateur qualifying and in the recent Class 5A state high school tournament, Castle Rock golfers did it again on Sunday at the Colorado Junior Golf Association’s Tournament of Champions.
This time, Brendan Connolly and Derek Fribbs from Castle Rock tied for first place, with Connolly prevailing in a one-hole playoff to claim the title at the Omni Interlocken Golf Club.
“This (win) definitely ranks up there,” Connolly said. “Some of the best players in Colorado were here.”
Fribbs, who won the Class 5A state high school title earlier this month, hit a perfect 386-yard drive on the par-5 playoff hole. But he pulled his 154-yard approach shot into the water and missed a 7-foot par putt. Connolly, meanwhile, made a par after hitting his second shot into the sand left of the green.
“My shot was pretty awful,” said Fribbs, who has committed to play college golf at the University of Colorado. “All my misses all day had been to the right until that one.”
Connolly, 15, was part of a high school sophomore sweep in the Tournament of Champions, which pits the winners of 2008 CJGA tournaments and national qualifiers. Somin Lee of Denver captured the girls title by one stroke over Bryce Schroeder, a freshman from Pueblo. After a nice sand shot on the final hole, Schroeder missed a 3-foot birdie putt that would have forced a playoff.
“I was so nervous there,” said Lee, who attends Overland High School. “Bryce had a chance to make birdie and I got a little scared, but it was fun.”
Lee, winner of five junior tournaments this year, including the Girls State Match Play, chalked up arguably her biggest victory by shooting a 4-over-par 76 Sunday for a 5-over 149 total. Lee didn’t take the lead for good until Schroeder bogeyed the 16th hole while Lee made par.
In the boys competition, Connolly shot an even-par 72 Sunday for a 3-under 141 total. Fribbs managed a 71 Sunday to match Connolly’s 36-hole tally. Another Castle Rock golfer, Cody Kent, who finished second to Fribbs in the 5A high school tourney, didn’t show
Brendan Connolly defeated Derek Fribbs in a playoff to claim the boys Tournament of Champions trophy.
Somin Lee of Denver held on for a one-shot win in the girls competition.
up for the second round after shooting a 70 on Saturday. Fribbs and Kent led Douglas County to the 5A high school team title two weeks ago.
On Sunday, John Ahern of Morrison and Nick Umholtz of Greeley tied for third place at 143.
Connolly, who attends Rock Canyon High School in Highlands Ranch, led the 2007 CJGA Tournament of Champions after the first round before faltering on Day 2. This time, he didn’t let down. He drove the par-4 sixth hole and made a 35-foot putt for eagle, and also carded three birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey.
Not bad for a guy who had never played the Omni course before Saturday.
“This is my last tournament of the year, and I wanted to have fun and see what happened,” said Connolly, a qualifier for the U.S. Junior Amateur this year. “I didn’t want to put extra pressure on myself.”
Connolly and Lee will have their names added to a list of Tournament of Champions winners that includes many outstanding junior and college players from years past. On the girls side, winners have included Becca Huffer, Ashley Tait, Dawn Shockley, Kelly Jacques and Lynette Duran. For the boys, Tom Glissmeyer and Jim Grady are among the former champs.
CJGA Tournament of Champions
Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008, Final Results
At Par-72 Omni Interlocken GC in Broomfield
BOYS
Brendan Connolly, Castle Rock 69-72--141
Derek Fribbs, Castle Rock 70-71--141
John Ahern, Morrison 71-72--143
Nick Umholtz, Greeley 71-72--143
David Holtgrewe, Englewood 73-71--144
Parker Edens, Greeley 69-75--144
David Oraee, Greeley 71-78--149
Michael Reitz, Denver 76-73--149
Brenden Beeg, Littleton 75-76--151
Calan Hoppe, Grand Junction 78-74--152
Jonathan Park, Denver 73-79--152
Joseph Schwark, Broomfield 74-80--154
Kenneth Forward, Superior 75-79--154
Ryan Hooks, Evergreen 75-84--159
Kevin Kershisnik, Highlands Ranch 79-86--165
Sam Schweitzer, Greenwood Village 79-88--167
Cody Kent, Castle Rock 70-WD
GIRLS
Somin Lee, Denver 73-76--149
Bryce Emily Schroeder, Pueblo 73-77--150
Katy Dyachkova, Centennial 79-78--157
Allie Johnston, Castle Rock 81-77--158
Sarah Moore, Greenwood Village 82-78--160
Andrea Hibbert, Golden 76-88--164
Claudia Davis, Centennial 79-88--167
Loren Forney, Rifle 81-89--170
Shinwoo Lee, Aurora 85-87--172
Molly Dorans, Erie 86-88--174
Seungha Choi, Aurora 87-87--174
Dana Zamprelli, Castle Rock 84-92--176
GOLF NOTES
Monday, October 20, 2008
DU’S KOFSTAD 53RD IN WORLD AMATEUR: University of Denver junior Espen Kofstad finished 53rd Sunday in the World Amateur Team Championships in Australia. Kofstad, competing for his native Norway, shot rounds of 78-74-74-72 for an 8-over-par 298 total. He was among the top 30 percent of competitors in the 192-man field.
Kofstad’s Norway team placed 17th in the 65-team competition. Scotland won the tournament, while the U.S. placed second. American Rickie Fowler claimed the individual title at 10 under par.
EX-RAM LAIRD ON THE BUBBLE: Former Colorado State golfer Martin Laird, a rookie on the PGA Tour, fell out of the top 125 on the 2008 Tour money list with his 47th-place finish in the Justin Timberlake tournament in Las Vegas on Sunday.
Laird, currently 128th in the money standings, is looking to finish in the top 125 as of Nov. 9 in order to remain fully exempt for 2009. There are three official Tour events left in the 2008 season: the Frys.com Open Oct. 23-26, the Ginn sur Mer Classic Oct. 30-Nov. 2, and the Children’s Miracle Network Classic Nov. 6-9.
TOUR QUALIFYING BEGINS: Nine players with strong Colorado ties are entered in the first stage of PGA Tour qualifying that starts Tuesday (Oct. 21) and runs through Friday at six sites around the country. Five more first-stage tournaments will be held next week.
Among the players competing this week who have roots in Colorado are Tom Glissmeyer, Tom Kalinowski, Ben Portie, Matt Zions, Travis Williams, Andy Connell, Charlie Soule, Mike Troyer and Tony Aguilar.
Players who advance will compete in the second stage, Nov. 12-15 and Nov. 19-22 at six sites. The third and final stage will be held Dec. 3-8.
CSU RECORDS SET, MATCHED: Last week was a memorable one for the Colorado State golf teams, both on an individual and team level. The CSU men won their third tournament of the fall and set their 54-hole scoring record (41 under par) at the Del Walker Intercollegiate in Long Beach, Calif. Individually, freshman Zahkai Brown of Arvada, the 2007 5A Colorado high school champion, notched his first college win after matching the best single round in CSU history, shooting a 63 in Round 2.
Earlier in the week, junior Kasey Claussen similarly tied the best single round in CSU women’s golf history, shooting a 5-under-par 67 on the final day of the Give ‘Em Five Invitational in Las Cruces, N.M. Claussen posted her best college finish, a runner-up showing.
