2008 CGA/CWGA AWARDS
Pat Grady, Omni Interlocken Golf Course: CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year.
Becca Huffer, Overland Park GC: CWGA Player of the Year.
Robert Polk, Colorado Golf Club: CGA Senior Player of the Year.
Kathy Malpass, Hiwan Golf Club: CWGA Senior Player of the Year.
Brendan Connolly, Country Club at Castle Pines: CGA Junior Player of the Year.
Bethany Buchner, Olde Course at Loveland: CWGA Junior Player of the Year.
Jon Lindstrom, Legacy Ridge Golf Course: CGA Mid-Amateur Player of the Year.
Amy Hodgkinson, Twin Peaks Golf Course: CWGA Most Improved Junior Player.
Clayton Cole, Cherry Hills Country Club: President’s Award for contributions to betterment of the game.
Michael Rice, Fox Hollow Golf Course: Jim Topliff On-Course Official of the Year.
Gary Baines, ColoradoGolfJournal.com: Dave Nelson Award for Excellence in Golf Journalism.
Colorado Junior Golf All-Stars: Jack Adolfson, Niwot; Andrea Ballou, Larkspur; Bethany Buchner, Loveland; Wyndham Clark, Greenwood Village; Mackenzie Cohen, Centennial; Brendan Connolly, Castle Rock; Payton DeVencenty, Aurora; Molly Dorans, Erie; Taylor Dorans, Erie; Ethan Freeman, Greenwood Village; Derek Fribbs, Castle Rock; Kayli Galluzzi, Aurora; Kacey Goodwin, Denver; Kory Harrell, Colorado Springs; David Holtgrewe, Cherry Hills Village; Jennifer Kempton, Littleton; Kristin Kempton, Littleton; Cody Kent, Castle Rock; Elizabeth Kresock, Denver; Jennifer Kupcho, Westminster; Shinwoo Lee, Aurora; Somin Lee, Denver; Andrew McCormick, Denver; Sydney Merchant, Morrison; Asher Nolting, Greenwood Village; Trevor Olkowski, Fruita; AJ Ott, Fort Collins; Adara Pauluhn, Niwot; Bryce Schroeder, Pueblo; Jake Staiano, Cherry Hills Village; Mitchell Tucker, Lone Tree; Danielle Urman, Greenwood Village; Gillian Vance, Lakewood; Elizabeth Wang, Parker; Chris Weinstein, Highlands Ranch; Mary Weinstein, Highlands Ranch; Coby Welch, Highlands Ranch; Kevin Wohlfarth, Thornton; Dylan Wonnacot, Longmont; Tyler Zhang, Lone Tree.
2008 COLORADO PGA SECTION AWARDS
Alan Abrams, Indian Tree Golf Course: Professional of the Year.
Erik Billinger, Highlands Ranch Golf Club: Player of the Year.
Jim Fiala, Hillcrest Golf Club: Warren Smith Award (lifetime achievement).
Tom Connell, Denver Country Club: Bill Strausbaugh Award (commitment to mentoring fellow PGA pros).
Former Cherry Hills head pro Clayton Cole will receive the national Strausbaugh Award in January.
Ron Vlosich, Lakewood: Senior Player of the Year.
Dan Sniffin, GolfTEC: Apprentice Player of the Year.
Steve Atherton, GolfTEC: Teacher of the Year.
Andy Hilts, GolfTEC: Horton Smith Award (developing and improving educational opportunities for PGA pros).
Tray Shehee, Ute Creek Golf Course: Junior Golf Leader.
Eric Schaupeter, Heritage Eagle Bend Golf Course: Merchandiser of the Year, Public.
David Lopez, Beaver Creek Golf Course: Merchandiser of the Year, Resort.
Rudy Zupetz, Sanctuary: Merchandiser of the Year, Private.
Kyle Heyen, Hiwan Golf Club: President’s Plaque (support of Play Golf America initiatives).
Sean Mackin, Country Club at Castle Pines: Assistant Professional of the Year.
Scott Freelove, Titleist: President’s Award (enhancing position of PGA pros and the game of golf).
Allen Walters, Colorado AvidGolfer magazine: Todd Phipers (Media) Award.
Rich Langston: Honorary Section membership.
Colorado’s Loss is Utah’s Gain
CGA’s Pagel set to become executive director of Utah Golf Association
By Gary Baines
Colorado Golf Journal, Sunday, November 23, 2008
Thomas Pagel bids adieu at Sunday’s CGA awards brunch.
What once was a painful memory has become a story that elicits a smile.
Thomas Pagel thus remembers his false start with the Colorado Golf Association.
Fresh out of Colorado State University seven years ago, Pagel had received an offer to be a graduate assistant for the CSU football team, but he also applied for a position at the CGA. He did a phone interview with executive director Ed Mate and one of his cohorts. “It was one of those deals where you get off the phone and say, ‘There’s no way I’m getting that job.’” Pagel recalled recently.
Pagel’s instincts proved correct. But less than a year later, not dissuaded by his earlier job quest with the CGA, Pagel applied to be the 2002 P.J. Boatwright USGA intern who would be assigned to the CGA. This time he interviewed in person, and he wasn’t rebuffed.
That internship started a career with the CGA that lasted nearly seven years, culminating in a stint the last two years as Mate’s assistant executive director. But Pagel’s run with the CGA will end Wednesday, his final day with the organization before he moves west to become the executive director of the Utah Golf Association.
“I’m excited; it’s a great opportunity,” the 29-year-old said. “But it’s bittersweet to leave home. I’m extremely fortunate to work in the golf business. Ed’s a great mentor, but if I want to continue (to progress in his career) I’ve got to look for opportunities elsewhere. And it’s not too far from home. And I still have resources here to help with the transition. I’m going to take a lot from what I learned here. It couldn’t work out any better.”
But Pagel, who has lived in Colorado for nearly a quarter-century, will be missed by Mate and the CGA. In recent years, Pagel has been especially valuable in overseeing tournaments. He refers to himself as a “rules geek” and he has the distinction of scoring 100 percent on a USGA Rules of Golf exam.
“He’s so ready for this opportunity” in Utah, Mate said Sunday after the CGA’s awards brunch. “It’s great because sometimes it’s easy to make the comfortable choice” by promoting someone from within the organization, “but they didn‘t do that. I take it as a real compliment to the CGA that we’re doing a lot well. Thomas has come full circle. He was a Boatwright intern and he worked his way up to this. That’s what the Boatwright internship is meant to do.”
Though Pagel originally wasn’t scheduled to begin his new job until January, he’s been recruited to pull some duty the first week of December in Utah before coming back for his family’s move. As executive director, he’ll replace Joe Watts, who held the post for 19 years.
The Utah Golf Association, which serves both men and women, includes about 30,000 members, compared to about 65,000 for the CGA and the Colorado Women’s Golf Association combined. Similarly, Utah has about half of Colorado’s number of courses (115 vs. 250).
Given the tough economy, Pagel’s first priority is to make sure the UGA doesn’t lose members. He said he’ll take some time to observe and learn how things are done in Utah, and will work to entrench himself within the Utah golf community. Pagel will also hire one staffer in short order, and evaluate where resources are allocated.
As was the case in Colorado, Pagel expects to devote a significant amount of time running tournaments. But, unlike in Colorado, Utah holds tourneys year-round, with places like St. George hosting events even during the winter.
Pagel admits the job switch “has been a whirlwind.” It was less than five months ago that he first heard the position would be open, and now he’s putting his house in Highlands Ranch up for sale and starting fresh in Sandy, Utah, where UGA headquarters is based.
“They asked me during the interview process if I saw this as a steppingstone situation,” Pagel said. “Five years ago, I would have answered completely differently. But now (with a wife and son) I see it as a position I’m going to be in quite some time.”
Meanwhile, with Pagel leaving the CGA, Mate said he’ll do a little rearranging of duties on the staff, but won’t name an assistant executive director, at least for now.
White advances in PGA Tour qualifying
Dustin White of Pueblo West, winner of the 2006 HealthOne Colorado Open, advanced to the final stage of PGA Tour qualifying on Saturday by finishing 17th in a second-stage event in Beaumont, Calif. With a 7-under-par 281 total, White tied for the last spot to earn berths in the final stage, which will be held Dec. 3-8 in La Quinta, Calif.
By advancing to La Quinta, White is guaranteed of at least Nationwide Tour status in 2009. The top 25 finishers and ties in the final stage earn their 2009 PGA Tour cards.
Another Colorado Open champion, Wil Collins of Rapid City, S.D., also earned a spot in the final stage, finishing sixth in a second-stage event in Lantana, Texas. Golden native Leif Olson previously landed a spot in the La Quinta field.
Falling short in second-stage events this past week were the following players with Colorado ties: Kane Webber (33rd in Texas), Tom Kalinowski (33rd in Texas), Esteban Toledo (47th in California), Barrett Jarosch (47th in California), and Heikke Nielsen (72nd in Texas).
Meanwhile, Castle Rock’s Gary Hallberg finished 55th in Champions Tour qualifying in Coral Springs, Fla., where the top 12 players earned at least some exempt status for 2009.
