Friday, September 26, 2008
     GOLFWORLD HONORS CU’S GRADY: University of Colorado senior Pat Grady earned a national accolade Friday for his individual win in last week’s Ron Moore Invitational in Denver. GolfWorld magazine named Grady its male college player of the week after he won the first college tournament of his career. Grady’s 12-under-par 204 total at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club matched a two-decades-old CU scoring record for 54 holes.

     Grady led the Buffs to a 34-stroke victory, marking the largest win margin in a major tournament in program history. CU, competing in Colorado as a team in a major college tournament for the first time in eight years, also set its 54-hole scoring record with a 39-under-par total.

     The CU men also garnered some national publicity this week from Golfweek magazine. That publication, noting one CU team title and two individual championships in the first few weeks of the season, made a story about the Buffs the lead item of its weekly men’s college golf notes package.

     COACHES’ COLLEGE RANKINGS: The University of Denver women’s team, fresh off a victory in its Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate, is ranked 11th in the latest GolfWorld coaches’ women’s rankings. CU stands 29th and Colorado State 40th.

     As for the local men’s teams, Colorado State is 32nd and CU 35th. In the Division II rankings, CU-Colorado Springs is placed 24th.

     LOCAL USGA HIGHLIGHTS: The U.S. Golf Association held its national senior amateur championships for both men and women this week, and two Coloradans in each event qualified for match play.

     Steve Bell of Denver won two matches before losing in the round of 16 in Fort Worth, Texas. Larry Netherton of Highlands Ranch was ousted in round 1. At the women’s tournament in Tulsa, Okla., both Cindy Bryniarski of Durango and Kathy Malpass of Evergreen lost their first-round matches.

     GRANT MONEY FOR COMMONGROUND KIDS’ COURSE RECEIVED: The Colorado Golf Association and Colorado Women’s Golf Association this week received a $175,000 check from the USGA to go toward the construction of the kids’ short course and practice area at the associations’  CommonGround Golf Course, which will open in the spring at the site of the former Lowry Air Force Base in Aurora.

    The $175,000 grant, pledged early in the year by the USGA, represents the largest amount ever given by the USGA to a state or regional golf association.

    CommonGround’s nine-hole kids’ short course, located on the southeast part of the property, will include holes from 90 to 180 yards. The kids’ course can be played free of charge by any junior player who participates in one of the CGA/CWGA’s junior golf programs.

GARY BAINES: A Matter of Perspective

State’s College Teams
Enjoy Superb September

Front Range programs have already notched 5 team, 7 individual wins

     It’s been a September to remember for college golf teams along the Front Range in Colorado.

     And the month isn’t even over yet.

     If the first few weeks of the season is any indication, this is shaping up to be an outstanding year for Colorado-based college teams.

     With several days still remaining in September, the success that’s been enjoyed by the state’s most prominent programs has been eye-catching. Teams from the University of Colorado, Colorado State, the University of Denver, the Air Force Academy and CU-Colorado Springs have all had stellar performances in the opening weeks of the season.

      Add them all up and there’s already been five team championships and seven individual titles.

      Not bad for less than a month’s work.

      Here are the highlights:

      • The DU women, sixth-place finishers in the NCAA tournament last spring, chalked up a victory Wednesday in their own Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate in Highlands Ranch, winning by a whopping 27 strokes. DU junior Stephanie Sherlock, who placed fifth in the 2008 NCAA finals, notched the sixth individual victory of her college career.

      • The CU men have racked up a team title and three individual championships in their first three tournaments. The Buffs posted a 34-shot victory margin in the Ron Moore Invitational in Denver, breaking school records in the process. Senior Pat Grady claimed his first college win, with teammate Derek Tolan finishing second. In CU’s opener in San Francisco, Tolan won an individual college title for the first time, tying for the top spot. Then on Saturday at the Tucker Invitational in Albuquerque, Tolan shared first place again.

      • The CSU men, defending champions in the Mountain West Conference, opened the season with a team victory at Air Force’s Falcon Invitational.  Ram junior Bryce Hanstad placed first individually, with teammate Riley Arp finishing second.

      • The CU-Colorado Springs men, coming off a 12th-place showing in the NCAA Division II tournament last spring, have already won two team titles in September. Tyler Bishop and Riley Andrews, a transfer from CU-Boulder, each has an individual championship to his credit this month.

      • The CU women, who host the Heather Farr Memorial tournament Monday and Tuesday in Broomfield, placed second at CSU’s Ptarmigan Ram Fall Classic, with freshman Emily Childs the runner-up individually in her first college tournament. The Buffs are the defending team champs at the Heather Farr meet.

      • The Air Force men finished second behind CU at the Ron Moore Invitational, marking the Falcons’ best team finish since 2006.

     And, mind you, we aren‘t yet even a month into the college golf season. The CU women, DU men, CSU women, and CU-Colorado Springs men all have tournaments yet to play before September ends.

Updated Saturday, September 27, 2008

GOLF NOTES