Ram Saturday

CSU’s Davis Bryant rallies to win Southwestern Amateur on same day teammate Connor Jones claims CGA Match Play title

By Gary Baines – 6/18/2022

On Saturday afternoon, within about an hour of each other — but separated by almost 800 miles — two Colorado State University golf teammates scored very notable victories. 

Connor Jones of Westminster claimed the title in the 122nd CGA Match Play at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. And former CGA Player of the Year Davis Bryant of Aurora did his bit by winning the Southwestern Amateur in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Bryant overcame a three-stroke deficit going into Saturday’s final round to prevail by two in the 68-player men’s field at the SWA.

Among those Bryant joins as Southwestern champions are Craig Stadler (1975), Jay Haas (1976), Mark O’Meara (1980), Corey Pain (1981), Tom Pernice (1982), Jim Carter (1983 and ’84), Ted Purdy (1993), Ryan Palmer (1999) and Nick Watney (2002). Also winning the event was then-University of Colorado golfer Scott Petersen in 1992.

“Being able to put my name on the Southwestern Amateur trophy with some of the past champions …,” Bryant said by text on Saturday. “I would rank this up there as one of my best wins yet. I am so happy to get the summer off to a great start. Winning on the same day as Connor is so awesome. We have both been playing well the last couple months and so proud we got it done today!”

Jones will second that.

“That’s very cool,” he said of the dual Ram victories. “Congrats to Davis. He’s been playing good. We have some players and if we put it all together we can be a good team.”

Bryant posted rounds of 71-63-70-68 for a 12-under-par total and a two-stroke victory over Arizona State golfer Gabriel Salvanera. On Saturday, Bryant carded six birdies and three bogeys.

For all the results from the Southwestern Amateur, CLICK HERE.

About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. He was voted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2021. Email: ColoradoGolfJournal@mac.com)