Lifting the Curtain

Inaugural Team Colorado announced, with a who’s who of the state’s junior golf ranks included

By Gary Baines – 11/7/2024

Ten months after the USGA launched a state team pilot program that will “expand the pipeline for elite junior golfers into the recently created U.S. National Development Program”, some specifics have been filled in regarding Team Colorado, one of seven states participating in the first phase of the program.

In particular, this week the CGA announced the 16 players — eight boys and eight girls — that will make up the inaugural edition of “Team Colorado”.

Combined, just in 2024, those golfers account for three Colorado-based AJGA titles, three state high school individual championships, one CGA State Junior title, two Colorado PGA Junior Invitational championships and one Colorado Junior PGA Championship. And both CGA Junior Players of the Year are Team Colorado members.

(CGA Graphic)

The 2025 Team Colorado golfers who claimed those titles and earned those honors this year:

2024 CGA Junior Players of the Year

Miles Kuhl of Boulder

Ashleigh Wilson of Highlands Ranch

2024 State High School Individual Champions

Gavin Amella of Castle Rock (5A)

Brenna Higgins of Centennial (5A)

Tyler Long of Evergreen (3A)

2024 CGA State Junior Champion

Ashley Chang of Lone Tree

2024 Champions at Colorado-Based AJGA Events

Austin Hunt of Highlands Ranch

Miles Kuhl of Boulder

Tyler Long of Evergreen

2024 Colorado Junior PGA Champion

Landon Houska of Fort Collins

2024 Colorado PGA Junior Invitational Champions

Jesse Hand of Littleton

Sophia Lee of Columbine Valley

The complete 2025 Team Colorado — with hometown and high school graduation year — which was selected by an oversight committee, based on competitive performance in 2024 events:

Gavin Amella of Castle Rock (2026)

Hadley Ashton of Erie (2025), the 2023 CGA Girls Player of the Year

Zoe Bar-Or of Greenwood Village (2026)

Ashley Chang of Lone Tree (2026)

Charlie Doyle of Colorado (2025)

Brayden Forte of Aurora (2026)

Jesse Hand of Littleton (2025)

Brenna Higgins of Centennial (2025)

Addison Hines of Arvada (2026)

Landon Houska of Fort Collins (2026)

Austin Hunt of Highlands Ranch (2026)

Miles Kuhl of Boulder (2026)

Sophia Lee of Columbine Valley (2028)

Tyler Long of Evergreen (2025)

Isabella Scott of Castle Rock (2027)

Ashleigh Wilson of Highlands Ranch (2025)

To compete on Team Colorado, a golfer must be a U.S. citizen and Colorado resident, a CGA member, no younger than 13 (as of Jan. 1, 2025), no older than 18 (as of July 19, 2025) and not enrolled in college for the 2024-25 school year.

“We are very excited to welcome these athletes and their families to the inaugural Team Colorado,” CGA chief operating officer Ashley Harrell said in a release. “To be able to recognize the efforts and successes of young Colorado golfers is one of the many ways the CGA aspires to honor the game’s best players — and doing so in alignment with the USGA is even more impactful.”

Starting next year, members of Team Colorado will receive benefits including access to complimentary coaching and mentorship, apparel and gear, invitations to state camps at elite facilities, statistical tracking software access, and competitive opportunities — at no cost to the golfer.

The Team Colorado oversight committee includes Ed Mate, Harrell and Cayla Regnery from the CGA, Samantha Crawford from the Colorado PGA, and at-large members Mark Crabtree, Chris Nordling, Steve Ivan and Roger Prenzlow.

The USGA’s state team program focuses on creating pathways for junior golfers from each state to compete at higher levels of the game. At the highest level, that includes possible opportunities to represent the country as a member of the U.S. National Development Program’s national team, led by coach Chris Zambri.

The goal is to have all states feature teams by 2033. Joining Colorado in the pilot program are Southern California, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Ohio and Tennessee.

For more information about the Team Colorado program, CLICK HERE.