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You might say that Zahkai Brown and Somin Lee took a “Common” route to their 2011 Player of the Year awards.
Appropriately, both golfers posted their biggest victory of the year at CommonGround Golf Course, which is owned and operated by the CGA and the CWGA, from which Brown and Lee will be receiving their awards next weekend.
Brown (pictured at left) will be the CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year after winning the CGA Stroke Play Championship at CommonGround, while Lee earned CWGA Player of the Year honors after claiming the CWGA Match Play title, also at CommonGround.
Brown and Lee will be the top players recognized on Nov. 20 when the CGA, CWGA and CJGA hold their 2011 Colorado Golf Awards Brunch at Pinehurst Country Club in south Denver. Various other player awards also will be given out, along with a few special honors. CJGA all-stars on the course and in the classroom likewise will be recognized.
Here’s a brief rundown on the Player of the Year honorees:
— CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year: The CGA Stroke Play Championship dates back to 1937, but seldom has a champion rallied from the size of deficit Brown faced going into the final round this year. The Colorado State University golfer trailed by six with 18 holes remaining, but a front-nine 30 and a 66 overall, combined with a 75 by 54-hole leader David Schroeder gave Brown a three-stroke victory.
The Arvada golfer also was medalist in U.S. Amateur qualifying, then finished 13th in the stroke play portion of the Amateur itself before losing in the first round of match play.
In addition, Brown placed third in the CGA Public Links Championship and was a semifinalist in the CGA Match Play.
— CWGA Player of the Year: After two straight years of being CWGA Junior Player of the Year, Lee graduated to the CWGA’s top player honor regardless of age. In winning the CWGA Match Play, the Denver-based golfer defeated Brooke Collins — winner of the 2011 CWGA Stroke Play — in the finals at CommonGround.
Lee (pictured at left) also was the low amateur finisher in the HealthOne Colorado Women’s Open, sharing sixth place overall. And the current Pepperdine golfer was medalist in U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links qualifying and made it to the round of 32 at the national tournament.
— CGA Mid-Amateur Player of the Year: Former CGA Player of the Year Steve Irwin earned the 25-and-older honor this time around. The former University of Colorado golfer posted top-10 finishes in the CGA Stroke Play and Mid-Amateur and was a quarterfinalist in the CGA Match Play. But by far the highlight of his year was qualifying for the U.S. Open, a tournament his father, Hale, won three times.
Qualifying for the U.S. Open — where Steve missed the cut — earned him spots in the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Mid-Amateur.
— CWGA Senior Player of the Year: See last year, and the year before. Ever since she turned 50, Kim Eaton has won this award, now making it three straight. The only difference this time around is that she won’t also be the CWGA Player of the Year.
Eaton posted a top-10 finish in the CWGA Stroke Play, but where she really made her mark was in USGA championships. She made it to the quarterfinals of the USGA Senior Women’s Amateur and to the round of 32 the next week at the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur.
In the CWGA Brassie Championship, Eaton teamed with Tami Holt to win the title by 10 shots.
— CGA Senior Player of the Year: Harry Johnson nearly made some history in late September. Just shy of his 62nd birthday, Johnson led the CGA Mid-Amateur — a tournament for players 25 and older — on the final nine holes. Alas, a 5-foot par putt that horseshoed out of the cup on the 17th hole proved the difference as he finished a stroke behind champion Keith Humerickhouse.
Johnson was also second-low amateur at the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open and made it to the quarterfinals of the CGA Senior Match Play. He earned the senior title at the CGA Western Chapter Championship.
— CWGA Junior Player of the Year: This was a breakout year for Allie Johnston of Castle Rock, who will be playing her college golf at Texas-San Antonio in 2012. Johnston dominated the CWGA Junior Stroke Play, winning by eight strokes the week after claiming an American Junior Golf Association tournament title.
Johnston also placed second individually at the prestigious Mary Cave Cup and qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Publinks and the U.S. Girls’ Junior.
— CGA Junior Player of the Year: Steven Kupcho of Greeley finished his junior career on a high note. Shortly after winning his second consecutive Colorado Junior PGA Championship, Kupcho cruised to a six-shot victory in the CGA Junior Stroke Play. In addition, the current University of Northern Colorado golfer placed seventh in the CGA Stroke Play and tied for second in the CJGA Tournament of Champions.
— CWGA Most Improved Junior Player: Taylor Buck of CommonGround Golf Course took her handicap from a 2.0 in mid-March to a plus-1.9 in mid-September to claim this CWGA honor.
