Wyndham Clark rightfully drew the spotlight last year when he became one of just 10 golfers in history to win two Colorado state high school boys titles. After all, the Valor Christian senior shot 64-64 and claimed the 4A championship by eight strokes.
But that same day last year, Kent Denver’s Ethan Freeman also won his second state high school title, his coming in Class 3A. But while Freeman’s achievement a year ago may have been overshadowed by Clark, that won’t be an issue if Freeman earns another state championship next week.
No one in the history of Colorado boys high school golf has ever won three individual state titles, but Freeman will have that opportunity Monday and Tuesday (Oct. 1-2) at the 3A tournament at Pinehurst Country Club in south Denver.
And Freeman (pictured) can be part of team history as well. If Kent Denver captures the team title, it will be the Sun Devils’ seventh in a row (with the first two coming in 4A), which likewise would be a Colorado state high school record. That mark is currently shared by Kent and ThunderRidge, which won six consecutive 5A titles from 2001 through 2006.
Freeman, who has verbally committed to play college golf at the University of Colorado, set himself up quite nicely for a run at individual title No. 3 by beating eight fellow high school standouts Tuesday in the CJGA Collegiate High School Invitational held in conjunction with the Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational at Colorado National Golf Club in Erie.
Actually, to say Freeman won underplays how he well he performed. He beat Pueblo South’s Jimmy Makloski, who’s had the best year of any junior golfer in the state, by 14 strokes. And, playing the same tees as the college players, Freeman finished the three-round event with a 7-under-par 209 total, which would have put him in a fifth-place tie in the college tournament.
“We’ve got state next week so I just wanted to come in here and play well,” Freeman said. “Winning is awesome too. It just gave me a lot of confidence going into next week.
“I hit it really good for three rounds and I putted it good all three rounds. I feel pretty good with where my game is at.”
For the record, Freeman shot scores of 69-69-71 at a Colorado National course that was set up at almost 7,800 yards.
Ironically, Freeman’s performance came on the heels of a high school season that hasn’t been outstanding by his high standards. For instance, in the Metro Regional state qualifier at CommonGround Golf Course, he shot a 5-over-par 76 and tied for sixth place.
“Sometimes I’ve hit it well but not putted well, and some days I’d putt well and not hit it good,” Freeman said of his play this season. “But (at Colorado National) I brought everything together, which was nice.”
Ironically, one of the players most likely to challenge Freeman for the 3A title next week is a teammate, Ben Moore, who placed fourth at state last year. Other returnees from last year’s top 10 are Aspen’s Jesse Beetham (fifth in 2011), Faith Christian’s Jack Cummings (10th) and Basalt’s Dylan Rakowski (10th).
Meanwhile, the 4A and 5A state tournaments also will be held Monday and Tuesday, with the 4A at The Links at Cobble Creek in Montrose and the 5A at The Club at Rolling Hills in Golden. Neither will feature a defending champion.
In 4A, Makloski is the favorite after having an outstanding summer. He won the CGA Junior Stroke Play, the CJGA 14-18 Junior Series Championship and the AJGA Junior at Fox Hill. And he shot a 65 at the Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs to qualify for state.
Makloski placed ninth at the state tournament last year and fifth in 2010. Five other top-10 finishers from 2011 will join him in this year’s field: Silver Creek’s Jack Adolfson and Dylan Wonnacott (second and third, respectively), Summit’s Dylan Mitchell (seventh), Evergreen’s Kyle Peterson (seventh) and Valor Christian’s Josh Seiple (ninth). Seiple qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur this year.
In Class 5A, only two top-10 finishers from state last year are back as Regis Jesuit’s Cole Cunningham and Cherry Creek’s Max Urman tied for fifth in 2011. Douglas County’s Kyler Dunkle shot a competitive course record 66 at Mariana Butte in Loveland to qualify for state.
