So far, Colorado’s top junior golfers apparently are really enjoying the home cooking this week.
With two rounds complete and just one left at the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior by Transamerica — arguably the top junior tournament that will be held in Colorado in 2017 — in-state players stand first and second on both the boys and girls leaderboards at Walnut Creek Golf Preserve in Westminster.
On the boys side, two NCAA Division I-bound Coloradans — Griffin Barela of Lakewood (University of Wisconsin) and Trevor Olkowski of Grand Junction (University of Colorado) are in the top two spots. Barela leads by one at 7-under-par 137 after a second-round 70 on Wednesday, while Olkowski fired a tournament-best 65 to vault into second place at 138, good for a tie with William Paysse of Temple, Texas.
“It’s awesome” to have a chance to win a second AJGA title in just over two months, said Barela (pictured), who won a tournament in early April in California. “It just shows the hard work I’ve put in these last couple of years — especially this last offseason — is paying off. Hopefully I can play another solid round tomorrow and win it.
“As a Colorado player, I would love to win this AJGA in my home state. It would be an honor to win this tournament.”
Barela, the reigning Colorado Junior Match Play champion, made four birdies in Wednesday’s round, giving him 11 in two days.
In the 24-player girls tournament, the only golfers at or better than par are two 15-year-old Coloradans: Charlotte Hillary (left) of Cherry Hills Village and girls 3A state high school champion Hailey Schalk of Erie.
Hillary, girls winner of the JGAC Tour Championship last fall (Olkowski won the boys title in that event), has shot her first two sub-par tournaments rounds of the year (69-70) to open a four-stroke lead going into Thursday’s final round. The Kent Denver student has racked up eight birdies so far.
“My putting lately has not been working. All of a sudden I come here and I just feel so confident,” said Hillary, who placed second to Schalk in the 3A state high school tournament last month. “Today I actually did not feel as comfortable with my putting. I had a three-putt on 10 that rattled me a bit, so that made me lose confidence. But I got it back. That’s been the difference between this week (and previously) this year.
“I haven’t shot under par this whole year (in a tournament), so to do it twice in a row … The putter has got to be working, right?”
Schalk, who like Hillary just completed her freshman season of high school (in Schalk’s case at Holy Family), bogeyed two of her last four holes on Wednesday to post a 73, good for a 143 total.
“I’ll play more aggressive tomorrow, probably, and just play the best that I can,” Schalk said of her final-round plan. “I think it’s a really big opportunity. I think if I can finish in the top five that would be awesome for me.”
Behind the two Coloradans, sharing third place at 145 are Jacqueline Ha of San Ramon, Calif., and Canadian Savannah Grewal.
In the boys tournament, Olkowski, runner-up in this event last year at Highlands Ranch Golf Club, has played his last 22 holes in a remarkable 11 under par and has gone bogey-free for his last 24 holes. He had a poor stretch in the middle of Tuesday’s round — 6 over par in five holes — but other than that the 18-year-old has been outstanding.
“I had the rough stretch yesterday. That really was a setback,” said Olkowski (left). “But I’m happy with the way I’m hitting the ball.
“Today was one of the better scoring rounds I’ve had. I was really consistent and hit a lot of greens (17) and I made the putts I needed to. It was a fun round. This is exactly where I wanted to be. Today I just had to regroup and put myself in position to contend tomorrow, and that’s exactly what I did.”
Two other Coloradans, 3A state high school champion Oliver Jack of Denver and Glen-Michael Mihavetz of Montrose, are also in the top five, sharing fourth place at 141.
Barela has enjoyed considerable success at this course over the last year. Late last June, he qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur at what is now Walnut Creek, posting rounds of 72-69.
“I think this course suits me,” he said. “I played really well here at the U.S. Junior qualifier last year. Just the fact that this is a second-shot golf course, and my iron game is probarly the best part of my game, that sets up well for me. And I’m playing well right now, so that’s a good combination.”
Olkowski also qualified at Walnut Creek for last year’s U.S. Junior Amateur.
No Coloradan has won a title — boys or girls — at the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior by Transamerica in the previous two years of the tournament.
The leading girls will tee off for Thursday’s final round at 11:20 a.m., with the boys going at 12:10 p.m. PAIRINGS
For scores from the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior by Transamerica, CLICK HERE.
