The Makloski Express keeps on rolling through Colorado golf’s junior ranks.
Since the second week of October last year, Jimmy Makloski of Pueblo Country Club has certainly been the guy to beat in significant junior championships in Colorado.
After winning the CJGA Tournament of Champions in the fall, and the CGA Junior Stroke Play Championship in June, the 17-year-old collected more hardware on Tuesday when he captured the boys division title in the CJGA 14-18 Junior Series Championship.
The senior-to-be at Pueblo’s South High School shot a 3-under-par 68 on Tuesday — the lowest round of the tournament — and cruised to a six-stroke victory at The Ranch Country Club in Westminster.
“At the big tournaments where there’s good competition, I’ve played some of my best golf,” said Makloski (pictured above). “It’s a good time to do it, I guess.”
Meanwhile, 15-year-old Jennifer Kupcho (pictured at left) of Westminster carded the best round of the girls competition — by five shots — to rally for the title. Kupcho came into the day two strokes out of the lead, but a 3-under-par 69 turned things around in a hurry.
“I’m excited,” said the Jefferson Academy sophomore-to-be, “It was tough, but I did it.”
In the boys tournament, Makloski made six birdies Tuesday in posting his second straight sub-par round. His 4-under-par 138 total was a half-dozen shots better than runner-up Jack Adolfson of The Fox Hill Club, who closed with a 70 on Tuesday.
Colin Prater of the Broadmoor Golf Club carded a 74 Tuesday for a 145 total, good for third place.
“Under par on this course is pretty good,” said Makloski (pictured at left), who finished 34th in the Callaway Junior World Golf Championships earlier this summer. “Those greens are awfully quick.
“Yesterday I didn’t hit it so great, but I always left it under the hole, so I made quite a few putts. Today I hit it a little better and made a bunch of good putts again (including an 8-footer for par that backed into the hole).
“Whenever you win it’s good, especially on a tough course like this against good players. It always feels good.”
As for Kupcho, she won a CJGA Junior Series Championship for the second time, having captured the 11-13 title in 2010. On Tuesday, she made six birdies en route to her 69, which gave her a 1-over-par 145 total for the tournament.
Defending champion Taylor Dorans of Eagle Trace Golf Club was the only player anywhere close to Kupcho as her final-round 74 left her four behind at 149. Hannah Wood of South Suburban Family Sports placed third at 154 after a closing 76.
Kupcho’s victory came just two days after her brother, Steven, captured low-amateur honors at the HealthOne Colorado Open, a tournament he led outright after two rounds.
On Tuesday, it was Jennifer’s time to shine. Only once before had she shot under 70, and that was at a much shorter course, so she considered what she did at The Ranch as his career-best round to date.
“I was excited,” said Kupcho, who noted she practiced on The Ranch’s greens during a session Monday evening. “I knew I was playing great and I didn’t let anything bother me. If I had a bogey I just kept playing. It was fun.
“I figured no one would shoot under par, so I thought if I could get a couple under par that would be good.”
Kupcho, who finished third in the 4A state high school tournament as a freshman, said Tuesday’s victory was her biggest accomplishment in golf.
Junior Series Championships for younger age groups will take place next week, with the tournament for 11-13 year olds set for The Homestead Golf Course in Lakewood Aug. 6-7, and the 10 & under event scheduled for Aug. 8 at Boulder Country Club.
CJGA 14-18 Junior Series Championship
At Ranch CC in Westminster
BOYS (Par-71)
Jimmy Makloski, Pueblo CC – 70-68–138
Jack Adolfson, The Fox Hill Club – 74-70–144
Colin Prater, Broadmoor GC – 71-74–145
Ethan Yamada, Omni Interlocken GC – 74-72–146
Andrew Romano, Colorado Golf Club – 74-73–147
Cole Nygren, Colorado National GC – 74-73–147
Andrew Vance, Raccoon Creek GC – 71-76–147
Dylan Wonnacott, Fox Hill Club, The – 77-71–148
Jack Cummings, Omni Interlocken Resort GC – 75-73–148
Sean Kato, Highland Hills Golf Course – 74-74–148
Ross Macdonald, Ridge at Castle Pines North – 74-75–149
Chris Weinstein, Green Valley Ranch GC – 75-75–150
Hunter Lee, Highlands Ranch Golf Club – 72-79–151
Kyler Dunkle, The Club at Pradera – 77-74–151
Li Chen, Legacy Ridge GC – 76-75–151
Chris Korte, The Links Golf Club – 74-77–151
Glenn Workman, Desert Hawk Golf Course – 73-79–152
Jake Staiano, Glenmoor Country Club – 76-77–153
Jackson Burke, South Suburban Family Sports Center – 75-78–153
Aj Ott, Ptarmigan CC – 81-75–156
Tyler Bricker, Ptarmigan Country Club – 78-78–156
Matthew Vacek, Indian Peaks Golf Club – 76-81–157
Matt Donohoe, South Suburban Golf Course – 82-76–158
Taylor Rodriguez, Elmwood Golf Course – 82-78–160
Kobe Padilla, Commonground Golf Course – 81-79–160
Josh Mclaughlin, Loveland – 80-80–160
Troy Dangler, Tiara Rado Golf Course – 79-83–162
Dylan Hall, Cherokee Ridge GC – 86-78–164
Collin Tedesco, Plum Creek Golf & C.C. – 80-87–167
Erik Young, Commonground Golf Course – 85-84–169
Kevin Wohlfarth, Green Valley Ranch G – 81-92–173
GIRLS (Par-72)
Jennifer Kupcho, Commonground Golf Course – 76-69–145
Taylor Dorans, Eagle Trace Lga – 75-74–149
Hannah Wood, South Suburban Family Sports – 78-76–154
Gillian Vance, Raccoon Creek Men’s Club – 78-78–156
Sydney Merchant, Red Rocks CC Lga – 78-80–158
Dani Urman, Meridian Golf Club – 80-78–158
Megan McCambridge, Boulder CC Wga – 75-85–160
Mary Weinstein, Green Valley Ranch Wga – 83-78–161
Kelly Moran, Boulder CC Wga – 74-88–162
Morgan Sahm, Saddle Rock Golf Course – 80-87–167
Alexandria Trask, Colorado National Wga – 77-93–170
Adara Pauluhn, Haystack Mountain GC – 82-88–170
Delaney Elliott, Coal Creek Wga – 89-82–171
Jaylee Tait, Raccoon Creek – 88-86–174
Joanna Kempton, Lone Tree Lga – 89-86–175
Nayoun Kim, South Suburban Family Sports – 96-91–187
Sydney Gillespie, Valley CC Wga – 79-WD
