Golf By Numbers

2 former Colorado 5A state high school champions, Spencer Painton (2013) and David Oraee (2010), qualified July 13 at Columbine Country Club for the U.S. Amateur, to be held Aug. 17-23 at Olympia Fields Country Club. It marks the fi rst appearance for both in the event so prestigious it was once considered a major. Painton, currently at the University of Kansas, carded a two-round total of 8-under-par 136 for medalist honors. Oraee, who just completed his career at the University of Colorado, came in third with a 2-under 142. Between them was Texas State’s Tyler Saunders, who blistered the course with a 9-under 63 in the second round to fi nish at 138, two shots behind Painton.

31 year-old Nick Nosewicz, became the oldest winner of Colorado’s oldest state championship in more than 20 years when he defeated 21-year-old Connor Klein of Lone Tree Golf Club, 4 and 3, to take the title at Aurora’s CommonGround Golf Course on July 10. Not since 1994, when Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Mark Crabtree won his fourth match play title at age 38, had anyone older than 30 hoisted the trophy. The grandson of Colorado Golf Hall of Fame member Ed Nosewicz, Sr., Nick also fired a 66 to earn medalist honors in the qualifying round of stroke play.

7 USGA championships—that’s how many 18-year-old Jennifer Kupcho will have played after she competes in this month’s U.S. Women’s Amateur at Portland Golf Club in Oregon. On July 13, the freshman-to-be at Wake Forest shot a 69 at Westminster’s Heritage at Westmoor, two shots behind Texan Courtney Dow. Coloradans also qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Am were CU junior Esther Lee and Erin Sargent of Longmont. Kupcho’s USGA resume also includes the 2013 U.S. Women’s Amateur.

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