Johnson Sets Record to Win CoBank Colorado Open

NeilJohnson
CoBank Colorado Open champion Neil Johnson (second from right) with (from left) Eric Kenealy and Patrick Hamill (Colorado Open Golf Foundation) and Robert Engel (CoBank)

 

The first Colorado Open sponsored by CoBank was one for the record books, which is exactly what the sponsor and the Colorado Open Golf Foundation hoped for when they doubled the purse to $250,000 and the winner’s share to $100,000.

The increase in prize money attracted deepest field in recent memory—and it didn’t disappoint, producing the lowest cut line (3-under)  and the lowest score (23 under par) in the event’s history.

Neil Johnson of River Falls, Wis. set the latter record by firing his second 64 Sunday for a23-under 265 to win the event by three strokes over past champions Jonathan Kaye of Boulder, Colo. and Wil Collins of Rapid City, S.D.

Carrying his own bag all week, Johnson—who qualified in the fourth and final qualifying tournament as an alternate—eagled the par-4 6th before making birdies on four of the first five holes on the back nine to apply pressure on the other leaders.

Also applying pressure in Johnson’s group was Martin Trainer of Palo Alto, Calif., who briefly held the lead after eagles on holes 9 and 12. He gave back shots on holes 13 and 14 and finished tied for fourth.

For Johnson, a final birdie on the par-5 18th sealed the victory and the record as Kaye bogeyed the 18th and Collins bogeyed the par-3 17th.

Johnson broke Derek Tolan’s event record of 22-under-par 266 set in 2009.

That was not the only total the only monumental feat of the day. James Knous of Englewood, Colo. and DJ Brigman of Albuquerque, N.M.— both carded 10-under 62s to tie the record set on Thursday by Collins and matched Saturday by Alex Kim of Fullerton, Calif. That marks four players shooting 62 over the four-day championship and, more remarkably, each player had a bogey in their 10-under rounds.

Johnson had a total of three bogeys for the entire 72-hole tournament.

Kim, the third-round leader, shot an even-par 72 to finish tied with Brigman for seventh at 18-under 270.

Low amateur honors went to Jimmy Makloski of Pueblo, CO who posted a 1-under 71 to finish at 8-under 280 (T-34 overall). His victory was two strokes better than his fellow Colorado State University teammates Jake Staiano of Cherry Hills Village, CO and Dominic Kieffer of Byron, MN, both of whom finished tied with Connor Klein of Lone Tree, CO at 6-under 282.

Click here for complete results from today’s round.

CoBank Colorado Open
Green Valley Ranch Golf Club
Denver, CO
7,327 yards, Par 72–288
Final Results
(a) Denotes amateur

1 Neil Johnson River Falls, WI 64-69-68-64–265 -23 $100,000.00
T2 Jonathan Kaye Boulder, CO 67-65-70-66–268 -20 $15,250.00
T2 Wil Collins Rapid City, SD 62-70-67-69–268 -20 $15,250.00
T4 James Knous Englewood, CO 71-68-68-62–269 -19 $8,166.67
T4 Zahkai Brown Arvada, CO 67-65-70-67–269 -19 $8,166.67
T4 Martin Trainer Palo Alto, CA 64-69-69-67–269 -19 $8,166.67
T7 DJ Brigman Albuquerque, NM 68-71-69-62–270 -18 $6,250.00
T7 Alex Kim Fullerton, CA 66-70-62-72–270 -18 $6,250.00
T9 Hunter Stewart Lexington, KY 68-70-69-64–271 -17 $5,000.00
T9 Parker McLachlin Honolulu, HI 70-64-68-69–271 -17 $5,000.00
T9 Nick Hodge Littleton, CO 68-67-66-70–271 -17 $5,000.00
T12 Andre Metzger Norman, OK 68-68-71-65–272 -16 $3,750.00
T12 Max Rottluff Dusseldorf, Germany 70-64-70-68–272 -16 $3,750.00
T14 Derek Tolan Highlands Ranch, CO 66-68-71-68–273 -15 $2,800.00
T14 Nicholas Mason Denver, CO 73-66-66-68–273 -15 $2,800.00
T14 Joshua Creel Cheyenne, WY 68-72-64-69–273 -15 $2,800.00
T14 Gunner Wiebe Aurora, CO 72-64-68-69–273 -15 $2,800.00
T18 William Kropp Edmond, OK 69-70-69-66–274 -14 $2,300.00
T18 Andy Pope Glen Ellyn, IL 71-69-66-68–274 -14 $2,300.00
T18 Andrew Presley Fort Worth, TX 71-69-66-68–274 -14 $2,300.00
T18 Cameron Harrell Colorado Springs, CO 67-69-68-70–274 -14 $2,300.00
T18 Jesse Schutte Florence, OR 69-67-67-71–274 -14 $2,300.00
23 Grant Doverspike Bakersfield, CA 67-66-73-69–275 -13 $2,000.00
T24 Talor Gooch Choctaw, OK 69-71-68-68–276 -12 $1,850.00
T24 Austin Smotherman Dallas, TX 71-69-67-69–276 -12 $1,850.00
T26 Derek Fribbs Castle Rock, CO 72-67-69-70–278 -10 $1,550.00
T26 Justin Bates Lewisville, TX 69-72-67-70–278 -10 $1,550.00
T26 Chase Barnes Houston, TX 66-71-72-69–278 -10 $1,550.00
T26 David Oraee Greeley, CO 67-71-72-68–278 -10 $1,550.00
T30 James Love Calgary, AB Canada 69-68-71-71–279 -9 $1,156.25
T30 Chris Ward McKinney, TX 68-70-70-71–279 -9 $1,156.25
T30 Dustin Mills Broomfield, CO 67-69-69-74–279 -9 $1,156.25
T30 James Back La Palma, CA 72-68-65-74–279 -9 $1,156.25
T34 Michael McCabe Moorpark, CA 71-67-71-71–280 -8 $890.00
T34 Brian Rowell Broussard, LA 71-69-69-71–280 -8 $890.00
T34 Jimmy Makloski (a) Pueblo, CO 69-72-68-71–280 -8
T37 Kelby Scharmann Trabuco Canyon, CA 69-72-67-73–281 -7 $812.50
T37 Brandon Crick McCook, NE 68-72-69-72–281 -7 $812.50
T37 Franklin Corpening Fort Worth, TX 69-68-70-74–281 -7 $812.50
T37 Cody Martin Ft. Mitchell, KY 67-69-75-70–281 -7 $812.50
T41 Kevin Stadler Englewood, CO 73-67-68-74–282 -6 $767.50
T41 Dominic Kieffer (a) Byron, MN 70-70-67-75–282 -6
T41 Jake Staiano (a) Cherry Hills, CO 68-68-69-77–282 -6
T41 Connor Klein (a) Lone Tree, CO 69-71-73-69–282 -6
T41 Steve Schneiter Sandy, UT 66-74-74-68–282 -6 $767.50
T46 James Vargas Windermere, FL 67-72-71-73–283 -5 $730.00
T46 John Souza (a) Phoenix, AZ 69-67-74-73–283 -5
T46 Justin Keiley Haiku, HI 67-68-70-78–283 -5 $730.00
T46 Nathaniel Goddard (a) Fort Collins, CO 70-71-71-71–283 -5
T46 Phil Reedy Las Vegas, NV 69-72-73-69–283 -5 $730.00
T51 Ben Portie Westminster, CO 68-72-71-73–284 -4 $690.00
T51 Nathan Tyler Tucson, AZ 70-71-72-71–284 -4 $690.00
T51 Michael Weaver Fresno, CA 69-72-75-68–284 -4 $690.00
T54 Braden Baer Westminster, CO 69-71-68-77–285 -3 $656.67
T54 Aron Price Sydney, NSW Australia 70-70-72-73–285 -3 $656.67
T54 Brendan Connolly Castle Rock, CO 70-71-75-69–285 -3 $656.67
57 Caine Fitzgerald Parker, CO 69-72-77-68–286 -2 $640.00
T58 Daniel Balin Rockville, MD 68-69-77-73–287 -1 $632.50
T58 Bill Allcorn Waco, TX 71-67-77-72–287 -1 $632.50
T60 Case Cochran Paducah, KY 70-69-72-77–288 E $622.50
T60 Tyler Gann Tomball, TX 72-69-75-72–288 E $622.50
T62 Brady Watt Stirling, NW Australia 73-67-72-77–289 +1 $612.50
T62 Joe Migdal Ballwin, MO 68-72-72-77–289 +1 $612.50
64 Jacob Lestishen Lone Tree, CO 66-75-72-79–292 +4 $605.00

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