2 players who grew up in Colorado, Parker Edens and Colin Prater, easily advance to round of 32 at U.S. Mid-Amateur; Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton wins opening match at U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur
By Gary Baines – 9/23/2024
Parker Edens, who grew up in Greeley and played college golf at Colorado State, improved his match-play record to 4-1 over the last two years at the U.S. Mid-Amateur, and he was joined in advancing to the round of 32 on Monday by Colin Prater of Colorado Springs, the 2024 CGA Amateur champion.
Edens, now head coach of the South Dakota State men’s golf team, scored a 3-and-2 victory on Monday is suburban Richmond, Va., over Andrew Price of Lake Bluff, Ill.
Meanwhile, Prater defeated 12th-seeded Andrew Von Lossow of Spokane, Wash., 4 and 3, after early in the day easily surviving through a 14-for-12 playoff for the final match play berths by making a birdie on the first extra hole.
Edens — a quarterfinalist in the 2023 U.S. Mid-Am, where he lost to eventual third-time champion Stewart Hagestad — is the No. 3 seed this week and never trailed on Monday. He built a 3-up lead after 10 holes and closed out Price with a tying birdie at No 16. Edens, runner-up in the 2023 Inspirato Colorado Open, went bogey-free in standing 5 under par through 16 holes.
Prater, twice in the past four years the CGA Player of the Year, also didn’t trail in his round-of-64 match. He won three of the first four holes — two with birdies — before losing Nos. 5 and 6. But the high school science teacher rebuilt his big advantage with winning birdies on 9, 14 and 15, the last of which ended the match.
Prater was 2 under par for 15 holes on Monday.
In Tuesday’s round of 32, Prater will face Ireland’s Hugh Foley, while Edens will take on Matthew McClean of Northern Ireland. The winners will advance to the round of 16, set for Tuesday afternoon.
The U.S. Mid-Am, which featured an original field of 264 players, is limited to golfers 25 and older.
Results for players with strong Colorado ties at the U.S. Mid-Amateur in suburban Richmond, Va.:
MONDAY MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 64
Colin Prater, Colorado Springs, def. Andrew Von Lossow, Spokane, Wash., 4 and 3
Former Greeley resident and ex-CSU golfer and assistant coach Parker Edens, def. Andrew Price, Lake Bluff, Ill., 3 and 2
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY STROKE PLAY
Advance to Match Play
3. Former Greeley resident and ex-CSU golfer and coach Parker Edens 69-65–134
53. Colin Prater, Coloradp Springs 72-70–142
Failed to Advance to Match Play
92. Former CSU golfer Bryce Hanstad 72-73–145
157. Ryan Axlund, Englewood 74-75–149
157. Sam Marley, Centennial 75-74–149
177. Jay Livsey, Lakewood 78-72–150
243. Anthony Syrko, Lakewood 79-78–157
264. Will Panella, Denver 82-88–170
For all the results from the Mid-Am, CLICK HERE.
Meanwhile, at the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur: Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton, who has made it to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur four times in her career, made inroads on Monday toward adding to that total.
Eaton, winner of 30 CGA women’s championships, advanced to the round of 32 at the Senior Women’s Am in Seattle with a 2-and-1 match-play victory over 21st-seeded Karin Luxon of Switzerland.
But the other player with major Colorado ties who made match play, part-time Gunnison resident Marilyn Hardy, lost in the round of 64, falling 3 and 2 to 23rd-seeded Ronda Henderson of Las Vegas.
Eaton never trailed on Monday, but was just 1 up on Luton going into the 17th hole. But a par there, while Luxon made bogey, gave Eaton the victory. Eaton finished 5 over par for 17 holes on Monday.
In Tuesday morning’s round of 32, Eaton will play 12th-seeded Linda Jeffery of Prattville, Ala. Then the round of 16 awaits the winner of that match on Tuesday afternoon.
Hardy, the 2022 and ’23 CGA Women’s Senior Player of the Year, never led on Monday, but was tied with Henderson after eight holes. However, the Nevadan won the next two holes with pars and closed things out with a tied par on 16.
Results for players with strong Colorado ties at the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur in Seattle:
MONDAY’S MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 64
Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton def. Karin Luxon, Switzerland, 2 and 1
Ronda Henderson, Las Vegas, def. Marilyn Hardy, Gunnison, 3 and 2
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY’S STROKE PLAY
Advance to Match Play
41. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton 79-79—158
41. Marilyn Hardy, Gunnison 86-72–158
Failed to Advance to Match Play
85. Stacey Arnold, Westminster 84-81–165
85. Part-time Castle Pines resident Kathy West 84-81–165
111. Haejeong Son, Castle Rock 92-80—172
117. Kathleen Johnson, Broomfield 89-84–173
For all the results from Seattle, CLICK HERE.
About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. The University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com