At least 2 Colorado teams, plus 2-time national runner-up and former Fort Collins resident Drew Stoltz, earn spots in match-play bracket in U.S. Amateur Four-Ball
By Gary Baines – 5/26/2024
Two teams with strong Colorado ties that made it at least to the quarterfinals of the 2023 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball punched their tickets to match play in this year’s championship, along with the 2023 men’s CGA Player of the Year and one-half of the winning team at this month’s CGA Four-Ball.
The match play round of 32 will be contested on Monday at Philadelphia Cricket Club.
Colin Prater of Colorado Springs and partner Jimmy Makloski of Pueblo finished 12 under par for the two rounds of stroke play and tied for fifth place out of 128 teams. Prater, the ’23 CGA Player of the Year, made match play in last year’s U.S. Amateur. He and Makloski went 63-67 in Pennsylvania, making 15 better-ball birdies and three bogeys over the two days.
The Coloradans ended up four strokes behind stroke-play medalists Zach Foushee and Robbie Ziegler of Oregon.
Former Fort Collins resident Drew Stoltz, winner of the 2004 CGA Amateur and the 2001 5A state high school individual title in Colorado, and partner Drew Kittleson posted back-to-back 66s and tied for 10th place in stroke play. Stoltz and Kittleson have been national runners-up in the U.S. Four-Ball in both 2022 and ’23.
Hunter Swanson of Denver and Max Lange of Golden, who made it to the national quarterfinals in this event last year, checked in at 9 under par (66-67), good for a share of 15th place. Swanson plays his college golf at the University of Colorado and Lange at Colorado School of Mines.
Meanwhile, two teams with Colorado connections will be involved in an 11-for-6 playoff for the final berths into match play — early Monday morning — after each finishing at 7 under in stroke play: Kevin Carlin and Nick Sharp of Denver and former University of Colorado-Colorado Springs golfer Jon Olson and partner Jon Brown.
Scores for players with strong Colorado ties in U.S. Amateur Four-Ball in Flourtown, Pa.:
ADVANCE TO MATCH PLAY
5. Colin Prater, CO Springs & Jimmy Makloski, Pueblo 63-67—130
10. Former Fort Collins resident Drew Stoltz & Drew Kittleson, Scottsdale, Ariz. 66-66–132
15. Hunter Swanson, Denver & Max Lange, Golden 66-67—133
IN A PLAYOFF MONDAY MORNING
27. Kevin Carlin & Nick Sharp, Denver 69-66—135
27. Former UCCS golfer Jon Olson & Jon Brown 69-66—135
FAILED TO ADVANCE TO MATCH PLAY
53. Tom Glissmeyer & Charlie Soule, Denver 71-67—138
53. Steven Burak, Denver & Jared Steger, Chicago 68-70—138
For all the results from the Four Ball, 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