Trend continues as amateurs defeat pros in 25th Western Colorado Cup Matches
By Gary Baines – 10/18/2021
What one set of golfers started Wednesday in Parker, another set finished Saturday in Montrose: an amateur sweep of Colorado Cup competitions.
Three days after CGA amateurs defeated Colorado PGA professionals in the Colorado Cup matches at The Pinery, a totally separate competition resulted in a similar outcome as the amateurs beat the pros 11.5-4.5 in the 25th Western Colorado Cup Matches, held Saturday at The Bridges Golf & Country Club.
The amateurs swept all three of the nine-hole sessions of the Ryder Cup-like competition on Saturday — 3-1 in four-ball, 4-0 in foursomes and 4.5-3.5 in singles.
The winning amateur team is pictured above (from left): non-playing captain Frank Wilkinson, Jason Browder, Jacob Smith, Robert Schuler, Michael Smith, Carson Kerr, Dakota Gillman, Timothy Cavarno and Scott Sullivan.
Two players, both amateurs, won all three of their matches: Browder and Smith, while teammate Cavarno (2-0-1) was also undefeated. The professional with the top individual record on Saturday was three-time Colorado PGA Professional Champion Doug Rohrbaugh, at 2-1.
Rohrbaugh, who played in the inaugural Western Colorado Cup Matches in 1997, and amateurs Sullivan and Schuler participated in both the Colorado Cup matches and the Western Colorado Cup Matches this fall.
Amateur Gillman lost his singles match to Max Twarjan, 3 and 2, but made a hole-in-one in the process, acing the 198-yard fourth hole.
The pros lead the all-time series in the WCCM, 13-12 but amateurs have claimed the title 12 times in the last 15 years after pros won each of the first 10 matchups. Wilkinson, a member of the CGA board of directors, serves as chairman of the competition besides being the non-competing captain of the amateur team.
The event — supported by the CGA and the Colorado PGA — benefits the Western Colorado Golf Foundation, with proceeds helping provide college scholarships to western Coloradans who participated in golf activities during their high school years. Almost $250,000 has been raised for the cause over the years.
Western Colorado Cup Matches
Saturday At The Bridges Golf & Country Club in Montrose
OVERALL FINAL SCORE: AMATEURS 11.5, PROFESSIONALS 4.5
(A — indicates amateur; P — indicates pro)
9-HOLE FOUR-BALL (Amateurs 3, Professionals 1)
Scott Sullivan and Jason Browder (A) def. Jim Miller and Tanner Crisofulli (P), 1 up
Doug Rohrbaugh and Russell Aragon (P) def. Michael Smith and Robert Schuler (A), 2 and 1
Dakota Gillman and Jacob Smith (A) def. Max Twarjan and Brian Franco (P), 2 and 1
Timothy Cavarno and Carson Kerr (A) def. Nathan Mead and Michael Bandoni (P), 1 up
9-HOLE FOURSOMES (Amateurs 4, Professionals 0)
Scott Sullivan and Timothy Cavarno (A) def. Doug Rohrbaugh and Nathan Mead (P), 1 up
Michael Smith and Robert Schuler (A) def. Russell Aragon and Jim Miller (P), 2 and 1
Dakota Gillman and Carson Kerr (A) def. Tanner Crisofulli and Max Twarjan (P), 4 and 2
Jason Browder and Jacob Smith (A) def. Michael Bandoni and Brian Franco (P), 1 up
9-HOLE SINGLES (Amateurs 4.5, Professionals 3.5
Michael Smith (A) def. Russell Aragon (P), 5 and 4
Robert Schuler (A) def. Jim Miller (P), 1 up
Jason Browder (A) def. Brian Franco (P), 3 and 2
Tanner Crisofulli (P) tied with Timothy Cavarno (A)
Jacob Smith (A) def. Nathan Mead (P), 1 up
Max Twarjan (P) def. Dakota Gillman (A), 3 and 2
Mike Bandoni (P) def. Carson Kerr (A), 2 and 1
Doug Rohrbaugh (P) def. Scott Sullivan (A), 1 up