A year after quarterfinal appearance at U.S. Mid-Am, former CSU golfer Parker Edens makes it to final 16 before exiting; CGA Amateur champ Colin Prater falls in round of 32 after being 3 up; at U.S. Senior Women’s Am, Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton ousted by 7-time USGA champ Ellen Port in round of 16
By Gary Baines – 9/24/2024
Out of a 264-man field that started the U.S. Mid-Amateur, two players with strong Colorado connections made it to the final 32 and one to the last 16 this week in suburban Richmond, Va.
A year after advancing to the quarterfinals at the event — where he lost to eventual third-time champion Stewart Hagestad — former Greeley resident and ex-Colorado State player and assistant coach Parker Edens fell just short of returning to the final eight this week. But Will Davenport of Palm City, Fla., held him off and posted a 2-up victory on Tuesday. Edens owns a 5-2 record in match play at the U.S. Mid-Am over the last two years combined.
Earlier Tuesday, 2024 CGA Amateur champion Colin Prater of Colorado Springs fell 1 up to Irishman Hugh Foley after the Coloradan held a 3-up lead through seven holes.
Edens, overall runner-up in the 2023 Inspirato Colorado Open, defeated Northern Ireland’s Matthew McClean 3 and 2 in Tuesday’s round of 32 and never trailed in his first two matches in Virginia. He went 5 under par for 16 holes in the McClean match.
But in the round of 16, Edens never led, though he continually kept things close against Davenport. Four times, Edens narrowed his deficit to 1 down from 2 down. The last of those occasions came when Edens birdied the 17th hole, forcing the match to No. 18. But Davenport in turn birdied 18 to win that hole, prevailing in the match 2 up. Edens was 2 under for the match, compared to 4 under for Davenport.
As for Prater, the 2024 U.S. Open qualifier and two-time CGA Player of the Year, he got off to a very promising start on Tuesday by making a couple of birdies en route to building a 3-hole advantage through the first seven holes against Foley. But the Coloradan went 5 over the rest of the way to see the match turn around.
Foley won four straight holes (9-12) — with two birdies and two pars — to quickly go from 3 down to 1 up. And the Irishmen led the rest of the way, closing things out when both players made bogey on 18.
Foley prevailed despite being 2 over par for 18 holes as Prater was 3 over.
Results for players with strong Colorado ties at the U.S. Mid-Amateur in suburban Richmond, Va.:
TUESDAY ROUND OF 16
Will Davenport, Palm City, Fla., def. former Greeley resident and ex-CSU golfer and assistant coach Parker Edens, 2 up
TUESDAY ROUND OF 32
Former Greeley resident and ex-CSU golfer and assistant coach Parker Edens def. Matthew McClean, Northern Ireland, 3 and 2
Hugh Foley, Republic of Ireland, def. Colin Prater, Colorado Springs, 1 up
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 scores from the Mid-Am, CLICK HERE.
At the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur in Seattle: Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton had an impressive run at the U.S. Senior Women’s Am as a 65-year-old, but hit a big roadblock in the round of 16 on Tuesday.
Eaton, a four-time quarterfinalist in the championship, won her first two matches at Broadmoor Golf Club in Seattle — including posting a 4-and-2 victory over Linda Jeffery of Prattville, Ala., in the round of 32 on Tuesday morning. But that earned her a sweet 16 matchup with St. Louis resident Ellen Port, winner of three U.S. Senior Women’s Amateurs and four U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateurs.
That proved too tall a hurdle to overcome as the seven-time USGA champion grabbed a 4-up lead through six holes and went on to post a 5 and 4 victory over Eaton on Tuesday afternoon.
Port birdied three of her first six holes and finished even par for the match. Eaton ended up 8 over for 14 holes.
In her round-of-32 victory, Eaton never trailed but was just 1 up through 12 holes. Then the owner of 30 CGA women’s championship titles won three of the next four holes — all with pars — to close out the match. Eaton finished 4 over par for the 16 holes of that match.
Results for players with strong Colorado ties at the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur in Seattle:
TUESDAY’S ROUND OF 16
Ellen Port, St. Louis, def. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton, 5 and 4
TUESDAY’S ROUND OF 32
Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton def. Linda Jeffery, Prattville, Ala., 4 and 2
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