CGA State Junior finalists Charlie Tucker (5A) and Noah Richmond (4A) join Om Mathur (3A) in winning state high school individual titles; Richmond shoots 28 on front 9 in final round
By Gary Baines – 10/3/2023
Two golfers who squared off in the match-play finals of the CGA State Junior Championship at the end of June won individual titles on Tuesday in the boys state high school tournaments.
Senior Charlie Tucker of Rock Canyon, who won the State Junior, and senior Noah Richmond of Montrose, the runner-up to Tucker this summer, claimed the 5A and 4A victories, respectively, on Tuesday. Rounding out the champions was Peak to Peak junior Om Mathur in Class 3A.
Meanwhile, earning team championships on Tuesday were Rock Canyon (5A), Evergreen (4A) and Resurrection Christian (3A). It marks the first boys state team golf titles for each of those three schools.
Here’s a rundown on all three state tournaments:
— Class 5A at Collindale GC in Fort Collins: Tucker, who beat Richmond 1 up for the title in the CGA State Junior three months ago, helped Rock Canyon sweep team and individual championships in his final high school tournament.
Tucker cruised to a six-stoke victory individually after closing with a 4-under-par round of 67 that included just five pars. He recorded nine birdies, three bogeys and one double bogey on Tuesday. All told, he carded 15 birdies over the two days and finished at 6-under 136.
Tucker earned the title a year after placing eighth in 5A.
Fairview sophomore Miles Kuhl, winner of the Colorado Junior PGA and Colorado PGA Junior Match Play in 2023, tied for second at 142 with Cherokee Trail sophomore Brayden Forte. Both shot 72 on Tuesday. Junior Jesse Hand of Chatifleld was fourth at 143 after a closing 73.
Rock Canyon, the 5A team runner-up by two strokes in 2022, prevailed by five this time around in earning the team championship. The Jaguars — a team featuring Tucker, Mason Conrad, Nathan Kim and Trey Kahrhoff — ended up at 14 over par for two days.
Cherry Creek and Cherokee Trail tied for second place, while 2022 champ Fossil Ridge was fourth.
— Class 4A at The Bridges in Montrose: Richmond, playing in his hometown on a course he knows very well, put on a show in his final high school event, shooting a 6-under-par 65 en route to a two-stroke victory.
But it was on the front nine on Tuesday where Richmond really shined as he posted a 7-under-par 28 that featured an eagle and five birdies. On the back nine, he cruised with eight pars and one bogey. Richmond had started the day four shots out of the lead.
Richmond, who placed sixth last year at state, knows The Bridges well, having finished third in an AJGA event there in early August.
The individual state title was the fourth for Montrose since 2018 as Richmond joined Micah Stangebye (2018 and ’19) and Jordan Jennings (2020).
Evergreen junior teammates Liam Houlihan and Tyler Long tied for second place, two back of Richmond, as Long carded a 70 on Tuesday and Houlihan a 71. Senior Jack Finch of Littleton was fourth, four behind Richmond.Defending 4A state champion Bradley Weinmaster of Riverdale Ridge, who had shot a 63 to win his regional state-qualifying tournament, tied for 16th place (75-76).
Evergreen, with two players in the top three, landed the 4A state team title by six over Grand Junction, with 2021 champ Riverdale Ridge placing third. EHS’ Cougars — comprised of Houlihan, Long, Lincoln Mackay and Luke Sabina — posted a 14-over-par total for two rounds.
— Class 3A at RainDance National in Windsor: On a day when just one player in the field shot better than 75, Mathur emerged with a two-stroke victory after closing with a 5-over-par 77 at the 15-month-old RainDance layout.
The junior from Peak to Peak, battling a wrist injury, was even par for the day through 12 holes, but made two double bogeys and a bogey coming in, finishing at 3-over-par 147 for two days. Still, it was good enough for the win.
The victory was quite an improvement for Mathur, who finished 20th in 3A state last year.
Senior Stewie Bruce of Vail Mountain, whose 70 was the round of the day by five strokes, finished tied second, two back of Mathur. Bruce carded two eagles on Tuesday to go along with three birdies and five bogeys. Sharing the No. 2 spot was sophomore Jack Carter of Resurrection Christian, who shot a 75 on Tuesday.
Resurrection Christian put three players in the top five individually to claim the 3A team title, with junior Graham Riggs taking fourth place and sophomore Clint Summers fifth. Joining Carter, Riggs and Summers on the winning squad was Micah Livingstone.
At 24 over par for two days, the Cougars finished 19 strokes ahead of runner-up Peak to Peak. Vail Mountain was third.
Top Team and Individual Finishers at the State High School Golf Tournaments
5A AT PAR-71 COLLINDALE IN FORT COLLINS
Team
Rock Canyon 219-221—440
Cherry Creek 226-219—445
Cherokee Trail 225-220—445
Fossil Ridge 225-222—447
Valor Christian 225-226–451
Individual
Charlie Tucker, Rock Canyon 69-67–136
Miles Kuhl, Fairview 70-72–142
Brayden Forte, Cherokee Trail 70-72–142
Jesse Hand, Chatfield 70-73–143
Austin Barry, Fossil Ridge 72-72—144
Sam Kainer-Darst, Rocky Mountain 74-72–146
Ben Sander, Regis Jesuit 72-74–146
Gavin Amella, Castle View 70-77–147
Conner Scheich, Mountain Vista 71-77–148
Maxwell Eide, Valor Christian 76-72–148
Billy Verstraate, Highlands Ranch 72-76–148
Spencer Schlagel, Legend 75-73–148
4A AT PAR-71 THE BRIDGES IN MONTROSE
Team
Evergreen 218-222—440
Grand Junction 224-222—446
Riverdale Ridge 223-224—447
Windsor 229-223–452
Cheyenne Mountain 221–454
Individual
Noah Richmond, Montrose 74-65–139
Liam Houlihan, Evergreen 70-71–141
Tyler Long, Evergreen 71-70–141
Jack Finch, Littleton 71-72–143
Preston Allen, Pueblo West 77-68—145
Jack Kaul, Grand Junction 71-74—145
Charlie Doyle, Cheyenne Mountain 79-68–147
Hunter Simmons, Grand Junction 73-75–148
Charlie Reisman, Steamboat Springs 73-75–148
Joey Garofalo, Lutheran 75-74–149
Kellen Ball, Windsor 75-74–149
Will Balliet, Riverdale Ridge 73-76–149
3A AT PAR-72 RAINDANCE NATIONAL IN WINDSOR
Team
Resurrection Christian 224-232—456
Peak to Peak 232-243—475
Vail Mountain 246-242—488
Kent Denver 250-240-490
Holy Family 252-249—501
Individual
Om Mathur, Peak to Peak 70-77–147
Jack Carter, Resurrection Christian 74-75–149
Stewie Bruce, Vail Mountain 79-70–149
Graham Riggs, Resurrection Christian 75-78–153
Clint Summers, Resurrection Christian 75-79–154
Rudiger Heitz, Holy Family 77-82–159
Carter Rapp, Kent Denver 81-79—160
Vince Lopez, Montezuma Cortez 78-83–161
Lev Abramson, Kent Denver 82-79–161
Ryan Ewoniuk, Severance 84-78–162
Ryan Woodley, Liberty Common 87-75–162
Will Bornhoft, Sterling 79-83—162
Taj Kumar, D’Evelyn 79-83–162
Johnathon Smith, Pagosa Springs 79-83–162
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. He was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com