State champs! Fossil Ridge wins Colorado 5A boys golf team title
DENVER − They did it the hard way.
It only made the title that much sweeter.
For the second time in five seasons, the Fossil Ridge boys golf team is bringing the Class 5A Colorado state championship trophy back to Fort Collins, after a two-day score of 3-over-par 423 to hold off Rock Canyon by two shots.
They really had to earn this one.
After storming out to a seven-shot team in Monday's first round, led by Austin Barry's scorching 6-under-par 64 that gave him a four-stroke individual advantage, Tuesday's final round at City Park Golf Course in Denver was a roller coaster.
The SaberCats squandered the entire team and individual edges by the turn, and it didn't look like their day. But a sturdy back nine steadied them and helped Fossil Ridge hold off Rock Canyon on the final hole when Charlie Tucker's 5-foot tying putt slid by.
"This has a special kind of satisfaction to lose the lead by quite a bit and then come back with gutsy performances down the stretch," said Fossil head coach Jamie Menefee.
Barry, a sophomore, and freshman Landon Houska stepped up big time.
Each placed in the top five, with Houska in a tie for fourth (1-under 139) and Barry finishing in a runner-up tie with a 2-under 138.
The roller coaster label especially applies to Barry's day.
"For sure, I felt (pressure) with a big lead," Barry acknowledged. "It felt weird being up by four shots on the first tee, so I was nervous."
As perfect as Barry was in that bogey-free 64 Monday, his struggles were just as pronounced Tuesday early in round two.
Walking off the 12th green, he was 6-over for the day, and hopes of an individual title seemed gone while the team was hanging by a thread.
He responded quickly with birdies on 13 and 14 and then made some steely putts, including a two-putt from 50 feet on the 18th hole that clinched the championship.
Disappointed with his own round, Barry was still elated afterward.
"The team title definitely makes up for it," he said with a smile.
Barry finished Tuesday's round with a 4-over 74.
Meanwhile, Houska was 2-over through 12 holes but provided the biggest spark of the SaberCats' day with an eagle on the par-5 13th.
"Hit a great drive and then had a 5-wood right on the number that I hit close and made the tap-in," Houska said. "I was pretty hyped up about that."
He birdied the par-5 16th and then made a pressure-packed short par putt on No. 18 to keep Fossil Ridge up one shot as Barry walked up the fairway.
"Both Austin and Landon are extremely confident players, seasoned tournament players and so they were ready," Menefee said. "Those two putts by Austin and Landon on 18, just knowing what was at stake, was humongous."
The reaction immediately after was muted — Houska: "A lot of us were sweating it out, so we were still coming down" — but the joy after was real.
Barry said the team especially wanted the win for senior Grant Samuelson, the SaberCats' lone upperclassmen who finished tied for 44th (11-over 151) in his final state tournament.
"It feels good to win one for Grant," Barry said. "It's exciting for us, but especially for him."
Sophomore Kaden Davenport also shot a two-day total of 151, also finishing in a tie for 44th.
While Tuesday brought the title, it was ultimately Monday's legwork in a 6-under-par team round that won it for Fossil.
"I have said all season, we're really good and playing well but haven't put it all together," Menefee said. "It's easy to say but really hard to do.
"It happened yesterday, and that got us in position to go out and win it."
More: Running rivalry pushes Fort Collins' Ella Johns, Fossil Ridge's Tatum Berg to new heights
Fort Collins' Ian Hunn nearly wins 5A title
He called his shot.
Fort Collins senior golfer Ian Hunn nearly came out of nowhere to win the 5A individual title after a chip-in for eagle on the par-5 16th.
Moments before, he basically predicted it while talking to his playing partners and Fort Collins coaches.
"I told my playing partners that I haven't made a chip all year, so watch me make this," Hunn said. "I don't think I've ever called a shot like that before."
While he'd been lurking all day, Hunn had never been closer than two shots back. But the 20-yard chip in boosted him all the way into a tie for the lead at 3-under-par.
After a perfect drive on No. 18, Hunn had less than 150 yards into the 18th but pushed his approach shot into the back right bunker. He ultimately bogeyed and lost by one to Monarch's Caleb Michaels, tying for second with Barry.
"At the beginning of this week, I told my coaches I wanted to be top half of the (84-man) field," Hunn said. "And then I took second. Overall, I'm pretty happy with my result even though I couldn't par the last."
Windsor golfer ties for 2nd in 4A
Windsor sophomore Kellen Ball didn’t know he was still in the running for the Class 4A state title when he tapped in for par from 2 feet out on the 18th hole at Pelican Lakes Golf Course in Windsor.
So he was elated to learn he had earned a spot in a four-man playoff for the individual crown after completing 36 holes of regulation over two days with an even-par 144 total.
“It was pretty cool to know I had another chance,” Ball said. “It was pretty exciting to have that opportunity.”
Ball wound up in a tie for second after shooting a bogey 5 in the playoff on No. 18, while Riverdale Ridge junior Bradley Weinmaster made par to secure the title. The other two participants in the playoff, Denver North senior Sawyer Klein and Ponderosa senior Zane Aiken, shot bogey and double-bogey, respectively.
Windsor, the defending team champion, tied for fifth with a 461 total, 16 strokes behind winner Cheyenne Mountain.
Ball shot a 2-under 70 in the first round Monday for the 18-hole lead and followed that up with a 74 on Tuesday.
“I’m pretty excited with how I finished,” Ball said. “Obviously, I’m a little disappointed, but I’m pretty happy for the most part. I’ve got a couple more years to try to do it.”
Windsor also counted scores of 82 from sophomore Tadese Keyworth and senior Carter Hinkle in the final round.
Keyworth tied for 26th with a 158 total, and Hinkle tied for 29th at 159. Windsor’s fourth player was Landon Ball, Kellen’s older brother. He tied for 60th with a 171 total after shooting an 85 on Tuesday.
Coloradoan sports reporter Kelly Lyell contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado boys state golf championship: Fossil Ridge wins 2022 5A title
