It’s been a minute since Colorado Golf Club was in the spotlight.

The club co-hosted the 2023 U.S. Amateur with Cherry Hills Country Club, but most of the drama took place during match play at Cherry Hills.

It won’t be until 2030, but Colorado Golf Club will have its chance to show why it’s ranked as one of the best courses in the state. The United States Golf Association said Monday the U.S. Junior Amateur will be held in Parker.

“Colorado Golf Club is a strategic and demanding championship venue, and we could not be more proud to welcome the 2030 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship,” said Graham Cliff, the club’s director of golf.

The USGA held the 2019 Mid-Amateur at the club, and history was made at the event. Australia’s Lukas Michel became the first international winner of the tournament when he rallied from three down during the final match.

“Being the first international to win, I mean, it’s a massive thing,” Michel said in 2019. “Being the first of anything to win something is always a great feeling.”

There were more historical moments in 2013 when the best in the women’s game gathered at the Parker golf course.

The 2013 Solheim Cup is where the Europeans routed the Americans 18-10. It was the Europeans’ first win on American soil in the matchup’s history.

It was the largest margin of victory in the history of the event. Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist became the first player in Solheim Cup history to make a hole-in-one. Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall became the first player in Solheim Cup history to win five matches in a single competition.

Colorado Golf Club knows how to handle excitement.

“We’re ecstatic to host the Junior Amateur,” Cliff said. “If you look at the history of that event — Tiger Woods, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, some of the big names of golf today — they started their careers winning those championships.”

The 2010 Senior PGA Championship was also a great tournament as well. Tom Lehman beat Fred Couples and David Frost in a playoff.

Colorado Golf Club was designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and opened for play in 2006. The 1,700-acre property was once an Arabian horse ranch and features views of Colorado’s Front Range, dominated by Pikes Peak, Mount Evans and Longs Peak.

The 2030 U.S. Junior will be the 37th USGA championship held in Colorado. The U.S. Senior Open was held at The Broadmoor in June and is slated to return to Colorado Springs in 2031 and 2037.

This will also be the fourth U.S. Junior held in the state. In 1950, Mason Rudolph won at Denver Country Club; in 1976 at Hiwan Golf Club, the event was won by Madden Hatcher III; and Sonnenalp Golf Club hosted in 1987, where Brett Quigley won the title.

“Colorado Golf Club has already proven to be a fantastic venue to host USGA championships, and this is yet one more step in building a legacy as a venue for national championships,” Ed Mate, CGA executive director, said.

Plenty of the biggest names in golf have won the U.S. Junior Amateur. Woods won it three times, and Spieth took home the title twice. Johnny Miller, David Duval and Scheffler also won it. Nick Dunlap, who won the U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills, was the 2021 champion. Dunlap and Woods are the only golfers to win both the U.S. Junior and the U.S. Amateur.

Colorado men grab another high finish

The University of Colorado men’s golf team on Saturday took second place in the Visit Stockton Pacific Invitational, the Buffs’ fourth top-three finish this fall.

In four events this fall, the Buffaloes have two second-place and two third-place finishes.  For the second time this year, Colorado placed at least three finishers in the top 10 of a major tournament.  

Junior Brandon Knight and sophomore Parker Paxton tied for fifth with 7-under-par 209 scores on the 7,189-yard, par-72 course at The Reserve at Spanos Park. 

Freshman Tyler Long finished in a tie for ninth place, which is the highest finish of his career.

Zach Gomez takes home CGA Mid-Am
match play title

Westminster’s Zach Gomez won his first Colorado Golf Association title on Wednesday when he took home the Mid-Am match play title.

Gomez defeated 2021 CGA Mid-Amateur champion Matt Zions, who played at the University of Colorado, 3&2 on Wednesday at Cherry Hills Country Club.

“It’s pretty cool to do it at Cherry,” Gomez, a Ralston Valley High School graduate, told the CGA. “I worked out here (at Cherry Hills) on golf course construction about four years ago (leading up to the 2023 U.S. Amateur). To be back out here playing is pretty cool.”

Gomez never trailed in the final match. He advanced to the finals after winning his semifinal match by forfeit due to 2021 CGA Match Play champion Cole Nygren withdrawing.

What they’re saying

“Well, I’m trying to still enjoy this one. Whether it be a captain or whether I’m not a captain … if I’m not a captain in two years’ time and the captain wants me to be there, then I’m sure I would be happy to help him in any way he wanted.”

—Luke Donald on being the European Ryder Cup captain for a third time in 2027

Skins game

Odds to win India Championship

Rory McIlroy +410

Tommy Fleetwood +600

Ben Griffin +900

Viktor Hovland +1000

Shane Lowery +1800

Brian Harman +2000

This week in golf

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Site: New Delhi, India.

Course: Delhi GC. Yardage: 6,912. Par: 72.

Prize money: $4 million. Winner’s share: $666,667.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 12:30-2 a.m. (NBC Sports app), 2-5:30 a.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 2-5:30 a.m. (Golf); Sunday, Midnight-2 a.m. (NBC Sports app), 2-5 a.m. (Golf).

Defending champion: New tournament.

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LPGA Tour

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Television: Wednesday-Saturday, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. (Golf).

Defending champion: Hannah Green.

PGA Tour Champions

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Television: Friday-Sunday, Noon-3 p.m. (Golf).