9 Things to Watch For in 2017

There’s no telling what a given year will bring. But we’re pretty confident you should pay attention to the following…

1. Jennifer Kupcho in the NCAA Championship. The Westminster native and Wake Forest University sophomore won two tournaments during the fall semester and finished 2016 atop the ANNIKA Watch List. The ANNIKA Award Presented by 3M honors the player of the year in college women’s golf, as selected by a group of college golfers, coaches and members of the golf media. Kupcho, who won her third CWGA Player of Year in 2016, also won the association’s match and stroke play championships last year.

2. The announcement of a regular Web.com or Champions Tour event in Colorado. The soon-to-be-opened TPC Colorado in Berthoud is in the running to secure a regular stop.

3. Pac-12 Men’s Championship comes to Boulder. For the first time in 45 years—back during its Big Eight days—the University of Colorado will play host a men’s golf conference championship, as Boulder Country Club welcomes USC, Stanford, Oregon and the rest of the Pac-12 April 28-30. The club hosted the 2015 women’s Pac-12 tournament, won by Arizona.

4. Wyndham Clark’s fresh start. After redshirting for much of his time at Oklahoma State, the phenom from Valor Christian transferred to the University of Oregon for his senior year. Clark seems to have returned to the form that earned him Big 12 Player of the Year in 2013-2014 and multiple honors during his prep career.

5. The $250,000 CoBank Colorado Open draws big names. With $100,000 now going to the winner, look for the country’s richest state open to attract increased star power. Watch, too, for a potential increase in the women’s purse as well.

6. More Coloradans making rulings. Centennial native Thomas Pagel got an inordinate amount of airtime during last year’s U.S. Open. As of this year, he won’t be the only member of the USGA’s Rules Committee with Colorado Golf Association connections. CGA Executive Director Ed Mate and 10-year CGA veteran Pete Lis—currently the LPGA’s Manager of Rules and Competition—will both join the nine-member committee.

7. No sophomore slump for the JGAC. The inaugural season of the Junior Golf Alliance represented such a triumph for the Colorado PGA, Colorado Golf Association and Colorado Women’s Golf Association. Small wonder the number of participants in 2017 is already on pace to exceed last year’s.

8. The Broadmoor’s new Callaway fitting and performance center. It could very well happen this year, but by the time the resort celebrates its 100^th anniversary during the 2018 U.S. Senior Open, an onsite club-fitting operation will welcome players with a level of clubfitting and technical precision worthy of a five-star, five-diamond resort.

9. Colorado AvidGolfer turns 15. Watch for yearlong celebrations, events, giveaways and commemorations of our decade and a half.

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