The hopes of Colorado at the 2016 boys and girls Junior America’s Cup tournaments ride quite a bit on players from Aurora schools.
Regis Jesuit’s Jaclyn Murray and Grandview’s Amy Chitkoksoong make up half of the state’s girls Junior Cup team, while Eaglecrest’s Davis Bryant again is part of Colorado’s four-player boys team.
The girls tournament is scheduled for July 26-28 in Modesto, California, with the girls team including a veteran in Murray — who also played in 2014 — plus Chitkoksoong, who helped Grandview win the 2016 Class 5A state championship in the spring. Both Murray and Chitkoksoong appeared on the 2016 Aurora Sentinel All-City Girls Golf Team.
Murray is later headed to the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Erie’s Hailey Schalk and Caroline Jordan of Cherry Hills Village rounds out a girls team that will try to improve on the 10th-place finish of the Colorado team last season.
Murray and Chitkoksoong both tee off on Tuesday on Hole No. 10 at the Del Rio Country Club, with Murray scheduled to begin her round at 8:25 a.m. and Chitkoksoong at 8:35 a.m.
The 44th annual boys tournament is scheduled for July 26-28 at the Guadalajara Country Club in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and Colorado looks for another successful finish after taking third among 18 teams in the 2015 tournament at Pine Canyon Golf Club in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Bryant had a memorable JAC tournament last season, as he shot a 68 in the second round, which the Eaglecrest star sandwiched between rounds of 79 to finish in a tie for 49th overall. He is joined on the Colorado team by another returner in Longmont’s Jackson Solem — who tied for 38th last season — plus newcomers Cole Krantz of Windsor and Longmont’s Daniel Pearson.
The opening round tees off at 8:30 a.m. MT Tuesday, with Bryant scheduled for the last tee time of the day at 10:42 a.m. He is in a group with players from Hawaii and Idaho, part of a field that includes four-player teams from 11 Western states, plus Hawaii, Canada and Mexico.
On Aug. 8, Bryant and the rest of the boys prep golfers around the state begin practice for the 2016 season, which begins on Aug. 11.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or [email protected] Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
