Sisters, sophomores, a pack of underdog teams, looming schoolwork and the ever temperamental putter all share equal billing at the two-day Class 5A girls state golf championships. The first groups will tee off at 8:30 a.m. today at the Highlands Ranch Golf Club.
Brooke and Chelsey Collins, along with teammates Caroline Miller and Katie MacIntyre, make the Monarch Coyotes a favorite to win the school’s second state title in any sport (Monarch won the Class 4A football championship in 2002).
But mainstays such as Cherry Creek (six-time champion) and Heritage (five-time champion), as well as upstarts Douglas County and perennial Jefferson County League champion Green Mountain, will try to make it difficult for Monarch. Fort Collins would be among that group, but the Lambkins had some trouble in regionals and failed to qualify a full team.
Chelsey Collins and a packed list of others are among the individual favorites, but sophomores Brooke Collins and Littleton’s Becca Huffer have been playing very well.
“(Huffer) has to be the favorite, though the younger Collins sister certainly has been playing the best golf lately. They are the only ones I can see as being capable of shooting in the uppers 60s,” Green Mountain coach Roger Martenson said.
The Collins sisters and Huffer could play with few mistakes and still be challenged by a handful of others. Green Mountain’s Christina Duran and Cherry Creek’s Tracy Saracino are two of those contenders, and they will be playing in a threesome with Chelsey Collins.
“Any number of these girls, maybe a half dozen, could be champion,” Littleton coach Kevin Burdick said. “Becca has a great chance. There are a few holes out there where she will have to play smart, make the right club selection.”
While many of the senior golfers already have graduated, most of the underclassmen are trying to juggle their semester finals along with the state tournament. It can be an added stress in a game that is largely mental anyway.
But the more pressing challenge will be how the golfers manage the greens, which are oversized and offer a variety of looks.
“The greens are large, yes, but you can’t really characterize them. Some are flat, some have a different slope and contour, and you have to be on the right level as far as pin position,” said Andy Benson, the host course’s head PGA professional. “It’s a good test, and a player with a well-rounded game will fare better on a course like this.”
Great, more tests. But Martenson sounded a louder warning when it came to the greens.
“It’s going to be a putting contest. This course is right in front of you, and some of the greens are over 100 feet long. It can be easy to three- or even four-putt from that distance,” Martenson said.
5A girls state golf championships
Where: Highlands Ranch Golf Club
When: Today and Tuesday; shotgun start at 8:30 a.m.
