Colorado Springs – She outlasted assorted nasty elements, two delays and the best the field had to offer, and had her family on hand every step of the way, so Brooke Collins’ medalist performance today in Class 5A was particularly satisfying.
The junior at Monarch in Louisville was consistent and staved off multiple challenges to shoot a two-day total of 1-under-par 145 at historic, forgiving Patty Jewett Golf Course.
Collins, who became the Coyotes’ first champion, called it the best tournament she has won and comes from a golfing family. Her father, Larry, is the director of golf at Omni Interlocken and her sister, Chelsey, was a regular big-school challenger, including finishing second as a junior two years ago, and recently completed her first season playing as an Oklahoma Sooner.
“It was great having my sister here & she’s crying right now,” Brooke Collins said.
Her four-stroke victory came over Bethany Buchner of Loveland, Kayley Kempton of Heritage and Melissa Martin of Central (G.J.), who each tied for second. Kempton, Martin and Becca Huffer of Littleton, the 2006 medalist, were in Collins’ group, so she knew where she stood and whom she had to outlast.
Her first-day 70 was the best round of the tournament and she enjoyed being the hunted.
“I was just trying to stay in the present,” Collins said. “I was really nervous, but I was thinking ‘fairways and greens, fairways and greens,’ and that’s what I did.”
She also had to deal with two weather delays totalling three-and-half hours.
“It was rough at first, but we were all in the same position and just had to deal with it,” Collins said. “We’re in Colorado, so the weather changes.”
But the lead never did. Collins consistently turned in pars on the back nine, save for a bogey on the par-3 15th in which she slid a sidehill 4-footer past the cup. However, she responded with consecutive pars, then capped it with a two-putt birdie.
“She won because she was the most consistent,” Monarch coach Mike Riley said.
Huffer, Kempton and Martin seemed to take turns missing greens, chunking chips or failing to drop putts while Collins went about her business. Huffer, who had 34 putts Monday, had two realistic chances of pressuring Collins, but missed a makeable birdie putt on 14 and ran her eagle attempt long enough past the hole on 16 that she also missed the birdie coming back.
Huffer finished fifth (150). Martin, whose first-day 71 left her a stroke off the lead, ballooned to a second-round 78. Buchner’s 74 paced the second round.
In the team chase, Cherry Creek (249-246-495) won its first title since 2001 and sixth overall. Tracy Saracino (eighth, 162), Kasha Scott (tied for 10th, 165) and Andrea McCarty (tied for 14th, 169) led the way. Teammate Kacie Curd was tied for 21st, 172. The Bruins’ total was 13 strokes better than Douglas County.
“It was nip and tuck,” Bruins coach Bob Kubiak said. “Rumors are always floating arund about what other teams were doing and all we know is what we’re doing. I was very nervous. This was the culmination of years of work.”
