At the AJGA’s Junior All-Star golf tournament in Aspen from June 8-11, you could have been spotted 17 strokes . . . and lost.
That’s because David Oraee, an incoming junior at Greeley West High School, scorched the 6,706-yard Aspen Golf Club layout — and the field — winning by an American Junior Golf Association-record 18 strokes.
“Everything was working for me,” Oraee said. “The game was just really easy. It was fun.”
The AJGA, which boasts more than 80 tournaments a year nationally, has been around since 1978, and never in its existence did former circuit regulars named Woods or Mickelson win by such a wide margin.
Oraee began his march through Aspen with a 6-under-par 66. It was a single-round tournament record and served notice the two-year captain of the Greeley West golf team found the course to his liking.
“It was a tight course, but you had enough room to hit driver and kind of let go,” Oraee said.
The next day, that’s exactly what Oraee did, letting go of an 8-under 64 that again established a tournament single-round record as well as a personal best.
After entering the final round with a 13-stroke lead, Oraee finished with a 2-under 70 for a 16-under 200 total — another tournament record — and broke the AJGA record for margin of victory. Richard Lee held the old mark, winning a 2004 event in Las Cruces, N.M., by 15 strokes.
Earning a place alongside Oraee in the AJGA record book — albeit on the wrong end, 18 strokes back in second — was Myles Miller of Wellington, Kan.
“To win by that amount, it’s just showing that I’m on the right track and that I can go out there and do that every time,” said Oraee, an honor-roll student at Greeley West.
And to win in such a dominating fashion put Oraee right on track to be selected the June winner of The Denver Post Youth Excellence in Sports contest.
“That’s probably the biggest tournament I’ve won,” Oraee said.
YES!
For Oraee, who turned 16 on June 23, it was a perfect ending to competing in junior all-star tournaments, which are limited to players ages 12 to 15.
“I felt proud of the way I played,” he said, “and just knowing that all the practice is paying off.”
Oraee again put all that practice to good use last week at the U.S. Junior Amateur sectional qualifying at Boomerang Links in Greeley, finishing in a four-way tie for second after posting rounds of 69 and 70.
“I played solid,” Oraee said. “I didn’t play great, and I didn’t mess up that bad.”
After a playoff, however, Oraee was bumped to first alternate for the July 20-25 tournament at Trump National Golf Course in Bedminster, N.J.
Up next for Oraee is the Big I Junior Classic this week at Highland Hills Golf Course and Boomerang Links.
“I’ve been playing pretty solid golf,” Oraee said. “I’ve just got to keep it going.”
If he can keep it going and finish among the top three at the Big I qualifier in Greeley, Oraee will advance to the national tournament in Ardmore, Okla., from July 25-30.
It’s all part of Oraee’s grand plan to get where he eventually wants to be.
“I’d like to play college golf and just get as good as I can and hopefully try to turn pro,” Oraee said. “We’ll see what happens.”
Al Daniel: 303-954-1892 or adaniel@denverpost.com
Honorable mention
FRONT RANGE VOLLEYBALL CLUB
The Front Range 12 Pink went 6-3 in matches and finished tied for 13th in the silver division at the USAV Girls Junior Olympic Championships from June 26-30 in Miami.
ELEANOR FULTON
The Highlands Ranch High School standout overtook McKinzie Schulz of Lisle, Ill., over the final 100 meters to win the girls 2,000- meter steeplechase June 30, one day before adding the 3,000- meter run title to her collection at the World Youth Track and Field Trials in Ypsilanti, Mich.
Al Daniel, The Denver Post
Know a top athlete?
Youth Excellence in Sports honors those 17 or younger who have excelled in any athletic endeavor unaffiliated with the Colorado High School Activities Association. To submit your choice for the top individual or team achievement during July, visit for an online form or fax a brief description of the achievement to 303-866-9004 (Attention: “Youth Excellence”).
