50 years after Colorado Cup matches were first played, CGA amateurs and Colorado PGA pros set to square off in latest edition
By Gary Baines – 10/11/2021
Exactly a half-century ago this year, the first Colorado Cup matches — fun but very competitive events between top pros and amateurs in the state that lead to bragging rights being gained and lost — were conducted.
For the record, the first Colorado Cup matches were held in 1971 at Lakewood Country Club, where Colorado PGA professionals defeated CGA amateurs 10-5 in the match-play competition.
From ’71 through 2017, it was an annual affair, but in recent years it’s become a biennial event, held in odd-numbered years. The next edition, the 49th, happens this week — Wednesday, specifically — at the Mountain Course at The Pinery Country Club, the Parker facility that will host the matches for the first time.
Over the decades, additional groups have joined the competition, with seniors added starting in 1983 (and at different sites than the open division from ’83-89) and women in 2002. And after years of having three separate competitions — open, senior and women — the last two Colorado Cups (2017 and ’19) have simply featured a single overall winner, albeit still with three divisions of players.
In that new iteration, the pros won 26-14 in 2017 and the amateurs 23-17 in 2019.
Over the years, some of the players who competed for the CGA amateur squad in the Colorado Cup and have since gained some professional golf notoriety include Steve Jones, Kevin Stadler, Bob Byman, Brandt Jobe, Jim Knous, Matt Zions and Bill Loeffler (who has competed in the matches both as an amateur and a pro).
In another relatively recent change, because the matches were moved from summertime to October — in the midst of the fall portion of the college golf schedule — the NCAA informed event organizers four years ago that college players would not be allowed to compete in the event anymore. That removed collegians — which make up most of the best amateurs in the state in the open and women’s divisions — from playing for the CGA squad. The year 2017 marked the first Colorado Cup conducted with that change. Nowadays, it’s primarily up to mid-amateurs and seniors to carry the load for the amateur squad.
Traditionally, the Colorado Cup had featured a dozen players each for the pros and the amateurs in the open and senior divisions, and six in the women’s division. Now it’s eight, eight and four, respectively, for each squad.
Also, instead of separate 18-hole singles and four-ball matches, there are now three nine-hole matches: four-ball in the morning, foursomes starting at noon, and singles later in the afternoon.
For the record, when there were separate competitions, the Colorado PGA professionals led the all-time series in the open division, 30-14 with two draws. The CGA’s amateurs led the denior fivision series 16-15, with three draws. And the CWGA’s amateurs won all 11 Colorado Cup Matches in which they competed against the pros.
At the Colorado Cup, one point is awarded for each individual win and 0.5 for a tie.
2021 Colorado Cup Matches
At The Pinery CC’s Mountain Course
(P — indicates Colorado PGA professional; A — indicates CGA amateur)
9-HOLE FOUR-BALL
Jeff Carter/Caine Fitzgerald (P) vs. Bryan Rusin/Chris Thayer (A)
Geoff Keffer/Jason Witczak (P) vs. Tyler Bishop/Ryan Burke (A)
Mike Weingartner/Tyler Parsloe (P) vs. Cole Nygren/Joel Perez (A)
Kyle Voska/Grant Jackson (P) vs. Nick Nosewicz/Charlie Soule (A)
Doug Rohrbaugh/Micah Rudosky (P) vs. Steve Ivan/Keith Atkins (A)
Barry Milstead/Rick Cole (P) vs. Robert Polk/Scott Sullivan (A)
Bill Hancock/Brian Gott (P) vs. John Hornbeck/Bill Fowler (A)
Mark Avery/Ron Vlosich (P) vs. David Delich/Bob Schuler (A)
Jackie Cunningham/Katie Milstead (P) vs. Kristine Franklin/Erin Houtsma (A)
Tara Morris/Sam Crawford (P) vs. Kim Eaton/Rachael Watton (A)
9-HOLE FOURSOMES
Jeff Carter/Caine Fitzgerald (P) vs. Bryan Rusin/Chris Thayer (A)
Geoff Keffer/Jason Witczak (P) vs. Tyler Bishop/Ryan Burke (A)
Mike Weingartner/Tyler Parsloe (P) vs. Cole Nygren/Joel Perez (A)
Kyle Voska/Grant Jackson (P) vs. Nick Nosewicz/Charlie Soule (A)
Doug Rohrbaugh/Micah Rudosky (P) vs. Steve Ivan/Keith Atkins (A)
Barry Milstead/Rick Cole (P) vs. Robert Polk/Scott Sullivan (A)
Bill Hancock/Brian Gott (P) vs. John Hornbeck/Bill Fowler (A)
Mark Avery/Ron Vlosich (P) vs. David Delich/Bob Schuler (A)
Jackie Cunningham/Katie Milstead (P) vs. Kristine Franklin/Erin Houtsma (A)
Tara Morris/Sam Crawford (P) vs. Kim Eaton/Rachael Watton (A)
9-HOLE SINGLES
To be determined
For pairings online — as they’re currently known — CLICK HERE.
For more on the outcome of past Colorado Cup matches, visit the CGA results archive section by CLICKING HERE.