Amateurs defeat the pros for the ninth time in the last 10 years at the Western Colorado Cup Matches
By Gary Baines – 10/24/2023
It proved a close competition on Saturday — unlike the previous three years — but the amateurs defeated the pros for the fourth consecutive fall in the Western Colorado Cup Matches, held for the 27th time.
This time around at Bookcliff Country Club in Grand Junction, the amateurs prevailed 11-9 over the pros in a competition which featured three nine-hole sessions — four-ball, foursomes and singles.
The victory allowed the amateurs to take the lead in the all-time standings for the first time as they now lead the pros 14 wins to 13. Amateurs now have claimed the Western Colorado Cup overall title 14 times in the last 17 years after pros won each of the first 10 matchups. The ams have prevailed nine of the last 10 years.
The winning amateur team, from left: Doug Choate, Walter Rogers, Scott Sullivan, Dawson Hussong, Sean Thomas, Dave Sorel, Jolene Hanson, Jason Browder, Jessica Smith and Frank Wilkinson (non-playing captain). Not pictured: Jason Stanfield. (Photo: Terri Knode)
On Saturday, the amateurs won in four-ball (4-1) and the pros in foursomes (3-2) and the sides evenly split the points in singles (5-5).
Two players won all of their matches on Saturday — pro Erika Webster (3-0) and amateur Sean Thomas (3-0).
The Western Colorado Cup — supported by the CGA and the Colorado PGA — benefits the Western Colorado Golf Foundation, with proceeds helping provide college scholarships to western Coloradans who participated in golf activities during their high school years. About $238,000 has been raised for the cause over the years.
Frank Wilkinson, a member of the CGA board of directors, serves as chairman of the competition besides being the non-competing captain of the amateur team. The pros were captained by Luke Brosterhous.
Western Colorado Cup Matches
Saturday at Bookcliff CC in Grand Junction
(Open Men Played Black Tee Boxes; Senior Men Blue Tee Boxes; Women Red Tee Boxes. Note: Each team featuresd 5 open-age men, 2 women and 3 senior men)
OVERALL FINAL SCORE: AMATEURS 11, PROS 9
Four-Ball Final Score: Amateurs 4, Pros 1
Sean Thomas and Jason Browder (amateurs) def. Remington Post and Josh Dunahoe (pros), 1 up
Scott Sullivan and Dave Sorel (amateurs) def. Doug Rohrbaugh and Chuck Cobb (pros), 1 up
Erika Webster and David Havens (pros) def. Dawson Hussong and Jason Stanfield (amateurs), 2 and 1
Jessica Smith and Jolene Hanson (amateurs) def. Loren Forney and Russ Aragon (pros), 2 and 1
Doug Choate and Walter Rogers (amateur) def. Bryan Marshall and Jacque Deyoe (pros), 2 and 1
Foursomes Final Score: Pros 3, Amateurs 2
David Havens and Chuck Cobb (pros) def. Scott Sullivan and Dave Sorel (amateurs), 1 up
Loren Forney and Erika Webster (pros) def. Jessica Smith and Jolene Hanson (amateurs), 2 up
Dawson Hussong and Jason Stanfield (amateurs) def. Remington Post and Bryan Marshall (pros), 2 and 1
Josh Dunahoe and Russ Aragon (pros) def. Doug Choate and Walter Rogers (amateurs), 1 up
Sean Thomas and Jason Browder (amateurs) def. Doug Rohrbaugh and Jacque Deyoe (pros), 3 and 2
Singles Final Score: Amateurs 5, Pros 5
Erika Webster (pro) def. Jolene Hanson (amateur), 1 up
Jessica Smith (amateur) def. Loren Forney (pro), 2 and 1
Jason Stanfield (amateur) def. Remington Post (pro), 2 and 1
Doug Choate (amateur) def. David Havens (pro), 2 up
Sean Thomas (amateur) def. Jacque Deyoe (pro), 1 up
Jason Browder (amateur) tied with Josh Dunahoe (pro)
Doug Rohrbaugh (pro) def. Dave Sorel (amateur), 2 up
Scott Sullivan (amateur) tied with Russ Aragon (pro)
Chuck Cobb (pro) def. Walter Rogers (amateur), 1 up
Bryan Marshall (pro) def. Dawson Hussong (amateur), 2 up
About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. He was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com