36 Down, 36 To Go

At course he’s played 600+ times, Coloradan Hunter Swanson moves into contention at Colorado Open in pro debut; Blake Tomlinson leads after 2nd straight 65; despite breaking hand less than 2 months ago, Coloradan AJ Ott in the hunt

By Gary Baines – 7/24/2026

DENVER — One golfer who basically grew up playing at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club — and generally spent an enormous amount of time there — won the Inspirato Colorado Open two years ago as Davis Bryant pulled off the accomplishment.

Now is it possible that another GVR product can make it two Colorado Open titles in three years?

We’ll see as there are still two rounds left in the tournament, but Hunter Swanson at least kept the dream alive on Friday by moving onto the leaderboard at his old stomping grounds.

The former University of Colorado golfer — who will be a part-time assistant coach for the Buffs this coming season — shot a 6-under-par 65 in round 2, leaving him at 9 under at the halfway point of the $200,000 tournament, three out of the lead.

All in all, it has the possibility of being quite a story — even more so because the 22-year-old who lives in Superior is making his pro debut, at least if you don’t count the Monday qualifier for the Korn Ferry Tour event he played in early this month. (He didn’t qualify for the Blue Championship at TPC Colorado, but caddied for former CU teammate Justin Biwer, who tied for fifth place in his KFT debut.)

Being in contention in the Colorado Open “is all you can ask for really,” said Swanson, a former two-time Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado boys player of the year. “I came into this week with high expectations for myself, and those are naturally going to be there. But I just wanted to make sure that I kept it fun.

“This is a very important, special week to me. My pro debut being at my home course, in the tournament I grew up watching ever since I was a little kid. I just wanted to keep it simple. But it feels great to be up near the top. But I’m just happy to play the weekend, really.”

Swanson’s history at GVR runs deep. He was part of the course’s First Tee program for 13 years and he also caddied at the facility. And he played at GVR — a lot. Asked to estimate how many times he’s teed it up at the course, he took a moment to do some math before settling on “every bit of 600.”

Swanson (right, with caddie Jeff Nelson) was all smiles after round 2.

And how much of an advantage is that for him during a week like this?

“I think it’s just great to have some familiarity, have some tee shots and some second shots that I know,” he said, noting that he gave guidance to some fellow players during practice rounds. “I just grew up with it. And I grew up reading these greens. This is where I learned how to read greens. So you’d think I’d have a little bit of an edge there. But at the end of the day, it matters hitting the actual line you want. But I have a lot more ‘comfortability’ here, especially with my buddy, (Jeff Nelson), being on the bag. We grew up playing here, since we were kids. We’ve had our battles out here.”

On Friday, Swanson brought his experience and ability to bear, hitting all 18 greens in regulation and shooting a bogey-free round. He drove it just over the green on the 347-yard 14th hole and holed a 30-foot eagle putt from the rough. From there, he added four birdies.

In fact, Swanson has gone bogey-free for his last 33 holes after bogeying two of his first three holes on Thursday. Asked if he’d ever before hit 18 greens in regulation at GVR, Swanson said, “I think, yeah, for sure. But not in the Colorado Open. It means a little bit more when you do it like that, right?”

Surprisingly, perhaps, given his background, this marks just Swanson’s second Colorado Open. He missed the cut in 2023. The main reason for so few appearances is that for several years he represented the CGA at the Pacific Coast Amateur, which usually features roughly the same dates on the calendar.

And now that he is teeing it up again in the tournament he watched at GVR growing up, Swanson hasn’t exactly been at ease.

“I’m not going to lie: I’ve been pretty nervous these last couple days,” he said. “It just means so much to me to be here. The ‘care’ is there for sure. But I’ve definitely left a few (shots) out there because of nerves.”

Swanson couldn’t coax in his birdie putt at No. 9 on Friday.

Leader Blake Tomlinson Stuck on 65: The 36-hole leader of the Colorado Open is someone who has never before competed in the event, Blake Tomlinson of Salt Lake City, who had to qualify to get into this year’s field. After “not playing well really at all this year,” the former University of Utah golfer has posted back-to-back 65s, leaving him at 12 under par and with a one-stroke lead.

Tomlinson has one state open title to his credit — the 2022 Utah Open — and hopes to add another this weekend at GVR.

“I wouldn’t say I’m used to being up there (in contention), but I know what it’s like, and I know what to expect, so I’m hoping for a good weekend,” the 27-year-old said.

Tomlinson recorded seven birdies and a bogey on Friday and has carded just one bogey in 36 holes.

“I’m definitely hitting the ball better than I had been,” said the former PGA Tour Americas player.

Two players trail Tomlinson by one at the tournament’s halfway point — Jamie Wilson of Charleston, S.C., and Rylan Johnson of Gilbert, Ariz.

Wilson shot an 8-under-par 63 on Friday, making an eagle from 6 feet on the par-5 12th holes, seven birdies and a bogey to check in at 11 under par overall.

“Some days it’s your day, and you see the putts fall in, and today was that for me,” the 28-year-old former University of South Carolina golfer said.

Wilson, playing in the Colorado Open for the third straight year, enjoys returning to GVR each summer.

“It’s such a fun track,” he said. “You can you can get yourself into trouble, but you can also make a ton of birdies. And the greens are perfect, the fairways are perfect. I just love coming out here. It’s always such a fun trip for me. I have family up in Longmont, so it’s always fun to see them. It’s definitely one I have circled on my calendar.”

Wilson is a four-time winner on the GPro Tour, but the Colorado Open separates itself in several respects.

“You just feel the atmosphere; it feels like a big golf tournament — and it has been for a long time,” he said. “The field is always comprised of really good players. The golf course sets up really well for a great test. They treat us so well and the people are so nice and fun to be around.”

Also at 11 under is former Oregon State golfer Johnson, who chalked up a 6-under 65 on Friday, making seven birdies and a bogey. It was the second straight seven-birdie round for the 22-year-old.

AJ Ott, who finished third in the Colorado Open last year, hopes to make another run at the title this weekend.

AJ Ott Rebounds Nicely From Broken Hand: To see AJ Ott on the leaderboard at the Colorado Open is no surprise. After all, the Denver resident who grew up in Fort Collins finished third at the Open last year and ninth two years ago.

But given this year’s back story, foreseeing that the former CGA Player of the Year would be contending this week seemed unlikely.

After all, the former Colorado State University golfer suffered a small fracture in his right hand on Memorial Day while playing some pick-up basketball. And he didn’t play his next full round of golf since until Sunday — four days before the opening round of the Colorado Open. And even on Friday, he was begging off handshakes in favor of fist bumps for people greeting him.

Despite that, the 28-year-old shot a bogey-free 6-under 65 on Friday and moved withinfour strokes of the lead.

“When I got back, I didn’t really have any technical things I was fighting. I just was going and playing golf, which might be a blessing in disguise, you know?” Ott said.

Indeed, instead of going into the middle of summer a little burned out from playing tournament after tournament, Ott is refreshed this time, having been sidelined for the better part of two months. He didn’t have surgery, but wore a brace to facilitate healing.

“If anything, it’s helped me just be kind of fresh, you know?” Ott said. “I feel like this time of year you’re so busy (normally). So I was bummed to miss out, but I’m also fortunate to feel refreshed and excited to go play. I think in the past, sometimes you can just play so much, and you almost get a little bit burned out, competing so much. So it’s unfortunate that I broke it, but fortunate that it happened when it did and I still can play the rest of the year.

“I haven’t been competing for a month and a half, so I definitely missed it, so I’ve just enjoyed being out here.”

A 66 on Friday wasn’t enough to keep Kevin Stadler around for the weekend at GVR.

Thursday Snowman Leads to Premature Exit for Kevin Stadler: The way Kevin Stadler finished the 18th hole on Thursday at the Colorado Open was almost wince-inducing — and certainly not something an observer might expect from a player who has won on the PGA Tour.

On the par-5, the 2014 Phoenix Open champion was in the fairway, 80 yards from the pin in two. His third shot came up well short, in a bunker. His sand shot was heavy and trickled down to the front fringe. Four putts later, his ball finally fell into the hole — for a dreaded “snowman” — a triple-bogey 8.

We only rehash the details because had the 2002 Colorado Open champion even limited the damage to a bogey there, he’d be playing on the weekend rather than missing the cut.

It was an unfortunate outcome for the part-time Denver resident and impending Colorado Golf Hall of Famer — simply because of how well he played the day before and the day after shooting a 76 on Thursday. In Wednesday’s pro-am, Stadler said he made an eagle and eight birdies, though he and his group couldn’t finish the round due to weather issues. Then on Friday, the Kent Denver High School graduate carded seven birdies and shot a 5-under 66, leaving him at even par overall.

“I was actually playing pretty nice lately, so I was looking forward to this,” Stadler said of the Colorado Open. “And then yesterday was just a debacle. I made a triple on the last hole out of nowhere. It was just disgusting — just stuff that you shouldn’t do. Unfortunately, that’s the one shot I should have kicked it in there for birdie on 18, and I made 8 instead. And it’s going to cost me making the weekend.

“I was looking forward to playing here. I love this event and like the golf course.”

Stadler is spending most of the summer at his part-time residence near the University of Denver. He’ll be inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame on Aug. 30, and his dad Craig, a 2016 CGHOF enshinee, is expected to be there.

“It’ll be fun,” Kevin said.

Pat Grady shot a 30 on his front nine on Friday, but still fell short of advancing to the weekend.

Notable: Parker Edens, who grew up in Greeley and finished his college playing career at Colorado State, shares the lead in the amateur division at 6 under par after posing a 67 on Friday. Also at that figure is Sam Renner of Bend, Ore. (67-69). Edens was the Colorado Open low amateur in 2023 and ’24, and placed second overall in ’23. … First-day leader Ethan Farnam backed up his Thursday 62 with a 4-over-par 75 on Friday. … The 66 players who stood at 2 under par or better made the 36-hole cut. Among those who fell short of advancing to the weekend were former champions Zahkai Brown (-1), Kevin Stadler (E), Wil Collins (E), Dru Love (+2) and Jimmy Gunn (+9), plus amateur Brady Duval, son of former world No. 1 David Duval (-1). Amateur Pat Grady, who rallied by shooting a 6-under-par 30 on his front nine Friday, finished with 66 but still missed by two, at even par. … Four-time PGA Tour winner Sean O’Hair moved into the top 20 on Friday with a second-round 67, which left him at 6 under par overall.

For all the scores from the Colorado Open, CLICK HERE.

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. The University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com