---By CGA Staff - 10/04/2026
WESTMINSTER, Colo. — Colin Prater captured the 40th CGA Mid-Amateur Championship, his 3rd CGA Mid-Amateur title, by closing out three days of low scoring that he described as a "birdie fest."
"Compared to last year, for sure," he said when asked whether Legacy Ridge played easier than the 2025 venue. "Yeah, it was a birdie fest, so it's fun, right? I think it brings more guys into it. But it's fire at the pin, try and make as many birdies as possible. I was really trying to get to 20. That was really kind of my goal."
He came close — he finished at 19 under par, three strokes ahead of 2024 champion Charlie Soule, and 5 strokes in front of 2026 CGA Western Championship winner Collin Engelhardt.
Prater gets a congratulatory handshake on 18 from runner-up Charlie Soule (2024 Champion)
Prater's week was defined by a pair of short putts on the ninth hole that kept flipping his rounds back in his favor.
"I struggled for the first eight," he said of the opening round. "I hit it to a foot on nine and it kind of settled me down. Then I was able to put some good swings on some shots and play the back five under. So I played my last 10 six under the first day, which was solid."
He carried that form into Day 2 — right up until a moment he didn't even realize was historic for Legacy Ridge.
"I was just able to kind of carry that to yesterday and played really solid," Prater said. "Made a bunch of 10-footers for birdie, until my little mishap on nine (his 18th hole on day 2), where I had a 15-footer to shoot 60, and I ended up walking off the green making bogey."
Prater’s 62 was one off the course record of 61. Asked if he knew the putt was for the course record, Prater laughed: "I did not, no."
Prater's putter was hot on the back nines, and the entire second round
The final round followed a similar script. A mid-round lull, another short approach to a foot at the ninth, and then the cruise control that has become his trademark.
"Today, it was kind of eh, then I hit to about a foot on nine again, so that kind of again settled me down," he said. "My chip-in on 10 really helped, and then it was just kind of cruise control from there."
With the lead in hand down the stretch, Prater chose prudence over glory on the closing hole — laying up on 18 rather than chasing the 20-under number he had circled at the start of the week.
The win comes as Prater steps into a new role: assistant coach for the Colorado State men's golf program, working alongside head coach — and mentor — Coach Kennedy. It's a job that already shapes how he talks about his own game.
"If you could give one piece of advice to your college players, what would it be?" he was asked.
"They've heard me say it already a lot," Prater said. "It's just keep the ball in front of you. Try and make smart decisions and then execute those shots. I made some silly swings here and there and I made some poor decisions, especially on the front making some bogeys. But yeah — make smart decisions and then execute those shots."
Did he take his own advice this week? By his own grading, mostly.
"For the most part, I'd say 45 of 54, I did a pretty good job," he said. "It was the nine holes that I didn't play very well that I had won back."
Prater was throwing darts in the flagsticks this week
Prater has accomplished plenty in amateur golf – In addition to earning his 3rd Mid-Amateur title this year, he tied a record by winning the CGA Amateur for the fourth time. He’s also claimed two CGA Match Play titles and competed in one U.S. Open and four U.S. Amateurs — with No. 5 coming up next summer. The question now is what comes next — and his answer starts with the whistle, not the tee.
"I really love coaching. Coaching is something that I think is in my blood," he said. "I really want to pursue that opportunity I have with CSU and Coach Kennedy. And then — I know it sounds silly — but it's just try and get a little bit better, right here and there."
He conceded that teaching and coaching have cut into his own playing time, which makes a December trip to Phoenix an important checkpoint.
"I haven't played a lot of golf recently, focusing on teaching and coaching, so [I need to] make sure my game's in shape, because I'm playing in the Patriot in Phoenix in December," he said. "That's the next step. That's the next goal."
And beyond that? A certain club in Augusta, Georgia.
"I did hear some rumors that your biggest goal is to reach the Masters one day," he was told.
"Yeah, that's perfect-world stuff. That's a long way off," Prater said. "I'd love to win the Am and play in the Masters. I think that'd be super cool, especially after accomplishing playing in the U.S. Open. Yeah, Masters is the next goal. So maybe 10 years from now — who knows? You never know."
Prater has been named the CGA Mid-Amateur Player of the Year 4 times, and 3 of those 4 he was also named the CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year. 2026 may see that trend continue.
COMPLETE RESULTS
PHOTOS
Prater's 3-year-old daughter Blake is getting used to hoisting heavy trophies