First Go-Around

Lakewood’s Barela tied for lead going into final round of inaugural Rocky Mountain Amateur

By Gary Baines - 7/14/2020

A Coloradan shares the lead with one round remaining in the inaugural Rocky Mountain Amateur being played at Colorado National Golf Club in Erie.

Griffin Barela of Lakewood, a University of Wisconsin golfer who has finished third in the last two CGA Amateur Championships, posted scores of 66-68 on Tuesday for a 10-under-par 134 total. He and Connor Howe of Ogden, Utah share the top spot going into Wednesday’s final round of the 54-hole event, which is part of the Troon Saguaro Amateur Series that’s run in part by University of Colorado men’s golf head coach Roy Edwards.

Barela carded 11 birdies and one bogey on a 36-hole day on Tuesday.

Howe recently Monday qualified for the Korn Ferry Tour’s TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes — where he missed the 36-hole cut — and he won the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior in 2016. On Tuesday, he recorded an eagle, 10 birdies and two bogeys.

Another Utahn, Carson Lundell of Alpine, holds third place at 9-under 135 (66-69).

Joining Barela as Coloradans in the top 10 after two rounds are University of Denver golfer Connor Jones of Westminster (68-69—137, tie for fifth place) and two-time Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado Boys Player of the Year Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins (67-71–138, eighth place). Stewart plays his college golf at Oklahoma State.

For all the scores from the Rocky Mountain Amateur, CLICK HERE.