It takes a 23-hole match, but former Coloradan Parker Edens makes quarterfinals at U.S. Mid-Am for third time; Westminster’s Kris Franklin falls in round of 32 at U.S. Senior Women’s Am.
By Gary Baines
Parker Edens — who grew up in Greeley, and played college golf at Colorado State and was an assistant coach there — has put together yet another very strong performance at the U.S. Mid-Amateur, despite the championship annually taking place during the college season for the now-head coach at South Dakota State.
Edens, seeded 12th after stroke play at Sand Valley Resort in Nekoosa, Wis., defeated Sean O’Donnell of Pinehurst, N.C. in Tuesday afternoon’s round of 16 to advance to the U.S. Mid-Am quarterfinals for the third time in the last four years.
Edens trailed 2 down after 11 holes, but the former Coloradan won the next two holes with a pair of pars to square the match. Then they tied the next nine holes, primarily with pars, but also two holes with bogeys and one with birdies.
Then Edens completed the comeback when he birdied the 23rd hole, a 364-yard par-4, while O’Donnell carded a bogey. The match equaled the longest of this year’s championship.
Edens finished 3 over par for the match after making birdies on the final two holes. O’Donnell was 6 over.
In Wednesday’s quarterfinals, Edens will face fellow former pro — and a former Duke golfer — Nate Smith of Tetonia, Idaho, the 45th seed. Winners of quarterfinal matches on Wednesday morning will play in the semifinals that afternoon. The final is set for Thursday.
This marks the fourth consecutive year Edens has advanced to at least the round of 16 at the 264-player national championship for men’s amateurs age 25 and older. He previously went to the quarterfinals in 2023 and ’25, and to the sweet 16 two years ago.
Earlier on Tuesday, Edens cruised past 44th-seeded Rhadames Pena of the Dominican Republic in the round of 32, 5 and 4. The former CSU golfer never trailed in the match, and lost only one hole while winning six of the first 11. He finished 3 under par for 14 holes.
Edens’ South Dakota State men’s golf team is in the midst of its first month of the college season. In fact, SDSU finished second on Tuesday at the Badger Invitational at the University of Wisconsin.
Edens is a two-time Inspirato Colorado Open low amateur. O’Donnell won the Carolinas Golf Association Mid-Amateur this year.
Here are how players with strong Colorado ties have fared at the 2026 U.S. Mid-Am:
U.S. Mid-Amateur at Sand Valley Resort in Nekoosa, Wis.
MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 16 TUESDAY
Former Coloradan Parker Edens def. Sean O’Donnell, Pinehurst, N.C., 23 holes
MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 32 TUESDAY
Former Coloradan Parker Edens def. Rhadames Pena, Dominican Republic, 5 and 4
MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 64 MONDAY
Former Coloradan Parker Edens def. Mike Calef, West Bridgewater, Mass., 3 and 1
Christian Cavaliere, Katonah, N.Y., def. Ryan Schmitz, Denver, 1 up
STROKE PLAY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
Advance to Match Play
7. Ryan Schmitz, Denver 72-67–139
12. Former Coloradan Parker Edens 74-66—140
Failed to Advance to Match Play
Zach Gomez, Westminster 75-73–148
Cooper Taylor, Superior 75-77—152
Gary Knight, Erie 79-77—156
Sean Crowley, Littleton 80-79–159
Cole Anderson, Colorado Springs 76-86—162
For all the results from the U.S. Mid-Am, CLICK HERE.
Meanwhile, at the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur in Portland, Ore., Kris Franklin of Westminster saw her run end after advancing to Tuesday’s round of 32.
Franklin, winner of 10 CGA women’s senior major championships, fell to Lynne Cowan of Rocklin, Calif., 1 up. The Coloradan had finished fifth out of 132 players in the stroke-play portion of the event, going 78-71 (+5).
Franklin led 2 up through seven holes, but Cowan won the next three holes — with a par, bogey and birdie, respectively — to go ahead, and Franklin never regained the advantage. They were tied after Franklin’s birdie on the 14th hole, but Cowan rebounded with a winning par on 15 and maintained that 1-up lead the rest of the way.
Franklin finished 9 over par for the round, the same as Cowan.
Here are how players with strong Colorado ties fared at the 2026 U.S. Senior Women’s Am:
U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur at Portland (Ore.) GC
MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 32 TUESDAY
Lynne Cowan, Rocklin, Calif. def. Kris Franklin, Westminster, 1 up
MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 64 MONDAY
Kris Franklin, Westminster, def. Hui Chong Dofflemyer, Belvidere, Ill., 4 and 3
STROKE PLAY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
Advances to Match Play
5. Kris Franklin, Westminster 78-71–149
Failed to Advance to Match Play
Janet Moore, Greenwood Village 79-90—169
Part-time Gunnison-area resident Marilyn Hardy 87-85–172
Haejeong Son, Castle Rock 94-80–174
Christie Austin, Denver 92-89—181
Sheila Schroeder, Englewood 95-91–186
For all the results from the U.S. Senior Women’s Am, 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