Top 10 teams
AUROR A In July, Eaglecrest’s Davis Bryant competed at the U.S Junior Amateur in Andover, Kan., where the senior made the cut on a national stage before losing in a suddendeath, match-play playoff in the next round of the tournament.
But that experience going wire to wire against some of the country’s stiffest competition — along with this summer’s Colorado Junior PGA Championship victory and last fall’s state runnerup finish — propelled Bryant to the top of a clustered leaderboard during Tuesday’s Class 5A state tournament at CommonGround Golf Course.
Bryant, who is committed to Colorado State, played the front nine at even par and then used consecutive birdies on the par-five 11th and par-three 12th, plus even-keeled, bogey-free play down the stretch, to finish at 3-under-par and become the first Eaglecrest golfer to win a state title.
“The birdie on 12 was unexpected — it was kind of a hard putt, and I’m glad it went in, because that helped,” Bryant said. “I just figured that if I made as many pars as I can, I’d stay in it, and eventually the putts would fall. That was my mind-set, because it was 1. Davis Bryant, Eaglecrest -3 2. D. Stewart, Fossil Ridge -1 3. Canon Olkowski, G.J. E 4. Tommy Packer, Arapahoe +2 4. Calvin McCoy, Regis +2 6. Freddie Gluck, Boulder +4 6. S. Blackwood, Heritage +4 6. Ryder Heuston, Fairview +4 6. C. Jones, Mtn. Range +4 6. S. Boonta, Cherokee Tr. +4 1. Regis Jesuit 2. Cherry Creek 3. Arapahoe 3. Grand Junction 5. Denver East 6. Fossil Ridge 7. Heritage 8. ThunderRidge 9. Rock Canyon 9. Fairview 9. Highlands Ranch +16 +23 +24 +24 +31 +32 +33 +35 +36 +36 +36 a grind out there. On the front nine, I couldn’t get any putts to go in the hole.”
Fossil Ridge’s Dillon Stewart took second at 1 under and Grand Junction’s Canon Olkowski was third at even par, and both gave Bryant — who had been the title favorite since before the season began — a run for his money down the stretch.
But Bryant, seasoned by the summer, never lost confidence when it mattered most.
“The summer taught me you’ve got to miss in the right spots, and over the last two days, only making three