Taking a Final Bow

45th Colorado Junior Amateur Championship

Emma Bryant, daughter of PGA Professional Matt Bryant, won her third JGAC major, while Charlie Flaxbeard captured his first. 20-stroke victory — in her final JGAC event — gives Emma Bryant her third JGAC major title, and her family its seventh; Charlie Flaxbeard prevails for boys victory in Colorado Junior Amateur

By Gary Baines Click Here For Full Article

Emma Bryant, an Aurora resident and Eaglecrest High School graduate, lapped the field this week, prevailing by a mind-boggling 20 strokes in what she said was her final Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado tournament ever.

“It’s kind of like it’s not believable that I won by that much, if I’m being honest, ” said Bryant, who will play her college golf at the University of Denver beginning in the fall. “I played really, really well, but I feel like I left shots out there. I’m very happy but it just feels unreal that it was by that much. “Obviously, I definitely wanted to play well” with this being her JGAC finale.

All-time records aren’t complete for the Colorado Junior Amateur, which dates back to 1979 for the girls, but it’s a good bet that Bryant set the standard for largest victory margin. Just by way of example, current LPGA Tour standout Jennifer Kupcho won the Colorado Junior Amateur by nine in 2014, current social media sensation Paige Spiranac prevailed by 10 in 2010, and two-time CoBank Colorado Women’s Open champion Becca Huffer captured her title by eight in 2005.

Bryant — who plays out of Green Valley Ranch Golf Club where her dad Matt is the PGA general manager and her mom Julie is the director of operations for the Colorado Open Golf Foundation — went 69-69-70 for an 8-underpar total of 208. For the week, she carded 14 birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey.

Meanwhile, the boys tournament was much closer, though Charlie Flaxbeard of Greenwood Village did emerge with a two-stroke victory after posting 71-69 the final two rounds at Legacy Ridge.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while,” said Flaxbeard, a 16-year-old junior-to-be at Cherry Creek High School. “One of my goals coming into the season was to win a three-day event out here. So it’s huge, you know? It’s a real confidence-booster.” Flaxbeard came on strong in the final round to claim the title. He used three straight birdies in the middle of his round — on holes 8 (15 feet), 9 (40 feet) and 10 (3 inches) — to take the outright lead, added another birdie on 13, then “just held on for dear life,” as he put it.