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Wide range of golfers take to Yampa Valley links in 52nd Cottonwood Classic

Players and personnel gather around the scoreboards Sunday following the 52nd annual Cottonwood Classic at Yampa Valley Golf Course.
Andy Bockelman

From a returning champion to an ace on the day to its youngest player taking charge, the 52nd annual Cottonwood Classic was full of excitement.

52nd annual Cottonwood Classic results

• Championship Flight — Gross Scores

Golfer — Round 1/2/3, Total; Winnings

Keith Humerickhouse — 73/70/75, 218; $375

Kirk Cavarra — 77/74/72, 223

KC Carlson — 77/75/72, 224; $280

John Dickson — 79/74/77, 230; $185

Jeb Savage — 83/72/76, 231; $90

Cole Manuppella — 73/84/76, 233

Eric Pollock — 79/79/80, 238

Colin Singer — 87/78/73, 238

PJ Zenewicz — 79/78/81, 238

Anthony Komatz — 79/80/80, 239

Frank Wilkinson — 86/80/77, 243

Carl Suksdorf — 84/86/78, 248

Ernie Thiel — 77/85/86, 248

Ali Pirzadeh — 82/83/85, 250

Gene Harnasch — 82/83/87, 252

Jeff Henson — 86/85/84, 255

Net winners

Kirk Cavarra — 68/65/63, 196; $375

Eric Pollock — 69/66/71, 206; $280

Cole Manuppella — 67/78/70, 215; $185

Frank Wilkinson — 77/71/68, 216; $90

Senior winners

Gross

Kirk Cavarra — 77/74/72, 223; $50

Net

Frank Wilkinson — 77/71/68, 216; $50

• First Flight

Dave Andujo, Jr. — 81/74/77, 232; $375

David Jenson — 76/84/75, 235; $280

Jeff Hill — 80/80/78, 238

Pete Heuer — 80/81/81, 242

Mike Wommack — 83/82/79, 244; $185

Rocky Pollock — 86/82/80, 248; $90

Shawn Brookshire — 86/81/82, 249

Greg Hamilton — 86/81/82, 249

Butch Behrman — 83/79/89, 251

Matthew Wilkinson — 91/77/83, 251

Dave O’Mailia — 83/77/92, 252

Mark Fischer — 87/82/84, 253

Mike Kuberry — 88/85/82, 255

Richard Woolley — 86/83/86, 255

Trini Loya — 90/87/81, 258

William Barclay — 99/81/79, 259

Ed Hunt — 92/77/94, 263

James Wilkinson — 90/85/88, 263

Jay Brent — 94/85/86, 265

Brandon Zimmerman — 90/88/90, 268

Mike Gardner — 95/83/95, 273

Net winners

Jeff Hill — 68/68/66, 202; $375

Pete Heuer — 67/68/68, 203; $280

Greg Hamilton — 72/67/68, 207; $185

Butch Behrman — 69/65/75, 209; $90

Senior winners

Gross

David Jenson — 76/84/75, 235; $50

Pete Heuer — 80/81/81, 242; $20

Net

Jeff Hill — 68/68/66, 202; $50

Mike Wommack — 70/69/66, 205; $20

• Second Flight

Eric Pocius — 83/83/80, 246; $375

Bud Bower — 85/85/80, 250; $280

Terrance Persson — 84/81/86, 251

Johnny Powell — 84/83/84, 251

Barry Alford — 88/82/87, 257; $185

Jeff Nelson — 86/84/88, 258

Jimmy Jenson — 84/89/87, 260

Sammy Marquez — 90/88/84, 262; $90

Dan Moore — 89/87/90, 266

Jeff Richards — 95/84/90, 269

Brett Sperl — 95/87/91, 273

Darrel Irvin — 87/97/93, 277

Chuck Kistler — 93/89/97, 279

Mick Burris — 92/92/96, 280

Nick Lunn — 107/90/89, 286

Pete Pleasant — 99/93/98, 290

Dwayne Powell — 96/109/95, 300

Net winners

Jeff Nelson — 68/66/70, 204; $375

Jimmy Jenson — 66/71/69, 206; $185

Terrance Persson — 69/66/71, 206; $185

Johnny Powell — 69/68/69, 206; $185

Senior winners

Gross

Eric Pocius — 83/83/80, 246; $50

Bud Bower — 85/85/80, 250; $20

Net

Jeff Nelson — 68/66/70, 204; $50

Jimmy Jenson — 66/71/69, 206; $7

Terrance Persson — 69/66/71, 206; $7

Johnny Powell — 69/68/69, 206; $7

• Third Flight

Dave Ruechel — 83/81/88, 252; $375

Joe Belcher — 88/87/86, 261; $280

Mike Gush — 87/86/88, 261

Clint Chappell — 92/83/91, 266; $185

Dave Andujo, Sr. — 100/82/87, 269

Trever Hyer — 89/89/93, 271

Mike Taylor — 95/85/91, 271; $90

Red Woolley — 95/86/97, 278

Joshua Brent — 96/91/96, 283

Craig Madsen — 97/97/89, 283

Bob Armantrout — 93/96/96, 285

Tony Aragon — 98/85/104, 287

David Brookshire — 93/103/94, 290

Joe Brookshire — 97/101/94, 292

Burl McMillen — 99/95/98, 292

Andrew Zimmerman — 101/96/98, 295

Don Smith — 104/93/102, 299

Mike Mayer — 121/106/114, 341

Terry Behrman — 136/120/146, 402

Net winners

Mike Gush — 67/66/68, 201; $375

Trever Hyer — 66/66/70, 271; $280

Dave Andujo, Sr. — 79/61/66, 206; $185

Joe Brookshire — 69/73/66, 208; $90

Senior winners

Gross

Dave Ruechel — 83/81/88, 252; $50

Clint Chappell — 92/83/91, 266; $20

Net

Mike Gush — 67/66/68, 201; $50

Joe Brookshire — 69/73/66, 208; $10

Mike Taylor — 74/64/70, 208; $10

The signature summer tournament for Yampa Valley Golf Course saw a small field but plenty of competition among its players, roughly 70.

Taking top honors this year was Gypsum’s Keith Humerickhouse, a multi-year Cottonwood champion who last won in 2014. Humerickhouse posted a 73 Friday, followed by a 70 Saturday, as the only player to post a score under the course’s 72 par. He finished with a 75 Sunday for a 218 total.



Humerickhouse just missed the title last year, falling to Rifle’s Jeb Savage. Savage was fifth overall in gross scores, unable to recover from an 83 on his opening day for a 231 overall. However, he had a bright spot with a hole-in-one.

Rounding out the gross totals were KC Carlson (224) and John Dickson (230), while Humerickhouse’s runner-up, Kirk Cavarra finished with a 223 in gross but led the net scores with a 9 handicap that gave him first place in the adjusted scores with a 196.



Leading the way in the first flight was 15-year-old Dave Andujo, Jr., whose 232 total included a strong Saturday score of 74.

“I’m very happy with that score,” he said.

A regional competitor for the Moffat County High School’s boys golf team in his freshman year in fall 2018, Andujo is already looking forward to his sophomore season, having spent much of the summer on the links at YVGC.

“It’s been 16 days in a row,” he said after Sunday’s action.

While playing amid fellow teens can be intimidating, he added that swinging among older golfers was more relaxing.

“They’ve got a lot of wisdom about the game,” Andujo said.

Also in the first flight, Trini Loya knew his Friday 90 was going to hurt him.

Even so, he didn’t let the +18 impact the rest of his weekend, finishing with an 87 and an 81 the following two days.

“I just had a lot more better shots, didn’t get in trouble so much. Missed a couple easy birdies, but it was still much better,” he said. “I also had trouble staying away from my driver.”

For Mike Gush, the weekend was a huge success on a personal level, with a 201 giving him the net win in the tourney’s third flight.

“That’s the best golf I’ve had all year,” he said. “The second day was my best. Just kept improving and stayed steady. A lot of good golfers I played with.”

Gush noted his 10 times playing in the Cottonwood are some of his favorite occasions of summers, with the exception of the inter-club Yampa Cup between Craig golfers and Steamboat Springs.

“We love that rivalry,” he said.

Amid the action, the clubhouse was bustling as well, in the new Yampa Valley Bar and Grill, managed by Cherissee Smith.

Smith said the restaurant had planned to do a grand opening for the summer, though she and her staff of 10 have already had so much turnout since setting up shop in April, a bigger event didn’t seem needed.

“We’ve got tournaments every weekend now, so it’ll be pretty busy,” she said. “It’s not just golfers. The public has really supported us out here, too. That’s been a big plus for us.”

This year’s Cottonwood was the second overseen by YVGC pro Jeff Harnasch, as well as his last, as he plans to leave Craig to be with family.

Harnasch said he will be at the course through mid-July before completely handing the reins to replacement Scott Ballif.

“I think I’ll miss the people most of all,” Harnasch said.


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