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