Vanessa Porterfield/courtesy photo
120 participants, made up of amateur and professional competitors from throughout Colorado and bordering states, were on hand Sunday at the Glenwood Springs Golf Club for the final round of the Colorado Open disc golf tournament.
The event, with play beginning on Saturday, is a two-day format that placed golfers at the GSGC and the Fire Mountain Disc Golf Course in New Castle for the opening round of pool play, and concluded on Sunday in Glenwood with the final two rounds being played on “The Hill.”
The tournament, open to players of all abilities, featured 14 divisions with the top talent vying for trophies and prize money in the Men’s and Women’s Open professional category. Two of Colorado’s top professionals, Joe Rovere of Lafayette and J.C. Kester of Palisade, were the highest ranked players heading into the weekend’s competition.
“The weather was perfect for us this weekend. We had some spectators, and it was an amazing tournament,” said event director Vanessa Porterfield. “We’re looking to make things even bigger for next year.”
The top thrower in the men’s open division is no stranger to the winner’s circle. Joe Rovere, a teacher from Lafayette, captured his eighth Colorado Open title with scores of 52, 47 and 53 for a weekend total of 152, giving him an 11 shot victory over runner-up Nate Metzler of Louisville, Co.
Rovere is a former teacher in the area, having taught at Riverside and Rifle Middle School, so the trip to Glenwood each year carries with it a little extra meaning.
“I was fortunate enough to win here last year, so this is special,” said Rovere. “I get to see some old friends and some people that I taught with years ago. It’s always a fun trip back.”
There was a tie for third place in the tournament’s top division with Evan Jones of Avon and Kyle Griffin each carding two-day 165 totals.
Basalt’s T.J. Meisterheim was the only entrant in the women’s open division. Meisterheim scored rounds of 62, 77 and 75 for a 214 total score. Meisterheim’s first round score was recorded at Fire Mountain in New Castle, which is a par 54, with all holes being a par 3. The two final rounds took place at the Glenwood Golf Club, where the par is 63 due to several longer holes on the layout.
Assistant tournament director Brandon Hesser compared the length and difficulty of the two different courses used in this year’s Colorado Open.
“Fire Mountain is really tight and technical,” stated Hesser. “The players like the Glenwood course a little more because it is wide open and has more of a real disc golf feel. Plus, they like the carts, food and beverages that are offered.”
Other big winners on the day in the women’s division were Jenny Majeski of Poncha Springs (Advanced) with a score of 222. Darian Green of Grand Junction (Intermediate) posted a score of 234 to top her grouping. In the men’s Advanced division, Ty Richards of Glenwood Springs had scores of 60, 57 and 61 to capture the championship. In the 50-plus age category for the men, Richard White of Colorado Springs won the title with a total of 194 shots.
For complete tournament results in all age divisions and categories and amount of cash payouts, go to http://www.PDGA.com/tour/event/39186.