Douglas County (Castle Rock) senior
Kyler Dunkle is no stranger to pressure.
Last fall during the Class 5A state championship tournament, Dunkle stepped to the tee on the 18th hole at the Club at Rolling Hills needing a par to force a three-way playoff. His drive on the par-5 finishing hole sailed off course, however, and landed among a group of trees, seemingly ending his quest for the crown.
Douglas County senior Kyler Dunkle is the defending
champion in Class 5A boys golf.
Courtesy photo
But Dunkle was able to find a gap in the trees and hit what he called "one of the best shots ever in my life," putting the ball on the green for an improbable chance at an eagle. Although he two-putted and had to settle for a birdie, it kept him one stroke clear of Eric Chen of
Legacy (Broomfield) and Spencer Painton of
Regis Jesuit (Aurora) to claim the state title outright.
So dealing with the extra attention that he'll receive as defending champion this season isn't something he's too worried about.
"I don't think of it as added pressure. I think of it as more excitement than anything," said Dunkle, who carded a two-day total of 3-over 145 to win the championship. "There's a lot of really good golfers out there, so I'm excited to see if I can do it again."
Dunkle was at his best late in the season last year, shooting a competitive course record 6-under-par 66 at Mariana Butte Golf Course in Loveland to win the Class 5A Northern Regional tournament leading up to state. Then, after shooting a 75 on the first day of state to trail the leader by three strokes, Dunkle fired a 1-under-par 70, carding five birdies on the day, to come from behind and win the title.
"Golf is such an up and down sport, and I was definitely playing well at the end of last year," said Dunkle, who has verbally committed to play at Colorado State after graduation. "Still, there was a lot of luck involved (on his second shot at 18 at state). Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good."
Things didn't go as smoothly over the summer when Dunkle admittedly struggled at times during tournaments. And he said that has carried over into the new high school season as well, although he's finished in the top three in his first three tournaments of the year.
"I'm hitting the ball well, but I'm not making putts," Dunkle said. "You can't shoot a good score if you're not making birdies, and I'm not there yet this year."
Dunkle expects plenty of competition this year in his pursuit to defend his title, including from Chen (who was the only other golfer to shoot a round under par at state) and Painton, the two golfers who finished tied for second. Painton helped Regis grab the team title, the Raiders third-consecutive state crown, and the team also returns standouts Jake Kelley and Chris Korte.
There's one big change in how golfers qualify through regionals this year in 5A and 4A, as the Colorado High School Activities Association has adopted a waterfall seeding system.
League finishes will be submitted to CHSAA, and schools will be placed in one of four regional tournaments depending on how they finished during the regular season. The top two teams will earn automatic berths for state and then the top dozen or so individuals will also qualify.
