Battling Through the Brackets: Dorsey and Fitzgerald Caption Major Championship Titles

Johnstown, CO – The Colorado PGA Junior Golf (COPGAJR) hosted its third Major Championship of the summer, the Mizuno Colorado PGA Junior Match Play Championship, July 20–22 at Bella Ridge Golf Club. Over three days, 57 of Colorado's top junior golfers battled through head-to-head match play in pursuit of one of the state's most prestigious junior titles. As they advanced through their respective brackets, each round brought them one step closer to a Major Championship title. From the opening matches to the final putts, the championship delivered plenty of memorable moments as the field worked its way through the competition.

The excitement began before players even stepped to the first tee, with new golf bags courtesy of title sponsor Mizuno Golf and yardage books from StrackaLine helping players navigate Bella Ridge's challenging layout, setting the stage for a competitive week.

Monday's opening round presented immediate challenges as players battled extreme heat, with temperatures climbing above 100 degrees. Despite the conditions, their resilience and determination shone through in exciting competition across both brackets.


On the boys' side, Sean Cary and James Flaxbeard delivered the longest match of the week, extending into extra holes before Cary ultimately secured the victory on the 23rd hole. Another standout performance came from No. 26 seed Murphy Rowen, who pulled off an impressive upset over No. 7 seed Leo Roennau to advance to the next round.


On the girls' side, despite the top seven seeds receiving first-round byes, there were still plenty of thrilling moments. No. 21 seed Reese Barnett defeated No. 12 seed Erianna Perez, 8&7, to advance.

Tuesday brought another eventful day of match play as the championship fields continued to take shape. With two rounds scheduled, advancing players faced the challenge of competing in up to 36 holes in a single day.


The morning featured several competitive matches in the girls' division, highlighted by Tatum Irwin's battle with Peyton Landon, which came down to the final hole. Irwin held on for a 1-up victory to advance to Tuesday afternoon's quarterfinals.


The boys' division produced similar excitement as Mizuno Colorado Junior PGA Champion Braylon Ball battled No. 12 seed Drew Jepson through a hard-fought 18-hole match. Ball ultimately secured a 1-up victory to earn his spot in the next round. The excitement continued as No. 15 seed Collin Portie and No. 2 seed Cayden Besler battled through 20 holes before Portie closed out the upset victory.

Following an impressive morning of competition, the 16 remaining players returned to the course to battle for spots in Wednesday's semifinals.

The girls' bracket featured Kaylee Meyering continuing her championship run with a 2&1 victory over Adyson Ice, joining Scout Fitzgerald, Emma Nguyen, and Ayla Rueschhoff as the final four competitors.


The boys' quarterfinals also featured a tightly contested match between No. 1 seed Levi McDowell and No. 8 seed Greysen Kilburn. The two remained close throughout the round before McDowell claimed a 1-up victory after 18 holes, advancing to Wednesday's semifinals alongside Hayden Dorsey, Nick Clinton, and Ryan Dooms.

Wednesday's final day of competition began with four exciting semifinal matches featuring the tournament's remaining eight players.



The first boys' semifinal between Levi McDowell and Hayden Dorsey required extra holes after the pair finished all square through 18. Dorsey prevailed in the sudden-death playoff to earn his spot in the championship match. In the other semifinal, Nick Clinton built an early advantage over Ryan Dooms and held on to secure his place in the finals against Dorsey.

The girls' semifinals produced similar drama as Kaylee Meyering squared off against Scout Fitzgerald, a three-time Colorado PGA Junior Major Champion. Their match finished tied after 18 holes, sending both players to a sudden-death playoff. Fitzgerald prevailed to win her match after 19 holes. In the other match, Emma Nguyen and Ayla Rueschhoff both stayed steady early on. Nguyen eventually mounted a surge to ultimately win 4&3 sending her into the finals to face Fitzgerald.

After three days and five rounds of grueling match play, the championship came down to four outstanding finalists.


On the boys' side, Hayden Dorsey and Nick Clinton squared off for the title following exceptional performances throughout the tournament. Clinton continued to pressure Dorsey throughout the championship match, but Dorsey closed out the victory on the 15th hole to capture his first Major Championship title as the 2026 Mizuno Colorado PGA Junior Match Play Champion.


The girls' championship featured an exciting matchup between Scout Fitzgerald and Emma Nguyen, who had each powered through a talented field to reach the final. Their match remained competitive throughout, with Nguyen applying pressure from start to finish. Fitzgerald ultimately closed out the victory to earn her second Major Championship title of the season and become the 2026 Mizuno Colorado PGA Junior Match Play Champion.

As Dorsey and Fitzgerald celebrated their victories, the performances of fellow finalists Nick Clinton and Emma Nguyen were equally deserving of recognition. All four finalists demonstrated remarkable resilience, perseverance, and outstanding golf throughout one of the championship's most demanding weeks. Battling extreme heat, challenging course conditions, and some of Colorado's strongest junior golfers, each player earned their place in the championship match through exceptional play.



Congratulations to all of our finalists on an incredible championship, and a special congratulations to our 2026 Mizuno Colorado PGA Junior Match Play Champions, Hayden Dorsey and Scout Fitzgerald!

A special thank you to Josh Knipp and Mizuno Golf for providing golf bags for every participant, Den Caddies for gifting our champions, and Scott Walter, PGA, and The Winston Collection for providing custom Major Champion headcovers to our winners. We also thank StrackaLine for supplying yardage books, Gatorade for keeping players hydrated, TUGR for supporting our event rankings, and NCSA College Recruiting for providing valuable recruiting resources to our junior golfers. These partnerships play a vital role in the success of our championships.



The Colorado PGA Junior Golf team would also like to extend its sincere gratitude to our host facility, Bella Ridge Golf Club, for its outstanding hospitality, exceptional course conditions, and continued support throughout the championship. A special thank you goes to General Manager Ryan Flamm, PGA, and Director of Agronomy Mitch Bryden for their dedication to providing an exceptional championship experience. We are also incredibly grateful to the entire Bella Ridge staff for welcoming our players, families, and tournament staff, and for continuing to support the growth of junior golf in Colorado.


The Colorado PGA’s final Junior Major will be the Mizuno Colorado PGA Junior Invitational, hosted at Kissing Camels Golf Club on October 10-11.

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