Five Rounds, Two Champions: A Match Play Showdown at Lake Valley
Niwot, CO – Colorado PGA Junior Golf (COPGAJR) held its third Major Championship of the season Monday through Wednesday, July 21–23, at Lake Valley Golf Club in Niwot, Colorado. Thirty-two of the Colorado Section’s top boys and 27 top girls arrived at the course ready to compete head-to-head in hopes of being the last player standing in our match play bracket at the Mizuno Colorado PGA Junior Match Play Championship. Upon arrival, players were greeted with a selection of Mizuno hats, a co-branded Mizuno/Colorado PGA Junior Golf fairway wood headcover, and a StrackaLine yardage book. The atmosphere of a major championship set the stage for an exciting week—but it was the juniors who brought the drama as play began.
The excitement continued into Tuesday as more top seeds were eliminated in dramatic fashion. In the Girls Round of 16, 2025 CO Junior PGA Runner-Up Addison Dorsey defeated 17-seed Aspen Murphy 2&1. Meanwhile, the 3-, 4-, and 5-seeds were all knocked out in their opening matches. On the Boys side, 15-seed Jackson Stewart came out hot with a dominant 7&6 victory over 2-seed Campbell McFadden. Past champion Miles Kuhl edged out fellow Team Colorado member Landon Houska 2&1 in a closely contested match.
Tuesday also marked the first of two long days of back-to-back matches for our juniors, who battled through 90-degree heat, gusty afternoon winds, and intense competition. Thanks to on-course hydration provided by Gatorade, Round of 16 winners carried on into the afternoon for their Quarterfinal matches. Two matches advanced beyond regulation into sudden-death playoffs. Jack Brayman and Alexander (Alex) Kukreja remained neck-and-neck before Alex ultimately secured the win with a birdie on the 19th hole, knocking off the 1-seed. On the Girls side, Isla Carlucci outlasted Brynn Balliet in the longest match of the week, winning on the 20th hole.
Wednesday had a special energy as the eight semifinalists arrived, each hoping to earn a spot in the finals. The Boys semifinals began with Michael Rosman and Jackson Stewart trading holes throughout the match. Michael took a 1-up lead on hole 11, but Jackson stayed in the fight, squaring the match on 13 and ultimately sinking a birdie on 18 to win 1-up. In the other semifinal, Jonathan Smith and Alexander Kukreja battled in another tight match. Alex took a 1-up lead on 10, but Jonathan responded on 13 to tie it back up. Kukreja then took control with wins on holes 16 and 17, earning his place in the final against Stewart.
In the Girls semifinal matches, Tatum Platt took an early lead over Peyton Landon by going 1-up on hole 2. Peyton responded by winning holes 4, 5, and 6, but Tatum answered with steady play and pulled away to win the match 4&3. Meanwhile, Hadley Ashton jumped out to a quick 2-up lead through the first two holes against Isla Carlucci. Isla battled back and made the turn with a 1-up lead, but Hadley regained momentum on the back nine and ultimately closed out the match on 18 to advance to the final.
The Boys and Girls Championship matches delivered an exciting finish to the week. In the Boys match, Kukreja teed off first with Stewart closely watching, and the battle remained tight throughout the front nine. Alexander made the turn with a 2-up lead. Jackson refused to back down, narrowing the gap to just 1-down through 13 and holding steady through 15. On the Girls side, Hadley maintained control, making the turn 3-up. Tatum applied pressure late, making birdie and par on holes 15 and 16 to get to just 1-down, but Hadley drained a clutch par putt on 17 to win the match 2&1 and claim the Girls Championship title. In the Boys Championship, Alexander secured his 2&1 victory with a perfectly executed birdie on the par-3 16th, earning his first COPGA Junior Major title.
When asked how she stayed composed on the course, Hadley shared, “I really just tried to stay in the present. I told myself one shot at a time out there, because 36 is a long day. You don’t know what could happen.” Reflecting on her week, she added, “I learned that I could persevere really well.” Ashton will head to play collegiate golf at the University of Wisconsin this fall.
Kukreja reflected on his long week, saying, “It feels really good—feels good to grind through that many matches and to keep playing even though I was tired.” When asked which moment stood out most, he said, “Probably my putt on 17 to finish it off.”
The COPGA Junior Golf team would like to extend a huge thank you to all our partners for supporting this event. Special thanks to Josh Knipp and Mizuno Golf for providing hats for all players, and den caddies for our champions. Thank you to Scott Walter, PGA, and The Winston Collection for designing our Mizuno/Colorado PGA Junior Golf fairway wood headcover and gifting custom Major Champion headcovers. We’re also grateful to StrackaLine for providing yardage books, Gatorade for keeping players hydrated, and NCSA College Recruiting for offering support to our junior golfers.
Finally, a heartfelt thank you to Director of Golf Cameron Morton, PGA, Golf Course Superintendent Ian Johnson, and the entire staff and membership at Lake Valley Golf Club for their outstanding hospitality and dedication in hosting this championship
The Colorado PGA’s next Junior Major will be the Mizuno Colorado PGA Junior Invitational, hosted at Plum Creek Golf Club on October 18-19.
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