Jared Reid (CGA photo)
AURORA, Colo. (Sept. 30, 2018) – Jared Reid had modest goals going into the 32nd CGA Mid-Amateur Championship this weekend at CommonGround Golf Course.
"This week, honestly, my goal was to make the cut and be top 30 -- just so I didn't have to qualify again for next year's (Mid-Am)," the 28-year-old from Legacy Ridge Golf Course said.
To say that the Denver resident exceeded expectations -- his own and those of others -- at the Mid-Am would be an understatement of monumental proportions.
Not only did his finish in the top 30 on Sunday, but he won the state title in the tournament limited to players 25 and older. And not only did he win, but he did so while going head to head in the final group with two players who have won five CGA Mid-Ams between them -- two-time champ Chris Thayer and three-time winner Jon Lindstrom.
"I was really just hoping I wouldn't get in those two guys' way," said Reid.
And, on top of all that, he became just the third player in the history of the championship to finish double digits under par, joining four-time champ Keith Humerickhouse (11 under in 2012) and seven-time winner Rick DeWitt (10 under in 2000).
The victory was the first by Reid in a CGA championship. In fact, he's only competed in three -- two Mid-Ams and the CGA Four-Ball -- since moving from Michigan about five years ago.
Reid completed a wire-to-wire performance on Sunday by finishing with a 10-under 203 at CommonGround. He avoided a playoff when Thayer, the defending champion, saw his 9-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole slip just to the right of the cup.
Reid, who played college golf at Northern Michigan University, closed with a 1-under 70 on Sunday -- the same score as playing partners Thayer and Lindstrom.
After he was tied for the lead with Thayer through nine holes on Sunday, Reid took the lead for good when he sank a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 10. Then he two putted the par-5 11th for another birdie, giving him three birdies in four holes.
But Reid's most impressive shot came on the 495-yard, par-4 15th hole, where a massive drive left him with just 140 yards for his approach shot. He hit a gap wedge to a foot for birdie to go two ahead.
Reid then two-putted from 65 feet for par on 16, but bogeyed 17 after going into the greenside bunker on the par 3, leaving him with a one-stroke lead going into the par-5 18th. There, he was right of the green in two and pitched over a bunker complex to 25 feet, two-putting for par.
That gave Thayer a chance to force a playoff, but the 38-year-old couldn't sink his 9-footer for birdie.
In the last five CGA Mid-Amateurs, Thayer has now finished first, second, second, first and second. He's posted six straight sub-par rounds in this event, dating back to last year.
Lindstrom, who's won the title in 2008, '15 and '16, finished third for the second straight year, sharing that spot this time at 205 with with former Colorado State University golfer Dominic Kieffer of Collindale Golf Course, who closed with a 68.
At age 51, Lindstrom was the first winner of the Super Mid-Amateur Division for players 40 and older. He was six strokes better than Super Mid-Am runner-up Michael Harrington of Garden of the Gods Club, who likewise posted a 70 on Sunday.
View results for Colorado Mid-Amateur
ABOUT THE
Colorado Mid-Amateur
Active CGA members. 54 holes of stroke play. A 36-
hole cut will be made to the low 40 players and ties.
A
player must be 25 years of age or older
as
of the first day of a tournament. Non-exempt
players
must pre-qualify.
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