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Humerickhouse wins wind-swept Glenwood Open golf tournament

Mike Vidakovich
Special to the Post Independent
Participants in the Glenwood Open Golf Tournament this past weekend prepare for the approach on No. 9.
Courtesy Jerry Butler

Eagle’s Keith Humerickhouse navigated the gusty winds that blew in Sunday evening to win the championship flight of the Glenwood Open golf tournament on “The Hill.”

The wind storm blew in just in time to make the 18th and final hole of the day a trickier-than-usual par 4. The top flight is made up of amateur golfers with the lowest handicaps. 

Trailing by one shot on the last tee box, Humerickhouse kept his drive in the fairway, while others in his group faltered. He recorded a par on the windswept closing hole to finish the two-day tournament with scores of 72-71, taking the tournament title with 143 strokes.



“I used a 3-wood off the tee box, and getting that birdie putt close from the fringe in the end is what saved me,” Humerickhouse said after the win.

The annual 36-hole Glenwood Open event took place Saturday and Sunday, July 11-12 at the Glenwood Springs Golf Course, and featured a formidable collection of talent in all six flights.



“This year, we had 106 golfers take part, and this is the strongest field we have had in a long time,” GSGC General Manager Jerry Butler said. “We had quite a few younger players also, and that’s good for the game.”

Second place in the marquee flight produced a three-way tie between Denton Walker, Michael Smith and Richard Brandsby, who all finished with two-day totals of 145.

Glenwood Golf Course Assistant Superintendent Kirk Blaszyk found his way around familiar territory in winning the first flight. Blaszyk’s stellar final day saw 17 pars and one birdie for the tournament’s only sub-par round of 69. A 76-69 total of 145 is what turned the winning trick for Blaszyk. Carson Kerr, a senior-to-be at Grand Junction High School, finished second at 147, and Cody Nelson’s 152 was good enough for third place.

In the second flight, Glenwood’s Chris Hoffmeister used a timely chip-in to save par on the back nine holes and stay steady with identical rounds of 77-77 for a 154 total.

“When I made that shot, I thought I had a chance to win. It was a big confidence boost,” Hoffmeister said. Mark Smith of Glenwood took second place with a 157 total. Doug Jones and Mark Barlau tied for third place at 158 each.

Eric Lundin of Glenwood won the honors in the tourney’s third flight with scores of 78-73 (151). Nik Rocco finished at 158 for second place and Brian Thompson recorded a 159 for third.

Cody Wright of Glenwood was the king of the fourth flight at 81-78 (159). David Jeffers, also of Glenwood, recorded a score of 163 for second place. Jim Otto and John Lee tied for third at 165.

The fifth flight, which is based on the players’s final net score (actual score minus handicap), saw Glenwood’s Rob Rightmire post a 128 total for the win. Steve Williams was at 135 for second place and his brother Tom Williams and Ron Nadon tied for third at 138.

In Friday’s opening event of the tournament, the “Low Amateur,” the four-person team of Blaszyk, course Superintendent Jim Richmond, Glenwood Middle School PE teacher Blake Risner and Steve Williams, took top honors with a 124-stroke total.

Jim Richmond lines up a putt in Friday’s Low Amateur event.
Courtesy Jerry Butler

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