Caroline Jordaan cashes in for 3A girls golf title, Colorado Academy wins fourth-straight team title
EAGLE — It wasn’t the ideal way to close it out. After three tries, Colorado Academy senior Caroline Jordaan is a state golf champion. The cancellation of the second day of the Class 3A girls golf tournament meant that Monday’s scores would hold up as the final results.
Jordaan shot a 1-under-par 71 to win the championship. The went 2-under on the front nine with her only gaff of the day coming on No. 14 where she made her only bogey of the tournament.
She would’ve been the first person to advocate for the tournament to continue, but as Colorado has shown over the last 48 hours, the weather is beyond unpredictable.
“It feels really good (despite the weather),” Jordaan said. “I feel like it’s been a long time coming and it feels great to end my senior year with two wins.”
Course conditions were mostly wet and cold on Monday, but nothing that prompted a stoppage in play.
Jordaan held a one-shot lead over Jefferson Academy’s Aubri Braecklein going into the 17th hole but the Jefferson Academy junior made double-bogey and bogey on the final two holes to give Jordaan a cushion.
A state runner-up three times, Jordaan claimed her first individual title, but is sharing the overall team championship with her teammates for the fourth time. Three times she got to do share it with her younger sister, Marie.
“It’s been great, especially with Marie here,” Caroline said. “I’ve always had such a great friendship with everyone on the team and we’ve had such a great program. I’ve been blessed with great coaches and team members.”
Marie shot 80 on Monday and Eva Pett shot 79 to clinch gold for the Mustangs. Kent Denver came away in second place and it was Sun Devils junior Charlotte Hillary who finished with Braecklein in a tie for second place at 3-under.
Like Jordaan, Colorado Academy coach Beth Folsom wished that the weather hadn’t messed with the tournament and that all kids had gotten the chance to play two rounds.
While a second round likely would have yielded the same result in the team race, she wanted to her girls to go out and earn it and to also have fun. Because at the end of the day, golf is fun.
“It’s symbolic of our entire season,” Folsom said. “It’s how the weather has been this season and we would’ve loved to play another day. As for winning, it’s always exciting because it’s always with a different group of kids.”
Jordaan is set to continue her golf career at the University of Denver. The win in her senior is special because it comes on the heels of her twin brother’s win at No. 1 singles in the 4A boys tennis tournament last fall.
Like Caroline, Ritcher was a three-time state runner up but came away with gold as a senior.
“I thought about that this morning,” she said. “I think it’s pretty cool that we can finish off senior year with two wins, individual and team.”
