Hard work and dedication has paid off for Chatfield senior Jesse Hand

ARVADA — Chatfield senior Jesse Hand had a nice 24 hours of golf early this week.

Hand — defending Class 5A Jeffco League individual medalist — had a pair of 2-under-par rounds at Bear Creek Golf Club and Lake Arbor Golf Course in the span of 24 hours.

“It really does help, especially early on,” Hand said of having a 2-under-par round on a tough course like Bear Creek on Monday, Aug. 19, at the Green Mountain Invite.

Hand had three straight birdies to finish is round of 2-under-par 70 at Bear Creek. The Chatfield senior and 3-time state qualifier edged Valor Christian senior Ian O’Fallon by a stroke.

“It was a tough round the whole day,” Hand said of the Green Mountain Invite. “The pins were really tough and the greens were really tough. I was in the fairway and on the green the whole day, but I had a few three-putts that hurt.”

Hand had three straight bogeys coming out of a lightning delay, but finished strong birding holes 7, 8 and 9 to close out with a 34 on the front-nine to take the victory.

“I told my coach that I needed to finish birdie, birdie, birdie,” Hand said. 

A fourth-place finish at the 5A state tournament last year motivated Hand even more to continue his meteoric rise. Hand tied for 42nd at state his freshman year. Was tied for 29th as a sophomore before breaking into the top-5 last season.

“Just devotion to the game,” Hand said of his improvement each year during his high school career. “I’ve traveled. Played in a bunch of tournaments. Worked with my coach a bunch. It is constant work and constant practice.”

Hand road the momentum from Monday to another 2-under-par round in the first of six Jeffco League tournaments on Tuesday, Aug. 20. The senior had a round of 68 to finish tied for fifth with O’Fallon and Columbine junior Drew Dawson.

It should be a tight battle all season for the 5A Jeffco League individual and team titles. Valor is the defending 5A Jeffco League team champion.

“I think would be awesome to win again,” Hand said of attempting to defend his 5A Jeffco medalist title. “It isn’t going to be easy to get. We are looking at a team (league) title too. I think we have a good shot at winning league. Valor and Columbine are going to be really good too.”

Chatfield took a 9-stroke team victory with a combined total of 272 at Lake Arbor. Rival Columbine finished second with a 281 and Valor placed third with a 291. Chatfield juniors Wyatt Montoya and Carter Bowen both had 3-under-par round of 67. Senior Peter Howard (70) and Anthony Giorno (73) had top-10 finishes.

Valor junior Campbell McFadden was the top 5A Jeffco placer at Lake Arbor with a 4-under-par round of 66. Columbine senior Alex Lest tied for second with Montoya and Bowen.