Evergreen senior Tyler Long completes Jeffco 4-peat on the links

ARVADA — The only question facing Tyler Long on Tuesday at West Woods Golf Club … Could the Evergreen senior finish off his historic regular golf season off in style?

He sure could. 

Long birdied his final hole to fire a 3-under-par, 69 in the final Jeffco League tournament of the Fall 2024 season. The senior became Jeffco’s first ever 4-time boys golf league medalist, and he did it by shooting rounds in the 60s in all six conference tournaments.

“It means a lot to me,” Long said of winning three straight 4A Jeffco individual medalist titles and wrapping up his first 3A Jeffco individual medalist title Tuesday. “I could have went to a tournament in Florida (during the league season), but I decided not to because this award. I’m excited I got it.”

Each of the three — 5A, 4A and 3A Jeffco League medalists — are decided by the stroke average of all six league tournaments, with the highest 18-hole score thrown out. Long’s 69 was actually his worst round of the six tournaments this season.

“I played alright. I really couldn’t make a putt,” Long said. “I wouldn’t say it was my best mental focused day, but I got away with it.”

Long dropped to even-par with back-to-back bogeys on beginning of his back-nine, but he eagled the par-5 14th and birdied the par-5 18th to escape with another round in the 60s.

The senior, who finished tied for second at the 4A state tournament with senior teammate Liam Houihan last year, has been dominating par 5s all league season. Long finished a remarkable 23-under-par on par 5 during the six Jeffco League tournaments. 

“I like the par 5s a lot. They are pretty short in these high school tournaments. You have to take advantage of those,” Long said. “If I make a bogey, but have a par 5 coming up I’m not really worried.”

Fittingly, Long reached the green in two shots on his final par 5 with an impressive approach that gave him a chance for eagle.

“It was about 240 (yards) and into the wind,” Long said of is final approach shot over the water on the par 5 No. 9 hole on Cottonwood. “I hit 4-iron. I hit it pretty thin, but it was the straightest shot I’d hit all day. It was good.”

Long missed the eagle putt, but tapped in for birdie to officially finish one of the best regular seasons by a Jeffco golfer in history. Not even Wyndham Clark — Valor graduate and 2023 US Open champion — captured four straight Jeffco League medalist title when he was golfing at Valor from 2008 to 2011.

Evergreen easily clinched its fifth straight league title with a total of 1,705 strokes, nearly 200 strokes better than Conifer in the 3A Jeffco team standings. Long, Houlihan and fellow senior Lincoln MacKay finished 1-2-3 in the final 3A individual standings. Conifer’s Casey Rummell broke up the Cougar party taking fourth, but Evergreen senior Luke Sabina finished fifth. 

The remarkable depth for Evergreen was evident with senior Jackson Garrett’s 76 stroke average placing his just outside the top-5 in sixth place.

Next up for Evergreen will be the 3A Region 2 state qualifying tournament Monday, Sept. 30, at Fox Hollow Golf Course in Lakewood. 

“We did struggle last year,” Long said of Evergreen nearly not qualifying to state as a team last year after a rough regional tournament. “Fox Hollow will be much better for us. We won’t have to drive an hour and a half. We are pretty comfortable with Fox Hollow.”

The Cougars also have a possible second straight team title after winning the 4A state championship a year ago with the same line-up that is now all seniors.

“We don’t want to think about that too much,” Long said of him and his teammates going after another state team title. “We are just trying to play good golf. We need to focus up at regionals.”

The 3A state tournament will be held Oct. 7 and 8 at Walking Stick in Pueblo.

Chatfield (5A) and Dakota Ridge (4A) won the other two Jeffco League team titles handed out Tuesday. 

The Chargers captured their first team title in boys golf since 2015. Chatfield senior Jesse Hand led the way finishing third in the 5A individual medalist standings. Valor Christian’s Campbell McFadden edged Columbine’s Alex Lest to win the 5A individual medalist.

Dakota Ridge pulled off the double with winning the 4A team title and Nick Sullivan clinching the 4A individual medalist title. It is the first boys golf league title for the Eagles since 2009.