Colorado University Athletics
Photo by: Ashton Scott
Incoming Freshman Amella Wins CGA State Junior Championship
June 26, 2026 | Men's Golf
Latest Buff To Win State's Top Junior Event
AURORA – Gavin Amella, who will join the University of Colorado men's golf team as a freshman this fall, won the Colorado Golf Association's State Junior Championship here Friday.
Amella defeated Nicholas Brooks, a Lutheran High School in Parker graduate, as he birdied the 18th hole to win the championship match, 1 up, from his Butler University-bound opponent. The win guaranteed him a spot in next month's USGA Junior Amateur in Pennsylvania.
In the title confrontation, Amella never trailed but couldn't shake loose of Brooks, either. Amella birdied the par-4 1st hole to take an immediate lead, but Brooks pulled even with a birdie on the par-5 3rd. But Amella came right back a made birdie on the par-4 4th, and then went 2-up after he scored his third birdie on the par-5 7th, maintain that edge in making the turn with a 5-under 31.
Things tightened right off the bat on the back nine when Brooks parred No. 10 while Amella bogeyed the par-4 hole. They matched each other for the next four holes until the same happened on the par-4 15th, and the two were tied for the first time since the third hole. They both parred No. 16 and No. 17, a par-4 and par-3, respectively, setting up literally was sudden death from that point on with the approximately 600-yard, par-5 18th ahead, a meandering finishing hole where you didn't want to stray from the fairway.
"The tee was further back than it had been, but I hit my drive about 380 yards—it was crazy good – the adrenalin was rushing that's for sure," he said. (He had outdriven Brooks by around 65, 70 yards.). "I hit a 7-iron into the green, about pin high and rolled to about 27 feet. It was a tricky downhill putt but I hit it to within three feet, and that was what I'd say was a 3-foot slider. He (Brooks) missed about from nine feet for his birdie."
"It means a lot," Amella said of his win. "It felt great, I've been working toward winning this tournament since I was 13. It feels great to finally accomplish this. I had come up short a few times, so it feels great that all the hard work I've put in paid off."
He had previously reached the quarterfinals once and the final 16 on two occasions.
The Castle View High School graduate from Castle Rock qualified for the match play portion of the event earlier in the week by tying for seventh in the stroke play, with a 2-under par 138 (70-68) at CommonGround Golf Course, which played to varying distances around 7,000 yards all week. He made seven birdies and 24 pars and just five bogeys in eventually being seeded ninth.
In claiming the title, Amella won five matches overall, winning 23 holes in all while losing just 10. He opened with a 5 & 4 win over 25th-seed Jeffrey Chen on Wednesday, and then followed on Thursday with a 1-up verdict over 8th-seeded Brayden DeStefano and a win on the 19th hole in his match with Cherry Creek High School senior-to-be Cooper Kelly, the No. 1 seed.
Amella trailed early in the match with Kelly, but overtook him after eight holes but the two tied again after the 11th. Amella regained the lead with a par on 13, and held it through 17 when Kelly birdied the par-5 18th to send the match into a sudden death playoff. They replayed the par-4 1st hole and Amella made par while Kelly bogeyed and it was over quickly.
In Friday morning's semifinal, he bested No. 21 seed Parker Shaw, 4 & 3, winning all four of his holes in a five-hole span on the front nine.
"We are excited for Gavin," CU head coach Roy Edwards said. "What a win against one of the strongest fields in Colorado history. He joins an amazing list of former champions, which includes several Buffaloes."
The four-year letterman and three-time, first-team 5A All-State performer at Castle View under coach Perry Villanueba, added the junior crown to his impressive list of pre-college achievements, which included medalist honors in the 5A state championship, two conference titles and an impressive fifth-place showing as one of the youngest players in last summer's CGA Western Chapter event. His career best score is a 9-under 63.
Before the stroke and medal play for juniors were combined into one event in 2018, 17 different future Buffs won the state's junior match play, while 11 CU-bound players won the stroke play a combined 15 times, including Scott Petersen, who won it three times (1987-88-89). Rick Cramer won both in 1977, as did Mike Troyer in 1991 and Ben Fiala in 1993 (stroke) and 1995 (amateur). Other prominent Buffaloes who won the stroke competition were future Big Eight Conference champions, Hale Irwin (in 1963) and Terry Kahl (in 1975).
Next up for Amella is the July 6 qualifier for "The Blue Championship," the Korn Ferry Tour stop at TPC Colorado in Berthoud. The USGA Junior Amateur is set for July 20-25 in Bethlehem, Pa., on the Old Course at Saucon Valley Country Club.
Amella defeated Nicholas Brooks, a Lutheran High School in Parker graduate, as he birdied the 18th hole to win the championship match, 1 up, from his Butler University-bound opponent. The win guaranteed him a spot in next month's USGA Junior Amateur in Pennsylvania.
In the title confrontation, Amella never trailed but couldn't shake loose of Brooks, either. Amella birdied the par-4 1st hole to take an immediate lead, but Brooks pulled even with a birdie on the par-5 3rd. But Amella came right back a made birdie on the par-4 4th, and then went 2-up after he scored his third birdie on the par-5 7th, maintain that edge in making the turn with a 5-under 31.
Things tightened right off the bat on the back nine when Brooks parred No. 10 while Amella bogeyed the par-4 hole. They matched each other for the next four holes until the same happened on the par-4 15th, and the two were tied for the first time since the third hole. They both parred No. 16 and No. 17, a par-4 and par-3, respectively, setting up literally was sudden death from that point on with the approximately 600-yard, par-5 18th ahead, a meandering finishing hole where you didn't want to stray from the fairway.
"The tee was further back than it had been, but I hit my drive about 380 yards—it was crazy good – the adrenalin was rushing that's for sure," he said. (He had outdriven Brooks by around 65, 70 yards.). "I hit a 7-iron into the green, about pin high and rolled to about 27 feet. It was a tricky downhill putt but I hit it to within three feet, and that was what I'd say was a 3-foot slider. He (Brooks) missed about from nine feet for his birdie."
"It means a lot," Amella said of his win. "It felt great, I've been working toward winning this tournament since I was 13. It feels great to finally accomplish this. I had come up short a few times, so it feels great that all the hard work I've put in paid off."
He had previously reached the quarterfinals once and the final 16 on two occasions.
The Castle View High School graduate from Castle Rock qualified for the match play portion of the event earlier in the week by tying for seventh in the stroke play, with a 2-under par 138 (70-68) at CommonGround Golf Course, which played to varying distances around 7,000 yards all week. He made seven birdies and 24 pars and just five bogeys in eventually being seeded ninth.
In claiming the title, Amella won five matches overall, winning 23 holes in all while losing just 10. He opened with a 5 & 4 win over 25th-seed Jeffrey Chen on Wednesday, and then followed on Thursday with a 1-up verdict over 8th-seeded Brayden DeStefano and a win on the 19th hole in his match with Cherry Creek High School senior-to-be Cooper Kelly, the No. 1 seed.
Amella trailed early in the match with Kelly, but overtook him after eight holes but the two tied again after the 11th. Amella regained the lead with a par on 13, and held it through 17 when Kelly birdied the par-5 18th to send the match into a sudden death playoff. They replayed the par-4 1st hole and Amella made par while Kelly bogeyed and it was over quickly.
In Friday morning's semifinal, he bested No. 21 seed Parker Shaw, 4 & 3, winning all four of his holes in a five-hole span on the front nine.
"We are excited for Gavin," CU head coach Roy Edwards said. "What a win against one of the strongest fields in Colorado history. He joins an amazing list of former champions, which includes several Buffaloes."
The four-year letterman and three-time, first-team 5A All-State performer at Castle View under coach Perry Villanueba, added the junior crown to his impressive list of pre-college achievements, which included medalist honors in the 5A state championship, two conference titles and an impressive fifth-place showing as one of the youngest players in last summer's CGA Western Chapter event. His career best score is a 9-under 63.
Before the stroke and medal play for juniors were combined into one event in 2018, 17 different future Buffs won the state's junior match play, while 11 CU-bound players won the stroke play a combined 15 times, including Scott Petersen, who won it three times (1987-88-89). Rick Cramer won both in 1977, as did Mike Troyer in 1991 and Ben Fiala in 1993 (stroke) and 1995 (amateur). Other prominent Buffaloes who won the stroke competition were future Big Eight Conference champions, Hale Irwin (in 1963) and Terry Kahl (in 1975).
Next up for Amella is the July 6 qualifier for "The Blue Championship," the Korn Ferry Tour stop at TPC Colorado in Berthoud. The USGA Junior Amateur is set for July 20-25 in Bethlehem, Pa., on the Old Course at Saucon Valley Country Club.
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