Aurora Golfers Chase History at 5A State Opener: Round 1 Recap from Columbine
LITTLETON — The fairways at Columbine Country Club were firm, the greens lightning-fast, and the Aurora contingent came to play Monday as the 2026 CHSAA Class 5A boys state golf tournament kicked off under postcard-perfect Colorado skies.
Cherry Creek’s junior standout Tyler Nguyen sits atop the individual leaderboard after a bogey-free 4-under 67, giving the Bruins a three-shot cushion over reigning 5A champ Valor Christian heading into today’s final round. Nguyen’s round featured a back-nine 31 that had the gallery buzzing — including a handful of Cherry Creek dads who made the short drive down University from the Tech Center.
Grandview’s Marcus Webb (70) and Eaglecrest senior Jaden Ortiz (71) kept Aurora squarely in the medal hunt, while Smoky Hill’s freshman sensation Darius Chen announced himself with a gutsy 72 despite a double on the par-3 12th.
As a team, Cherry Creek leads at 8-over, with Grandview (14-over) and Eaglecrest (18-over) rounding out the top five. Rangeview and Overland missed the cut but gained invaluable postseason experience for young cores.
Columbine’s notorious closing stretch — the par-4 17th and par-5 18th — will decide hardware Tuesday. Last year, a two-shot swing on 18 flipped the team title. With thunderstorms forecast after 1 p.m., expect aggressive lines early.
Tee times start at 7:30 a.m. Live scoring at CHSAANow.com. Follow @AuroraPreps for hole-by-hole updates from the clubhouse.
