The Cortez golf network continues to make waves on the national scene.
Eight-year-old Koehn Kuenzler, brought Cortez into the spotlight in the Golf Channel’s coverage of the national Drive, Chip, and Putt Championships at Augusta National Golf Club in the lead-up to the Masters Tournament.
Winner of his Southwest regional competition, Kuenzler made a strong showing in the elite field, taking eighth place in the 7-9 age division in front of a TV audience.
Meanwhile, Conquistador Golf Course head professional Micah Rudosky continued to pile up accolades on the regional and national circuit, securing his third trip to the Senior PGA Championships by claiming one of the 35 qualifying spots in the Senior PGA Professional Championship at Santa Ana Golf Club in October 2022.
Kuenzler carried the momentum from his regional championship into the hallowed grounds of Augusta, and didn’t shy away from the big-time atmosphere. Playing in front of hundreds of spectators in the national competition, the Cortez elementary school student posted the third-best driving distance among all competitors in his age group, clearing 170 yards.
Kuenzler added some pressure-packed putts and chips to his resume, looking to showcase his short game on Augusta’s greens. When the dust settled, Kuenzler could add his name to the elite youth golfers in the nation with an eighth-place finish.
Rudosky, meanwhile, filled a busy autumn with a victory in the Colorado PGA Professional Championship in September, earning a spot in the 2023 PGA Professional Championship – set to take place from April 30 – May 3 at Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. Rudosky bested the field with an eight-under three-day total to win his third Colorado section title.
Then Rudosky weathered a grinding four rounds at Twin Warriors and Santa Ana in October to take 26th place in the Senior PGA Professional Championships – good enough for a spot in his fourth PGA major tournament – the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, hosted by PGA Frisco on May 24-28.
Playing on a new course that will be hosting its first major tournament, Rudosky joins 34 other senior PGA professionals who qualified to join the circuit of golf legends who will compete for one of the sport’s highest prizes later this spring.
A year ago, Rudosky proved he could play neck-and-neck with some of the household names in the game, finishing just 1 stroke off the cut line in the Senior PGA Championships at Harbor Hills in Michigan.
