Eagle golfer qualifies for 2024 Colorado Open

Barrett Jones was tired of knocking on the door of the Colorado Open. Having lost playoffs for the final spot in three of the last six qualifiers he’s contested, the Eagle golfer was due for a breakthrough. On Tuesday, it came.

Playing on his home course at Eagle Ranch Golf Club, Jones shot a 5-under 67 to tie for third place at the Colorado Open Qualifier.

“It was just a great feeling,” the 24-year-old said after punching his ticket to the 60th edition of the state tournament. “Big monkey off my back.”

After graduating from UCCS, Jones is all in on pro dreams

A 2018 Eagle Valley High School graduate, Jones — who finished 29th, 7th and second overall in the respective 2015, 2016, and 2017 4A state golf tournaments — enjoyed a four-year stint at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. He wrapped up his collegiate career as a second-team all-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference player in 2023. Then he made the bold decision to go all-in on professional golf.

“I’ve just been traveling and playing golf,” he said, summarizing his life for the past year.

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Jones won his first event, the 80th Arizona Open Qualifier at McCormick Ranch Golf Course on July 17, 2023. At the state open two weeks later, he made the cut and finished 41st out of 156. He followed that up with a fourth-place finish at the Utah Open Qualifier in August and a 35th overall placing at the Utah Open. He also finished tied for 36th at the Rocky Mountain Open and finished ninth out of 156 at the New Mexico Open last fall.

He spent last winter caddying in Scottsdale, Arizona, but is based out of Eagle for the summer.

“I have a lot of support from my family and with that, I just decided that this summer I’m just going to really focus on golf,” Jones said. “Just travel, practice and play and try to do the best I can in Q-School.”

Qualifying School — or ‘Q-School’ — are the annual qualifying tournaments which serve as a route to the Korn Ferry Tour, the development tour wherein players vie for PGA Tour status.

“I know it’s very hard and it’s very unlikely that someone who’s doing it for the first time gets through,” Jones said. “Obviously, I’m going to do it and try my best. It’s really the experience of doing Q-School that’s more important than anything and I’m excited to do that. And if I get through, then that’s a huge plus.”

Jones came into this week’s event fresh off a 23rd-place finish at the Wyoming Open, which wrapped up on Sunday. He kept the momentum going right from his first drive on Eagle Ranch’s 10th hole. Jones birdied 12, 13 and 14 en route to a 5-under 31.

“The back nine at Eagle Ranch — to me and a lot of locals — that is the tougher nine. So I think I was almost just a little more focused,” Jones said. “I was just making really good putts and so you know, I was just kind of on fire those first nine holes.”

Even though he wasn’t actively checking the leaderboard, Jones knew 2 or 3-under would be required for a top-10 qualifying finish.

“I knew as long as I stayed where I was, I was going to be fine,” he said of going over to the front nine to finish his round. “But I kind of got off to a shaky start.”

Jones could only muster a 6 on the par-5 second hole. He followed that up with another bogey on the third.

“I was frustrated,” he said. “Typically those should be scoring opportunities … but I knew I had holes in front of me I was going to birdie. This is my home course.”

He took advantage of the drivable par-4 fourth, sinking a birdie putt to go back to four-under. He made another birdie on six before missing out on two more on seven and eight, where he just lipped out a pair of 7-foot putts.

“It wouldn’t have changed anything, but it just would have been nice for those to drop,” he reflected. “But that’s OK.”

Sitting at five-under going into the final hole, Jones stroked his drive right up the gut. When his approach landed within 15-feet of the pin, he turned to his mom — who joined him in the cart throughout the entire round — and shouted, ‘Yes!’ before giving an emphatic high-five.

“Having her there, it definitely took a weight off my back,” Jones said of his mom. “After I hit that shot, I looked at her and was just so happy. I knew I was in it.”

Jared Sawada of Mililani, Hawaii took the win with a 65 and Joey Moore of Billings, Montana (66) was second. Tying Jones for third was Edwards’ own Derek Brown. Fellow Edwards golfer Roberto Lebrija shot a 68 to tie for sixth.

“So many people come out to Eagle to play in this and how awesome is it that three local guys qualified,” said Jones, who played a round with both Lebrija and Brown at the Sonnenalp Golf Club a couple weeks prior to the event.

“I just think that shows kind of the level of talent in the Vail Valley,” Jones continued. “There’s not a whole lot of people, but there’s incredible athletes that work hard — not just in mountain sports — but in sports like golf.”

Green Valley Ranch Golf Club will host the Colorado Open, which offers a $100,000 winner’s payout, from July 25-28. Jones said he’s only played the course a couple of times, but never in a competition setting.

“It’s a fun course. It has a lot of really fun holes and people make a lot of birdies out there,” he said, adding that his first goal is to make the cut.

“If I can check that off, then from there I’ll reassess my situation,” he said. “I have readjusting goals all the time. I’ll see where I am on the leaderboard and set a new a goal for myself after that.”