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Masterful back 9 by Benvenuto leads Aspen boys golf to regional title at Snowmass

Basalt finished second to qualify for state

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Austin Colbert

Aspen High School junior Houston Benvenuto tees off on the back nine of their Class 3A golf regional on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, at Snowmass Club. Benvenuto shot 69 to win the tournament.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

For a golfer who had never qualified for the state tournament before, Houston Benvenuto came into Monday’s regional round with an unusual bit of swag. Simply making the cut wasn’t going to be enough for the Aspen High School junior, as he was out to win at Snowmass Club.

“My goal wasn’t to qualify for the state championship. My goal was to win regionals,” he said. “There definitely was a lot of pressure. The first tee shot for me was really nerve-wracking, but again, (Snowmass Club Director of Golf) Thomas Roennau just made sure our team was prepared for this event. We had a lot of confidence knowing how to play the golf course, because this golf course especially, you need local knowledge. Our coaching staff did a great job of providing that for us.”

Benvenuto made the most of the hometown knowledge by shooting 3-under-par 69 in the Class 3A Region 4 tournament, clearing runner-up Jackson Stewart of Basalt (4-over 76) by seven strokes to lead Aspen High School to another regional championship. The Skiers will send all four players to the state tournament in Pueblo next week, where they will chase a third state title since the first in 2018 (the other was in 2021).

Aspen shot a collective 13-over 229 between its top three golfers, beating Basalt by four strokes (233). Basalt High School will also send all four players to state as the top two regional teams automatically qualify. Mullen was third with 235, Colorado Academy was fourth with 241, and Coal Ridge was fifth with 246, among 11 scoring teams.

“It was really the team. The team helped me with my win,” Benvenuto said. “The front nine I missed maybe five 3-footers. And then I finished with back-to-back 10-footers that I made. So the back nine, I still felt like I played the same golf. It’s just a couple more putts dropped, and I did have a chip in and a 35-foot putt drop, so that definitely helps.”


His front nine wasn’t anything to remember, shooting 2-over 39, including a double bogey on No. 6. But Benvenuto’s back nine was a masterclass, shooting a 5-under 30 to run away from the field. He recorded five birdies and two pars in a seven-hole stretch before closing out with back-to-back pars to win.

Aspen High School junior Houston Benvenuto, right, shakes hands after completing hole No. 18 of their Class 3A golf regional on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, at Snowmass Club. Benvenuto won the tournament.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Aspen High School senior Ryan Rigney eyes his approach shot on the back nine of their Class 3A golf regional on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, at Snowmass Club.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
High school golfers compete in their Class 3A golf regional on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, at Snowmass Club.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

Stewart, a senior, did his best to keep chase, but Benvenuto wasn’t going to be caught. Aspen senior Ryan Rigney and Basalt sophomore Hudson Arnold tied for third with 77 (5-over). After a steady front nine, Rigney was up-and-down on the back nine, with four birdies but also three holes of double bogey or worse, including a seven on the par 3 15th hole.

“This team is super special,” Benvenuto said. “It’s definitely my favorite golf team we’ve had the last three years. It’s super special that all four of us are going. We get to do this all over again (at state), so it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

The highlight of the day came from Rigney, a Snowmass local who considers the Snowmass Club to be his home course. Part of his strong front nine was his hole-in-one on No. 8, a par 3 he holed out with a 6-iron. Rigney said it was his first-ever ace.

The Basalt High School boys golf team — from left, Parker Strelecki, Jackson Stewart, Hudson Arnold and Griffin Didier — poses for a photo after finishing second in their Class 3A golf regional on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, at Snowmass Club.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Aspen High School junior Houston Benvenuto, right, and Basalt sophomore Griffin Didier talk between holes during their Class 3A golf regional on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, at Snowmass Club.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Aspen High School junior Houston Benvenuto lines up a putt on hole No. 18 of their Class 3A golf regional on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, at Snowmass Club.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

“We had no view of the pin, no nothing. So, I turned around and I’m sitting there, hands on my hips,” Rigney recalled, saying he initially didn’t think his shot was anywhere close to the hole. “I had to see if it was real or not. Walking up, it was a special feeling. I was kind of on cloud nine.”

This was the first time in recent memory — and maybe ever, according to longtime Aspen coach Mary Woulfe — that Snowmass had hosted a high school tournament, much less a regional event.

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Aspen Golf Club and River Valley Ranch have both hosted regional tournaments in the past few years. There is already a push being made my local coaches and administrators to maybe have Snowmass host the state tournament a year from now.

Other local finishers on Monday included Basalt freshman Parker Strelecki (10th, 80); Aspen junior Leo Roennau (17th, 83); Aspen sophomore Oliver Pullis (17th, 83); and Basalt sophomore Griffin Didier (26th, 88).

“First and foremost, congratulations to Houston and congratulations to Aspen. They have a great team. I’m frankly not surprised. I expected them to show up,” Basalt coach Travis Stewart said. “Obviously there are shots we left out on the course, but we had enough in the tank to get it done.”

acolbert@aspentimes.com

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