Berthoud’s Molli Boruff finished in first place at the 2015 Longmont City Junior Golf Championship on July 29. Boruff is photographed putting at the Olde Course in Loveland at an event this spring.
Surveyor file photo

By Dan Karpiel
The Surveyor

Molli Boruff loves the summer; the warm weather and time off from school allows her to devote the lion’s share of her time to doing something she absolutely loves – playing golf.

The Berthoud High School junior does not play golf simply because it is an enjoyable way to waste away hot summer afternoons in a well-landscaped outdoor environment – she plays to win.

And win she has. Boruff took home the crown in the Longmont City Junior Golf Championship last week.

The more she plays, and the more she wins, the more she enjoys it.

“I’m actually really enjoying playing, especially since I’m getting good and all the hard work is paying off,” Boruff said.

In a grueling format that saw the competitors, two groups of junior golfers split by ages 12-and-under and 13-and-above, play 54 holes on three consecutive days – two rounds of nine at Sunset Golf Course, then 18 at each Ute Creek Golf Course and Twin Peaks Golf Course – Boruff carded a cumulative score of 259, good enough to take home first place. Second place went to a familiar rival, Skyline’s Grace Gunlikson who shot a 276. And finishing in third place was Parker Nicholas who carded a 391.

Boruff, who has played her fair share of competitive golf this summer, enjoyed the three-day, three-course format.

“It was tough, but it’s nice to play three different courses instead of just one.”

The opening 18 holes, back-to-back rounds at the nine-hole Sunset Golf Course along historic Third Street in downtown Longmont, Boruff described as being the most difficult due to the course’s putting greens.

“A lot of times my shots would land on the green but would just roll right off,” the 2015 state qualifier said. She carded an 18-over-par 90 on opening day of the championship.

Over the next two days, at Ute Creek and Twin Peaks, Boruff scored 84 and 85 respectively, and credits all the time and effort she has put into her short game – putting in particular – for helping propel her to victory.

“I’ve been working on my short game because that’s the biggest part of the game; if you can’t make a putt you’re going to be screwed,” she said.

Boruff was able to save par on several occasions by one-putting on some difficult par fours, shaving strokes off her score that ultimately put her in position to win.

As anyone who plays golf is well aware, the biggest challenge of the game is the mental toll it takes on its participants. Boruff, well aware of this, explained that she takes a small-ball approach, so to speak, focusing on one shot at a time.

“I focused on one shot at a time and just took my time,” she said. “Whether it was good or bad I would just move on to the next one…you’ve got to finish strong and focus on one shot at time.”

As she prepares for her junior year, Boruff explained that playing golf at the collegiate level is one of her primary goals, and she plans to devote a great deal of energy to continue honing her craft.

“That’s what I’m working towards,” Boruff said, “I just need to keep working hard and getting better.”