After rivals reclassify, Vail Christian boys golf team sets sights on 2A title chase

After finishing seventh at the 2A state tournament last October, Vail Christian boys golf coach Chad Hansen could tell his players walked off the 18th green knowing a trophy was within reach.

“Everyone had their moments through the season, but (it was) maybe a little more up and down than what we wanted,” said Hansen, whose squad finished just four shots away from fourth and nine away from the runner-up spot at Elmwood Golf Course. “State made us realize it didn’t have to be anything fantastic — just a little more solid, steady, consistent golf.”

After day one of the 2A tournament, Wyatt Hansen sat in 13th after carding a 77. His Vail Christian teammates Cian Courtney and Patrick Greer posted a 79 and 80, respectively, to put the Saints in a tie for fourth as a team. On the second day, however, the trio slipped several collective strokes while Sid Towle — who shot an 88 on the first round — led the way with a 78. All four players are back this season and Chad Hansen predicts Luke Tyler could make it a shoot-out to see which four represent Vail Christian in postseason play. When asked what the main storyline of the 2026 campaign is, the coach was clear.

“Can we win state?” Hansen said.

Having five of the six teams — including the entire podium — that finished in front of Vail Christian at state last year move up to 3A will help. But most of the Saints’ preseason confidence is internal.

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“A few of the players on the team had great summers playing tournament golf, so our confidence level is high,” Hansen said.

In July, Courtney won the Colorado PGA Junior Series Tournament at Eagle Ranch. Hansen qualified for the regional round of the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship. He’ll play the 36-hole event in Utah in September for a chance at qualifying for nationals later in November. Hansen also birdied the first playoff hole to win the Soda Pop Open in Glenwood Springs. Finally, Tyler placed second at the Vail Golf Club Junior Championship.

“I really stressed to the varsity squad about playing in summer tournaments and it has definitely paid off,” Hansen said.

No kidding.

At the Basalt Longhorn Classic on Aug. 11, Greer, Courtney and Hansen tied for fourth with a 74 while Tyler (78) and Towle (79) also broke 80. The Saints finished one stroke behind the hometown champion Longhorns and two ahead of third-place Aspen. As the team gets ready for the much-anticipated home tournaments at the Vail Golf Club on Sept. 8 and Gypsum Creek on Sept. 21, Chad Hansen said one goal he’s had in his third year at the helm is to make a point of preparing the team well for competition, physically — and also mentally.

“Making sure the players have a good balance with God, family and school — in that order. Golf takes the back seat to all of them,” he explained. “Making sure they stay well-rested, educated and fueled. We know all of the courses we are playing, so now it’s just a matter of having good practice time to prepare for them and a good game plan for playing them.”

The top-84 golfers in the iWanamaker rankings on the final day of the regular season qualify for the state tournament, which will take place at the Pueblo Country Club on Oct. 5-7. Schools must have three athletes qualify in order to contest the team competition, but can’t send more than four.

In Hansen’s first year at the helm in 2024, the Saints posted a program-best fifth-place team finish in what was their first state team appearance since 2012. Greer and Wyatt Hansen were sophomores on that squad. If all goes according to plan, those two will likely be leading the Saints again when the leaves begin to change. While the expectations are high — and the objective target is a title — Chad Hansen hopes his team has fun and learns something along the journey, too.

“Golf puts you in so many cool situations; some we do well in and some we don’t. When we don’t do well, (that is) when we learn the most,” the coach stated. “So, (I’m) trying to teach them to play without fear so that they won’t be affected by the success or failures they have on the course.”