Bill Loeffler has won three HealthOne Colorado Opens and one Colorado Senior Open, but he won’t be adding to that total this year.
However, considering he last played a tournament 10 months ago, and he underwent neck fusion surgery last November, many would consider it quite an accomplishment that he’s not only competing again, but he easily made the cut Thursday in the Colorado Senior Open.
The 56-year-old from Castle Rock shot a 4-over-par 76 Thursday at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, leaving him in 35th place at 150 after two rounds. The Colorado Golf Hall of Famer trails leader Jim Carson of Anaheim Hills, Calif., by 13 strokes, but he had no problem advancing to Friday’s final round.
“I’m just glad to get out and hit it,” he said. “It’s kind of fun.”
But it’s also foreign in some respects. After his neck fusion, Loeffler didn’t start taking full swings with a golf club until May, and even now it feels very little like he did in the good old days, when he won three national titles: the 1986 U.S. Mid-Amateur, the 1992 PGA Assistant Professional Championship, and the 2007 Senior PGA Professional National Championship.
Asked how the swing feels, Loeffler said, “It feels terrible. It’s like a different human being. I don’t know where the club is. I’m supposed to swing like (David) Duval and (Annika) Sorenstam” with the head following the ball during the follow-through. “And one of my keys has always been to come through like that (with his head and eyes staying down). It’s a challenge.”
And it sounds like it will continue to be a challenge for a while. Besides Loeffler also experiencing some lower-back problems, the recovery from his November neck surgery is taking longer than he anticipated.
“It’s coming; I’m healing up,” he said. “But it surprises me. I thought it would be a six-month heal, and I just saw (the doctor) last week and he said it’s going to be another nine months — so 18 months (total). It’s a long process, a lot longer than I thought.
“But at least I’m hitting shots.”
Defending Champion Eaks Withdraws Mid-Round: Colorado Springs native R.W. Eaks was in second place after 27 holes of the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open on Thursday, but the defending champion withdrew on the 15th hole of round 2, saying he was hurt. Eaks had said Wednesday a pulled groin was bothering him.
The four-time winner on the Champions Tour was 1 under par in very windy afternoon conditions on Thursday, leaving him at 5 under overall. And though he bogeyed his first three holes on the back nine, but was still in fifth place at the time.
Carson Leads by 3 Entering Final Round: First-round leader Jim Carson of Anaheim Hills, Calif., maintained his advantage at the Senior Open on Thursday.
The 57-year-old shot a steady 1-under-par 71 in the morning portion of the second round and posted a 7-under 137 total, good for a three-stroke lead.
Bob Niger of El Dorado Hills, Calif., who’s finished in the tournament’s top three each of the last two years, stands at 140 after a 71 Thursday, while Colorado Springs amateur David Delich (69 Thursday) joined 70-year-old Tom Storey of Mesquite, Nev. (74) and Greg Bruckner of Phoenix (68) in third place at 141. Delich carded four birdies on Thursday.
Carson made two birdies — nearly holing out for eagle on No. 16 — and one bogey on Thursday.
“I actually hit the ball better, in my opinion” than he did in Wednesday’s round of 66, said Carson, winner of 55 mini-tour events in his career. “I just struggled with the putter, for crying out loud. I knocked it in close quite often, but I couldn’t get the ball to go in the hole. Some days are like that, but I did hit it solid.”
Notable: The lead threesome — Carson, Niger and Delich — will tee off for Friday’s final round at 11 a.m. … Delich, winner of two CGA Senior Match Play titles, started the tournament with a triple bogey, but has been 6 under par since. With rounds of 72-69–141, he holds a six-stroke advantage in the competition for low amateur. Next best are Kelly Crone of Littleton (73-74–147) and Bill Bolgar of Parker (74-73–147). … The 57 players who shot 9-over-par 153 or better survived the 36-hole cut. Among those who won’t be around for the final round is 2011 Senior Open low amateur Eric Hoos (80-81–161). Hoos, the University of Denver men’s golf coach, had to have a cortisone shot in the joint of his healing shoulder just to be able to defend his amateur title. This was his first tournament in a year. … A total championship purse of $50,000 will be up for grabs on Friday, with $8,500 going to the low professional.
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