Two players who are no strangers to golf’s major championships punched their tickets to another one on Tuesday.
Ron Vlosich of Lakewood and Steve Schneiter of Sandy, Utah earned the two qualifying spots available at Lakewood’s Fox Hollow Golf Course for the U.S. Senior Open.
Schneiter, the 1995 PGA Professional National Champion, fired a 5-under-par 66 on Tuesday despite never having seen the course before, while Vlosich carded a 67.
The Senior Open will be played July 10-13 at Oak Tree National Golf Club in Edmond, Okla.
Schneiter, 50, has competed in a dozen PGA Championships, plus last month’s Senior PGA Championship.
Vlosich, 57, has qualified for a U.S. Open, a PGA Championship, three previous U.S. Senior Opens and two Senior PGAs.
“It’s always special” playing in major championships, said Vlosich, a five-time Colorado PGA Player of the Year. “Those guys are just so good compared to what I am. So there’s no way to win the tournament, but to go is pretty cool. To participate is always nice. You hope you get a few good rounds in.
“I’m almost ready to quit trying to qualify for them just because I’ve done them. Let somebody else do them. I’m not trying to rack up 10 U.S. Senior Opens and make the cut three times in 10 years. That’s great you’re making it but …”
For the record, Vlosich (pictured above and at left with Schneiter) has made the cut in the 2007 U.S. Senior Open, and at the 2010 Senior PGA Colorado Golf Club hosted.
Vlosich, a former head professional at Green Gables Country Club who now teaches periodically at the Meadows Golf Club, recorded six birdies and two bogeys Tuesday at Fox Hollow. He qualified despite three-putting his 17th hole (for a par) and hitting into a hazard and needing to sink a 6-foot putt for a bogey on No. 18. On the other hand, he also drained a 60-foot birdie putt on No. 14.
“There are a lot of wedges (for approach shots at Fox Hollow), but you’ve got to get it in hole,” Vlosich said. “And everybody is over 50 and has a lot of those demons — not only the physical ailments but the mental demons. I’ve got them both. Everybody is fighting through those.”
Despite not seeing the course beforehand, Schneiter made nine birdies on Tuesday, offset by a double bogey and two bogeys. His flight from Salt Lake City on Monday was delayed by eight hours, so he didn’t arrive in Denver until 11:30 p.m.
Asked if he was surprised by shooting a 66 after going in “blind”, Schneiter said, “Not really. Sometimes that might be better.” Nevertheless, the double bogey he took — on No. 14, where his ball went left into an environmentally sensitive area — was a direct result of not knowing the course.
But the golfer who has won state opens in Arizona, Wyoming and Idaho bounced back nicely with birdies on his final two holes on Tuesday.
“I figured 5 under or better was what I needed to do,” Schneiter said. “But I wanted to go as low as I could go — 5 under or better. I try not to limit myself.”
Certainly the bottom line — qualifying for the U.S. Senior Open in his first attempt — was satisfying.
“It’s nice,” said Schneiter, runner-up in the 1991 Colorado Open. “I never played in a U.S. Open, so this will be fun.”
Amateur Brian Harris of Denver beat out Mike Zaremba of Pueblo West for the first alternate spot on Tuesday after both players shot 69.
A total of 77 players competed on Tuesday. Doug Rohrbaugh of Ironbridge Golf Club, who qualified for the U.S. Senior Open each of the last two years, shot a 73 at Fox Hollow. And Texan David Ogrin, winner of a PGA Tour event in 1996, carded a 77.
U.S. Senior Open Qualifying
At Par-71 Fox Hollow GC (Canyon/Meadow) in Lakewood
ADVANCE TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Steve Schneiter, Sandy, Utah, 32-34–66
Ron Vlosich, Lakewood, Colo., 34-33–67
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Brian Harris, Denver, Colo., 34-35–69
Michael Zaremba, Pueblo West, Colo., 35-34–69
FAILED TO QUALIFY
Michael Grob, Billings, Mont., 33-37–70
Ken Cosper, Fort Collins, Colo., 40-31–71
Rick Dewitt, Arvada, Colo., 35-36–71
Mike Northern, Colorado Springs, Colo., 36-35–71
Robert Polk, Parker, Colo., 38-34–72
Tom Krystyn, Denver, Colo., 39-33–72
Patrick Murphy, Broomfield, Colo., 37-35–72
Audie Dean, Centennial, Colo., 36-36–72
Dale Smigelsky, Fort Collins, Colo., 37-35–72
Kenneth Krieger, Cheyenne, Wyo., 37-35–72
Thomas Roos, Centennial, Colo., 38-35–73
David Delich, Colorado Springs, Colo., 37-36–73
Sean Forey, Morrison, Colo., 37-36–73
Doug Rohrbaugh, Carbondale, Colo., 37-36–73
Gregg Jones, Colorado Springs, Colo., 37-36–73
Tom Nosewicz, Aurora, Colo., 36-37–73
Marshall Clark, Denver, Colo., 35-39–74
James Reynolds, Centennial, Colo., 37-37–74
Steve Norman, Colorado Springs, Colo., 38-36–74
Mike Musgrave, Fort Collins, Colo., 40-34–74
Tom Krause, Centennial, Colo., 38-36–74
Matt Hall, Grand Junction, Colo., 38-37–75
Charlie Post, Castle Rock, Co., 41-34–75
Mark Bassett, Colorado Springs, Colo., 39-36–75
Mark Armistead, Lone Tree, Colo., 38-37–75
Quentin Sasser, Salt Lake City, Utah, 38-37–75
Thomas Carricato, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 37-38–75
John Hull, Clayton, Mo., 38-37–75
James Lemar, Littleton, Colo., 37-38–75
Grant Porter, Castle Pines, Colo., 37-39–76
Zane Zwemke, Aurora, Colo., 35-41–76
John Ward, Denver, Colo., 36-40–76
Rob McLelland, Aurora, Colo., 39-37–76
Mark Crabtree, Lakewood, Colo., 37-39–76
Richard Kelly, Golden, Colo., 39-37–76
Thomas Walter, Franktown, Colo., 37-39–76
John Karamigios, Lakewood, Colo., 39-37–76
Glen Barrett, Colorado Springs, Colo., 41-35–76
Thomas White, Bozeman, Mont., 38-38–76
Robert Cloud, Denver, Colo., 41-35–76
John Sostmann, Littleton, Colo., 39-38–77
David Ogrin, New Braunfels, Texas, 39-38–77
Ron Stelten, Palm Desert, Calif., 39-38–77
William Oshields, Aurora, Colo., 41-37–78
Owen Ellis, Boulder, Colo., 40-39–79
Bruce Hogg, Colorado Springs, Colo., 40-39–79
Dean Sessions, Westminster, Colo., 38-41–79
Jeff Seltz, Arvada, Colo., 40-39–79
Tom Schultz, Trinidad, Colo., 39-41–80
Paul Lobato, Denver, Colo., 38-42–80
Van McCarlie, Provo, Utah, 40-40–80
Mr. Harry Johnson, Edwards, Colo., 42-39–81
Mark Runyan, Centennial, Colo., 41-40–81
Rick Ellefson, Castle Rock, Colo., 42-39–81
Thomas Taylor, Steamboat Springs, Colo., 40-41–81
Rustin Triplette, Holyoke, Colo., 41-40–81
Perry Holmes, Denver, Colo., 40-42–82
Eric Hoos, Denver, Colo., 38-45–83
Leonard Zeggert, Morrison, Colo., 42-42–84
Jack Rule, Lone Tree, Colo., 43-42–85
Chuck Fisher, Westminster, Colo., 42-44–86
Robert Beiersdorf, Castle Rock, Colo., 46-41–87
Greg Parson, Littleton, Colo., 40-50–90
John Henderson, Colorado Springs, Colo., DQ
Mark Barkley, Highlands Ranch, Colo., WD
Kary Kaltenbacher, Englewood, Colo., NS
Robert Cooley, Parker, Colo., WD
Stephen Bell, Denver, Colo., WD
John Hoge, Parker, Colo., NC
Greg Hall, Wichita, Kan., NC
John Bevere, Colorado Springs, Colo., NS
Bob Kearney, Houston, Texas, NS
Michael Prostrollo, Aurora, Colo., NC
