A month and a half ago, after tying for second in the Colorado PGA Professional Championship, Sherry Andonian-Smith noted that she was the second alternate for this week’s national Senior PGA Professional Championship.
“No woman has ever played in that — anywhere in the country,” said Andonian-Smith (left), who had a sparkle in her eye at the prospect at becoming the first.
And the 56-year-old from Centennial did just that this week at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla. “I’ve wanted this for a few years,” she said earlier this week.
Then Andonian-Smith became the first woman to make the 36-hole cut in the event.
Then she became the first to survive the 54-hole cut.
And on Sunday she capped off a dream week by finishing 29th out of a field of 264 and being the top performer out of the representatives of the Colorado PGA. Though the top 35 finishers advance to the 2019 Senior PGA Championship, because Andonian-Smith was playing from a shorter set of tees this week — and at the Colorado Senior PGA Professional Championship — she wasn’t eligible to qualify for the PGA Tour Champions major. But a top-30 finish on Sunday was certainly stellar.
Andonian-Smith, who works out of Valley Country Club and was named the Colorado PGA’s inaugural Women’s Player of the Year in 2018, shot rounds of 72-72-72-73 for a 1-over-par 289 total in Florida.
She climbed 12 spots on Sunday to move inside the top 30, with a birdie on her 17th hole helping the cause down the stretch. Andonian-Smith finished with two birdies and three bogeys in the final round.
One other Coloradan made the 54-hole cut at the Senior PGA Professional Championship, with Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale placing 57th on Sunday.
Rohrbaugh, this year’s CPGA Player of the Year, shot a 2-over-par 74 on Sunday to post a 5-over 293 total. He carded three birdies and five bogeys in the final round.
Here are the round-by-round scores for competitors from the Colorado PGA:
29. Sherry Andonian-Smith, Valley CC 72-72-72–216
57. Doug Rohrbaugh, Snowmass Club 73-72-74–219
MISSED 36-HOLE CUT
97. Barry Milstead, Valley CC 69-78–147
97. Mike Zaremba, Desert Hawk at Pueblo West 70-77–147
119. Chris Johnson, Colorado PGA Life Member 71-77–148
145. Jeff Hanson, Red Sky GC 73-77–150
247. Mike McCutchen, Family Sports 81-79–160
For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
