Stadler (left), winner of the 2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open on the PGA Tour and four events on the Web.com Tour, hasn’t competed on the PGA Tour since 2015 due to a stress fracture in his left hand. He played in the Digital Ally Open on the Web.com Tour last summer, but withdrew after one completed round.

“It’s a long, stupid story, but in the long run I ended up getting cut (having surgery) last August,” Stadler said. “I still wasn’t sure that was going to fix anything, but it took six, eight months. I was kind of able to swing January, February of this year. It really rapidly got better the last few months. I’ve been pretty much been pain-free for the last couple months.”

At the Rust-Oleum, Stadler went 71-69-71-68 for a 9-under-par 279 total, which left the 38-year-old eight strokes behind champion Chase Wright. The Kent Denver graduate made an eagle, five birdies and three bogeys in the final round. Another Colorado product, Wyndham Clark, also tied for 22nd place (73-68-67-71).

Stadler is on a major medical extension from the PGA Tour, and when he returns to that circuit, he’ll have 26 events left on that extension, needing to earn $717,890 in those events to keep his exempt status on the PGA Tour.

Stadler won the Colorado Open in 2002 and the CGA Match Play in 1999 and ’02.

CoBank Colorado Senior Open Champ Notches Top-10 on PGA Tour Champions: John Riegger parlayed his victory earlier this month in the CoBank Colorado Senior Open into a ninth-place finish on PGA Tour Champions, in the Principal Charity Classic in Des Moines, Iowa.

Riegger, who won a PGA Tour Champions event in 2013, now owns eight top-10 showings on that circuit, but managed his first since 2016.
In Des Moines, he shot rounds of 69-67 for an 8-under-par 136 in the weather-shortened event. Tom Lehman won with a 131 total after weather washed out Sunday’s action.

Another Top-10 on Symetra Tour for Ex-Buff Lee: Former University of Colorado golfer Esther Lee finished a professional-best seventh on Sunday and notched her third top-10 since May 1 on the Symetra Tour.

Lee carded rounds of 70-69-69 and posted an 8-under-par 208 total in the Four Winds Invitational, which put her three strokes behind winner Maia Schechter in South Bend, Ind.

Since the beginning of May, Lee has finished 10th, eighth and seventh on the Symetra Tour, in addition to missing two cuts.

The proverbial cream — which in this case refers to PGA Tour veterans — rose to the top Friday in the final round of the CoBank Colorado Senior Open.

On a day only three players shot in the 60s at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver, two of them were guys who have played more than 200 PGA Tour events in their career. And of the top five finishers, three fall into the same category, including the champion.

John Riegger of Henderson, Nev., who has made 224 starts on the PGA Tour and has won once on PGA Tour Champions, rallied from three down going into the final round to score a one-stroke victory in his first time playing the Senior Open.

“Winning is winning,” said Riegger (left), a 54-year-old. “I’ve won on the Champions Tour. I’ve won everywhere in the world except for the PGA Tour. Winning is winning. It’s always good for the confidence.”

Another PGA Tour veteran, Skip Kendall, tied for second with 2017 Arizona Senior Open winner Brian Cooper of Pittsburgh, who’s qualified for this month’s U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor. And sharing fourth place was one-time PGA Tour winner Guy Boros and two-time Colorado Open champion Jim Blair.

Overall, Friday wasn’t a stellar day scoring-wise, despite the good weather aside from some wind. Cooper shot a Friday-best 4-under-par 68, though he left a 10-foot birdie attempt an inch or two agonizingly short. Had it dropped it would have forced a playoff. He’d birdied 15, 16 and 17 to make a run at the title.

The other two sub-70 rounds were 3-under-par 69s by Rieger and Boros. Guys like Mike Northern of Colorado Springs (two eagles on the front nine) and Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Bill Loeffler (4 under through 12) surged before rough finishes.

Riegger’s 9-under-par 207 score was the highest by a CSO winner since 2014.

“It was probably just nerves,” Blair said of the relatively high final-day scores. “That always happens. I was surprised that 9 under won it. Our group, we weren’t very good. John (Riegger) just hung in there and made a couple of putts.”

Indeed, he did. Riegger ended up draining five putts between 10 and 20 feet on Friday and was especially on target during the back nine. He made a 12-footer for bogey on 10 after hitting his tee shot into the left hazard, sank a 15-foot birdie on 11, a 15-foot par on 13 and a 20-foot birdie on 15. But he did miss a 5-foot birdie try on No. 18, though he didn’t know exactly where he stood at the time — and it didn’t end up costing him.

“To be honest with you that one on 18 was the only putt I missed all day” that he’d regularly expect to make, Riegger said. “I made a lot of putts. This is the best I’ve putted in five years.”

Two groups in front of Riegger, Cooper could have gotten to 9 under by getting up and down for birdie from just off the green. But as noted earlier, he couldn’t believe it when he left his 10-foot birdie attempt just short (left).

Then 18- and 36-hole leader Kendall could have forced a playoff with a final-hole birdie after making one on 17. But his 35-foot attempt fell short.

That gave Riegger the $8,500 first prize, while Cooper and Kendall settled for $4,250 each for tying for second place a stroke back. Kendall was 1 under par for the day through 11 holes, but played his final seven in 2 over en route to a 73.

“I’m disappointed,” said Kendall, who was playing in just his second tournament of the year. “I had it. I really did. I just got into some bad spots on the back side and made some bogeys because of it. I made some errors in judgment. But you know what? It was great to be in the thick of things again and to feel that. I know it’s going to help me this year and in the long run. I’m going to take positives out of it.”

Boros and Blair checked in at 209, two back of Riegger, to tie for fourth place. With his best finish in a Colorado Senior Open, the 63-year-old Blair also had the top showing by a super-senior this week, adding a $1,000 prize to his $2,150 payday in the overall purse breakdown.

As for Riegger, he should give some credit for the victory to 2017 champion Jeff Gallagher, a fellow resident of Henderson, Nev., who told Riegger it would be worth his while to play in the CSO. And this week’s performance gave Riegger his first tournament victory since he won the 2013 Boeing Classic in his fifth start on PGA Tour Champions.

“When I won on the Champions Tour, I’d won twice on the Web Tour in my 40s,” he said. “I beat Bernhard Langer down the stretch to win when I won the Boeing Classic. You have the same emotions.”

Lindstrom Posts Best Overall Finish by Am in CSO Since 2014: At age 50, Broomfield resident Jon Lindstrom is a rookie in senior golf. But he adapted quickly this week in his first CoBank Colorado Senior Open.

Not only did the three-time CGA Mid-Amateur champion earn low-amateur honors by 10 shots, but he tied for the best finish overall by a Coloradan, sharing sixth place. And that sixth-place showing was the best by an amateur in this event since Kent Moore did the same in 2014.

Lindstrom went 71-69-70 for a 6-under-par 210 total, leaving him just three strokes behind overall champion John Riegger.

“Being low amateur is a nice way to start,” Lindstrom said. “I hit it pretty good and made some putts, but I felt like I left a bunch out there.

“It’s fun being low amateur. I don’t want to say that’s my goal, but it’s probably one of them.”

On Friday, Lindstrom played his front nine in 2 under, but he double bogeyed No. 10. Then he rebounded with birdies on 14 and 15.

“I really did” think about getting in contention for the overall title “because I was surprised that scores weren’t lower,” Lindstrom said.

Finishing second in the amateur competition on Friday was reigning CGA Senior Amateur champion Steve Ivan of Colorado Springs, who posted a 220 total.

As for the best finish by a Coloradan, regardless of pro or amateur, Lindstrom shared that honor by tying for sixth place with Jeff Hanson (left) of Edwards, the PGA director of golf at Red Sky Golf Club. Hanson went 68-71-71 for his 210 total. Like Lindstrom, Hanson double bogeyed the 10th hole on Friday, but he added four birdies and one bogey.

Four Coloradans were among those who tied for 10th place at 211: 2013 champion Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale, Rick Cole of Eaton, Mike Northern of Colorado Springs and Mike Zaremba of Pueblo West. Zaremba, the 2005 CSO champion, was near the top of the leaderboard through 11 holes, but played his final eight in 4 over en route to a 75.

For scores from the Colorado Senior Open, CLICK HERE.

Mike Zaremba wasn’t far from shooting his age on Thursday afternoon, which would have been no small feat given how much the wind was blowing at the CoBank Colorado Senior Open.

As it was, the 64-year-old accomplished plenty as it was, shooting a 6-under-par 66 in difficult afternoon conditions at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver. The score was the best of the day, leaving the Pueblo West resident at 8-under-par 136 and one shot behind leader Skip Kendall of Windermere, Fla.

“It was great, a good round, a real good round,” said Zaremba (left). “I was going along just OK. I had birdied my 11th and 12th holes, then I eagled 13 (the 318-yard fourth hole at GVR) and it changed everything. I hit a 3-wood in there about 20 feet and rolled it in.”

Zaremba two-putted for birdie on his 18th hole, No. 9, giving him an eagle, five birdies and a bogey for the day.

Zaremba is certainly no stranger to success in Colorado Open championships. He won the Colorado Open in 1995, the Colorado Senior Open in 2005 and has posted seven top-10 finishes in the Senior Open. But his only top-10 since 2009 came last year, when he ended up ninth.

“Obviously I haven’t been here (in contention) in a while,” he said. “It’s going to be a good experience tomorrow again. It’ll be fun.”

As for being in the hunt going into the final day at age 64, Zaremba said, “You’ve just got to fight it all the time. As we get a little bit older, we get a little more shaky. There’s no doubt about it.”

Zaremba is one of five Coloradans in the top 10 going into the final day. Jeff Hanson of Edwards, who was paired with John Elway the first two rounds, shares sixth place at 139 despite a double-hit chip on Wedneday; three-time CGA Mid-Amateur champion Jon Lindstrom of Broomfield is tied for eighth at 140 with Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale and Rick Cole of Eaton. Rohrbaugh was the last Coloradan to win the Colorado Senior Open, in 2013.

Hanson carded a 71 on Thurday, while Lindstrom had a 69, Rohrbaugh a 70 and Cole a 72.

But Kendall (left), a veteran who’s played in 423 PGA Tour events, is still at the top of the leaderboard going into Friday’s final round. The 53-year-old backed up his first-round 66 with a 3-under-par 69 on Thursday to check in at 9-under 135. He managed a four-birdie, one-bogey day, but played his last five holes in 1 over.

“I’m looking forward (to being in contention on the final day),” he said. “That was the whole idea in coming out here — to see if I could get in the thick of things again and kind of challenge myself. So far, so good. It’s been fun. I look forward to the challenge tomorrow.”

Kendall, who’s competing in his first Colorado Senior Open, has played in just one PGA Tour Champions event this year after being exempt in 2017. But he said the last time he was on the leaderboard in the final day of a tournament was in 2014. That year he finished third in the Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach and sixth at the Greater Hickory Kia Classic on the senior circuit.

“It’s been a while,” he said.

But Kendall has contended in Colorado before, at the PGA Tour’s International at Castle Pines. He finished third in 1997 and eighth in ’93, coincidentally the two years Phil Mickelson won.

“I had some nice tournaments there. I liked playing there,” said Kendall, who never won on the PGA Tour but claimed four titles on the Web.com Tour. “I’ve seemed to adjust OK to altitude. I won a Web.com event (in 2012) in Bogota, Colombia at 8,500 feet. For some reason I seem to guess right. I’m coming from Orlando where you hit it the shortest distance anywhere in the country because the air is really thick there. The ball just doesn’t go anywhere. It’s quite a difference here. But I’ve adjusted OK. It’s an educated guess — at least it is for me.”

Another former PGA Tour player, defending Colorado Senior Open champion Jeff Gallagher, was paired with Kendall the first two days and is also in the thick of the title hunt. Gallagher shot a 71 on Thursday and stands in third place at 137.

The group of Kendall, Gallagher and amateur Guy Mertz of Longmont (144) combined to make 33 birdies in two days.

Two-time Colorado Open champion Jim Blair of St. George, Utah, and former PGA Tour player John Riegger, of Henderson, Nev., share fourth place at 138.

At stake on Friday will be an $8,500 first prize for the low pro.

Elway Just Misses Cut Despite Late Rally: Things weren’t looking good for John Elway when he made the turn during Thursday’s second round. The Broncos general manager had shot a 6-over-par 42 on the front nine at GVR and was considerably on the wrong side of the cut line. A double bogey at No. 5 and a triple bogey at No. 8 (including a shank into the hazard and a three-putt) certainly didn’t help matters.

But the Pro Football Hall of Famer (left) mustered some of the old comeback magic to give himself hope to make the 36-hole cut. Alas, even with an impressive final nine holes, he ended up missing the cut for the first time in four Colorado Senior Open appearances.

Elway played the back nine in 3-under-par 33 to shoot a 3-over-par 75. That left him at 4-over 148 overall and in 56th place out of the 150-man field. But only the top 55 players and ties after two rounds advanced to Friday.

“What seems to be happening more lately is the fact that I can only play about 14 (good) holes,” the 57-year-old said. “But I still enjoy competing. This is the one area where I can still compete. It’s fun to play in these situations because you’ve got to count every shot. I don’t like playing poorly, but I still enjoy playing.”

The bad stretch for Elway on Thursday came on holes 5-9, where he went a combined 7 over par. He was 1 under par through four, then a couple of bad shots on 5 led to a double bogey. His tee shot ended up in a deep divot in the sixth fairway, leading to a bogey, and the shank and three-putt on 8 resulted in a triple bogey. Another three-putt on No. 9 led to another bogey. He ended up going 5 over par on the par-3s on the front nine.

“Then I got it going on the back nine and hit some good shots,” Elway said after making birdies on 11, 12 and 17.

But it wasn’t quite enough to keep him around for the final round.

Elway’s previous Senior Open finishes have been 52nd in 2010, 19th in 2014 and 29th in 2016.

Notable: Friday’s final-round tee times will run from 8:20 to 9:55 a.m., with Kendall, Zaremba and Gallagher going off in the final group, off No. 1. … Lindstrom, playing in his first CSO at age 50, leads the amateur competition with a 140 total. In second place, at 144, is Mertz. … In the super-senior division for players over 60, Zaremba (136) leads by four over Cole. Two-time PGA Tour winner Donnie Hammond (141) is in third place. … Keith Clearwater, also owner of two PGA Tour wins, was disqualified on his final hole Thursday, though he was borderline to make the cut anyway despite going 7 under par in a nine-hole stretch in the middle of his round. Clearwater finished third in the CSO two years ago.

For scores from the Colorado Senior Open, CLICK HERE.

Jeff Gallagher hadn’t played in a multi-day tournament yet in 2018, but you’d never have known it by the way the former PGA Tour player opened his title defense Wednesday at the CoBank Colorado Senior Open.

Gallagher, 53, made seven birdies and one bogey in a round of 6-under-par 66 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club to share the lead with two rounds remaining.

“I haven’t played in anything since Champions Tour Q-school in December except for two Monday qualifiers,” the resident of Henderson, Nev., said on Wednesday. “My competitiveness is not around. But it was today. You’ve got to figure out what you’re doing quickly, and I got off to a good start. That made it easier.”

Perhaps not coindentally, a fellow former PGA Tour veteran who was paired with Gallagher (left) on Wednesday also shares the lead at 66. That’s Skip Kendall, who has played in 423 PGA Tour events in his career.

“It was great,” Kendall (below) said of the pairing. “I was just trying to hold on to Jeff’s shirttails. He got off to a good start (with three birdies in his first four holes), and we ended up kind of feeding off each other. And we both played very well.”

Also at 66 after the first round is Mike Grob of Billings, Mont., a former PGA Tour player who surprised himself after waking up Wednesday feeling less than optimal.

“It felt great because this morning I woke up and I felt swollen and sore and stiff,” said the 54-year-old, who placed fifth in last year’s CSO. “I think it was a good thing because I wouldn’t swing too fast. It kept me slow.”

On a day when scoring conditions were near ideal, 31 players broke par on Wednesday.

Former Broncos quarterback John Elway was 2 under par through 14 holes, but bogeyed three of his last four to shoot 73. (See below for more details.)

Bill Breen of Nashville, Tenn., opened with a 67 to stand in fourth place.

Three Coloradans are in the top 10 through the first day. Rick Cole of Eaton, the runner-up in the 2017 Colorado PGA Professional Championship, had a bogey-free 68, good for a share of fifth place. Eaton finished sixth at last year’s Senior Open.

Also at 68 is Jeff Hanson of Edwards, who was part of Elway’s threesome, along with Paul Lobato. Doug Wherry of Lakewood posted a 69, leaving him in eighth place.

Gallagher shot 66 despite missing three putts of 5 feet or less, including a 2-foot birdie attempt on his first hole.

“The course kinds of suits me,” said Gallagher, who went 68-66-71 to win last year. “I drove it really well and hit some good shots at times. The golf course is nice. It’s fun to play.

“It’s so much different than when I played on Tour and on the Web.com. I have a mindset (now) that I’m going to go out and have fun. Whatever happens, happens. I think that mindset makes it a lot easier to play. It took a long time to figure that out — 53 years old and you finally figure out that this game actually is a lot of fun to play. And I still hit it really well, and that makes it a lot more fun to play.”

Gallagher and Kendall have known each other almost 30 years, back to their mini-tour days, which made for an ideal pairing on Wednesday, with Colorado amateur Guy Mertz (72 in round 1) being the third player.

“We had a good group,” Gallagher said. “It was fun. A lot of birdies.”

Kendall, who finished third at The International at Castle Pines in 1997, played his final 10 holes in 6 under par on Wednesday.

“I putted pretty well. I made eight birdies. I can’t remember the last time I did that,” said Kendall, who is playing in his first Colorado Senior Open. “Obviously I didn’t really expect to. I didn’t know what to expect because I haven’t been playing that much (one PGA Tour Champions start this year after a full schedule in 2017 but losing his card). So we’ll see what happens the next couple of days, but today was a nice day. I kept the ball in play, hit some decent irons shots and made some putts.

“It’s a good course. I’m enjoying it. It’s fun competing again.”

Elway Falters at End, Shoots 73: As for Elway, on Wednesday he made another one of those comebacks he’s famous for — only this one came on the golf course rather than the football field. Unfortunately for the Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback, he couldn’t close the deal on Wednesday.

Starting on his ninth hole (No. 18 at GVR), the Broncos general manager went birdie-par-birdie-birdie to get to 2 under, which put him in the top 15 overall. And he drove it over the green on the 318-yard fourth hole, but settled for a par. Then a couple of missed short putts and a ball that plugged in the bunker on his 17th hole resulted in three bogeys in his final four holes.

The 1-over-par 73 left Elway (left) in 44th place after the first round.

“I’m getting old. I can’t finish rounds,” said Elway, who has finished as high as 19th in the CSO. “I had it going so it was great, then … I don’t know if it’s age and I lack concentration late or what. But that’s golf.

“I played as good as I could play (for much of the round). I had a lot of good shots and made some good putts. For me it was a good round. You’re always disappointed if you miss a little putt or whatnot. But I hit the ball pretty well today.

“It’s always a crash course for me once the (NFL) draft is over. We’re about a month out, so it’s starting to get a little better. But I always enjoy playing out here. This is really a fun golf course to play. It’s in great shape.”

Elway was paired with Lobato, a PGA professional at Meridian Golf Club who has served as Elway’s instructor for many years.

“He can’t help you (during a tournament round),” Elway noted. “But it’s always good to play with guys you’re comfortable with. We kind of root for each other, but obviously we’re still playing in the tournament.”

Elway ranks fourth among amateurs after one round. Jon Lindstrom of Broomfield, a three-time CGA Mid-Amateur champion, leads the amateur ranks after shooting a 1-under-par 71.

The top 55 players and ties after Thursday’s second round will advance to Friday’s final round.

Hamill Surprised, Humbled by Honor: Pat Hamill, the founder of Oakwood Homes, is credited by many for bringing the Colorado Open back from the brink during tough times 15 years ago and re-establishing it as one of the top state opens in the country.

Hamill is the founder of the Colorado Open Golf Foundation and the owner of Green Valley Ranch Golf Club — where the CoBank Colorado Open, CoBank Colorado Women’s Open and the CoBank Colorado Senior Open are held. It’s also the home of The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch, a program which helps shape and impact the lives of kids.

Given the impact Hamill has had with The First Tee of GVR and with the CoBank Colorado Open championships, he recently received an unexpected honor when The First Tee Learning Center/Colorado Open Golf Foundation building at GVR was renamed the Patrick H. Hamill Learning Center.

“I was very surprised,” he said Wednesday at the Colorado Senior Open. “Had they asked for permission, I wouldn’t have let it happen. But I’m very humbled.”

For scores from the Colorado Senior Open, CLICK HERE.

Also scheduled to compete are Broncos Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway, who will be making his fourth Senior Open appearance, and 10 former CSO champions.

Here’s the rundown of longtime tour players who have committed to the 19th Colorado Senior Open:

— Guy Boros (253 PGA Tour starts, with one win; 32 PGA Tour Champions starts)

— Jim Carter (461 PGA Tour starts, with one win; 70 PGA Tour Champions starts)

— Keith Clearwater (411 PGA Tour starts, with two wins; 36 PGA Tour Champions starts)

— Former University of Northern Colorado athlete R.W. Eaks (77 PGA Tour starts; 176 PGA Tour Champions starts, with four wins)

— Donnie Hammond (497 PGA Tour stars, with two wins; 36 PGA Tour Champions starts)

— Skip Kendall (423 PGA Tour starts; 36 PGA Tour Champions starts)

— John Riegger (224 PGA Tour starts; 67 PGA Tour Champions starts, with one win)

— Larry Rinker (525 PGA Tour starts; 2 PGA Tour Champions starts)

Add it up and for those eight players, that’s 2,871 PGA Tour starts with six victories, and 419 PGA Tour Champions starts with five wins.

In addition, 2017 CSO winner Jeff Gallagher played in 134 PGA Tour events in his career, and many others in the field have competed in some major tour tournaments in their careers.

As for Elway, in addition to his Senior Open appearances, he’s competed in four CoBank Colorado Opens, making one cut.

His Senior Open finishes have been 52nd in 2010, 19th in 2014 and 29th in 2016. In those last two events, he placed second among amateurs.

A lifelong golf amateur, Elway has placed in the top 10 14 times in the nationally televised American Century Championships celebrity tournament in the Lake Tahoe area. He and Tom Hart won the 2009 Trans-Miss Four-Ball at Cherry Hills Country Club and tied for second in the 2010 CGA Four-Ball.

Elway is scheduled to tee off at 1 p.m. on Wednesday off No. 10 and at 8:05 a.m. on Thursday off No. 1. Fans are welcome and admission is free.

As for former CSO champions entered, besides Eaks and Gallagher, there’s Bill Loeffler, Doug Rohrbaugh, Mike Zaremba, Dave Arbuckle, Perry Arthur, Greg Bruckner (a two-time champ), John Ross and Ron Schroeder. Rohrbaugh played in last week’s KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship and on Monday he earned medalist honors in U.S. Senior Open qualifying at The Broadmoor.

The low pro in this week’s tournament will earn $8,500.

For Wednesday and Thursday’s pairings, CLICK HERE.

For more information on the Colorado Senior Open, CLICK HERE. 

The Broncos Pro Football Hall of Famer, who will attempt to qualify on May 28 at The Broadmoor for the U.S. Senior Open, has also committed to play in the CoBank Colorado Senior Open later that week at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver.

Elway’s entry was confirmed by tournament organizers on Monday morning. This year’s Colorado Senior Open is set for May 30-June 1. Admission is free. Elway is scheduled to tee off at 1 p.m. on May 30 and at 8:05 a.m. on May 31.

It will be Elway’s fourth appearance in the Colorado Senior Open, and he’s also competed in the Colorado Open four times, making the cut once. His Senior Open finishes have been 52nd in 2010, 19th in 2014 and 29th in 2016. In those last two events, he placed second among amateurs.

Two years ago, the Broncos general manager finished 5 over par for 54 holes, with one hole mainly proving his undoing. He went 5 over par on No. 1 at GVR. (Elway is pictured at GVR in 2016.)

Two days before the Colorado Senior Open starts, Elway, who will turn 58 on June 28, is hoping to qualify for the U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor, which will host the national championship June 28-July 1. Elway, the honorary chairman of the event, has said he’ll use George Solich, co-founder of the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy, as his caddie on May 28. Solich, a friend of Elway’s, grew up caddying at The Broadmoor.

A lifelong golf amateur, Elway has placed in the top 10 14 times in the nationally televised American Century Championships celebrity tournament in the Lake Tahoe area. He and Tom Hart won the 2009 Trans-Miss Four-Ball at Cherry Hills Country Club and tied for second in the 2010 CGA Four-Ball.

Also entered in the $50,000 Colorado Senior Open are four-time PGA Tour Champions winner R.W. Eaks, the 2011 CSO champ; two-time PGA Tour winners Keith Clearwater and Donnie Hammond; one-time PGA Tour winner Guy Boros; and longtime PGA Tour veterans Larry Rinker, Skip Kendall and John Riegger.

For more information on the Colorado Senior Open, CLICK HERE.
 

Jeff Gallagher may owe Denver resident Tom Krystyn a dinner for inadvertently jogging Gallagher’s memory about a month ago.

Gallagher, a former PGA Tour player who’s now a golf instructor in Henderson, Nev., had meant to enter the CoBank Colorado Senior Open, but put it off because he wasn’t sure how the tournament would fit in with his schedule.

But it was a phone call with Krystyn that reminded Gallagher to sign up on May 3, just a couple hours before the entry deadline.

“I’m good friends with Tom Krystyn, who lives here, and we were on the phone,” Gallagher explained on Friday afternoon. “I’m like, ‘Dang, that reminds me, I’ve got to register for the tournament.’ I think I did it about two hours before the deadline, and I’m sure glad I did. I nearly air-balled it.”

Gallagher, a two-time winner on the Web.com Tour, parlayed that entry into a victory Friday at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver. The younger brother of five-time PGA Tour champion Jim Gallagher Jr., Jeff fended off Steve Jurgensen of The Woodlands, Texas, to earn the Senior Open title, the $8,500 that goes with it, and a berth into next month’s $250,000 CoBank Colorado Open.

The 52-year-old took a two-stroke lead into the final hole, then had to sweat out a nail-biting finish. After Jurgensen was on the front fringe in two on the par-5 18th, Gallagher put his third shot about 35 feet behind the flagstick. After Jurgensen putted up to about 6 feet from the hole, Gallagher could clinch the win with a two-putt par. But his birdie putt ran past the hole and over a ridge, leaving him about 20 feet for par. He left that one short, meaning he had three-putted for bogey. Jurgensen, who plays right-handed but putts left, had a 6-foot birdie attempt to force a playoff, but pushed it a bit, assuring Gallagher (above and left) of the victory.

“I played for a little bit of break,” noted Jurgensen (pictured below in green), himself a former PGA Tour player who has won on the Web.com Tour. “I thought there was some slope off there, but there was nothing there.”

That let Gallagher off the hook for a final-hole three-putt.

“It was the weirdist thing. (My first putt) was uphill and a little downhill, and I’d been leaving everything short,” Gallagher said. “I probably got a little too aggressive. So I was thinking, ‘Playoff. Let’s go do it.’ I didn’t think he’d miss the putt. It all worked out. I played really well and Steve played really well as well. I hate to see him miss that putt, but I hate to see myself three-putt the last hole, too, to give him a chance. But I hit a lot of good shots over the course of the round and it was fun to do it.”

Gallagher closed with a 1-under-par 71 on Friday, leaving him with a winning total of 11-under 205. Jurgensen, who held a one-stroke lead after the 13th hole, came in at 206 after a final-round 73. Robin Byrd of Satellite Beach, Fla., was another stroke back, in third place, after a 72.

Four Coloradans posted top-10 finishes, but they were all in the six-to-10 range. Rick Cole of Eaton posted his best showing ever in a Colorado Senior Open — or a Colorado Open — by placing sixth at 212 (72-69-71), earning a grand total of $2,700 in the process. Dale Smigelsky of Fort Collins (213) tied for seventh, and Doug Wherry of Lakewood and former champion Mike Zaremba of Pueblo West (214) were among the seven players who shared ninth place.

At 63, Cole not only finished sixth overall but was the low super-senior (60-plus) player.

“My goal at this time in my life is just trying to make the cut,” said Cole, who played his final 10 holes in 3 under par. “So I was very happy with the way I played. It feels really good.”

But it was Gallagher, playing in the Colorado Senior Open for the first time, and Jurgensen who would battle it out of the title on the back nine on Friday.

Gallagher was two ahead after 10 holes, but his bogey on No. 11 combined with Jurgensen’s 12-foot birdie made them all square. And Jurgensen two-putted the par-5 12th for a second straight birdie, taking the lead outright.

Gallagher evened it up again by sinking a 3 1/2-foot birdie on the 14th after driving it over the green on the short par-4.

But it was the 15th hole that proved pivotal. There, from ideal position in the middle of the fairway, Jurgensen left his approach in the front bunker, where the ball buried. His next shot stayed in the bunker and he then missed a 6-foot putt to take a double bogey, leaving him two behind with three holes left.

“I was in between clubs,” Jurgensen said. “I was trying to hit the longer club softer to the left of the bunker. I knew you couldn’t aim at that flag. I should have hit the shorter club hard. For us sea-level guys (playing at altitude), when you don’t hit the ball up in the air, it’ll fall out of the sky a little bit quicker than what we’re used to. It was a bad mistake. In hindsight I would have played way left and get my two-putt and get out of there and still be even.”

Said Gallagher, who’s known Jurgensen for more than 20 years: “In this game anything can happen. He was playing great, then all of a sudden, ‘Boom’. It could have happened to me just as easy. I’m glad it didn’t. But it was definitely a big turning point.”

From there, Gallagher and Jurgensen parred 16 and 17, then the Nevadan prevailed despite his 18th-hole three-putt bogey.

Gallagher said the win is his biggest since his second Web.com Tour victory, in the 2000 South Carolina Classic.

“It’s been a long time,” said Gallagher, who competed in 134 PGA Tour events, mostly between 1996 and 2003. “It’s nice to be able to hit the shots under the pressure. I’m nervous. Everybody’s nervous. Obviously it’s not a PGA Tour event, but it’s competition. And it doesn’t matter if you’re playing for $1,000, $500 or $100,000,000. The competition gets me doing. I don’t enjoy playing golf unless I’m playing in competition. Competition just does something to me. It’s satisfying if you can perform under the heat.”

Gallagher, who has played very little Tour golf since 2010, attributed his success this week to a different mindset than he had during his Tour days.

“I don’t take it as serious as I used to,” he said. “I just have fun. I could have shot 80-80-80 and been just as happy as shooting 11 under this week. There’s a lot of worse things in this world than bad golf or losing a tournament. I’ve kind of changed my outlook on life as far as golf goes. I think that’s why I play so well now. When I played, I made it a job. It shouldn’t be a job. I wish I had that attitude for 20 years playing because I’d probably still be playing.”

Former Military Champion Takes Low-Am Honors: Albert Johnson Jr., of Lawton, Okla., has won several notable titles in golf, including three All-Army Championships and the Armed Forces Golf Championship in 2007 shortly before retiring from the military.

On Friday, he added low-amateur honors in the Colorado Senior Open to his list of golf accomplishments.

But it wasn’t easy, despite going into the final round seven strokes ahead of the next-lowest amateur. Johnson (left) struggled to a 7-over-par 79 in the final round to post a 4-over 220 total (70-71-79), prevailing by one over Ray Makloski of Pueblo, the 2012 CGA Senior Match Play champion.

“It’s always good to win, wherever you can win, by whatever means you can win. I’m excited about that,” said the 59-year-old Johnson, who was competing in the Senior Open for the first time.

“My goal today wasn’t to be low amateur; my goal was to play well. Unfortunately, I didn’t, but there’s some consolation in a gift certificate and a trophy, so I’m happy for that.”

Aces High: The last two rounds of the Colorado Senior Open each featured a hole-in one. A day after Duane Lorio of Luling, La., aced the fifth hole, Mike Grob of Billings, Mont., did the honors on Friday. Grob used a hole-in-one on the 13th hole — 8-iron from 172 yards — to shoot a 3-under-par 69 and finish fifth despite closing with a double bogey.

 
For scores from the Colorado Senior Open, CLICK HERE.
  

A Colorado resident has won the CoBank Colorado Senior Open just once in the past seven years, but Dale Smigelsky of Fort Collins might have hit upon a reason why.

“I’m heading home now to do all my scoresheets for my (Collindale) invitational for this weekend,” Smigelsky said after shooting a 2-under-par 70 on Thursday at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver.

Indeed, Smigelsky’s situation isn’t unusual for many of the Colorado competitors. In his case, he’s the director of golf at Collindale Golf Course in Fort Collins, and the workload doesn’t stop when he’s competing in a tournament.

But, so far, Smigelsky (pictured) is juggling the situation quite well. The 56-year-old stands at 5-under-par 139 and shares holds sixth place, six strokes behind leader Steve Jurgensen of The Woodlands, Texas and five back of Jeff Gallagher of Henderson, Nev. Both of the top two on the leaderboard are former PGA Tour players who have won on the Web.com Tour.

“I’m a golf professional,” said Smigelsky, the 2015 Colorado Senior PGA Professional Champion. “The other guys, the good players, are professional golfers — and that’s what the difference is. For those of us that work in the business, it’s kind of fun to compare ourselves against the good players. So it’s nice to play well.”

Smigelsky was actually 7 under par overall through 14 holes on Thursday, but bogeyed Nos. 15 and 17 to drop back a little.

“I’m a normal working pro so I got a little uncomfortable with it,” he said. “Then the wind came up and played around with the ball the last couple holes.

“I’m happy with where I’m at. I wish I could have brought it in once I got to 7 (under), but you look at the leaderboard and you’re not used to seeing it (and) you get a little anxious.

“But I’m excited because I’ve played so little golf. If you had asked me before I started if I was going to be 5 under after two rounds, I’d say, ‘Sure, I’ll take it.'”

But as solid as Smigelsky has been, he has quite a bit of ground to make up in Friday’s final round. Jurgensen shot a 6-under-par 66 on Thursday — matching the best round of the tournament — and will take a one-stroke lead into the last round of the $50,000 tournament with an 11-under-par 133 total. One back is Gallagher, who also fired a second-round 66. Gallagher is the younger brother of five-time PGA Tour winner Jim Gallagher Jr.

Jurgensen, a one-time winner on the Web.com Tour who has posted three top-10 finishes in 93 PGA Tour starts, carded an eagle, six birdies and two bogeys on Thursday. On the par-5 second hole (his 11th), he hit a 3-wood from 255 yards to 2 feet for his 3.

“You want to be up there somewhere (on the leaderboard) if you can,” the 55-year-old said. “(Friday’s final round) is just another day where you find your game when you get out there on the course. It’s either going to be a struggle or a day you feel like you can do something really special. Every round of golf is a wait-and-see kind of thing.

“But I like the golf course (and) I’ve played well in Colorado before. I don’t know if it’s just the atmosphere, but you feel real good. The greens are really good and I’ve made some putts this week. Usually that’s the difference when somebody scores low — they’re making some putts.”

Gallagher (left) — who has two Web.com Tour victories to his credit, and has played in 134 events on the PGA Tour — made an eagle, six birdies and two bogeys bogeys on Thursday. He was 4 under par through five, then chipped in from 90 feet for eagle on the par-5 12th. And, mind you, this is Gallagher’s first time competing in the Colorado Senior Open — or the Colorado Open, for that matter.

“I haven’t been playing a whole lot,” the 52-year-old instructor said. “This is probably my third round of golf in about three months. I quit playing the Web.com Tour in 2011. I’ve been teaching the last (six) years. I spend most of my time on the driving range watching kids and grownups hit golf shots.

“It’s strange that I play better now that I don’t play (regularly) than I did when I was playing. It’s a different attitude; that’s pretty much all it is. The nerves are there, but I don’t take it like I used to. It’s not a job anymore. It’s fun.”

Longtime fans of golf in Colorado might remember Jeff’s older brother Jim and his feat at the now-defunct International at Castle Pines Golf Club. In 1990, Jim Gallagher made a double eagle on the par-5 17th hole, marking one of two recorded at Castle Pines that day — a rare happening indeed. These days, Jim Gallagher spends much of his time working for the Golf Channel.

Jeff didn’t have the success that Jim did on the PGA Tour, but he did play the world’s top circuit on and off from 1996 to 2003, including competing at The International several times. More recently, he finished 18th at last year’s U.S. Senior Open.

Back at the Colorado Senior Open, Robin Byrd of Sattelite Beach, Fla., holds third place at 135 after a second-round 67.

Steve Schneiter of Sandy, Utah, winner of the 2016 national Senior PGA Professional Championship, shares fourth place at 137 with Texan Tim Thelen after both posted 70s on Thursday.

By his own estimate, Schneiter has competed in the Colorado Open and Colorado Senior Open 25-30 times between them. And though he’s contended for the title — most notably, he lost a playoff to Bill Loeffler in the last Open played at Hiwan Golf Club, in 1991 — he’s yet to take home the trophy.

“I’d like to win one of them,” said Schneiter, who owns state open titles in Arizona, Idaho and Wyoming. “At least I have a chance going into tomorrow. Hopefully things will keep going good.”

Notable: Tee times for Friday’s final round will begin at 8:15 a.m., with the leaders going off at 9:55. … A total of 60 players, all of whom stand at 149 or better, made the 36-hole cut. … Albert Johnson Jr., of Lawton, Okla., opened up a seven-stroke lead in the low-amateur competition as he’s gone 70-71–141. … The low super-senior (60 and older) after two days is five-time PGA Tour winner Danny Edwards (69-75–144). … Duane Lorio of Luling, La., made a hole-in-one on Thursday afternoon, draining a 9-iron shot on the fifth hole. But Lorio (78-74) missed the cut with a 152 total.

For scores from the Colorado Senior Open, CLICK HERE.
 

Danny Edwards will turn 66 in two weeks, so there are people in the CoBank Colorado Senior Open field who were just being born when he was starting to drive a car.

But that didn’t keep the five-time PGA Tour winner from finding a spot on the leaderboard after round 1 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver.

Edwards (pictured) shot a bogey-free 3-under-par 69 Wedneday to share sixth place with two rounds left at GVR. He sits just two strokes out of the lead.

“There’s a lot of difference between 50 and 66 (years old),” Edwards said. “You don’t hit it as far, your nerves aren’t as good. Name about anything, there’s a big difference. It’s hard to believe I’m that old, but I am. It’s definitely a challenge.

“But it’s nice to play well — whether I was 10th (place) or 30th. I hit some really good shots. That’s what you enjoy — hitting really good shots and making a few saves. I hit 16 greens in regulation, which isn’t bad.”

On a day that featured good scoring conditions — though there were two lightning suspensions in the afternoon lasting a total of 2 hours and 40 minutes — 22 players were under par Wednesday before play was suspended due to darkness at 8:15 p.m. A total of 30 players hadn’t yet completed round 1 and will do so on Thursday beginning at 7:30 a.m. Scheduled second-round tee times won’t be affected.

Leading the way when play concluded Wednesday night were Steve Schneiter of Sandy, Utah, the 2016 winner of the national Senior PGA Professional Championship, and a couple of Texans, Tim Thelen of College Station and Steve Jurgensen of The Woodlands. All three fired 5-under-par 67s.

“We had perfect conditions,” said Thelen, a two-time winner of the national PGA Professional Championship and a five-time champion on the European Senior Tour. “I guess it rained out here a little last night. It softened the course up a little so you could go after it.”

Edwards is no stranger to being in contention at the Colorado Senior Open. He finished second in the tournament in 2009, third in 2005 and fifth in 2011 at age 60.

On Wednesday, Edwards kept his bogey-free round intact by getting up and down from the front bunker on No. 18, sinking a 6-foot par putt.

Shooting rounds in the 60s is always a good thing, but especially when a player like Edwards isn’t competing nearly as much as he used to.

“I play maybe once a month” tournament-wise, he said. “If you’re playing the (PGA) Tour, you’re playing virtually every week. It’s a lot more difficult (now), there’s no question about it. You’re not playing as much. I’m just a part-time player and an older guy. But I can still play a little bit, so it’s nice to have a round like today.”

Thelen (left), a college teammate of Colin Montgomerie at Houston Baptist, made seven birdies in his round of 67 on Wednesday.

“I hit it well. I drove it well, hit my irons well and made a few putts,” said the 55-year-old Thelen, who placed fourth in the Senior Open in 2014, the only other year he’s competed in the event. “I played a practice round here yesterday and didn’t hit it very well. I was on the range this morning before we played and I just felt something. I went out there and did it. I haven’t been putting very well, and I guess the hole got in the way a few times today. Hopefully the next two days are good.”

Joining Thelen in the first-round lead was Schneiter, who in addition to winning the national Senior PGA Professional Championship in November has captured the PGA Professional Championship in 1995. Schneiter made six birdies on the day and played his final six holes in 4 under. Also sharing the lead was Jurgensen, a one-time winner on the Web.com Tour. The 55-year-old carded six birdies and a bogey on Wednesday.

Sharing fourth place at 68 were Jeff Gallagher of Henderson, Nev., who went bogey-free, and Robin Byrd of Satellite Beach, Fla., whose lone bogey came on his final hole of the day.

Notable: The low amateur after Wednesday’s action was Albert Johnson Jr., of Lawton, Okla., who carded a 2-under-par 70. … The field will be cut to the low 55 players and ties after Thursday’s second round. … Defending champion John Ross of Bramwell, W. Va., opened with a 73. … Mike Northern of Colorado Springs, who competed in the Senior PGA Championship last week, posted a 71 on Wednesday.

For scores from the Colorado Senior Open, CLICK HERE.
 

Edwards has won five times on the PGA Tour and Clearwater three. Rinker’s best Tour showings were two runner-up finishes.

Clearwater (pictured) placed third at least year’s CSO, three strokes behind champion John Ross of Bramwell, W.Va., who will defend his title.

Ten past champions are entered into the Senior Open, including Coloradans Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale (2013), Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Bill Loeffler of Castle Rock (2009), Dave Arbuckle of Colorado Springs (2007), Mike Zaremba of Pueblo West (2005). Rohrbaugh, a three-time winner of the Colorado PGA Professional Championship, was the last Coloradan to win the tournament.

Also scheduled to play at GVR are two-time champion Greg Bruckner of Phoenix; Mike Northern of Colorado Springs, fresh off competing in the Senior PGA Championship; Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kent Moore, who just won the CGA Super-Senior Match Play; Utahn Steve Schneiter, winner of the national Senior PGA Professional Championship in November; Dale Smigelsky, the Colorado PGA Senior Player of the Year in 2015; and 2016 U.S. Senior Open qualifier Ron Vlosich of Lakewood.

One player who won’t be in the field is Denver Broncos general manager John Elway, who has competed three Colorado Senior Opens, including last year’s, and the Colorado Open.

The tournament will feature a $50,000 purse, with $8,500 going to the winner. The champion will also get a spot in the $250,000 CoBank Colorado Open.

For more information on the Colorado Senior Open, CLICK HERE.