— Where: The Broadmoor Golf Club’s East Course in Colorado Springs, designed by Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones Sr.

— When: Championship rounds June 28-July 1. Practice rounds June 25-27. Tee times run 7 a.m.-2:36 p.m. off first and 10th tees on Thursday and Friday, roughly 9 a.m.-2 p.m. off first tee Saturday and Sunday. Trophy ceremony, Sunday, 7 p.m.

— Format: 72 holes of stroke play. A playoff, if necessary, will be a two-hole aggregate. If the participants are still tied, sudden death would then decide the champion.

— Field: 156 players, all age 50 and older as of June 28. After two rounds, the field will be reduced to the top 60 players and ties. The USGA originally accepted 2,738 entries for the event.

— Course Setup: 7,264 yards, Par-70. (Note: The seventh and 17th holes, normally par-5s, will be par-4s for the championship.) It will be the second-longest yardage for a U.S. Senior Open course, behind only the 7,269 at Crooked Stick in Carmel, Ind., in 2009.

— Defending Champion: Kenny Perry, who won in 2013 as well as 2017.

— World Golf Hall of Famers in Field: Hale Irwin, Vijay Singh, Davis Love III, Tom Kite, Mark O’Meara, Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie.

— Players With Strong Colorado Ties in Field: Colorado Sports Hall of Famer Hale Irwin, Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe, Colorado residents Doug Rohrbaugh and Chris Johnson, former CU golfer Mikael Hogberg. Also, Esteban Toledo once had a residence in Castle Pines and Tommy Armour III was born in Denver.

— Other Notables in Field: Baseball Hall of Famer John Smoltz, Mark Calcavecchia, John Cook, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Tom Lehman, Scott McCarron, Jesper Parnevik, Corey Pavin, Kenny Perry.

— Complete Field: CLICK HERE.

— Thursday and Friday Tee Times: CLICK HERE.

— Fan Information: CLICK HERE.

— Public Parking: Free public parking is located at 3819 Janitell Road in Colorado Springs. Complimentary shuttles will run continuously to and from the public parking lot. The public lot will open 30 minutes prior to gate times each day.

— Purse: $4 million, with $720,000 going to the winner.

— TV Schedule (broadcast in more than 100 countries):
Thursday, June 28 — First round, 2-7 p.m., FS1
Friday, June 29 — Second round, 1:30-6:30 p.m., FS1
Saturday, June 30 — Third round, 2-7 p.m., FS1
Sunday, July 1 — Final round, 2-7 p.m., FS1

— Live Streaming on USGA.org:
Thursday, June 28 — 10 a.m.-noon and 2-7 p.m.
Friday, June 29 — 9:30-11:30 a.m. and 1:30-6:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 30 — 2-7 p.m.
Sunday, July 1 — 2-7 p.m.

— Tickets: Available at 2018ussenioropen.com. Note: Kids 17 and under admitted free when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Also, active duty and retired military and immediate dependents admitted free on June 25 and receive 50 percent off the standard cost the remainder of the week.

— Actitivies During Senior Open Week:

Monday, June 25, through Sunday, July 1, generally from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. — Youth Golf Experience, hosted by the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado, on first hole of West Course.

Monday, June 25 through Sunday, July 1 — Colorado PGA is co-sponsoring “The Bunker”, a hospitality area for active-duty military and vets to receive complimentary food and beverage.

Monday, June 25, 2 p.m. — Warrior Challenge. Three wounded veterans face a U.S. Senior Open competitor in four-hole affair on West Course.

Monday, June 25, 7 p.m. — Military appreciation concert by Vince Gill and Amy Grant. The Colorado REACH Foundation, in partnership with the Military Warriors Support Foundation, will present a mortgage-free home to a combat-wounded veteran during this event.

Tuesday, June 26, 8:30 a.m. — Drive, Chip & Putt qualifying on 18th hole of West Course.

Tuesday, June 26, 2 p.m. — Hale Irwin exhibition, geared toward juniors, at driving range.

Wednesday, June 27, 8 a.m. — Colorado PGA REACH Foundation hosting a Women’s Leadership Summit, with an accompanying free women’s clinic.

Wednesday, June 27, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. — Junior Day actitivities.

Wednesday, June 27, 10 a.m. — Colin Montgomerie exhibition, first green of West Course.

Wednesday June 27, 1 p.m. — Mark Calcavecchia autograph signing in merchandise tent.

Thursday, June 27, through Sunday, July 1, 5-6 p.m. — Fan appreciation hours. $2 off beverages and hot dogs during that hour at concession stands and Centennial Club.

Friday, June 28, 2 p.m. — Mark O’Meara autograph signing in Lexus Performance Experience.

Friday, June 28, 9 p.m. — The Broadmoor’s 100th birthday fireworks show around 18th green.

— Championship Qualifiers: 88 players qualified for the U.S. Senior Open through their performance at 34 qualifying tournaments, with some of those advancing after originally being alternates.

— Volunteers: More than 2,600 will help out at the Senior Open.

— Previous USGA championships at The Broadmoor:
1959 U.S. Amateur (East Course), won by Jack Nicklaus.
1962 Curtis Cup Matches (East Course), won by USA over Great Britain & Ireland.
1967 U.S. Amateur (West Course), won by Robert Dickson.
1982 U.S. Women’s Open (South Course), won by Juli Simpson Inkster.
1995 U.S. Women’s Open (East Course), won by Annika Sorenstam.
2008 U.S. Senior Open (East Course), won by Eduardo Romero.
2011 U.S. Women’s Open (East Course), won by So Yeon Ryu.

— Previous U.S. Senior Opens in Colorado:
1993 at Cherry Hills CC, won by Jack Nicklaus.
2008 at The Broadmoor’s East Course, won by Eduardo Romero.

— Additional Information on the Senior Open: CLICK HERE.

John Elway figures to receive much of the attention from fans and the media on Monday at The Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado Springs, whether the Pro Football Hall of Famer qualifies for the U.S. Senior Open or not. More than 2,000 fans are expected to watch him try to qualify Monday at The Broadmoor.

Attention comes with the territory for Elway, who has an official role to play for this particular U.S. Senior Open even if he fails to earn a spot in the 156-man field. The Broncos general manager is the honorary chairman for this year’s Senior Open, which the East Course at The Broadmoor will host June 28-July 1.

On the golf course, Elway does have some game. He’s made the cut in the CoBank Colorado Open once, and has posted two top-30 finishes in the CoBank Colorado Senior Open. And he’ll be helped out on Monday by oilman and philanthropist George Solich, an Elway friend who grew up caddying at The Broadmoor. George Solich and brother Duffy have lent their names and support to the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy. Elway is scheduled to tee off at 10:10 a.m. from No. 1 on the East Course.

But the bar will be set high on Monday for Elway and the other 83 competitors in the 18-hole qualifying tournament at the East Course as just two players from the site will advance to the U.S. Senior Open itself.

The field is full of formidable players. Ron Vlosich of Lakewood has qualified for five U.S. Senior Opens and Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale for three, and Rohrbaugh has also won a Colorado Senior Open and three Colorado PGA Professional Championships in recent years. Dale Smigeksy of Fort Collins and Charlie Post of Castle Rock played in the 2017 Senior Open.

On top of that, there’s several Colorado Golf Hall of Famers, in addition to Vlosich — Bill Loeffler (the 1986 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion), Kent Moore and John Olive, who’s competing at his home course. There’s 2017 Colorado PGA Professional Champion John Ogden of Cherry Hills Village; Mike Zaremba of Pueblo West, winner of both a Colorado Open and a Colorado Senior Open; Mike Northern of Colorado Springs, who finished fourth in the 2016 national Senior PGA Professional Championship; amateurs David Delich, a two-time U.S. Senior Open qualifier, and Robert Polk, who went to the 2007 Senior Open; 2016 U.S. Senior Open qualifier John Hornbeck of Wyoming; and Chris Johnson, who along with Rohrbaugh is competing in this week’s Senior PGA Championship.

Besides Colorado, states represented in Monday’s field including Arizona (6), Utah (5), Wyoming (3), Oklahoma (2), California (1), Florida (1), Montana (1), Ohio (1), Tennessee (1) and Texas (1).

Monday marks just the fourth time a U.S. Senior Open host course has also held a qualifying tournament leading up to the event. All told, 34 sites will host U.S. Senior Open qualifying events this spring.

Spectators are welcome for Monday’s qualifying tournament at The Broadmoor, and admission is free.
 

The USGA accepted 2,738 entries for the tournament — including 106 from Colorado — with 75 being exempt from qualifying. The entry deadline for the event was Wednesday.

Joining Irwin (20 PGA Tour victories, including three U.S. Opens) among World Golf Hall of Famers who have entered the championship at The Broadmoor’s East Course are Tom Watson (39 PGA Tour wins), Vijay Singh (34), Davis Love III (21), Tom Kite (19), Mark O’Meara (16), Fred Couples (15), Bernhard Langer (3, including two majors) and Colin Montgomerie (41 international victories).

Besides Irwin, players who grew up in Colorado and are in the field are 1996 U.S. Open champion Steve Jones and fellow Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe.

In all, 11 U.S. Senior Open champions have entered the event at The Broadmoor: Irwin (1998 and 2000), Kenny Perry (2013 and ’17), Langer (2010), Montgomerie (2014), Jeff Maggert (2015), Peter Jacobsen (2004), Fred Funk (2009), Gene Sauers (2016), Olin Browne (2011), Brad Bryant (2007) and Roger Chapman (2012).

Others among the exempt players who are planning to play at The Broadmoor are John Daly, Mark Calcavecchia, Steve Stricker, John Cook, Tom Lehman (who won the 2010 Senior PGA Championship at Colorado Golf Club), Corey Pavin, Lee Janzen, Billy Mayfair, Rocco Mediate, Gil Morgan, Jesper Parnevik, Tom Pernice Jr., Loren Roberts, David Frost, Jay Haas, David Toms, Scott Hoch, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Scott Verplank and Kirk Triplett.

The Broadmoor is hosting its second U.S. Senior Open and its eighth USGA championship, with winners at the resort including Jack Nicklaus, Annika Sorenstam and Juli Inkster. The Broadmoor is celebrating its 100th anniversary on the Friday of the championship, June 29.

Thirty-four qualifying tournaments for the U.S. Senior Open will be held starting Monday. The Broadmoor will host a qualifier on May 28, with Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway among those competing.

In all, the U.S. Senior Open field will feature 156 players.

One golfer with strong Colorado ties who won’t be playing is Colorado Golf Hall of Famer and former Aurora resident Mark Wiebe. Wiebe said on Twitter this week that he withdrew from the exempt list due to a lingering neck injury.
 

One of just 80 junior golfers overall to earn a spot in the Finals at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia — the home of next week’s Masters — Ford finished sixth out of 10 competitors in the Boys 14-15 division. That ties the best showing ever by a Coloradan in the event.

Ford (pictured) was just the fourth Coloradan to advance to the DCP National Finals in the first five years of the championship. Luke Trujillo, a teammate of Ford at Discovery Canyon High School, competed at Augusta National in 2016, along with fellow Coloradans Arielle Keating and Caitlyn Chin. Trujillo, who went on to win the 4A state high school individual title in the fall of 2016, and Keating finished sixth in their respective age/gender divisions two years ago, while Chin was 10th.

“It was definitely inspiring to watch someone I know on TV and it was awesome to play with a past DCP finalist during the high school season this (past) fall,” Ford said of Trujillo in his DCP bio.

Ford placed seventh in the drive portion of the contest (235 yards), second in the chipping (5 feet, 9 inches aggregate distance from the hole) and sixth in the putting (6 feet aggregate distance from the hole). That gave him 18 points overall. The putting portion of the event was held on the 18th green at Augusta National.

Brendan Valdes of Orlando, Fla., won a putting playoff to claim the title after posting a 23-point total.

Each competitor was scored based on the longest of two drives (provided it’s inbounds), and the cumulative proximity to the hole of two chips and of two putts from different distances. The kids with the highest combined scores in driving, chipping and putting won the overall titles.

Ford, a 15-year-old high school freshman, had advanced through three previous competitions to earn a spot in the National Finals. He competed in the Local event at The Club at Flying Horse in Colorado Springs — his home course — and in the Sub-Regional at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora, then he won the Regionals at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.

During Sunday’s telecast, the Golf Channel ran a three-minute feature segment on Ford, who has battled epilepsy, asthma and serious food allergies but controls those issues with medication. To watch that segment, which also aired last month on Golf Channel’s Morning Drive, CLICK HERE. 

Golf Channel also showed Ford hitting a drive, a chip (after which he gave a fist-pump) and two putts on Sunday.

Ford, who started playing golf at age 5, owns an 8.2 Handicap Index. It’s his first trip to the Masters site.

On Sunday, he wore an orange shirt and hat — true to what he wrote on his DCP bio.

“The brighter my clothes, the better I play,” he wrote. “I also have multiple outfits that I have won in and consider them lucky.”

In all, 80 kids qualified for the DCP National Finals — 10 in each of four age groups for boys and girls.

The Golf Channel televised five hours of the DCP National Finals on Sunday. Among those on hand to watch the festivities were major champions Gary Player, Annika Sorenstam, Bubba Watson, Nick Faldo, Nancy Lopez, Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, Mark O’Meara and Martin Kaymer, along with former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

“This is very inspiring,” Sorenstam, a 72-time winner on the LPGA Tour, said on the Golf Channel telecast.

“I don’t think I could have done this at that age,” O’Meara added.

The Drive, Chip and Putt is a joint initiative of the Masters, the USGA and the PGA of America designed to help grow the game.

For all the results from the DCP National Finals on Sunday, CLICK HERE.

It’s an area that will be bustling with activity in roughly 100 days, when the U.S. Senior Open pays a visit to The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs during the resort’s centennial year.

But last month, there was no sign of any such activity at The Broadmoor’s golf shop and surrounding area. Indeed, much of that area was off limits to visitors.

And it wasn’t just because it was mid-winter. Instead, much of the area was obviously in the midst of a construction project.

But what will emerge — probably sometime in April if things go according to plan — will be an homage to the long and storied golf history of The Broadmoor. Plus, there will be a newly redone and improved golf shop and golf club dining area and grille.

The historical portion of the project will result in an area dubbed the Heritage Hallway.

“We’re doing panels to celebrate all the championships we’ve had here; the seven golf professionals that were here; architects Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones; the Trans Mississippi; the Broadmoor Invitation …,” Russ Miller, The Broadmoor’s director of golf since 1998, said during the recent G4 Summit held at the resort. “It’s kind of a history hallway. It goes from the minute you walk in the clubhouse all the way down to the grille room — both walls.”

As was noted in a trade magazine — Colorado Construction & Design — in January, about 25,000 square feet of public spaces will be involved overall.

The idea is similar to the Hall of Champions in the Cherry Hills Country Club clubhouse that has displayed — since 2012 — some of the memorabilia from that club’s rich history. 

In the case of The Broadmoor’s Heritage Hallway, featured will be display cases (left) devoted to the 1959 and 1967 U.S. Amateurs, won by Jack Nicklaus (bottom, in a USGA photo) and Robert Dickson, respectively; the five NCAA men’s Division I Championships held at the club; the 1962 Curtis Cup matches between the best amateurs from the U.S. and Great Britain & Ireland (the U.S. team included locals Judy Bell, Barbara McIntire and Tish Preuss, plus JoAnne Gunderson Carner); the Broadmoor Men’s Invitation tournaments that were held from 1921-94, with Hale Irwin winning in 1967 (the event was resurrected in 2014 as a four-ball championship); the Broadmoor Women’s Invitation, won three times each by Coloradans Babe Zaharias and Bell; the 1982 U.S. Women’s Amateur won by Juli (Simpson) Inkster; the 1995 U.S. Women’s Open won by Annika Sorenstam (pictured at top); the 2008 U.S. Senior Open claimed by Eduardo Romero; the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open won by So Yeon Ryu; and the upcoming 2018 U.S. Senior Open.

Nicklaus, Sorenstam, Zaharias, Irwin, Carner, Inkster and Bell are members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. In addition, former head professionals/directors of golf at The Broadmoor Ed Dudley and Dow Finsterwald each won more than 10 times on the PGA Tour, with Finsty capturing the 1958 PGA Championship title.

The 2018 U.S. Senior Open will mark the eighth USGA championship hosted by The Broadmoor. It’s also been the site of the Trans-Miss six times (including the 1949 event won by Charlie Coe); and the World Seniors on many occasions.

“We just didn’t feel like we’ve been doing a good job of promoting our history here,” Miller said. “We’ve had eight USGA championships. If you look at the members here — Judy Bell, Tish Preuss, Nancy Syms, Barbara McIntire (all Colorado Golf Hall of Famers) … We just haven’t done a good job promoting our history. We’ve been talking about it for three or four years now. We just decided to go ahead and do it. It’s going to be awesome.”

Also getting done, from a golf perspective, is a new golf shop. “We’re gutting it and redoing it A to Z — lighting, fixtures, counters, the whole thing,” Miller said.

Russ Miller has been the PGA director of golf at The Broadmoor for 19 years — a period during which the Colorado Springs resort has hosted two USGA open championships — the 2008 U.S. Senior Open and the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open.

Despite his experience, there’s always more to learn when helping to oversee a major championship. That’s why — at least in part — Miller traveled to the U.S. Senior Open near Salem, Mass., in late June, and to the U.S. Amateur in Pacific Palisades Calif., this week.

With a little more than 300 days before tournament week at the East Course at The Broadmoor — June 25-July 1 — the resort is gradually gearing up for the 2018 U.S. Senior Open. It will be the 13th major championship to be conducted in Colorado — at least according to the current lineups used by the PGA Tour, LPGA and PGA Tour Champions. (The Women’s Western Open, once considered a major, was held at The Broadmoor in 1938 and at Cherry Hills Country Club in 1950, when Babe Zaharias won.)

Here’s the rundown of tour majors contested in Colorado:

U.S. Open — 1938, 1960 and 1978 (Cherry Hills).
PGA Championship — 1941 and 1985 (Cherry Hills); 1967 (Columbine).
U.S. Women’s Open — 1995 and 2011 (The Broadmoor); 2005 (Cherry Hills).
U.S. Senior Open — 1993 (Cherry Hills); 2008 and 2018 (The Broadmoor). (Note: After 2018, only Ohio, home to six championships, will have hosted the U.S. Senior Open more times than Colorado.)
Senior PGA Championship — 2010 (Colorado Golf Club).

In the 43-year period from 1972 through 2014, there was only one year (2007) that Colorado didn’t host at least one significant professional tour event or a major national/international amateur golf competition. But with the 2018 Senior Open being the first such tournament in Colorado since Cherry Hills did the honors at the BMW Championship in the 2014 PGA Tour playoffs, there appears to be some pent-up demand.

Miller said that in the first phase of ticket availability, which just concluded, sales more than doubled what they were for the same period in 2008, the last time the U.S. Senior Open came to The Broadmoor — or to the state.

“What that tells me about Colorado is people are really excited to have another championship back,” Miller said in a phone interview on Wednesday. “When your ticket sales are good, that shows you the excitement is good and it’s going to keep on growing.”

For the 2008 U.S. Senior Open — which featured the likes of World Golf Hall of Famers Tom Watson, Hale Irwin, Greg Norman, Bernhard Langer, Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite and Curtis Strange in the 156-man field — The Broadmoor attracted an announced 128,714 fans for the week. As good as that was, Miller is looking for a slight jump for next year’s event.

“We did about 130,000 in 2008. We’d love to exceed that by let’s say 5,000,” he said. “What’s neat about it this far out is you know how to build your restroom facilities, your food and beverage facilities and your concession stands based on ticket sales. It can keep going up and we just plan for it ahead of time.

“At The Broadmoor we have so much space that we won’t really sell out. We can accommodate however many we can take. We’re lucky at The Broadmoor. We can handle 35,000 people a day. At Cherry Hills or a smaller club logistics-wise, it may not be able to handle that many. I’d love to do 135,000. That would be just a home run.”

And, in an effort to encourage youngsters to attend, fans 17 and under will be granted free admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult, with each adult allowed to bring up to nine kids.

For more information about ticket sales, or to make a purchase, CLICK HERE.

If the numbers play out as expected attendance-wise, it’s believed that the Senior Open could have a $20 million-plus economic impact on the local economy after the ’08 event pulled in an estimated $21 million to the area.

“This is a big event, a big economic driver for Colorado Springs,” mayor John Suthers said. “We’ll make sure everybody is prepared.”

Next year will certainly be a momentous one at The Broadmoor, the picturesque venue at the foot of Cheyenne Mountain that opened in 1918. The resort will have centennial-related events throughout the year, starting Jan. 1. But the precise day The Broadmoor will turn 100 years old will be June 29, the Friday of U.S. Senior Open week.

The plan is to hold a large charity concert on Monday of that week (June 25) and fireworks on Friday night. As what you might expect at a five-star resort, The Broadmoor hopes to leave players, fans and anyone else associated with the event with an indelible positive impression.

“What’s unique about it is, it’s kind of the mentality we have every day at the hotel,” Miller noted. “How can we make our guest experience better and unique versus other resorts in the world? That’s the fun apart.”

The folks at The Broadmoor are certainly no strangers to hosting large-scale events, including major golf championships. Just with USGA tournaments, the club has hosted national/international events seven times since 1959, with next year being No. 8 (six at the East Course, a combination of holes designed by Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones Sr.). The list includes two U.S. Women’s Opens, two U.S. Senior Opens, two U.S. Amateurs, one U.S. Women’s Amateur and one Curtis Cup.

“It gets easier (with the past experience), but there’s still so many things to do before the time comes,” Miller said. “It’s like taking a test in college. You kind of know how to prepare, but you still have to study and do all the things beforehand. We always try to get better and you can always learn.”

That familiarity works both ways, of course. In joining forces with The Broadmoor, the USGA knows it’s getting a first-class resort. And with the East Course and its sometimes-confounding greens, it’s produced champions such as Jack Nicklaus, Annika Sorenstam and So Yeon Ryu, currently the No. 1-ranked women’s player in the world.

“When you’re starting with the course here at The Broadmoor, you don’t want to mess with the masterpiece too much,” USGA championship manager Robbie Zalzneck said recently. “It’s a great test and we’ll have a great championship.”

To make sure The Broadmoor has all the bases covered — and perhaps to plant the seeds for future big-time championships coming to the resort — Miller was on hand for the 2017 U.S. Senior Open at Salem Country Club and is this week for the U.S. Am at Riviera Country Club near L.A.

“I’m kind of privileged they asked me a couple of months ago to serve on an advisory committee for the U.S. Amateur,” Miller said. “But it’s kind of all hand-in-hand. We want to keep on getting championships in the picture (for The Broadmoor) no matter what they are. So that’s why I’m here mostly.”

But Miller has learned some things in his recent USGA-related travels, most notably related to the player and family experience at championships.

“The USGA is really putting an emphasis on (that),” he said. “And from there, it goes on down the line to the caddies and the fans. No matter if you’re a Tom Watson or a club pro like me that qualified, they want to make sure that your experience was off-the-chart good. A big part of what I was doing (at the Senior Open in Salem) was seeing how we can initiate that program next year for the players. … That’s what we’re focused on is really, really making the player and family experience our No. 1 priority.”

As for the set-up of the golf course, the USGA and the staff at The Broadmoor finalized their plans back in May. Some new tees were built last winter, with the championship in mind. Fairway widths and rough height will vary depending on various factors. The perhaps-driveable par-4 second hole, for instance, will feature a fairway width of 23 or 24 yards, with the rough right next to the fairway being 3 1/2 inches deep. On longer par-4s, the fairway may be 28-30 yards wide, with graduated rough going from 1 1/2 inches to 2 1/2 inches, then deeper the further from the fairway.

“It’s kind of hole by hole, based on the width of the fairways and the difficulty of the hole, which is really neat because it makes it inconsistent — and we think inconsistent is good,” Miller said.

One of the more notable changes on the scorecard will be that the third hole will be a 540-yard par-4 and the 17th a 610-yard par-5. That’s the opposite of what was done for the 2008 U.S. Senior Open, when No. 3 was a par-5 and No. 17 a par-4.

“The back nine is so much more difficult, so by making No. 3 a long par-4, it’ll help make the front nine a little bit more difficult and not make them as different,” Miller said. “But it’s downhill, downwind and normally firm. It sounds like a long hole but 500-some yards downhill, they can handle it; it’s not a huge deal.”

Fan experience-wise, the biggest change from the 2008 U.S. Senior Open and the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open will be that cell phones are now allowed.

“Now the world is so technological that we’re promoting cell phones and trying to create apps and ways to have visual maps of the golf course; player locations during the round that you can look up on your cell phone; scoring updates on your cell phone,” Miller said. “It’s just a totally different mindset from the past, but it’s just the way the world is going. It’s the best way to communicate.”

Another big change from the past will be that Fox Sports — with its tech-heavy broadcast mindset — will be televising the Senior Open at The Broadmoor, whereas the telecasts were handled by NBC in 2008 and for the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open.

“Back in ’08 NBC had three tractor-trailor trucks for their entire production,” Miller noted. “We’re expecting between 11 and 13 tractor-trailor trucks (with Fox next year). Why it’s so much bigger is (shot tracker and ball tracker on every green). There’s now 18 towers for all 18 greens. That’s a big change.

“(But) there’s a lot less cables than there used to be. There’s more cloud (communication) and all that stuff. That makes it easier too. But we’re definitely going to use more space than we did in the past for (the TV compound).”

All told, the tournament broadcast will reach more than 100 countries, and Fox and Fox Sports 1 will combine for more than 20 hours of live TV coverage.

About 2,300 volunteers will be needed for the 2018 U.S. Senior Open, and Miller said roughly 70 percent of those slots have already been filled, with about 43 states represented.

To volunteer, REGISTER HERE.
 

The former Colorado State University golfer carded rounds of 69-73-68 for a 6-under-par 210 total at the Wigwam Resort. That was good for a fifth-place showing — and an $1,850 payday.

Harrell ended up 11 shots behind champion Ryan Dillon.

Meanwhile, in a Cactus Tour event in Goodyear, Ariz., former University of Denver golfer Kimberly Kim placed ninth. The former U.S. Women’s Amateur champion went 75-71-74 for a 4-over-par 220 total, leaving her a dozen shots behind champion Angel Yin. Kim earned $700.
 

In some ways Shirley Englehorn has led a charmed life in which she seldom seems to take a misstep. But in other ways, she has to laugh at how accident-prone she appears.

The Colorado Springs resident won 11 times on the LPGA Tour, including the 1970 LPGA Championship where she beat all-time LPGA victory leader Kathy Whitworth in an 18-hole playoff.

On the other hand, Englehorn was sidelined for significant periods by two separate career-threatening accidents: being thrown off a horse and being involved in a major auto wreck. And though her LPGA Tour career ended in 1978, that doesn’t mean she’s put major mishaps behind her.

That became evident in August, while Englehorn was preparing for a golf school at Kissing Camels at Garden of the Gods Club, where she’s been a golf instructor since 1995. While sorting equipment, she tripped on a golf club and ended up cracking her right femur.

“I obviously am very accident-prone,”, Englehorn said with a laugh during a recent phone interview. “I never dreamed I would crack a femur tripping on a golf club. I’m lucky an iron didn’t fall and hit me in the head.”

At least Englehorn has a sense of humor about it all, despite the resulting two months of therapy she had to do in a rehabilitation facility.

But the good thing is, how Englehorn is respected in the game is certainly no joke, as recent developments have shown. Most notably, during Thanksgiving week, the LPGA announced that Englehorn and Donna White of West Palm Beach, Fla., will be inducted into the LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals Hall of Fame. The enshrinement ceremonies will take place in October in San Antonio at the LPGA T&CP’s national conference and Hall of Fame reception.

Englehorn, a member of the LPGA since 1959, and White will be just the 24th and 25th Hall of Fame inductees for the Teaching and Club Professional division. Previous inductees from Colorado include Pat Lange and Penny Zavichas.

“I was overwhelmed to be selected as one of the few through the years,” Englehorn said the day before turning 74 last week. “It’s a great honor for me.”

Englehorn certainly has a stellar resume, both as a player and an instructor. From 1962 through 1971, the “Lady in Red” — so dubbed because of the preferred color choice for her outfits — won all of her 11 LPGA titles. That includes the 1967 Shirley Englehorn Invitational in her home state of Idaho. Her 1970 victory in the LPGA Championship not only marked her only LPGA major title, but it capped a remarkable stretch in which Englehorn won four times in four starts. She also served as the president of the LPGA Tour during the mid-1960s. (Englehorn is pictured at left in 1963.)

Englehorn crossed paths with some of the biggest names in golf history during her playing days. When she was recovering in Augusta, Ga., in the spring of 1960 from a broken back and a concussion after being thrown off a horse, among her visitors in the hospital were two players who were in town for the Masters, Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson, even though neither had met her before. But they remained acquaintances through the remaining years of Hogan and Nelson’s lives. And Englehorn drew inspiration from how Hogan had come back from a head-on collision with a bus in 1949.

“He was a wonderful man,” said Englehorn, who would go on to be awarded the Ben Hogan Award in 1969 for her comeback after her accidents.

About the same time Hogan and Nelson visited, she met a young, promising amateur by the name of Jack Nicklaus. And in 1964, Englehorn won the Haig & Haig Scotch Foursome event while teaming with Sam Snead. And two of her playoff victories came over Whitworth, winner of 88 LPGA events.

But after undergoing an ankle fusion in the 1970s in the wake of her 1965 auto wreck, Englehorn quit the LPGA Tour in 1978.

In part due to her horse accident, Englehorn had acquired her LPGA teaching certificate in the early 1960s, which would pave the path for the second portion of her career. Though she taught on and off during her Tour career, it’s been since 1978 that she’s been a full-time instructor.

“Winning four tournaments in a row was very exciting. I thought I was in a big dream,” she said. “But it was a very narrow window. And I don’t get the enjoyment out of winning that I do from teaching. I loved the Tour, but there’s more satisfaction from teaching.”

In 1978, Englehorn earned the LPGA National Teacher of the Year Award. Thirteen years later, she received the Ellen Griffin Rolex Award, one of the highest honors given to golf instructors. And at different times, Englehorn has been named one of the country’s top teachers by Golf Digest and Golf for Women magazines.

A longtime LPGA Master Professional, Englehorn has taught at a variety of sites over the years. But she ended up in Colorado Springs at Kissing Camels due to her circumstances at the time. The course she was working at in California went under, and Englehorn needed a new teaching gig. Her friend Judy Bell of Colorado Springs (who would become USGA president in 1996) and the Kissing Camels owner at the time needed a teaching professional, and Englehorn happily came to Colorado and set down roots.

Englehorn teaches all types of golfers — women and men, kids, those with physical problems; you name it. And she savors every minute of it.

“I love my club and I love teaching,” she said. “I love to see people who are really interested in learning. And I love to teach children. I’m an old-time basics (type of instructor): grip, stance, ball position and balance. If I can give people one good tip that helps them, that’s great.”

Of course, given Englehorn’s broken femur, she hasn’t been doing much teaching lately. But she anticipates she’ll be back at it soon.

“I miss my teaching,” she said.
 

David Delich said he doesn’t drink much alcohol — and very rarely partakes while playing golf. But he was compelled to make an exception on Saturday during the CGA Senior Four-Ball Championship at Legacy Ridge Golf Course in Westminster.

When partner — and fellow Colorado Springs resident — Bruce Hogg birdied five times in a 10-hole stretch at the beginning of Saturday’s second round, Delich was taken aback.

“He had me so pumped up yesterday I had to have a beer at the 9 just to settle down because my adrenaline was pumping so hard,” said Delich, a former Colorado College hockey standout and the 2012 CGA Senior Player of the Year. “I needed something to quiet the adrenaline. I said, ‘Hoggie, I can’t even keep the ball on the green when I’m putting I’m so excited for you. Then I had the beer and I birdied three of the next four holes. I settled down. I needed some alcohol.”

Said Hogg: “That’s kind of a funny thing because I’ve never seen him act like that. He was jumping out of his skin. I said, ‘Calm down.'”

The 9-under-par 62 the twosome shot on Saturday was the tournament’s best score by three strokes. They followed it up on Sunday with a 66 to win the Senior Four-Ball title by three.

Delich, from the Broadmoor Golf Club, picked up his fifth CGA championship and first team title, while Hogg, from Patty Jewett Golf Course, won a CGA crown for the first time. They rallied from one down on Sunday to earn the win. (Delich, in blue shirt, is pictured with Hogg above.)

“This is my first team win anywhere,” Delich said. “I bet I’ve been runner-up a dozen times in four-ball. I kept telling Bruce it’s hard to win these things if both players don’t really contribute. And he did such a great job the last three days covering me when I was down, making a birdie at a critical time when we needed a lift. We both ham-and-egged really well. He played outstanding and that’s what it took. You can’t win these things as an individual. You have to have two guys really doing a job.”

After Bill Fowler of the Club at Rolling Hills birdied Nos. 10 and 11 to pull even on Sunday, Hogg chipped in from 60 feet for birdie on No. 13 to take the lead on Fowler and partner Jim Reynolds of Bear Creek Golf Club. Then Hogg holed a 6-foot birdie at No. 17 to provide some cushion.

He and Delich were bogey-free in playing their final 45 holes in 15 under par. The 57-year-old partners went 71-62-66 for a 14-under 199 total and a three-shot victory margin over Fowler and Reynolds, who had led after each of the first two days.

So what got Delich and Hogg going after playing the first nine holes of the tournament in 1 over par?

“I said to Bruce (early in Saturday’s round), ‘We can play this golf course with blinders on.’ We just need to trust ourselves,” Delich said.

Whatever the catalyst was, Hogg was very happy with the results.

“This is very special to me,” Hogg said of his first CGA title. “I’ve played in a lot of CGA events since turning 50; I’ve tried not to miss any of them. I’m very appreciative of Dave and the way he plays golf. I’m just glad I was part of it and contributed in a big way on a few holes.

“It’s a big deal for me to win a CGA championship. I look at the CGA as a one of the best organizations in the country when it comes to golf, and it’s very nice to put my name on a trophy.”

Three teams tied for third place at 203, including defending champions Kelly Crone and Larry Netherton of Highlands Ranch Golf Club. Those two closed with a 67 for a three-stroke win in the super-senior division for players 60 and older. Earning second place, following a final-round 66, was Kary Kaltenbacher of Glenmoor Country Club and Rod Walters of Heritage at Westmoor. (Netherton and Crone are pictured at left.)

For the CGA Four-Ball Championship story, CLICK HERE.

For CGA Senior Four-Ball score details, CLICK HERE.

CGA Senior Four-Ball Championship
At Par-71 Legacy Ridge GC in Westminster

David Delich,Broadmoor GC/Bruce Hogg,Patty Jewett GC–71-62-66–199
Bill Fowler,Club at Rolling Hills/Jim Reynolds,Bear Creek GC–66-66-70–202
Guy Mertz,Fox Hill CC/Tony Workman,Fox Hill CC–71-65-67–203
Larry Netherton,Highlands Ranch GC/Kelly Crone,Highlands Ranch GC–70-66-67–203
Tad Willenbrock,Glenmoor CC/Eric Hoos,Highlands Ranch GC–69-65-69–203
Owen Ellis,Flatirons GC/Robin Bradbury,Legacy Ridge GC–66-72-66–204
Mike Lohse,West Woods GC/Len Mize,West Woods GC–69-67-68–204
Robert Burke,Twin Peaks GC/John Sostmann,Raccoon Creek Men’s Club–70-69-65–204
Grant Porter,CommonGround GC/Jim LeMar,The Meadows GC–70-67-69–206
Rod Walters,Indian Tree GC/Kary Kaltenbacher,Glenmoor CC–70-70-66–206
Randal Gaddis,Lone Tree GC/Jerry Beren,Lone Tree GC–67-70-70–207
Scott Radcliffe,Club at Rolling Hills/Sean Forey,Club at Rolling Hills–68-69-70–207
Lance Balthaser,Broken Tee Englewood/Rob McLelland,Blackstone CC–70-70-67–207
Carter Mathies,GC at Redlands Mesa/Frank Wilkinson,Lincoln Park GC–72-70-67–209
Pat Bowe,CommonGround GC/Dave Brown,RMGCSA GL–74-67-68–209
Tom Ritchie,Meridian GC/David Merritt,Meridian GC–66-71-72–209
Richard Kelly,Fox Hollow GC/Bob Beiersdorf,Ridge at Castle Pines North–69-68-72–209
Robert Sherrill,Columbine CC/Gary Keogh,Columbine CC–69-72-69–210
Brent Timm,Pinery CC/John Boyles,Pinery CC–68-72-70–210
Dennis Lucero,Lincoln Park GC/Phil Herrera,Lincoln Park GC–71-71-69–211
Jim Collins,CC at Castle Pines/Joe Morrill,Eagle Ranch GC–72-68-71–211
Rick George,Castle Pines GC/Chuck Delich,Eisenhower GC–71-71-70–212
John Applegate,Meadow Hills GC/Keith Masters,Meadow Hills GC–69-72-71–212
Mark Hirsch,Lone Tree GC/Michael Davis,Meadow Hills GC–70-72-70–212
Brian Harris,Denver CC/Reed Myer,Denver CC–70-72-70–212
Gary Albrecht,CommonGround GC/Bob Chandler,CommonGround GC–73-68-71–212
Thomas Roos,Spring Valley GC/Dennis Fields,CommonGround GC–73-69-70–212
Doug Moore,Lone Tree GC/Raymond Kelley,Lone Tree GC–71-71-71–213
Mark Franz,Saddle Rock GC/Charlie Post,Colorado GC–69-73-71–213
Thomas McGeary,Highlands Ranch GC/Mark Brown,Highlands Ranch GC–72-72-69–213
Ken Sady,Eagle Ranch GC/Harry Johnson,Eagle Ranch GC–74-70-70–214
Jerry Kidney,Overland Park MC/Daniel Dymerski,Columbine CC–69-71-74–214
Larry Wood,Perry Park CC/Ken Tai,Perry Park CC–72-71-72–215
Bradley Becker,Plum Creek G & CC/Steve Kass,Meadow Hills GC–71-71-73–215
Craig Gardiner,Denver CC/Steve Bell,Denver CC–69-71-75–215
Al Sellers,Pine Creek GC/Ken Schweitzer,Eisenhower GC–73-72-70–215
Jeffrey English,Avid Golfer Passport/Bill Bolgar,The Ridge at Castle Pines North–74-74-68–216
Bob Kubiak,South Suburban GC/Tom Coates,South Suburban GC–72-70-74–216
Tim Kromer,Inverness GC/Tony Tormey,Inverness GC–70-72-74–216
Art Cudworth,Raccoon Creek MC/Scott Crone,Pinehurst CC–73-70-73–216
John Ingram,Colorado GC/Daniel Scherman,Colorado GC–73-72-71–216
Steve Bailey,Legacy Ridge GC/David Dines,Highlands Ranch GC–72-72-74–218
Daryl Fengler,Murphy Creek GC/Jeff Sweet,Murphy Creek GC–74-72-73–219
Chuck Fisher,Riverdale GC/Glenn Hyde,Riverdale GC–70-73-76–219
Bob Sims,Canongate Colorado/Bruce Hayes,Heritage at Westmoor–76-71-72–219
Bob Cloud,Bear Creek GC/Lawrence Covell,CC at Castle Pines–71-78-70–219
Ed O’Gallagher,Silver Spruce GC/Tony Goodman,Silver Spruce GC–72-77-71–220
Jake Jacobson,Lakewood CC/Wyck Brown,Lakewood CC–74-71-75–220
Louie Lee,The CC at Castle Pines/Mike Giarratano,The CC at Castle Pines–78-72-71–221
Dave Bell,Hiwan GC/Jack Egender,Hiwan GC–71-75-75–221
Frank Carson,Meridian GC/Scott Anderson,Harmony GC–74-76-72–222
Andy Callahan,Lakewood CC/Tom Lawrence,Lakewood CC–76-73-74–223
Tom Warren,Fossil Trace GC/Bartley Corfee,Fossil Trace GC–74-75-74–223
Mark Barkley,Canongate Colorado/Mark Runyan,Canongate Colorado–76-74-74–224
John Wilkinson,CommonGround GC/Robert Mandeau,CommonGround GC–77-71-76–224
William Kinn,Colorado Springs CC/Paul Yoon,Colorado Springs CC–75-76-74–225
Bill Peterson,Highlands Ranch GC/Doug Lair,Highlands Ranch GC–75-76-77–228
Bob Harris,Lake Arbor GC/Don Berthiaume,Bear Creek GC–77-76-76–229