It was a big day Thursday for the two Colorado PGA professionals competing in this week’s U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.

Years from now, Doug Rohrbaugh will be able to tell family and friends that he had the distinction of being the first player to tee off at the third U.S. Senior Open held in his home state.

The Carbondale resident and Colorado PGA member led the way for the field of 156 by hitting first in the 7 a.m. threesome off the first tee Thursday at The Broadmoor’s East Course.

“That was cool, no question,” said Rohrbaugh, the 2013 CoBank Colorado Senior Open champion and a three-time winner of the Colorado PGA Professional Championship. “That was on my mind, it was.

“That’s kind of a cool deal to kick the thing off. I had my mom and dad sitting there, and a bunch of friends. I’m not going to lie — it kind of got to me a little. I got a little emotional about it. Then I regrouped. I didn’t catch (the tee shot) solid, but I kept it in the first cut, put it on the green and two-putted (for par). Then I birdied 2, and I’m thinking, my nerves are fine and I’m ready to go.”

Meanwhile, Chris Johnson (above) of Castle Rock was competing in his first U.S. Senior Open round ever, and he acquitted himself quite nicely. The 2010 Colorado PGA Professional champion was just 1 over par through 13 holes after playing the toughest stretch of the course (10-13) in 1 under. And even though he endured back-to-back holes where he went double bogey (tree issues after a blocked tee shot) then bogey, he sank a 15-foot par putt on 18 to shoot a 4-over-par 74, which left him in 58th place after round 1.

“I’ve been playing solid golf for a few months now,” Johnson said. “My expectations are to play a really good round of golf tomorrow. Without a doubt, I’m striking it well enough, I’m putting well enough. That’s not going to change.”

Earlier in the day, at least for a while, things went just fine for Rohrbaugh, who was medalist in the qualifying at The Broadmoor on Memorial Day, shooting a 1-under-par 69. He was even-par through seven holes. But a double bogey on No. 8 — where he hit it in the front bunker, thinned his sand shot over the green and missed a 5-foot par putt — and six bogeys on the back nine led to an 8-over-par 78.

“I was feeling really good how I was playing through 7 considering the mishits,” Rohrbaugh said. “But my driver just left me. I’ve been hitting the driver so well. Then I couldn’t find the center of the face. It was heel, toe, heel …”

Rohrbaugh (left), who’s competing in his fourth U.S. Senior Open and eighth senior major, had been hoping to play in the championship as he did in the qualifying tournament.

“I said at the qualifier, ‘I’ll take four 69s right now,'” he said. “And so far, it sounds like that won’t be bad. If you’re driving it well, it’s there to shoot 1 or 2 under. If you’re not driving well — like I didn’t — no.”

Both Colorado PGA members in the field have sons caddying for them, with Cooper doing the honors for Johnson and Tristan for Rohrbaugh. And, of course, both are getting considerable support from family and friends.

“I’ve been in the golf industry here for 30 years,” Johnson said. “They came out in droves today, and I was a little surprised honestly. It was awesome.”

Meanwhile, as for other golfers with strong Colorado connections, Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe posted an even-par 70, leaving him tied for ninth place. (See related story.)  

Three-time U.S. Open champion and former University of Colorado athlete Hale Irwin opened with a 79 after making two double bogeys and three bogeys on the back nine. That’s the highest single-round score the two-time champion has recorded in 23 U.S. Senior Opens.

Former CU golfer Mikael Hogberg recorded an 80, while former Castle Pines resident Esteban Toledo had an 81.

Smoltz Roughed Up in First U.S. Senior Open Round: Baseball Hall of Famer John Smoltz was very complimentary of PGA Tour Champions players on the eve of his first U.S. Senior Open. And, if anything, he understated just how talented they are, based on how round 1 went for the former Cy Young Award winner.

Smoltz, who qualified for the Senior Open in a playoff, made no birdies and just five pars en route to a 15-over-par 85, which left him in 150th place out of 156 competitors.

“If I had to go back (and think about it), I had three bad shots. That’s it,” he said. “And I shot 85. So it just tells you, from an amateur standpoint, people sitting at home, I don’t know if you can tell how hard the course played. But that’s how great these players are.”

Smoltz was 10 over par through his first 10 holes. He finished with 12 bogeys and a triple bogey. He was mic’d up for the round by Fox, for whom Smoltz works as a baseball analyst. “Can’t call in a reliever,” was one of his comments mid-round.

“I thought I hit a lot of good shots that just didn’t get good results,” he said. “… I never expected to get that many bad lies.

“… I don’t have enough game for this course yet. … Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d shoot 85. … My family and friends, I would have left if I was at the ninth hole. They stuck around.”

Lightweight: Rocco Mediate, who shot a 2-under-par 68 on Thursday, is a shadow of his former self — not golf-wise but physically — these days. He said he’s lost roughly 40-50 pounds in the last year.

“I’m half the size I was last year,” he said. “I’m way stronger (and the club is moving) way faster.”

Douglass the Record Holder: He sat there, unrecognized for the most part, on a bench next to the entrance to The Broadmoor Golf Club on Thursday morning, waiting to meet someone during the first round of the U.S. Senior Open.

It was none other than Dale Douglass, the 1986 U.S. Senior Open champion and the man who has played in more U.S. Senior Opens than anyone in history (26).

“I’m one ahead of Arnie (Palmer), so he’s not going to catch me,” Douglass said with a smile.

The part-time Castle Pines resident, winner of three PGA Tour events and 11 on PGA Tour Champions, is a member of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame.

An 88 Despite Ace: Stan Souza of Kailua, Hawaii made a hole-in-one with a 7-iron on the 175-yard fourth hole Thursday, marking the eighth ace of his lifetime. Ironically, the eagle was the last score of par or better Souza would have until hole 18. That’s right: After the ace, he made nothing but bogeys or double bogeys for 13 holes, until parring 18. Despite the ace, Souza played bogey golf for the day, posting an 18-over-par 88. That left his in next-to-last place for players who completed the the first round.

“The course just absolutely ate me alive,” he said. “It was rough, but what a thrill.”

Notable: Denver native Tommy Armour III withdrew after nine holes of his first round Thursday due to “altitude-related illness,” according to the USGA. Armour was 8 over par after nine holes as he double bogeyed each of his first three holes. … Tim Hogarth, the 1996 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion, leads the low-amateur competition by two strokes after shooting an even-par 70 on Thursday. … The field will be cut to the low 60 players and ties after Friday’s second round.

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For all the essentials regarding this week’s U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor, CLICK HERE.

Kenny Perry was sitting within a few feet of a U.S. Senior Open trophy at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs on Monday, but given that he won the championship last summer, he’s got one of his own back home in Franklin, Ky.

“It makes me nervous every day where it’s sitting,” Perry explained during a U.S. Senior Open Championship Preview seven weeks before the tournament comes to The Broadmoor. “I have a little muni (course) I opened in 1995 (named Country Creek). I’ve got the trophy right there on the counter where everybody who comes in and gets a greens fee can see it, have your picture taken with it or whatever. It makes me so nervous because we’ve been broken into four or five times, and I’m afraid somebody is going to get it. But I’ve still got it.

“We keep it shiny, keep it looking nice. When people grab that trophy and just start looking at the names (of the champions), I just sit back and take pictures of them. Everybody is in awe of all the names on that trophy.”

Along with the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Lee Trevino and Hale Irwin, engraved on that trophy is Perry’s name — twice, in fact. The 57-year-old has won the U.S. Senior Open, arguably the top event in senior golf, two times in the last five years. The only other players who have claimed the title two or more times are Nicklaus, Player, Irwin, Allen Doyle and Miller Barber, the only three-time champ.

And if Perry plays well enough come June 28-July 1 at The Broadmoor, he could join Barber in the three-timers club.

Perry came to The Broadmoor Resort for the first time on Sunday, though he didn’t arrive until late at night. So he truly had his first good look on Monday morning after he woke up. And his first reaction to the resort was the same as many people’s.

“As a golfer, you travel the world, but you don’t see the world,” he said. “You just see golf courses. Last night I flew in from Houston. I got in here about midnight. I didn’t have an idea of what we pulled into, so this morning when I woke up early, they’d given me this beautiful suite. I opened the curtains and there was this panoramic view. There was The Broadmoor out there in front of my eyes. I was like, ‘Wow. This place is amazing already.’

“The place is phenomenal. It’s beautiful. Thank you all for picking a golf course where every hole goes from right to left because that’s (the only shot) I can hit. I noticed there’s a lot of hooking holes out there. That’s right in my wheelhouse. I’m looking forward to coming here.”

Russ Miller, The Broadmoor’s longtime director of golf, gave Perry a quick tour of the East Course, where the championship will be contested. Miller made sure Perry took notice of the Will Rogers Shrine on the side of Cheyenne Mountain above the course as putts break away from it to the point of being very deceptive.

As Dale Douglass, a longtime Coloradan who won the 1986 U.S. Senior Open, noted on Monday, “I wake up having nightmares about having to make a 15-footer at this place.”

Added Ben Kimball, director of the U.S. Senior Open Championship: “This is a very, very interesting venue and every time I come here I tell Russ I struggle to figure out The Broadmoor — and I think the best players in the world will too.”

Perry is sure to be fooled too — at least on occasion — during the U.S. Senior Open, just like about all 156 players in the field will. But he didn’t win 14 times on the PGA Tour and nine times on PGA Tour Champions by lacking for talent. And though he lost two major championships in playoffs — to Mark Brooks at the 1996 PGA Championship and to Angel Cabrera at the 2009 Masters — he’s won four majors on the senior circuit: a Senior Players and a Tradition to go along with his two U.S. Senior Open victories.

“When you’ve got Palmer, Nicklaus, Player on that trophy, it makes you feel pretty special you’re part of that company,” Perry said. “It’s been pretty rough on me my whole life. I’ve always come up a little short in my career. To finally break through and win a couple of these titles really means a lot.

“This takes the edge off the pain I still carry with me to be able to have some major titles associated with my name. It still motivates me very highly. It keeps me going, keeps the fire burning inside of me.”

Elway, Solich Will Team Up in Qualifying: As was noted months ago, U.S. Senior Open honorary chairman and Broncos general manager John Elway will attempt to qualify for the championship on Memorial Day at The Broadmoor. And, as Elway indicated in a video message on Monday, he’ll have a secret weapon of sorts to help bolster his chances.

Elway said George Solich, a co-founder of the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy who himself caddied at The Broadmoor as a teenager en route to receiving the Evans Scholarship for caddies, will be looping for the Pro Football Hall of Famer on May 28.

“He was a caddie down there for a long, long time,” Elway said of Solich, a friend for years. “He told me he’d get me through it and make sure I qualified.

“I’m excited for the opportunity just to play in a qualifier. I don’t have high expectations. My practice for the last three months has been inside the (Broncos) draft room. It’s been the mental side of practice and nothing physical. But I’m glad to be part of the Senior Open and bringing it back to Colorado.”

A lifelong golf amateur, Elway has finished as high as 19th in the CoBank Colorado Senior Open, has made the cut once in the Colorado Open, and 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 and tied for second in the 2010 CGA Four-Ball.

In all, more than 2,200 golfers posted entries for the U.S. Senior Open, with most of them competing at one of 34 qualifying tournaments. The qualifier at The Broadmoor on May 28 has a full field of 84 players.

Irwin, Watson Conducting Kids Exhibitions: Russ Miller, The Broadmoor’s director of golf, said Monday that two World Golf Hall of Famers will conduct kids exhibitions the week of the U.S. Senior Open June 25-July 1. Former University of Colorado athlete Hale Irwin, the career victory leader on PGA Tour Champions, will do the honors on Tuesday afternoon (June 26) and Tom Watson on Wednesday afternoon (June 27).

Miller said that in addition to Irwin, Watson and Perry, among those who are planning to play in the U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor are Bernhard Langer, Davis Love III (who was previously announced) and Steve Stricker.

In Short: Among those in attendance at Monday’s U.S. Senior Open Championship Preview at The Broadmoor was a who’s who of Colorado golf. On hand were Judy Bell, a former USGA president; Dow Finsterwald, winner of the 1958 PGA Championship among his 11 PGA Tour titles; and Dale Douglass, who owns three PGA Tour wins and 11 on PGA Tour Champions, including a U.S. Senior Open. (Douglass and Finsterwald are pictured above.) Also at the festivities was Broncos placekicker Brandon McManus. … At least 21 hours of TV coverage is planned for the U.S. Senior Open, almost all on FS1. … The Broadmoor’s East Course will play 7,264 yards — and thereabouts — and to a par of 70 for the Senior Open. The 17th hole will be a par-4 rather than a par-5 for the championship. And the seventh and 11th holes will be flipped for the tournament, with both playing as par-4s.
 

The Evans Cup of Colorado raises money for the Evans Scholarship for caddies, and Western Golf Association director and state chairman Geoff “Duffy” Solich said it’s hoped that Monday’s event will net about $140,000 for the cause.

The University of Colorado has been home to an Evans Scholars house since the 1960s, and many of the roughly 60 current CU Evans Scholars (left) attended the festivities at Cherry Hills.

About 112 golfers played in the tournament despite temperatures in the 40s, and 200 attended the dinner.

Highlighting that dinner was World Golf Hall of Famer and three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin, who grew up in Boulder and played golf and football at CU. Irwin participated in a Q&A with TV sports personality/emcee Vic Lombardi, and he provided advice and encouragement to the current Evans Scholars.

Dale Douglass, like Irwin a former CU golfer who’s a member of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, was also in attendance as an honored guest.

“It was a great event,” Solich, himself a former CU Evans Scholar, said via email. “We had great sponsors; BMW continues to support our event, (and) we had a very lively auction. All the Scholars joined us for dinner and took the stage at the same time. Hale was fabulous (and) Cherry Hills did an amazing job hosting the event.”

The Evans Cup of Colorado dates back to the early 1980s, when it was founded as the Par Club Tournament. The full tuition and housing Evans Scholarship is awarded to high-achieving caddies with limited financial means, The WGA, which adminsters the Evans Scholarship, has long partnered with the CGA and CWGA in supporting the scholarship at CU.
 

A sellout crowd of 190 people attended the 45th annual Colorado Golf Hall of Fame induction and awards dinner, held Sunday night at Sanctuary in Sedalia.

Included was a veritable who’s who of Colorado golf, past and present. Among the many CGHOF inductees on hand were Judy Bell, the first female president of the USGA; and longtime PGA Tour players Dale Douglass, Dow Finsterwald and Mark Wiebe, who have combined to win 17 events on the PGA Tour, 16 more on PGA Tour Champions, one major championship and two senior majors.

Inducted on Sunday was M.J. Mastalir (pictured), a former CGA president and USGA Executive Committee member, while annual awards went to the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado (Distinguished Service), Rick Polmear (Lifetime Achievement) and Jennifer Kupcho (Golf Person of the Year).

In his speech, Mastalir noted a personal bond to golf that no doubt was shared by just about everyone in the room.

“The game has provided me with a multitude of fond memories, a heck of a lot of good stories and many good friends,” he said.

For a story on some of the accomplishments of Sunday’s honorees, CLICK HERE.

Tom Green, who just wrapped up a 15-year-plus run as an anchor of Channel 2’s “Daybreak” show, served as master of ceremonies on Sunday.

Below are some photos from Sunday’s festivities: from top, representatives of the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado; From left, Hall of Famers Maggie Giesenhagen, Tish Preuss, Joan Birkland and Judy Bell; Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Rick Polmear; and a look at Sunday’s setting at Sanctuary.

This summer, there’s an opportunity to both play a stellar golf course which isn’t easy to get on, and to help honor three of Colorado’s all-time golf greats.

The Colorado Golf Hall of Fame will hold its annual tournament on June 29 at a very popular, picturesque venue — Santuary Golf Course in Sedalia — with first-come, first-served registration opening on Friday (Feb. 10) at 9 a.m.

And following the round of golf, three of the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame’s most notable inductees will be recognized — Judy Bell, Dale Douglass and Dow Finsterwald.

Bell was the first female president of the USGA. Douglass won three times on the PGA Tour and 11 on the PGA Tour Champions circuit, including the 1986 U.S. Senior Open. And Finsterwald claimed a dozen PGA Tour wins, with the 1958 PGA Championship being the most notable.

The Colorado Golf Hall of Fame tournament on June 29, which will feature a “shamble” format, will begin with an 11:30 a.m. shotgun start. The cost is $1,000 per foursome. To register for the event beginning Friday at 9 a.m., CLICK HERE.

The reception where Bell, Douglass and Finsterwald will be recognized will follow the golf.

Also this year, the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame will be holding its induction dinner on May 21, also at Sanctuary. Inducted that night will be M.J. Mastalir of Denver, with annual awards going to the new Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado, Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster, and Rick Polmear of Greenwood Village.

For more information on either the induction dinner or the golf tournament, contact CGHOF executive director Sammie Chergo at sammiechergo@gmail.com or 303-594-9159. To visit the CGHOF website, CLICK HERE.

There’s something about the PGA Tour’s Waste Management Phoenix Open that seems to bring out the best in golfers from Colorado.

Over the last 50 years, an amazing four different golfers who grew up in the Centennial State have won the tournament. Kevin Stadler pulled off the trick most recently, three years ago, preceded by Jonathan Kaye (2004), Steve Jones (1997) and Dale Douglass (1970).

And on Monday, those good vibes seemed to be in full effect again.

In a Monday qualifier in which just the top three players earned spots in the Phoenix Open, two of qualifiers were Colorado residents. Michael Schoolcraft (pictured above) of Denver landed medalist honors with a bogey-free 10-under-par 62 at McCormick Ranch Golf Club in Scottsdale, while Jim Knous of Littleton finished third (after Californian Alex Kim) with a 65.

The result is that Knous will be competing in his first PGA Tour event ever, while Schoolcraft will be making PGA Tour start No. 2. The Phoenix Open will run Thursday through Sunday amid the raucous atmosphere at TPC Scottsdale, which annually draws the largest galleries of the year on the PGA Tour. More than 600,000 people attended in 2016.

Schoolcraft, who finished ninth on the 2016 PGA Tour Canada money list, missed the cut in his PGA Tour debut, in the Shriners Hospital for Children Open in October 2015. The former University of Oklahoma golfer has conditional status on the Web.com Tour in 2017 after posting six top-20 finishes on PGA Tour Canada last year.

The 24-year-old Schoolcraft made an eagle and eight birdies in Monday’s qualifier.

As for Knous (left), it’s been a very eventful last couple of months.

In December, the former Colorado School of Mines golfer earned solid status on the Web.com Tour for the first time by finishing 23rd in the final stage of Q-school. Then this month, he played his first two events as a card-carrying member of the Web circuit, although he missed the cut in each case by an agonizing one stroke.

Then on Monday, less than a week after turning 27 years old, Knous took another big step, earning his first PGA Tour start. Knous made nine birdies at McCormick Ranch Golf Club in shooting 65 to land the final berth into the Phoenix Open. Cory Bacon, a friend from Mines, caddied for him on Monday and will do so in the tournament itself.

Knous is relishing the accomplishment all the more because for the last several years Knous and a bunch of college friends have made it a point to rent houses around Scottsdale and attend the Phoenix Open. This time around, all of them will be back for the 2017 edition, only Knous will be competing.

“It’s going to be incredible,” Knous told PGATour.com. “My college buddies and I … we all come down here and pile on 16 (the famously raucous par-3 at TPC Scottsdale), and get there super early and go watch and get rowdy …

“To be on the other side, actually hitting shots, is going to be wild. I’ve yelled at my fair share of golfers on No. 16, and now I’m going to be the guy getting yelled at.”

Knous, the 2012 NCAA Division II individual runner-up while at Mines, has long been known for his ability to shoot remarkably low scores in competition. Most notably, that includes the 2010 CGA Amateur, where he closed with a course-record 10-under-par 60 at Boulder Country Club to force a playoff, which was won by Wyndham Clark.

Schoolcraft and Knous will be joined in this year’s Phoenix Open field by Denver native Mark Hubbard, with whom Knous played junior golf in Colorado. Last year, Knous and his friends, wearing Broncos jerseys the day before the team won the Super Bowl, watched Hubbard play the 16th hole during the Phoenix Open. There, Hubbard also sported a Broncos jersey and tossed footballs into the stands. Knous turned out to be one of his “receivers” that day.

Perhaps this year Knous will be the one on the throwing end.

Also joining Schoolcraft and Knous in the field this week will be former Colorado State University golfer Martin Laird, a Scottsdale resident who has posted third- and fifth-place finishes at the Phoenix Open since 2011.
 

Three decades later, the U.S. Senior Open has returned to Scioto. So with six competitors with strong Colorado connections in the field, let’s take a look at how they’re faring after Thursday’s opening round.

Colorado resident Gary Hallberg and Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe are highest on the scoreboard after 18 holes, with both sharing 25th place following 1-over-par 71s. Hallberg’s eagle on the 423-yard par-4 10th hole — his first hole of the tournament — highlighted his day, while Jobe carded five birdies.

Vijay Singh holds the overall lead, at 4-under-par 66.

Here are all the scores and positions for the locals:

25. Colorado resident Gary Hallberg 71
25. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe 71
61. Mark Wiebe of Aurora 74
61. Former Castle Pines resident Esteban Toledo 74
81. Colorado Sports Hall of Famer and former CU golfer Hale Irwin 76
95. Ron Vlosich of Lakewood 77

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.

It should be noted that the 2018 U.S. Senior Open will be held at The Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado Springs, which hosted the same senior major in 2008.

— Former DU Golfer Kofstad Opens with 72 in Olympics: Former University of Denver golfer Espen Kofstad shot a 1-over-par 72 on his birthday Thursday while competing for his native Norway in the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Kofstad trails leader Marcus Fraser of Australia by nine as golf returns to the Games for the first time since 1904. For all the scores, CLICK HERE.

This year, those reflections have particularly come into focus.

With the CGA celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, there’s been a concerted look back on the past century of golf in Colorado. That includes a 10-part series of stories on notable people and events from the last hundred years.

Writing that series was illuminating, which brings us back to Thanksgiving. A better understanding of the past can lead to increased appreciation for all we have to be thankful for in Colorado golf.

To wit, here are 10 things that come to mind:

— Rich History of Golf. The Century of Golf Gala held recently at The Broadmoor particulary brought this home, with Jack Nicklaus reminiscing about his strong links to Colorado over the last 60 years. Nicklaus is one of golf’s all-time pantheon to have won significant tournaments in the state, with others being Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Kathy Whitworth, Babe Zaharias, Annika Sorenstam, Gary Player, Greg Norman and Phil Mickelson. For much more about Colorado golf history, CLICK HERE.

— Teamwork. Another thing that the Century of Golf Gala — 1,250 attendees strong — and related activities reinforced is that big things can happen when the Colorado golf community joins forces. Teaming up with the CGA in making it all a major success were the CWGA, Colorado PGA and the Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association.

— Great Venues. The day of the Century of Golf Gala, a golf outing held at The Broadmoor (pictured) demonstrated yet again what stellar golf courses Colorado has produced. On a mid-November day, temperatures reached the mid-60s, and the setting was enough to make any golfer take pause. The same can be said for countless other courses in the state — Sanctuary, Arrowhead, Castle Pines, Ballyneal, Red Sky, Eisenhower, etc., etc. Golfers in Colorado are indeed fortunate.

— Good of the Game Partnerships. The recent creation of a partnership between the CGA and the Colorado PGA will result in a new Colorado Junior Tour and many other advantages for all levels of junior golfers in Colorado (READ MORE). It’s yet another example of how the game can be well served by constructive cooperation.

— Local Players Who Excel. Colorado has a long history of homegrown players hitting it big — with Hale Irwin, Steve Jones, Dale Douglass, Jill McGill, Brandt Jobe, Bob Byman, Kevin Stadler, Shane Bertsch, Bill Loeffler and to some extent Mike Reid, to name some. It’s always fun for Coloradans to have one of their own to root for on the national or international level. And we also have some very promising young players potentially in a similar pipleline with the likes of Mark Hubbard, Jennifer Kupcho, Wyndham Clark and Hannah Wood.

— Highly Regarded PGA Professionals. There are oustanding PGA professionals throughout the country, but members of the Colorado PGA have proven to be high achievers as the Section or its members have won national PGA of America awards eight times in the last nine years. And highly respected instructor Ann Finke was recently voted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, along with Colorado-based Champions Tour player Craig Stadler. And Vic Kline was honored as Colorado Golf Professional of the Century during the Century of Golf Gala.

— Foundations to Support Good Causes. Numerous golf foundations in Colorado do considerable and commendable work in bolstering good causes through the game of golf. Among them are the Colorado Golf Foundation, Colorado PGA Reach, the Colorado Open Golf Foundation, and the Rocky Mountain Environmental Golf Institute.

— Volunteers. While the staffs of the major golf organizations in Colorado do yeoman’s work, those organizations would be a shell of what they are were it not for volunteers. Such volunteerism came to the forefront this past year with the passing of Joe Salvo, and the departure from the Colorado tournament golf scene of Rich Langston and Joan Scholes. Each of them made major contributions — in terms of both time and dediction — to the likes of the CGA, CWGA and Colorado PGA over the years. And many, many others do likewise each year.

— Another Senior Major on the Horizon.This year it was announced that the 2018 U.S. Senior Open will be contested at The Broadmoor the year the resort celebrates its 100th birthday. It will mark the third U.S. Senior Open held in Colorado, meaning only Ohio (with six) will have hosted more. The Centennial State also was home to another senior major, the Senior PGA Championship contested at Colorado Golf Club in 2010.

— Good People. I’ve always marveled at the number of good people you meet through the game of golf. Perhaps it’s part of the significant “self-policing” aspect of the sport that tends to attract people of high character. But whatever the case, it’s refreshing.

And yet another reason to give thanks.
 

When it comes to Colorado hosting USGA championships, The Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado Springs and Cherry Hills Country Club run virtually neck and neck.

Cherry Hills has been the home of nine such championships, dating back to the 1938 U.S. Open. And The Broadmoor, which like Cherry Hills will celebrate its 100th “birthday” within the next decade, is on a similar pace.

With the USGA announcing Tuesday that The Broadmoor’s East Course will be the site of the 2018 U.S. Senior Open — the dates will be June 28-July 1 — the venerable resort at the foot of Cheyenne Mountain will be hosting a USGA championship for the eighth time. It’s scheduled to be No. 6 for the East Course, including the 2008 U.S. Senior Open, which drew 128,714 fans — and at least one bear (pictured below) — to The Broadmoor.

Appropriately, the 2018 Senior Open will be held at The Broadmoor in the summer it celebrates its 100th “birthday”.

“The Broadmoor has a rich and vibrant history in hosting tournament golf,” two-time U.S. Senior Open champion Hale Irwin noted in an email to coloradogolf.org on Tuesday. “The facilities (are outstanding) and, more importantly, the people there are gracious and accommodating hosts who proudly welcome anyone to one of our nation’s greatest resorts. The USGA has chosen a wonderful place to once again play the USGA Senior Open Championship as proven by the last time the tournament was played there in 2008.”

Overall, it will be the third time Colorado has hosted a U.S. Senior Open, which dates back to 1980. Jack Nicklaus won at Cherry Hills in 1993 and Eduardo Romero prevailed in 2008 at The Broadmoor. The resort’s East Course is combination of holes designed by Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones Sr.

“The Broadmoor has been a great partner with the USGA and a friend to golf on the international, national and collegiate levels since the 1920s,” said Diana Murphy, USGA vice president and Championship Committee chairman. “The U.S. Senior Open is senior golf’s most coveted championship and we know the East Course will test the players thoroughly.”

By the time the 2018 championship is completed, only Ohio (with six) will have hosted the U.S. Senior Open more times than Colorado, which will be tied with Michigan and Pennsylvania with three each.

“The Broadmoor is thrilled to have the opportunity to host its eighth USGA championship,” said Russ Miller, The Broadmoor’s director of golf. “Not only will it be a time to watch and enjoy the greatest senior golfers in the world, it is a tremendous accolade to the city of Colorado Springs and the state of Colorado to be chosen as its site. We are privileged to once again stage such a prestigious and highly reconizable worldwide golf championship.”

All eight of The Broadmoor’s USGA championships will have been held since 1959, when Nicklaus defeated Charlie Coe in the final to claim the first of his two U.S. Amateur titles. Two U.S. Women’s Opens are among the events that have been contested on the East Course, including the one Annika Sorenstam won in 1995 for her first LPGA Tour victory. Another World Golf Hall of Famer who has won an USGA individual title at The Broadmoor is Juli (Simpson) Inkster, who in 1982 claimed her third consecutive U.S. Women’s Amateur championship at what was then the South Course.

Overall, the 2018 U.S. Senior Open will mark the 32nd USGA championship played in Colorado, with The Broadmoor and Cherry Hills combined having hosted more than half of those.

Not only has Colorado been home to more than its share of U.S. Senior Opens, players with strong ties to the Centennial State have captured the title on several occasions. Irwin, a former University of Colorado golfer who grew up in Boulder, won the Senior Open in 1998 and 2000 to go with his three U.S. Open championships. Another former Buff, Dale Douglass, who grew up in Fort Morgan, landed the Senior Open title as a 50-year-old in 1986. And Orville Moody, who was once stationed at Fitzsimons while in the Army, won in 1989.

With the 2018 U.S. Senior Open, Colorado will add to the extensive and diverse list of significant golf championships it has hosted since The International PGA Tour event ended its 21-year run after the 2006 tournament.

That list includes:

— The 2008 U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor
— The 2008 U.S. Amateur Public Links at Murphy Creek
— The 2009 Palmer Cup at Cherry Hills
— The 2010 Senior PGA Championship at Colorado Golf Club
— The 2010 Trans-Mississippi at Denver Country Club
— The 2011 U.S. Women’s Open at The Broadmoor
— The 2012 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills and CommonGround
— The 2013 Solheim Cup at Colorado Golf Club
— The 2014 BMW Championship at Cherry Hills

Other upcoming U.S. Senior Opens are scheduled for Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio (2016) and Salem Country Club in Peabody, Mass. (2017).