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 2018 PGA of America All-Pro teams are made up of head professionals, directors of golf and general managers.

Included among Global Golf Post’s fourth annual PGA All-Pro teams were Eaton Country Club head professional Rick Cole; Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Bill Loeffler, general manager at The Links Golf Course; Ironbridge Golf Club director of golf Doug Rohrbaugh; and Collindale Golf Club director of golf Dale Smigelsky. All four Coloradans were among the 55 honorable-mention selections.

Cole was the Colorado PGA’s Senior Player of the Year after finishing second in the Colorado PGA Professional Championship as a 64-year-old and placing sixth in the CoBank Colorado Senior Open. Rohrbaugh, Cole and Loeffler made the 54-hole cut in the national Senior PGA Professional Championship, finishing 43rd, 49th and 69th respectively. Rohrbaugh advanced to the final stage of PGA Tour Champions Q-school. Smigelsky qualified for the U.S. Senior Open, finished 27th in the national PGA Professional Championship and placed seventh in the Colorado Senior Open.

Eleven pros nationally were selected for Global Golf Post’s first team, and 11 more for the second.

Selection of the teams was based on 2017 tournament finishes in the PGA Championship, Senior PGA, PGA Professional Championship, Senior PGA Professional Championship, U.S. Open and U.S. Senior Open, along with Section events. Section players of the year and senior players of the year who were head pros, directors of golf or GMs received at least honorable-mention status.
 

Jobe, winner of the Principal Charity Classic on PGA Tour Champions earlier this month, shot a 1-under-par 69 Friday at Salem Country Club to check in at 1-under 139 overall. That leaves him in 29th place, 10 strokes behind co-leaders Kirk Triplett and Kenny Perry going into the weekend.

Jobe (pictured) finished in the top five at three senior majors in 2016.

Twenty-four players didn’t complete their second round on Friday due to a storm delay, including Smigelsky, who wrapped up his final two holes on Saturday morning.

Smigelsky, competing in his first senior major championship, ended up shooting a 6-over-par 76 in round 2, leaving him at 7-over 147. The top 60 players and ties — those at 141 or better — made the 36-hole cut and advance to the final two rounds.

Smigelsky, who earlier this month finished 27th in the national PGA Professional Championship, made one birdie, five bogeys and one double bogey in round 2.

As for the other players with strong Colorado connections competing in the U.S. Senior Open, former Castle Pines resident Esteban Toledo (142) also missed the cut, along with two-time champion Hale Irwin (149) and amateur Charlie Post of Castle Rock (171).

U.S. Senior Open
June 29-July 2, 2017 at Salem CC in Peabody, Mass.
29. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe 70-69–139
Missed 36-Hole Cut
Former Castle Pines resident Esteban Toledo 71-71–142
Dale Smigelsky, Fort Collins 71-76–147
Colorado Sports Hall of Famer Hale Irwin 72-77–149
Amateur Charlie Post, Castle Rock 82-89–171

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
 

Smigelsky, the PGA director of golf at Collindale Golf Course who is competing in his first senior major, was 4 over par through 11 holes at Salem Country Club, but birdied Nos. 4, 6 and 7 on his back nine to finish round 1 in 57th place. The top 60 players and ties after two rounds will make the cut.

Earlier this month, Smigelsky (pictured) finished seventh in the CoBank Colorado Senior Open and 27th at the national PGA Professional Championship.

Meanwhile, Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe opened with an even-par 70, good for a share of 41st place. Former Castle Pines resident Esteban Toledo matched Smigelsky’s 71. Colorado Sports Hall of Famer Hale Irwin, winner of two U.S. Senior Opens and three U.S. Opens, shot his age (72) on Thursday and is tied for 72nd place.

Amateur Charlie Post of Castle Rock, who made it into the field after being an alternate in this month’s qualifying tournament in Littleton, opened with an 82.

Kirk Triplett tied the single-round U.S. Senior Open scoring record by shooting an 8-under-par 62 to grab the first-round lead.

U.S. Senior Open
June 29-July 2, 2017 at Salem CC in Peabody, Mass.
41. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe 70
57. Dale Smigelsky, Fort Collins 71
57. Former Castle Pines resident Esteban Toledo 71
72. Colorado Sports Hall of Famer Hale Irwin 72
156. Amateur Charlie Post, Castle Rock 82

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
 

The PGA director of golf at Collindale Golf Course needed to place in the top 20 to earn a berth in August’s PGA Championship, but ended up one stroke out of a playoff for the final two berths.

Smigelsky (pictured) was inside the top 20 after playing his first three holes birdie, par, birdie in Wednesday’s final round. But he bogeyed No. 8, then the 15th and 16th holes proved pivotal as he went double bogey, bogey before parring out.

Smigelsky, who recently qualified for the U.S. Senior Open, ended up with a 2-over-par 74 in the final round, leaving him at 4-over 291 overall, eight behind the top finishers.

Meanwhile, Arizonan Marty Jertson, the 2001 CGA Amateur champion, finished 67th on Wednesday after a final-round 79 left him at 299.

Here are all the scores for players with significant Colorado connections who competed in the 312-man tournament:

27. Dale Smigelsky, Fort Collins 75-69-73-74–291
67. Former CGA Amateur champion Marty Jertson, 72-74-74-79–299

Missed 54-Hole Cut
72. Ari Papadopoulos, Eagle-Vail 75-72-74–221

Missed 36-Hole Cut
190. Geoff Keffer, Lakewood 74-78–152
209. Caine Fitzgerald, Parker 78-75–153
226. Mike Northern, Colorado Springs 75-79–154
226. Eric Bradley, Parker 78-76–154
240. Kirk Trowbridge, Castle Rock 82-73–155
250. Joseph Carlton, Golden 81-75–156

For all of the scores from the PGA Professional Championship, CLICK HERE.

Smigelsky (pictured), the PGA director of golf at Collindale Golf Course, fired a 1-over-par 73 in Sunriver, Ore., putting him in 34th place heading into Wednesday’s final round. A three-birdie, four-bogey day left him at 2-over-par 217 overall, nine strokes behind leader Rod Perry of Port Orange, Fla., who posted a 70 on Tuesday.

The top 20 finishers on Wednesday will earn spots in the PGA Championship — set for Aug. 10-13 in Charlotte, N.C. — and as of the close of play on Tuesday, the competitors at even-par 215 would be playing off for PGA Championship berths.

If Smigelsky can rally to earn one of those 20 spots, he’d have berths in both the U.S. Senior Open and the PGA Championships in the summer of 2017.

Meanwhile, the other Coloradan who made the 36-hole cut, Ari Papadopoulos of Eagle-Vail, fell just short of surviving the 54-hole cut to the low 70 players and ties. Papadopoulos finished 72nd at 221 after a third-round 74 that featured an 18th-hole bogey.

Arizonan Marty Jertson, winner of the 2001 CGA Amateur, made the 54-hole cut on the number as a 74 left him at 220 and in a tie for 62nd place.

Here are all the scores for players with significant Colorado connections who competed in the 312-man tournament:

34. Dale Smigelsky, Fort Collins 75-69-73–217
62. Former CGA Amateur champion Marty Jertson, 72-74-74–220

Missed 54-Hole Cut
72. Ari Papadopoulos, Eagle-Vail 75-72-74–221

Missed 36-Hole Cut
190. Geoff Keffer, Lakewood 74-78–152
209. Caine Fitzgerald, Parker 78-75–153
226. Mike Northern, Colorado Springs 75-79–154
226. Eric Bradley, Parker 78-76–154
240. Kirk Trowbridge, Castle Rock 82-73–155
250. Joseph Carlton, Golden 81-75–156

For all of the scores from the PGA Professional Championship, CLICK HERE.

After playing his final 13 holes on Sunday in 1 under par, Smigelsky (pictured) shot a 3-under-par 69 on Monday to vault into 36th place out of 312 players at the halfway point of the tournament.

Smigelsky (pictured), who earlier this month qualified for the U.S. Senior Open, made four birdies and one bogey on Monday to check in at 1-over-par 144.

Smigelsky and Ari Papadopoulos of Eagle-Vail were the two Coloradans — out of the eight competing in the event — to make the 36-hole cut by being among the top 90 players and ties. Papadopoulos shot a 1-over-par 72 on Monday — making two birdies and three bogeys in the process — to check in at 4-over-par 147, good for 84th place.

Also making the cut was Arizonan Marty Jertson, winner of the 2001 CGA Amateur, who shares 65th spot at 146.

The next step will be to make it to Wednesday’s final round as there will be a 54-hole cut to the low 70 players and ties. Then there’s the goal of finishing in the top 20, which would qualify players for the PGA Championship, set for Aug. 10-13 in Charlotte, N.C.

Jamie Broce of Ottawa Hills, Ohio and Rich Berberian Jr., of Hooksett, N.H., lead the way after two rounds as they’re at 6-under 137.

The eight Coloradans who competed in the national tournament earned spots in the field thanks to their finishes last September in the Colorado PGA Professional Championship at Cherry Creek Country Club.

Here are all the scores for players with significant Colorado connections:

36. Dale Smigelsky, Fort Collins 75-69–144
65. Former CGA Amateur champion Marty Jertson, 72-74–146
84. Ari Papadopoulos, Eagle-Vail 75-72–147

Missed 36-Hole Cut
190. Geoff Keffer, Lakewood 74-78–152
209. Caine Fitzgerald, Parker 78-75–153
226. Mike Northern, Colorado Springs 75-79–154
226. Eric Bradley, Parker 78-76–154
240. Kirk Trowbridge, Castle Rock 82-73–155
250. Joseph Carlton, Golden 81-75–156

For all of the scores from the PGA Professional Championship, CLICK HERE.

It wasn’t pretty, but it’s what he had to deal with if he wanted to play the game.

But for the last couple of years, the PGA director of golf at Collindale Golf Course in Fort Collins has been feeling better than he had for a long time, which has become apparent with his results on the course.

“I’m trying to transition out of a swing I had to create when my elbow was really bad — before I got it fixed,” Smigelsky explained on Thursday. “I created some really, really bad habits, and it’s just this year where the swing is back to a decent golf swing. I had to make a really bad golf swing to be able to play when my elbow was damaged.”

How much better have things gotten for the 56-year-old from Fort Collins?

Smigelsky (pictured), fresh off a top-10 finish at last week’s CoBank Colorado Senior Open, shared medalist honors Thursday and qualified for the U.S. Senior Open for the first time.

He shot a 4-under-par 68 to lead a qualifying field that originally numbered 84 at Meadows Golf Club in Littleton. Also firing a 68 and advancing to the Senior Open was Billy Tuten of Sugar Land, Texas, a two-time U.S. Amateur Public Links champion.

This year’s U.S. Senior Open will be contested June 29-July 2 at Salem Country Club in Peabody, Mass.

“(Qualifying) is pretty cool,” said Smigelsky, who will be playing in his first major championship. “This is absolutely the tops for me thus far” as a golf accomplishment.

“We’re playing against a lot of guys who just play golf for a living. It’s exciting for me to at least be able to compete with them. Not that I’m going to beat them every time, but with as little golf as I play being a club pro, it’s very satisfying (to qualify). It’s exciting for me.”

Smigelsky, the 2015 Colorado Senior PGA Professional Champion, played his final nine holes (the front at Meadows GC) on Thursday in 4 under par to earn the Senior Open berth. For the day, he finished with six birdies and two bogeys.

“I hit it well,” he said. “I only missed one green (in regulation) and that was real close. My putter actually let me down. I didn’t putt it very well. The birdies that I made were very close and I three-putted a couple of times. I thought that was going to keep me out of it. But I played my second nine in 4 under and that got me back in it.

“It’s kind of funny to have the golf ball go where I’m aiming it. That’s probably the difference right now.”

Smigelsky has never competed in a USGA championship before. Twice the longtime Coloradan has been a medalist in U.S. Open Local Qualifying tournaments and five times he’s gone to U.S. Open Sectional Qualfying, but he’s never made it to the big show itself.

As for Tuesday’s other U.S. Senior Open qualifier, Tuten carded a five-birdie, one-bogey round to tie for the best score of the day.

Charlie Post of Castle Rock will be the first alternate after posting a 69 at Meadows. Victor Minovich of Littleton carded a 70 for the second alternate position.

Five-time U.S. Senior Open qualifier Ron Vlosich of Lakewood recorded a 72 on Thursday.
 

U.S. Senior Open Qualifying
At Par-72 Meadows GC in Littleton
QUALIFIED FOR U.S. SENIOR OPEN
Dale Smigelsky, Fort Collins 32-36–68
Billy Tuten, Sugar Land, Texas 33-35–68
ALTERNATES (In order)
Charlie Post, Castle Rock 35-34–69
Victor Minovich, Littleton 36-34–70

For all the scores from Thursday’s qualifier, 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.
 

Northern made an eagle, four birdies and three bogeys on Thursday, while Hanson chalked up five birdies and two bogeys.

The two trail co-leaders Lee Houtteman of Michigan and Brad Lardon of New Mexico by three strokes in the 264-person competition.

The tournament will continue through Sunday. The top 35 finishers will earn spots in the 2017 Senior PGA Championship, set for May 25-28 at Trump National Golf Club in Washington D.C.

Here are the scores of all the Colorado PGA members competing in this week’s Senior PGA Professional Championship:

14. Mike Northern of Colorado Springs 69
14. Jeff Hanson of Edwards 69
130. Dale Smigelsky of Fort Collins 74
130. Vance Pollock of Westminster 74
130. Don Hurter of Castle Rock 74
160. Paul Lobato of Englewood 75
192. Mike Zaremba of Pueblo West 76
245. Steve Crane of Lakewood 79