The Boulder County resident had three solid rounds at TPC Tampa Bay in Lutz, Fla., shooting a 72 on Tuesday, and 69s on both Wednesday and Friday in the final stage of Champions Q-school. The total for those three days — 3 under par — would have been good enough for the top-five finish necessary for a full tour card.

Unfortunately for Hallberg (left), there was that matter of an 82 on Thursday, when he played his final dozen holes of the day in 12 over par.

The bottom line is that Hallberg again will have to make do with conditional status on PGA Tour Champions, which will limit the number of tournaments in which he can compete. The Coloradan placed 63rd on the 2018 Charles Schwab Cup Champions money list after a season that included him finishing eighth in the PGA Tour Champions PURE Insurance Championship in late September.

Hallberg, winner of three PGA Tour events and one on PGA Tour Champions, ended up in 38th place out of the 78-man field on Friday with a four-day total of 8-over-par 292. His final-round 69 included two eagles — one of the par-4 first hole, his 10th of the day — four birdies, three bogeys and a triple bogey on No. 18, his ninth hole.

Meanwhile, the other Coloradan in the field, Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale, finished 54th on Friday at 297. Rohrbaugh, the 2018 Colorado PGA Player of the Year, closed with a 71 to check in at 297. Rohrbaugh had conditional status on PGA Tour Champions in 2015 and has competed in 11 career events on the circuit.

Gibby Gilbert III, son of three-time PGA Tour winner Gibby Gilbert II, earned medalist honors at the final stage of Q-school with a 4-under-par 280 total. Tying for second was Skip Kendall, a PGA Tour veteran who was runner-up in this year’s CoBank Colorado Senior Open. Cliff Kresge, Greg Kraft and Stephen Leaney also secured cards for 2019.

Here are the round-by-round scores for Coloradans who competed in the final stage of PGA Tour Championship Q-school this week:

38. Gary Hallberg of Boulder County 72-69-82-69–292
54. Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale 72-75-79-71–297

For all the scores from the final stage, CLICK HERE.
 

Hallberg (left), winner of three PGA Tour events and one tournament on PGA Tour Champions, dropped 48 spots on the scoreboard at the final stage of Q-school by shooting an 11-over-par 82 on Thursday. To put that into perspective, Hallberg’s highest score in 17 PGA Tour Champions events in 2018 was a 78.

With the top five finishers after Friday’s fourth round landing fully-exempt spots on PGA Tour Champions for next year, Hallberg stood in second place going into Thursday. But the 82 left him in 50th place at the end of the day, at 10-over 223.

Hallberg, who has conditional status on PGA Tour Champions, was in good shape through six holes on Thursday — at 2 under par overall for the tournament. But he played his final dozen holes of the day in 12 over. There was a triple bogey, three double bogeys and three bogeys during that stretch.

Jim Rutledge leads the tournament at 209 and the players tied for fifth place are at 212.

The second Coloradan competing in the final stage in Q-School, Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale, also struggled on Thursday. The Colorado PGA Player of the Year posted a 79 after being even-par for the day through seven holes. He sits in 60th place at 13-over-par 226.

Here are the round-by-round scores for Coloradans competing in the final stage of PGA Tour Championship Q-school this week:

50. Gary Hallberg of Boulder County 72-69-82–223
60. Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale 72-75-79–226

For all the scores from the final stage, CLICK HERE.

But if the Q-school finals at TPC Tampa Bay in Lutz, Fla., keep going the way they have been so far this week, Hallberg may return to full-fledged membership at age 60.

Hallberg, who now lives in Boulder County, reached the halfway point of the 72-hole event on Wednesday by vaulting into second place in the 78-man field. He shot a 2-under-par 69, giving him a two-day total of 1-under 141. The only player ahead of him on the leaderboard is Stephen Leaney, who checked in at 139. Hallberg, who won a PGA Tour Champions event in 2010, made three birdies and one bogey on Wednesday.

The top five finishers after 72 holes will earn fully-exempt status on the Champions circuit in 2019. After two rounds, six players share second place, including two PGA Tour winners — Hallberg (three victories) and Craig Parry (two). Also at 139 are Omar Uresti, Jim Rutledge, Brian Cooper and Craig Bowden.

Meanwhile, the other Coloradan competing this week, three-time Colorado PGA Professional Champion Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale, shot a 75 on Wednesday and dropped into 34th place at 147. The 2013 CoBank Colorado Senior Open champion carded one birdie and five bogeys in the second round.

Here are the round-by-round scores for Coloradans competing in the final stage of PGA Tour Championship Q-school this week:

2. Gary Hallberg of Boulder County 72-69–141
34. Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale 72-75–147
 
For all the scores from the final stage, CLICK HERE.
 

Out of a 78-man field at TPC Tampa Bay in Lutz, Fla., only the top five finishers will earn fully-exempt status for 2019. And it’s a big drop down to the next available status as finishers 6-30 — and ties — will earn associate membership, which gives players access to individual-event qualifying tournaments while bypassing pre-qualifiers.

With that as a backdrop, the two Coloradans competing this week in the 72-hole final stage had solid, if unspectacular, starts. Both Gary Hallberg (left) of Boulder County and Doug Rorhbaugh of Carbondale shot 1-over-par 72s on Tuesday, leaving them in a share of 18th place.

Hallberg, who won a PGA Tour Champions event in 2010 to go along with three PGA Tour victories, birdied the last hole and finished the day with four birdies to go along with five bogeys. Hallberg finished eighth in the PGA Tour Champions PURE Insurance Championship in late September and placed 63rd on the 2018 Charles Schwab Cup money list, leaving him with conditional status for next year unless he places in the top five this week.

Rohrbaugh, the Colorado PGA’s Player of the Year and Senior Player of the Year in 2018, likewise had a four-birdie, five-bogey day on Tuesday. Rohrbaugh had conditional status on PGA Tour Champions in 2015 and has competed in 11 Champions events in his career, including two majors this year.

Mauricio Molina, who shot a 4-under-par 67 on Tuesday, leads after the opening round. The players who share fifth place stand at 1-under-par 70.

Here are the round-by-round scores for Coloradans competing in the final stage of PGA Tour Championship Q-school this week:

18. Gary Hallberg of Boulder County 72
18. Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale 72
 
For all the scores from the final stage, CLICK HERE.
 

Rohrbaugh (left), who had conditional Champions status in 2015, finished 15th on Friday in one of two first-stage tournaments for senior Q-school. The top 26 players from the event in Nipton, Calif., will advance to the final stage of Q-school, set for Nov. 27-30 in Lutz, Fla., where five cards for 2019 will be distributed.

Rohrbaugh, the Colorado PGA’s Dow Finsterwald Player of the Year and the Senior Player of the Year in 2018, shot rounds of 73-68-71-70 for a 2-under-par total of 282 in Nipton. He made three birdies and two bogeys in the final round. The first seven holes of the course treated him well as he went a combined 7 under in that stretch over the four days.

Rohbaugh, winner of the 2013 CoBank Colorado Senior Open and three Colorado PGA Professional Championships, has competed in 11 PGA Tour Champions events in his career, including two majors this year. He also advanced to the final stage of Q-school last year, placing 57th.

Among the top 10 finishers on Friday were Jeff Gallagher, winner of the 2017 Colorado Senior Open (second place at 269), two-time Colorado Open champion Jim Blair (third place at 275) and 2000 PGA Championship runner-up Bob May (eighth at 279).

Here are the scores for the Coloradans who competed this week in the first stage of PGA Tour Champions Q-school in Nipton, Calif.

ADVANCES TO FINAL STAGE
15. Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale 73-68-71-70–282
FAILED TO ADVANCE
52. Coloradan Dean Sessions 77-73-75-77–302

For all the scores from Tipton, CLICK HERE.
 

In an unprecedented accomplishment, one person has swept the Colorado PGA’s honors as both the Dow Finsterwald Player of the Year and the Senior Player of the Year.

Doug Rohrbaugh (left) of Carbondale did the honors in 2018, and tonight (Nov. 2) at Colorado Golf Club in Parker he’ll receive both awards during the Section’s Special Awards Gala.

It’s a notable feat in several respects, beyond the aforementioned:

— Rohrbaugh, 56, earned the overall POY honor for the first time, despite having won the Colorado PGA Professional Championship three times — all as a senior golfer.

— Rohrbaugh’s POY award snaps a run of four straight wins in the category by Geoff Keffer, who earned the honor five times overall from 2012-17.

— It’s the fourth time Rohrbaugh has been the Section’s Senior POY, following up on 2012, ’13 and ’14. Only one golfer has been the SPOY more times (Dave Arbuckle, with five), while Bill Majure has four like Rohrbaugh.

Rohrbaugh recorded eight wins — or ties for first place — over the course of the 2018 Colorado PGA season, including in the season-long Match Play Championship. That’s in addition to being medalist in U.S. Senior Open qualifying at The Broadmoor. That was one of two PGA Tour Champions majors in which Rohrbaugh competed in 2018, the other being the Senior PGA Championship. He also recently finished 57th in the national Senior PGA Professional Championship.

“My goal all along has been Player of the Year,” Rohrbaugh, now a sales representative for AndersonOrd Golf Apparel, said after tying for second place in the Colorado PGA Professional Championship in September. “I’ve never been able to do it because I could never play enough events. This year, I’ve been able to play everything.”

In another first, the Colorado PGA this year is naming its inaugural Women’s Player of the Year, with Sherry Andonian-Smith of Centennial earning that distinction in 2018. Like Rohrbaugh, she’s 56 years old, another example of the Section’s depth of quality senior players.

Andonian-Smith recently became the first woman to compete in the national Senior PGA Professional Championship, placing 29th out of 264 players. She also qualified for the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open. And she won the Colorado PGA West Chapter Championship for the second time in three years. That was one of two victories for her in CPGA events in 2018. In addition, she and Alexandra Braga became the first women from the Colorado PGA to qualify for the national PGA Professional Championship.

Here are the theColorado PGA award winners who will be honored tonight, including Golf Professional of the Year Ty Thompson (READ MORE):

Golf Professional of the Year — Ty Thompson, Crosshairs Consulting.

Dow Finsterwald Player of the Year — Doug Rohrbaugh, AndersonOrd Golf Apparel.

Senior Player of the Year — Doug Rohrbaugh, AndersonOrd Golf Apparel.

Women’s Player of the Year — Sherry Andonian-Smith, Valley CC.

Associate Player of the Year — Ben Lanting, Bear Creek GC.”¨”¨

Teacher of the Year — Dan Sniffin, Omni Interlocken Resort.”¨”¨

Bill Strausbaugh Award (mentoring fellow PGA professionals) — Stuart Bruening, The Golf Club at Bear Dance.”¨”¨

Assistant Professional of the Year — Ed Marzec, Country Club of the Rockies.”¨”¨

Horton Smith Award (exceptional contributions to promote and improve PGA educational programs) — Ben Welsh, Frost Creek Club.”¨”¨

Player Development Award — Trent Wearner, Trent Wearner Golf Academy.”¨”¨

Youth Player Development Award — Erin Diegel, Legacy Ridge Golf Course.”¨”¨

Warren Smith Award (special contributions to game of golf, the Colorado PGA, junior golf and their facility) — Kyle Heyen, Hiwan Golf Club.”¨”¨

Private Merchandiser of the Year — Jake O’Dell, The Club at Flying Horse.”¨”¨

Resort Merchandiser of the Year — Jeff Hanson, Red Sky Golf Club.”¨”¨

Public Merchandiser of the Year — Brian Carlson, Walnut Creek Golf Preserve.

President’s Award (promoting and enhancing PGA professionals, the PGA Section and the game of golf and contributing to the betterment of the golf professional vocation) — Allen Walters, Colorado AvidGolfer.

Noble Chalfant Inductees (lifetime distinction for PGA members) — Clayton Cole, Dow Finsterwald, Bill Majure.

Todd Phipers Media Award — Joe Cole, Fox21 in Colorado Springs

(Updated Nov. 3) Vic Kline Award (to Section board of directors member for outstanding service and leadership for the Section) — Spencer Zinn, West Edge Energy.
 

“No woman has ever played in that — anywhere in the country,” said Andonian-Smith (left), who had a sparkle in her eye at the prospect at becoming the first.

And the 56-year-old from Centennial did just that this week at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla. “I’ve wanted this for a few years,” she said earlier this week.

Then Andonian-Smith became the first woman to make the 36-hole cut in the event.

Then she became the first to survive the 54-hole cut.

And on Sunday she capped off a dream week by finishing 29th out of a field of 264 and being the top performer out of the representatives of the Colorado PGA. Though the top 35 finishers advance to the 2019 Senior PGA Championship, because Andonian-Smith was playing from a shorter set of tees this week — and at the Colorado Senior PGA Professional Championship — she wasn’t eligible to qualify for the PGA Tour Champions major. But a top-30 finish on Sunday was certainly stellar.

Andonian-Smith, who works out of Valley Country Club and was named the Colorado PGA’s inaugural Women’s Player of the Year in 2018, shot rounds of 72-72-72-73 for a 1-over-par 289 total in Florida.

She climbed 12 spots on Sunday to move inside the top 30, with a birdie on her 17th hole helping the cause down the stretch. Andonian-Smith finished with two birdies and three bogeys in the final round.

One other Coloradan made the 54-hole cut at the Senior PGA Professional Championship, with Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale placing 57th on Sunday.

Rohrbaugh, this year’s CPGA Player of the Year, shot a 2-over-par 74 on Sunday to post a 5-over 293 total. He carded three birdies and five bogeys in the final round.

Here are the round-by-round scores for competitors from the Colorado PGA:

29. Sherry Andonian-Smith, Valley CC 72-72-72–216
57. Doug Rohrbaugh, Snowmass Club 73-72-74–219
MISSED 36-HOLE CUT
97. Barry Milstead, Valley CC 69-78–147
97. Mike Zaremba, Desert Hawk at Pueblo West 70-77–147
119. Chris Johnson, Colorado PGA Life Member 71-77–148
145. Jeff Hanson, Red Sky GC 73-77–150
247. Mike McCutchen, Family Sports 81-79–160

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.

Clearly, the 56-year-old from Valley Country Club is not satisfied at just being the first female competitor ever at the event.

A day after surviving the 36-hole cut in the 264-person tourament, Andonian-Smith easily did likewise regarding the 54-hole cut to the low 70 players and ties. In fact, in an event that will reward spots in the 2019 Senior PGA Championship to the top 35 finishers on Sunday, Andonian-Smith is tied for 41st place after Saturday’s third round.

Andonian-Smith (left), the Colorado PGA’s inaugural Women’s Player of the Year, shot her third consecutive even-par 72 at PGA Golf Club. She overcame a double bogey on the sixth hole on Saturday to play her final dozen holes in 2 under.

Joining Andonian-Smith in making the 54-hole cut was Colorado PGA Player of the Year Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale, who advanced on the number with a three-day total of 3-over-par 219, which leaves him in a tie for 67th place.

Rohrbaugh, a three-time winner of the Colorado PGA Professional Championship, fired a 2-over-par 74 on Saturday. He parred his first 14 holes of the day, but bogeyed two of his last four.

Besides the top 35 finishers on Sunday landing berths in the Senior PGA Championship in Rochester, N.Y., May 23-26, the top top five on the leaderboard will earn exemptions into the final stage of the 2018 PGA Tour Champions Q-School.

Here are the round-by-round scores for competitors from the Colorado PGA:

41. Sherry Andonian-Smith, Valley CC 72-72-72–216
67. Doug Rohrbaugh, Snowmass Club 73-72-74–219
MISSED 36-HOLE CUT
97. Barry Milstead, Valley CC 69-78–147
97. Mike Zaremba, Desert Hawk at Pueblo West 70-77–147
119. Chris Johnson, Colorado PGA Life Member 71-77–148
145. Jeff Hanson, Red Sky GC 73-77–150
247. Mike McCutchen, Family Sports 81-79–160

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.

On Friday, she added a layer to that feat by making the 36-hole cut at the tournament in Port St. Lucie Fla.

Andonian-Smith (left) and three-time Colorado PGA Professional Championship winner Doug Rohrbaugh were the two members of the Colorado Section to advance to Saturday’s third round of the 72-hole event. Another cut will come after Saturday — to the low 70 players and ties.

Andonian-Smith, the Colorado PGA’s Women’s Player of the Year, shot her second even-par 72 and shares 63rd place out of the 264-player field. The 56-year-old Centennial resident carded four birdies and four bogeys on Friday to check in at 144.

Rohrbaugh, the Colorado PGA’s Player of the Year and Senior Player of the Year in 2018, matched Andonian-Smith’s 72 and stands at 145, in a tie for 75th place. The 56-year-old Carbondale resident had two birdies and two bogeys on Saturday.

The tournament will continue through Sunday.

The low 35 finishers on Sunday will earn berths into the 2019 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in Rochester, N.Y., May 23-26, and the top top five finishers will land exemptions into the final stage of the 2018 PGA Tour Champions Q-School.

Here are the round-by-round scores for competitors from the Colorado PGA:

63. Sherry Andonian-Smith, Valley CC 72-72–144
75. Doug Rohrbaugh, Snowmass Club 73-72–145
MISSED 36-HOLE CUT
97. Barry Milstead, Valley CC 69-78–147
97. Mike Zaremba, Desert Hawk at Pueblo West 70-77–147
119. Chris Johnson, Colorado PGA Life Member 71-77–148
145. Jeff Hanson, Red Sky GC 73-77–150
247. Mike McCutchen, Family Sports 81-79–160

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.

Blows were struck for senior golfers — once again — and for women on Wednesday in the Colorado PGA Professional Championship.

In the first major tournament hosted by TPC Colorado in Berthoud, a player in his 50s won the Section title for an amazing fifth time in the last six years.

And for the first time in the history of the event, a woman — actually two of them in this case — qualified for the national PGA Professional Championship.

Yes, it was an eventful day at the Colorado PGA’s biggest tournament of the year.

Patrick Reidy, a 52-year-old who has worked at Inverness Golf Club since he was 14, rebounded from a triple-bogey 8 on the 722-yard 13th hole — yes, you read that right — by playing his final five holes in 1 under par. That earned him the biggest victory of his career, and the $8,500 that goes with it.

“Other than playing golf at (the University of Colorado in the mid-1980s), this is hands down the greatest thing I’ve ever accomplished in my golfing career,” the left-hander said. “It’s great, seriously. It’s unexpected to be even having this conversation to be honest with you.

“To actually hold this (trophy) right now is absolutely crazy. It’s bringing tears to my eyes.”

Reidy (above and left) is just the most recent of the senior set to claim this title in recent years. Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale won three straight from 2013 through ’15 — when he was 51, 52 and 53 years old — and John Ogden prevailed last year at age 50. That means that Geoff Keffer (2016) is the only player under 50 to win the Colorado PGA Professional Championship in the last six times the tournament has been contested.

“It shows how strong our seniors are in this Section,” said Rohrbaugh, who tied for second on Wednesday with, among others, 55-year-old Sherry Andonian-Smith of Valley Country Club. “I’d take our top 10 seniors against the top 10 of any Section in the country. The results speak to that.”

The women competing this week made a statement as well. As noted, Andonian-Smith shared second place overall, while two-time Colorado PGA Women’s Champion Alexandra Braga of Denver Country Club tied for sixth place despite playing her last three holes in 3 over par.

With the top eight finishers on Wednesday earning spots in the national PGA Professional Championship, set for April 28-May 1 in Bluffton, S.C., both Andonian-Smith and Braga will be packing their bags. According to Colorado PGA executive director Eddie Ainsworth, it’ll be the first time a woman from the Colorado Section has advanced to the national tournament.

“I’ve been trying to do it since I’ve been a Colorado PGA member — so eight years — and I’ve been close a couple of times, so it’s great to get it done,” said Andonian-Smith, (left) who earlier this year qualified and played in the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open.

Joining Andonian-Smith and Braga (below) in earning berths to the national event were Reidy, Rohrbaugh, Dustin Miller and Eric Bradley from Black Bear Golf Club, Remington Post of Raven Golf Club at Three Peaks and 2012 Section champion Caine Fitzgerald of Meadow Hills.

Reidy birdied the final hole from 5 feet on Wednesday to give himself a two-stroke victory in the Section championship with a 1-over-par 217 total for three rounds. Sharing runner-up honors at 219 with Andonian-Smith (73 Wednesday) and Rohrbaugh (74) were Miller (75) and Post (80).

Braga, Fitzgerald and Bradley tied for sixth place at 221.

That Reidy ended up with the title left him a bit dumbfounded.

“I don’t know what to tell you honestly,” said Reidy, who has spent all 27 years of his PGA professional career at Inverness. “This is a complete shock.

“I win a pro-am here and there, but I don’t win anything big. Things were going well this week. A couple of putts went in. I don’t putt great, but putts went in this week. It was fun.”

As for extending that remarkable streak of 50-somethings winning this event, Reidy said, “John Ogden inspired me last year. To see Doug Rohrbaugh do what he does, that’s inspiring. It’s so comforting to see guys that can sustain their career and compete at this level. It’s such a great Section to be part of.”

Aside from his snowman on the 722-yard 13th hole, Reidy played a very strong final round on a course that measured 7,437 yards for the male competitors. On that 13th hole, he put his third shot in the bunker, failed to get it out, then after he did, he three-putt for triple bogey.

But Reidy birdied the previous hole from 5 feet and No. 18 from the same distance. And he missed three other birdie attempts inside of 15 feet in the final five holes. In the end, he seemed to hit it better than his 74 indicated.

“I could have given up right there (after No. 13),” he said. “But I came off that hole and I said, ‘Let’s man up and see what you’ve got and go do it.’ I hit great shots all the way coming in.

“I can do more mental damage to myself than anybody on the planet. Today I got out of my own way.”

However it happened, the victory left a big smile on the face of a guy who endured more than his share of adversity at a young age. His dad died when Patrick was 16, and the younger Reidy lost sight in his left eye for several years after a racquetball accident during his college days.

But Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Tom Babb, a fixture as the director of golf at Inverness from 1973 to 2000, hired Reidy at the club when he was 14 and mentored him throughout his younger days.

“My dad passed away when I was 16 years old and Tom Babb was there more for me more than any other person on the planet,” Reidy said. “At 16 years old, you’re going through a tough time. I started working for Tom when I was 14. It changed my life and my golfing career.

“Tom is rolling over in his grave right now, laughing his (butt) off.”

Meanwhile, some of the runner-ups on Wednesday were left wondering, “What if?”

Miller, who eagled two of his first three holes, was in great shape to win until playing his first five holes of the back nine in 6 over par. Post, meanwhile, was riding high until playing his final 10 holes in 7 over. And Rohrbaugh (left), the Colorado PGA Player of the Year points leader, had his sights set on his fourth title until making double bogeys on 14 and 18. On the par-4 final hole, he was 40 yards from the hole in two, but caught his wedge thin and his ball flew into the back bunker and he couldn’t get it up and down.

“It’s just disappointing, very disappointing,” he said. “I played really solid all day until (the two doubles). … I just had one goal: Win. It’s real disappointing because usually when I’m in the hunt, that’s when I’m at my best. I don’t really fold typically.”

TPC Colorado, which just within the last couple of weeks started allowing some public play, is expected to host a Web.com Tour event next summer as part of a five-year contract. But the 2019 Web.com Tour schedule has yet to be released.

Colorado PGA Professional Championship
Sept. 10-12, 2018 (final) at Par-72 TPC Colorado in Berthoud
ADVANCE TO NATIONAL PGA PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Patrick Reidy, Inverness 71-72-74–217
T2. Sherry Andonian-Smith, Valley 78-68-73–219
T2. Doug Rohrbaugh, Carbondale 75-70-74–219
T2. Dustin Miller, Black Bear 71-73-75–219
T2. Remington Post, Raven Golf Club at Three Peaks 70-69-80–219
T6. Alexandra Braga, Denver CC 69-75-77–221
T6. Eric Bradley, Black Bear 72-74-75–221
T6. Caine Fitzgerald, Meado Hills 72-74-75–221
ALSO
T9. Mike Zaremba, Desert Hawk 74-73-75–222
T9. Doug Wherry, Jake’s Academy 76-74-72–222
T9. Jordan Gibbs, Denver CC 73-71-78–222

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.