With the LPGA Tour playing its season opener this week, every major tour in the world will be underway for 2017. And if recent developments are any indication, it will be an eventful year for players with strong Colorado connections.

For example:

— Former Colorado State University golfer Martin Laird (pictured) posted his second top-10 finish in four starts on the 2016-17 PGA Tour wraparound season by placing ninth Sunday in the CareerBuilder Challenge in La Quinta, Calif.

The three-time Tour winner shot rounds of 68-66-71-69 for a 14-under-par 274 total, leaving him six strokes behind winner Hudson Swafford.

Laird placed eighth in the Safeway Open in October.

— World Golf Hall of Famer Hale Irwin, a graduate of Boulder High School and the University of Colorado, doesn’t play a lot anymore on PGA Tour Champions, where he’s far and away the record-holder for career victories with 45. But even at 71 years old, he still has his moments.

At last week’s Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii, Irwin shot better than his age not once but twice in the tournament, which was shortened to 36 holes due to heavy winds on Saturday. Named the Colorado Male Player of the Century in 2015, Irwin fired a 3-under-par 69 Thursday and a 70 on Friday, making it a remarkable 18 times in which he’s bettered his age on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.

Irwin’s 28th-place finish was his best in a non-team event on the Champions tour since August 2014.

— Shane Bertsch of Parker, who hasn’t competed in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event in more than 11 months following a shoulder injury, is back in action at the Web.com Tour’s Bahamas Great Abaco Classic, which started on Sunday.

When he returns to the PGA Tour, the former Colorado Open champion will have 11 events left on a medical extension, needing to earn at least $612,397 in those events to keep his exempt status.

Also on a medical extension on the PGA Tour is part-time Denver resident Kevin Stadler, who when he returns will have 26 tournaments in which to earn $717,890 in order to keep his Tour status. Stadler, hampered by a left hand injury for more than two years, hasn’t competed on the PGA Tour in 18 months, though he finished 41st in the CoBank Colorado Open in July.

Among those joining Bertsch in the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic are two Coloradans who earned Web.com Tour status through Q-school in December, Jim Knous of Englewood and Tom Whitney of Fort Collins. Whitney received a sponsor’s exemption for the event. Former Golden resident Andrew Svoboda, a winner last year on the Web circuit, is also competing in the Bahamas.

Here are some of the other notable things from a Colorado perspective on the world’s major tours in 2017:

— Though former CU golfer Jenny Coleman (left) in all likelihood won’t make it into the field for this week’s Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic, she will be the first player with major Colorado connections to compete regularly on the LPGA Tour since 2013. (Sue Kim, who spent one semester at the University of Denver, played on the LPGA Tour regularly as recently as 2015.)

Coleman, who competed for the Buffs from 2010-14, finished 29th in the final stage of LPGA Tour qualifying in December to earn conditional status.

Two former DU golfers, Tonje Daffinrud and Ellie Givens, continue to be regulars on the Ladies European Tour.

— As many as a half-dozen players with strong Colorado ties figure to compete at least a handful of times on the PGA Tour in the current wraparound season.

As noted earlier, that could include two players long sidelined by injuries, Stadler and Bertsch.

Laird, who already has two top-10 showings, will be a regular.

Former Denver resident Mark Hubbard has struggled in the early going this season, but has shown he has some staying power by keeping his PGA Tour card for three straight years. His best PGA Tour finish is 15th in the 2016 Puerto Rico Open.

Meanwhile, likely getting periodic starts in 2017 will be former Fort Collins resident Sam Saunders and current Aspenite Justin Leonard.

— As many as eight players with Colorado connections may compete on PGA Tour Champions in 2017. The one likely to make the most noise, based on last year, is Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe, who posted seven top-10 finishes in 2016. Others likely to play at least periodically in 2017 are Esteban Toledo, Gary Hallberg, Irwin, Mark Wiebe, Steve Jones, Craig Stadler and Mike Reid.

— For the first time in several years, at least two players with strong Colorado connections will compete in the same season on the European Tour. That happened when former CU golfer Sebastian Heisele finished 19th in the final stage of Q-school in November and former DU player Espen Kofstad was 25th. That made both players exempt for the 2016-17 wraparound season.

— Joining Knous, Whitney and Svoboda on the Web.com Tour in 2017 are Coloradans Parker Edens and Michael Schoolcraft, along with current CU senior Jeremy Paul, all of whom have conditional status, like Whitney.

For weekly updates on all the local tour players, CLICK HERE.
 

Last weekend essentially marked the end of 2016 from a competitive standpoint for the world’s top golf tours. And an impressive 2016 it was in many respects from a Colorado perspective.

Players with strong Colorado connections had plenty of highlights during the year — whether that be victories, spectacular scores, outstanding season-long performances or otherwise.

Here’s a sampling:

— Jobe’s Impressive Season: Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe had a rookie year to remember on the PGA Tour Champions circuit. Jobe, who lived in Colorado from 1970 to ’99, finished 23rd on the Champions’ Charles Schwab Cup points list, winning more than $900,000. Though he didn’t win in 2016 after being medalist in Champions Q-school a year ago, Jobe (pictured above) posted seven top-10 finishes. And the former Colorado Open champion came up big in some of the most prestigious tournaments of the year, with three top-fives in Champions majors (Senior PGA, Senior Players and the Senior British Open), and two top-10s in the inaugural Schwab Cup Playoffs.

— Tour Victories: Several players who have significant Colorado ties posted wins on major worldwide tours (or co-sanctioned events) in 2016.

Former Castle Pines resident Esteban Toledo notched his fourth PGA Tour Champions triumph, this one in February at the Allianz Championship in a playoff over Billy Andrade.

Former Golden resident Andrew Svoboda recorded his third Web.com Tour victory in April as he prevailed in the Brasil Champions.

In July, former University of Denver golfer Espen Kofstad notched his third European Challenge Tour victory — and first since 2012 — prevailing in a playoff at the D+D Real Slovakia Challenge.

And, on Sunday, Denver-area resident Duval Duval recorded his first win in a nationally televised tournament in 15 years by teaming with stepson — and fellow Colorado resident — Nick Karavites to claim the title in the PNC Father/Son Challenge.

— In the Spotlight: Two former DU golfers — Kofstad and Oskar Arvidsson — qualified for two of the biggest tournaments of the year. With his Slovakia Challenge victory, Kofstad earned a spot on Norway’s Olympic squad, placing 43rd individually. And Arvidsson qualified for the British Open, though he missed the cut there.

And although they’re still amateurs, Coloradans Jennifer Kupcho and Hannah Wood advanced to the U.S. Women’s Open, arguably the top women’s tournament in the world, though neither made the 36-hole cut.

— A Local Presence on LPGA Tour: Going into this month, the last time a player with a strong Colorado connection earned an LPGA Tour card through Q-school was 2012, when former Longmont resident Kelly Jacques and former DU golfers Stephanie Sherlock and Kimberly Kim landed status on the 2013 LPGA circuit.

But early this month, the drought ended when Jenny Coleman (left) became the first former University of Colorado golfer to secure a spot on the LPGA Tour. By finishing 29th in the final stage of Q-school, Coleman will have conditional status on the top women’s circuit in the world in 2017. The former Buff played on the Symetra Tour in 2016, finishing 31st on the money list.

— Going Low: Local players took their turns shooting exceptionally low scores in professional events in 2016. Denver resident — and former DU player — James Love carded a 12-under-par 59 in the first round of a Web.com Tour Q-school tournament in St. George, Utah in October. And Tom Whitney of Fort Collins, a regular on PGA Tour Latinoamerica in 2016, fired a 12-under-par 60 in the final round to win his second consecutive Waterloo Open. On the Latinoameric circuit, Whitney finished 11th on the 2016 money list, with his best finish being second in the Roberto De Vicenzo Punta del Este Open in October.

— Hubbard Extends PGA Tour Stay: Denver native Mark Hubbard hasn’t yet posted a top-10 finish on the PGA Tour, but he’s performed well enough that 2016-17 will be his third consecutive season playing a full schedule on the top tour in the world. Hubbard, winner of both of the CGA’s top junior championships in 2007, is on the verge of going over $1 million in career earnings as he currently stands at $971,522. Hubbard’s best showing in 2016 came at the Puerto Rico Open, where he placed 15th.

— Near-Miss for Laird: Also on the PGA Tour, former Colorado State University golfer Martin Laird finished runner-up in the RBC Canadian Open in July, marking his best showing on that circuit in more than three years. It was one of four top-10 performances for Laird in 2016.

Also scoring top-10s on the PGA Tour in 2016 was former Fort Collins resident Sam Saunders, who hit the mark twice in July.

— Locals Find Home on European Tour: For the first time in recent years, two pros who played their college golf in Colorado will be regulars on the European Tour. That’s after both former CU golfer Sebastian Heisele and former DU player Espen Kofstad made the grade in the final stage of European Q-school. Heisele finished 19th there and Kofstad 25th. It will be Kofstad’s second full-time stint on the top European circuit.

— Knous Becomes Regular on Web Circuit: On the No. 2 open-age tour in the U.S., Englewood’s Jim Knous in 2017 will become the first Coloradan in two years to compete regularly on the Web.com circuit. The former Colorado School of Mines golfer earned that right by finishing 23rd Sunday in the final stage of Q-school.

— Schoolcraft Shines in Canada: On PGA Tour Canada, Denver resident Michael Schoolcraft was one of the more impressive players, posting three top-10 finishes, including a runner-up in the Cape Breton Open in September. Schoolcraft ended up ninth on the money list with $41,485.

— Wallace Strong in Final Symetra Tour Season: On the Symetra Tour, the women’s equivalent of the Web.com Tour, former University of Colorado golfer Jessica Wallace posted three top-10 showings, including a runner-up in the IOA Championship in February. Despite finishing 19th on the 2016 Symetra Tour money list, Wallace decided to stop playing professionally; instead she plans to become an accountant. Also notching a second-place Symetra finish in 2016 was Denver resident Becca Huffer in the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout in October.
 

Who would have guessed this day would ever come?

The top golfers in the most recent watch lists for the ANNIKA Award (given at the end of the season to the national player of the year in women’s college golf) and the Haskins Award (presented to the men’s national player of the year in college golf) are both Colorado residents.

Not Californians, not Texans, not Floridians, but Coloradans — in this case Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster (a sophomore at Wake Forest) and Wyndham Clark of Highlands Ranch (a fifth-year senior at Oregon). Both never finished outside the top 10 in their fall college tournaments, with Kupcho winning her last two events of the autumn, becoming the only NCAA Division I woman in the country to win more than one full-field event in the first two months of the season.

We’ll delve more into college golf when both the men’s and women’s fall season is complete, but the rankings of Kupcho and Clark are two of the many highlights of the 2016 tournament season in Colorado and for Colorado golfers. With the tourney season in the Centennial state now complete, it’s worth taking a look back at some of the top moments of the year:

— Kupcho (pictured) is a good place to start given that she’s had a season few Colorado women golfers have ever matched. That includes becoming the first player to win three straight CWGA majors since the late 1980s as she swept the 2016 Match Play and Stroke Play titles. And the 19-year-old did it by amazing margins — 12 and 10 in a 36-hole match play finale, and 19 shots in the Stroke Play. In the Stroke Play, she set the women’s course record at historic Denver Country Club with a 7-under-par 65, breaking the previous mark of 68 established by world-renowned athlete Babe Zaharias on July 3, 1946.

Out of the state, besides notching her first two college victories, Kupcho placed sixth in the women’s NCAA Championship Finals as a freshman. And she and fellow Coloradan Hannah Wood both qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open, arguably the top women’s tournament in the world.

It’s little wonder why Kupcho was recently named the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame’s Golf Person of the Year.

— As for Clark, he posted three top-six finishes in his first three tournaments at Oregon after transferring from Oklahoma State. Over the summer, Clark qualified for his fifth U.S. Amateur — quite a feat for a player 22 years old. And once he made it to the U.S. Am, he advanced to the round of 32 in match play out of an original field of 312.

— Though, as mentioned above, NCAA Division I golfers from Colorado accomplished plenty in 2016, it’s worth noting that two golfers from the Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference won the CGA’s top two open-division championships in 2016. Nathaniel Goddard, who wrapped up his Colorado Christian golf career last spring, prevailed in the CGA Match Play, while current University of Colorado-Colorado Springs golfer Colin Prater (left) won the CGA Amateur by five shots.

— Two of the most remarkable scores shot in tournament golf in recent months were recorded by players with strong Colorado connections. University of Colorado senior Esther Lee set the NCAA women’s record for lowest score in relation to par as she shot an 11-under-par 61 in September at the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational, held at the University of New Mexico’s Championship Course in Albuquerque, where Lee claimed the title.

Then last month, Denver resident James Love fired a 12-under-par 59 in a Web.com Q-school event at Sunriver Golf Course in St. George, Utah. That helped earn the former University of Denver golfer a spot in a second-stage tournament this week.

— Speaking of former DU golfers, former Pioneers had the distinction of qualifying for two of the biggest tournaments in the world in 2016.

Oskar Arvidsson earned medalist honors in a British Open qualifier in Scotland, landing a spot in the third men’s major championship of the year, where he missed the 36-hole cut.

Also this summer, Espen Kofstad qualified for the Olympics by winning a tournament on the European Challenge Tour. He finished 43rd in the men’s tourney at the Summer Games.

— Several players with strong Colorado ties made a splash in USGA championships in 2016.

Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton made it to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur for a remarkable fourth time. Earlier in the year, Eaton made the CWGA Senior Match Play the 22nd CWGA title of her career.

Also advancing to the final eight in a USGA championship was Alex Buecking of Columbine Valley, who joined former SMU teammate Jason Enloe in making the quarters of the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.

And CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year Kyler Dunkle (left) earned a berth in the final 16 of the U.S. Amateur just a year after finishing 311th out of 312th in stroke play at the same event.

— Certainly one of the biggest oddities of the year took place at the CGA Mid-Amateur. The top finishers at the 2016 tournament looked almost identical to the 2015 version.

Not only did Jon Lindstrom win by four strokes for the second straight year, but the top four finishers were the same in 2016 as they were in 2015. In fact, they were almost in the exact same order, with the only difference being Steve Irwin tying for second this year and placing third alone in 2015. For the record, Chris Thayer tied Irwin for second and Ryan Axlund was fourth.

— Back on the college front, the CGA’s 2015 Junior Player of the Year made a remarkably quick adjustment at the next level. University of Northern Colorado freshman Coby Welch, competing in just his fourth college tournament, won the individual title at the 108-man Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational after a final-round 66 at Colorado National Golf Club in Erie.

— Also in college, Colorado State University senior Blake Cannon pulled off a remarkable feat in September, winning two college titles in one week, the first one coming at CSU’s Ram Masters Invitational at Fort Collins Country Club. This was after going his first three years as a collegian without an individual victory.

— Geoff Keffer used his first victory in the Coloado PGA Professional Championship to move into some rarefied air. Keffer subsequently received the CPGA’s Dow Finsterwald Player of the Year award for the third straight year and fourth time in the last five seasons. Only three other players have captured that honor three straight years: Bob Hold (1966-71), Vic Kline (1977-79) and Ron Vlosich (1986-88). Vlosich, by the way, qualified for his fifth U.S. Senior Open in 2016.

— Mary Weinstein (left) of Highlands Ranch had a rather remarkable run to wrap up her junior career. After winning the 5A state individual title to close out her high school career at Regis Jesuit, Weinstein won the first two Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado majors ever held, the Colorado Junior Amateur and the Colorado Junior PGA Championship. Then she finished strong in national events, placing 15th at the Junior PGA Championship a week after ending up fifth at the Optimist International Junior.

Not surprisingly, Weinstein was named the JGAC’s female player of the year, while AJ Ott of Fort Collins earned the male award. Ott won the boys title at the Colorado Junior PGA at Indian Tree, shooting a course-record 7-under-par 63 on day 2.

— Kent Moore‘s victory in the CGA Super-Senior Stroke Play certainly wasn’t the most prestigious victory of his career, but it did continue to expand upon a rather remarkable distinction. The Colorado Golf Hall of Famer has now claimed titles in seven different CGA individual championships — the Junior Match Play, Amateur, Match Play, Mid-Amateur, Senior Amateur, Senior Match Play and now the Super-Senior Stroke Play — an unprecedented feat in CGA competition. Moreover, he’s won CGA championships in five consecutive decades, starting with the 1973 CGA Junior Match Play at Flatirons Golf Course.

— In team competition, the amateurs broke new ground in 2016. This year marked the first time ever that amateurs from the CGA and CWGA won all three competitions in the Colorado Cup matches against the pros from the Colorado PGA — the open-division men, senior-division men and open-division women. But later in the year, the Colorado PGA earned a big team victory of its own, winning the biennial Taylor Cup matches against the Sun Country PGA for the first time since 2008.

Also on the team front, Kent Denver High School set a Colorado High School Activities Association record by winning its ninth boys golf state title. Kent captured the 3A team title this time around.

— Sherry Andonian-Smith, an instructor at Valley Country Club, made some history of her own this fall when she became the first female to win one of the Colorado PGA’s top tournaments. With a 5-under-par 139 total, she prevailed by three shots at the Colorado PGA West Chapter Championship at Aspen Glen Club.

Also scoring a first in 2016 was Alexandra Braga from Denver Country Club, who won the inaugural Colorado PGA Women’s Championship, held at Cherry Creek Country Club.

— And, let’s finish off with the biggest-money event of the year … Neil Johnson of Phoenix earned the distinction of being the first winner of the CoBank Colorado Open after the tournament more than quadrupled its first-place prize money, to $100,000. Johnson was playing in his first Colorado Open after qualifying for the tournament on Monday of championship week.

Part-time Boulder resident Jonathan Kaye, winner of two PGA Tour events, tied for second place in his first tournament in two years.
 

Kofstad (pictured), a Norwegian who competes regularly on the European Challenge Tour, shot back-to-back rounds of 2-under-par 69 on the weekend in Rio de Janeiro, making five birdies in Sunday’s final round.

Kofstad’s 2-over-par 286 total left him 18 strokes behind gold medalist Justin Rose of Great Britain. Henrik Stenson of Sweden (270) took the silver and American Matt Kuchar (271) the bronze.

DU alum Gil Hanse, who with Amy Alcott designed the Olympic course, was one of the torch-bearers in the days leading up to the Games’ opening  ceremonies. Hanse carried the torch about 250 yards on Aug. 4 as part of the torch relay. He will keep the torch he carried as a souvenir.

For complete Olympic scores, CLICK HERE.
 

Denver’s Huffer notches top-5 in Symetra event: Becca Huffer of Denver posted her second-best finish ever on the Symetra Tour on Sunday, placing fourth in the Decatur-Forsyth Classic in Decatur, Ill.

The former CoBank Colorado Women’s Open champion shot rounds of 68-71-70 for a 7-under-par 209 total. She ended up three strokes behind champion Clariss Guce.

Three former University of Colorado teammates also finished in the top 20 on Sunday, with Jenny Coleman (211) being 11th, and her sister Kristin Coleman and Jessica Wallace tying for 16th at 212.

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
 

(Updated Aug. 15) U.S. Senior Open wraps up Monday: Meanwhile, Sunday’s scheduled final round of the U.S. Senior Open was postponed by more than 2 inches of rain that fell in Columbus, Ohio. The final 18 holes were played on Monday, with Gene Sauers winning with a 3-under-par 277 total.

Here are the final scores and positions for the competitors with strong Colorado ties:

48. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe 71-70-79-72–292
60. Colorado resident Gary Hallberg 71-75-76-78–300

Missed 36-Hole Cut
Former Castle Pines resident Esteban Toledo 74-74–148
Colorado Sports Hall of Famer and former CU Golfer Hale Irwin 76-77–153
Ron Vlosich of Lakewood 77-77–154
Mark Wiebe of Aurora 74-WD

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
 

Jobe, who turned 50 a little over a year ago, shot a 9-over-par 79 Saturday at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, dropping him 34 spots on the U.S. Senior Open scoreboard, from eighth place to 42nd.

Jobe played his final 10 holes in 9 over par Saturday after being in contention for the title prior to that. He finished the day with a triple bogey, a double bogey, five bogeys and one birdie on Saturday. That leaves him at 10-over-par 220, 15 strokes behind leader Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Jobe has recorded three top-five showings in senior majors so far this year.

Meanwhile, Colorado resident Gary Hallberg shares 51st place after a third-round 76 left him at 222.

The championship will conclude on Sunday.

Here are all the scores and positions for the locals:

42. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe 71-70-79–220
51. Colorado resident Gary Hallberg 71-75-76–222

Missed 36-Hole Cut
Former Castle Pines resident Esteban Toledo 74-74–148
Colorado Sports Hall of Famer and former CU Golfer Hale Irwin 76-77–153
Ron Vlosich of Lakewood 77-77–154
Mark Wiebe of Aurora 74-WD

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
 

Former Pioneer Kofstad Shoots Third-Round 69 at Olympics: Former University of Denver golfer Espen Kofstad moved up 10 spots on the Olympic golf scoreboard Saturday by shooting a 2-under-par 69 in Rio de Janeiro. Kofstad, who’s competing for his native Norway, shares 44th place at 4-over-par 217. That leaves him 16 strokes behind leader Justin Rose of Great Britain, who fired a 65 on Saturday. The competition will conclude on Sunday. For complete Olympic scores, CLICK HERE.

In the previous four senior majors of 2016, Jobe has finished 17th, third, fourth and fifth. In other words, few players have performed better in the biggest Champions tournaments of the year.

And at the midway point of the U.S. Senior Open in Columbus, Ohio, Jobe (pictured) finds himself in the hunt again, this time tied for eighth place after Friday’s second round at Scioto Country Club.

Jobe, who lived in Colorado for about 20 years before moving to Texas, shot an even-par 70 Friday, leaving him at 1-over-par 141 through 36 holes. He trails leader Joey Sindelar by six strokes. Jobe has made nine birdies through two rounds.

Jobe and Colorado resident Gary Hallberg (48th place at 146) were the only competitors with strong Colorado ties to make the 36-hole cut.

Here are all the scores and positions for the locals:

8. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe 71-70–141
48. Colorado resident Gary Hallberg 71-75–146

Missed 36-Hole Cut
Former Castle Pines resident Esteban Toledo 74-74–148
Colorado Sports Hall of Famer and former CU Golfer Hale Irwin 76-77–153
Ron Vlosich of Lakewood 77-77–154
Mark Wiebe of Aurora 74-WD

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
 

Former DU Golfer Kofstad Falters at Olympics: Former University of Denver golfer Espen Kofstad struggled in Friday’s second round of the Olympics in Brazil, shooting a 5-over-par 76. Despite playing his last three holes in 2 under par, the Norwegian’s 6-over 148 total leaves him in 54th place out of 60 competitors with two rounds remaining in Rio. Australian Marcus Fraser maintained the overall lead at 10-under 132. For complete Olympic scores, CLICK HERE.

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.

Let us count the ways:

— He’ll celebrate his 29th birthday.

— He’ll represent his native Norway as golf returns to the Olympics for the first time in 112 years.

— Coincidentally, the Rio de Janeiro course on which he’ll be competing for the Olympics — and which will be used for the Aug. 17-20 women’s tournament — was designed by a fellow DU alum, course architect Gil Hanse. (READ MORE)

“Maybe I can get someone to take a picture of the two DU alums on the Olympic course,” Hanse said in a story DU published recently.

Hanse’s work at the Olympic course has drawn praise.

“The Rio Games might well be controversial, but there can be little second-guessing about the quality of the golf course,” wrote Bradley S. Klein in Golfweek. “If there were a gold medal for course architecture, Hanse would win it in a runaway.”

Kofstad, the European Challenge Tour’s top money winner in 2012, secured his Olympic berth with a win a month ago in the D+D Real Slovakia Challenge (READ MORE). It was his third Challenge Tour victory.

The men’s Olympic tournament, featuring 60 players, will consist of four rounds of stroke play, from Thursday through Sunday. It will be the first Olympic golf competition since the 1904 Games in St. Louis.

Kofstad will tee off at 5:14 a.m. (MT) for Thursday’s first round.

The American representatives in Rio for the men’s tournament are Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed and Matt Kuchar.
 

Kofstad (pictured), who has been bothered by various injuries in recent years, last had won on the Challenge Tour at the end of 2012.

On Sunday at the D+D Real Slovakia Challenge, Kofstad made birdie from 10 feet on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff to beat Romain Langasque of France. Kofstad closed with an 8-under-par 64 to finish at 17-under 271.

The 27,200 euro payday moved Kofstad up to fourth on the 2016 Challenge Tour money list with 63,392 euros. He’s posted four top-five finishes this season. The former Pioneer, now 28, was the top money maker on the 2012 Challenge Tour.

“It’s been a long way to come here,” he said. “Looking at where I was in November, with shooting pains all down my legs, I didn’t know what was going on, so to do this is amazing.

“I’ve been going for (a berth in the Olympics) all year, and getting closer and closer to getting in, but it’s all about playing well and winning golf tournaments.

“(The victory) means so much. I didn’t know what I was going to do a couple of years back when it first started and I couldn’t get off the floor. I’ve worked really hard, stayed patient and had really good people around me, so it’s great to be here now.”

Elsewhere on world tours on Sunday, Michael Schoolcraft of Denver tied for fourth on the PGA Tour Canada’s Players Cup in Winnipeg, Manitoba. That career-best showing gives him two top-10s and three top-20s this season on the circuit.

Schoolcraft carded scores of 67-66-68-67 for a 16-under-par 268 total. Dan McCarthy ran away with the title at 25-under-par 259.