This week marks the first full-field event in 2019 for any of the three major professional golf tours based in the U.S.

When the PGA Tour’s Sony Open in Hawaii starts today (Jan. 10), two players who grew up in Colorado will be in the field — Wyndham Clark and Jim Knous — along with former Fort Collins resident Sam Saunders.

Clark and Knous are rookies on the PGA Tour for the 2018-19 wraparound season after graduating from the Web.com circuit. Two other golfers who spent their entire youth in Colorado — Jennifer Kupcho and Becca Huffer — will be rookies on the LPGA Tour after successfully negotiating Q-school. The 2019 LPGA season begins on Jan. 17, though Kupcho has deferred becoming a member until she completes her college eligibility at Wake Forest in May. Former University of Colorado golfer Robyn Choi likewise will be an LPGA rookie in 2019.

The remarkable thing about this year is the number of golfers who grew up in Colorado and will be competing on the three major U.S.-based tours — PGA, LPGA and PGA Tour Champions, which starts its season on Jan. 17.

On the PGA Tour, there’s Clark, Littleton-based Knous and part-time Denver resident Kevin Stadler.

On the LPGA circuit, there’s Westminster’s Kupcho and Monument’s Huffer.

And on PGA Tour Champions, there’s Hale Irwin, Brandt Jobe and Steve Jones. And depending on how you classify Mike Reid, who lived in the Denver area for a year and a half and helped Cherry Creek High School win a state team title in 1971, he might be included as well.

Add up the total for the three major circuits, and it’s an unusually high representation from Colorado. And that’s without including other major tour golfers who have lived in the state as adults or who played their college golf in the Colorado.

Some recent historical perspective may be in order.

The number of golfers who grew up in Colorado and have competed in at least 10 tournaments on one of the three major U.S.-based tours in the last decade is relatively small, indicating how tough it is to become a regular at the very highest level of golf.

Here’s the rundown:

PGA TOUR

— Kevin Stadler 159 events since the beginning of 2009.

— Mark Hubbard 84 events.

— Brandt Jobe 80 events since the beginning of 2009.

— Shane Bertsch 65 events since the beginning of 2009.

— Jonathan Kaye 28 events since the beginning of 2009.

— Leif Olson 22 events since the beginning of 2009.

— Wyndham Clark 13 events.

LPGA TOUR

— Jill McGill 38 events since the beginning of 2009.

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

— Hale Irwin 159 events since the beginning of 2009.

— Mike Reid 130 events since the beginning of 2009.

— Steve Jones 68 events.

— Brandt Jobe 64 events.

— R.W. Eaks 49 events since the beginning of 2009.

So with eight or nine Colorado-grown golfers competing on the big-three U.S.-based golf tours this year alone, it’s certainly a high-water mark for the Centennial State.

In fact, on the women’s side, just one golfer who grew up in Colorado has competed in an LPGA Tour event since the end of 2013 — Kupcho, who has played in three since 2016.

For a look at all players with strong Colorado connections on major professional tours around the world, CLICK HERE to view our weekly local pro roundup, which is updated weekly.

Each year has its own distinctive makeup. That’s true regarding life in general, or in Colorado golf.

And so it was in 2018, which is quickly coming to a close.

Since 2009, we’ve made it an annual habit to go back through the golf stories of the year, pick out the most prominent ones and rank them for a retrospective on the CGA website.

For most of the last several years, we’ve broken the list into two installments to keep things a little more manageable. We go in reverse order, for the sake of suspense, and add an honorable-mention list that will be included with Part II, which will be published in the coming days.

Today, we’ll cover Nos. 25 through 13.

So, without first ado, here’s our 10th edition of Colorado golf-related stories of the year:

25. Second Colorado Topgolf Site Gearing Up: Since August 2015, there’s been one Topgolf location in Colorado — the one in Centennial. But three months ago, ground was broken at a second site — at I-25 and 60th Ave., in Thornton. The 65,000-square-foot, three-level facility is scheduled to open to the public in late 2019. It will have 102 climate-controlled hitting bays — where players hit microchipped golf balls at targets with varying point values — in addition to a restaurant and three bars. There will be 250 HD televisions, a rooftop terrace with fire pits and 3,000 square feet of space devoted to private events. The Centennial Topgolf employs about 500 people, the same number that is expected in Thornton.

24. Annika Returns to Colorado for First Tee Event: Over the last three years, the folks who run the CoBank Colorado Open Championships and The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch have brought in tour players to conduct exhibitions and chat with kids from The First Tee programs in the state. During the first two years, doing the honores were Hale Irwin, Ryan Palmer, Paula Creamer, David Duval, Lexi Thompson and Mark O’Meara. This year, there was no letdown in talent as Matt Kuchar came for a late June exhibition at GVR, and World Golf Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam (above) for a CoBank PEAK Performers event in August at The Broadmoor, where Sorenstam won her first LPGA title — the 1995 U.S. Women’s Open. The PEAK Performers event was particularly unique as nine kids from First Tee programs around the country had the opportunity to play golf with Sorenstam for six holes each as part of a four-day, all-expenses-paid outing. READ MORE

23. Sibling Sweep for Bryants: A year after Davis Bryant and younger sister Emma completed the “Bryant Slam” by jointly winning all four Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado majors in 2017, they posted a “Sibling Sweep” when they prevailed at both the boys and girls 5A state high school tournaments in the same school year. Almost eight months after Davis Bryant claimed the 5A boys crown as a senior at Eaglecrest, Emma held up her end by capturing the 5A girls title as an Eaglecrest freshman in May at Boulder Country Club. It’s the first time two players with the same surname have won the boys and girls state individual prep championships in one school year. READ MORE

22. High Honor for Irwin: Hale Irwin (left) had to contend with Jack Nicklaus on the golf course plenty of times over the course of their careers. But in June, it was Nicklaus and the Captains Club that honored Irwin — a three-time U.S. Open champion and World Golf Hall of Famer who grew up in Boulder — as the 2018 Memorial Tournament honoree. And it’s no small tribute. Others who have received similar status since 2010 include Seve Ballesteros, Nancy Lopez, Tom Watson, Ray Floyd, Annika Sorenstam, Nick Faldo, Johnny Miller and Greg Norman. “I have a hard time putting myself in that category with the greats of the past, so I am absolutely delighted.” Irwin said.

21. Schalk Still Undefeated in High School Ranks: When then-Holy Family sophomore Hailey Schalk won the girls 3A state high school tournament in May, it gave her two titles in two seasons of high school golf. But even more impressively, Schalk remained unbeaten in her two years of high school tournaments and kept alive her chances for an unprecented four Colorado girls state high school golf titles. Schalk became the eighth player to win at least two Colorado girls state high school championships, joining Lynn Ann Moretto (3), Ashley Tait (3), Jennifer Kupcho (2), Becca Huffer (2), Kelly Jacques (2), Jennifer McCormick (2) and Emily Wood (2). Schalk, now a junior, later verbally committed to play her college golf at the University of Colorado beginning in 2020.

20. 25 and Counting for Eaton: Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton wasted no time in 2018 tying Carol Flenniken’s record for career CGA/CWGA women’s titles. In May, she teamed with fellow Hall of Famer Janet Moore in winning the Brassie Championship, giving her 25 such victories in her career. Though Eaton came up short — in a playoff — of notching No. 26 at the CGA Women’s Senior Stroke Play at her own home course at Greeley Country Club, she’ll have additional opportunities at the outright record in 2019. READ MORE

19. Spiranac Continues to Make a Splash: It’s hard to fathom how big a social media sensation 2015 CGA Women’s Match Play champion Paige Spiranac has become. At last check, the former Colorado resident had 1.5 million followers on Instagram and 215,000 on Twitter. Before largely giving up competitive golf, Spiranac not only won the 100th CWGA Match Play, but finished ninth in the 2016 CoBank Colorado Women’s Open and won the 2010 CWGA Junior Stroke Play as well as the 2006 CJGA Tournament of Champions — all in Colorado. Spiranac, who appeared in the 2018 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, is now a periodic columnist for Golf.com. READ MORE

18. 25 Years and Counting for Denver Golf Expo: What started out relatively modestly at the Colorado Convention Center in the early 1990s has turned into quite an annual affair. In 2018, the Denver Golf Expo, now run by Mark and Lynn Cramer, celebrated its 25th anniversary. The Cramers, who bought the show from Colorado PGA professional Stan Fenn in 2000, will be honored in June by the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame with a Lifetime Achievement Award. READ MORE

17. Memorable Year for Andonian-Smith: It was a year of “firsts” for Colorado PGA professional Sherry Andonian-Smith. She, along with fellow Coloradans Janet Moore and Marilyn Hardy, qualified for the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open. The Centennial resident became the first woman to qualify for the national Senior PGA Professional Championship and ended up finishing 29th out of a field of 264 there. She was named the Colorado PGA’s inaugural Women’s Player of the Year after tying for second place in the Colorado PGA Professional Championship and winning the Section’s West Chapter Championship for the second time in three years. And Andonian-Smith and Alexandra Braga became the first women from the Colorado PGA to qualify for the national PGA Professional Championship.

16. And Love-ing It: After getting advice from World Golf Hall of Famer Davis Love III, son Dru (left) made an eagle in a playoff to win the CoBank Colorado Open. The younger Love carded an eagle and nine birdies in his final 19 holes of the tournament. It was the biggest win of Dru Love’s career, and he made $100,000 in the process. Davis Love III won the PGA Tour’s International twice in Colorado, while Davis Love II claimed the title in the CGA Junior Match Play in both 1953 and ’54. READ MORE

15. Kevin Stadler, Kaye Make Long-Awaited Returns to ‘The Show’: The year 2018 marked the return to PGA Tour action for two Colorado-based veterans who hadn’t competed in golf’s top circuit for quite a while. Part-time Boulder resident Jonathan Kaye, a two-time PGA Tour winner, had last played in a PGA Tour event in 2011, but in March he landed a spot in the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, where he missed the cut. And part-time Denver resident Kevin Stadler, who hadn’t competed on the PGA Tour since 2015 due to a broken hand, returned for the Sanderson Farms Championship in October, but likewise missed the cut. Stadler is expected to be a regular in PGA Tour events in 2019 as he plays on a major medical extension.

14. ‘Youth on Course’ Debuts in Colorado: A year ago, CGA executive director Ed Mate predicted that the Youth on Course program could become a “game-changer for player development” in Colorado. The initiative, which makes golf more accessible to juniors by capping their cost for a round at $5 at participating facilities, came to Colorado in 2018. Fifteen Colorado courses participated this year, and many more are expected to be on board in 2019. READ MORE

13. Web Tournament Formalized for TPC Colorado: Colorado last hosted an open-age PGA Tour-affiliated event in 2014, when the BMW Championship PGA Tour playoff tournament was held at Cherry Hills Country Club. But in a September announcement, the Web.com Tour confirmed what had long been known — that a Web.com Tour event would be conducted at the new TPC Colorado course (left) in Berthoud for at least five years, starting in 2019. The event, known as the TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes, will debut the week of July 8-14, with 156 players competing for a $600,000 purse. The Web circuit — then known as the Nike Tour — previously had a tournament in Colorado in 1996 and ’97, when Riverdale’s Dunes Course in Brighton hosted the Nike Colorado Classic. READ MORE

Also on the subject of new courses in Colorado, Fred Funk said in late June that the Raindance National Golf Club course in Windsor that he’s co-designing may open as soon as the fall of 2020.

Earlier this month, nearly a year after City Park Golf Course in Denver closed to make way for a $40 million course redesign and construction project, its prominent design advisor paid a visit to see how things were progressing and to provide insight on the new 18-hole course which is scheduled to reopen sometime next year.

Hale Irwin teamed with City Park Golf Course architect Todd Schoeder and his Broomfield-based iCon Golf Studio in the course redesign for the site, which will integrate stormwater detention areas to help protect some of the city’s most at-risk neighborhoods from flooding — specifically those north and northwest of the course, which first opened in 1912.

“It is exciting to physically see the progress being made on the City Park Golf Course project,” Irwin said during his Oct. 5 visit, according to a Saunders Construction release. “When completed, this will not only be a place for us all to enjoy now, it will be a place we would encourage our children to come and play golf. This project is a legacy for the future.”

In his Oct. 5 trip to City Park GC, Irwin visited with Schoeder and the rest of the project team at the City of Denver project. (Irwin is pictured, second from right, in a Saunders photo.)

Irwin, a World Golf Hall of Famer who’s won three U.S. Opens and a record 45 tournaments on PGA Tour Champions, has designed — or co-designed — several courses in Colorado, including Indian Peaks Golf Course in Lafayette, the newly renamed University of Denver Golf Club at Highlands Ranch, The Club at Cordillera’s Mountain Course west of Vail and Glacier Club’s Mountain Course (with Schoeder) in Durango. Irwin graduated from Boulder High School and the University of Colorado.

Seeding at City Park Golf Course is over 75 percent complete, according to Saunders, and the city’s October update reports that mowing has begun on the east and north sides of the course. According to the city, the golf-related earthwork is “substantially complete”, while topsoil and irrigation installation is ongoing. Planting of new trees is taking place through the fall, and irrigation — via recycled water — is operational where seeding and trees are in place. The west pond and water-quality channel are complete. Construction on the new clubhouse continues.

(At left is an aerial photo — courtesy of Rocky Mountain Photography — of the project as of this earlier this month.)

The Saunders release said construction at City Park GC “remains on schedule.”

When the redesign project is complete, the site will feature the new 18-hole par-71 golf course, a full-size driving range, a dedicated four-hole course for The First Tee of Denver, a new clubhouse and maintenance facility, stormwater detention, and a reforestation program with a net gain of 500 trees.

Hallberg (left) placed eighth in the PURE Insurance Championship, which concluded at Pebble Beach Golf Links on the Monterey Peninsula in California.

Hallberg carded rounds of 68-67-74 for a 6-under-par 209, which left him four strokes behind champion Ken Tanigawa, who two years ago qualified in Colorado for the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship. He’s since turned pro and Sunday marked his first Champions victory.

Hallberg’s previous best showing on PGA Tour Champions in 2018 was a 15th place at the Chubb Classic in February.

Meanwhile, 73-year-old Colorado Sports Hall of Famer Hale Irwin finished 42nd in the PURE Insurance Championship, matching his best individual showing of the season. The World Golf Hall of Famer shot six strokes under his age — a 5-under-par 67 — in the first round at Pebble Beach, where he won a PGA Tour event in 1984.
 

Hale Irwin called it “the worst round I’ve ever had as a professional.”

And that’s saying something considering the World Golf Hall of Famer and former University of Colorado athlete has played in 1,132 events between the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions in his 50-year pro career.

Following up a first-round 79 at the U.S. Senior Open — his highest score ever in a USGA championship — Irwin shot an ever-so frustrating 15-over-par 85 on Friday at The Broadmoor, where he won the Broadmoor Invitation 51 years ago while still a Colorado resident.

To put that into perspective, not only did the 85 feel like his worst round as a pro to Irwin, it was indeed the highest score he’s ever shot in a PGA Tour or PGA Tour Champions event.

His previous highs were an 84 on the PGA Tour (first round of 1990 USF&G Classic, ironically less than two months before winning his third U.S. Open) and two 82s on PGA Tour Champions (both in 2015).

“Coming into this event there was a lot I was doing. This has been a crazy week,” the 73-year-old said in an interview with coloradogolf.org. “I was ill-prepared for this for a variety of reasons. I haven’t played in an individual tournament since March and Wes Short and I played in the Legends (team event) in April. I haven’t played, and it showed — big time.

“My priorities this week are my family. I don’t get to see them all the time. That has made my week, so everything else is (secondary). It sounds a little trite — I don’t mean it to be — but that’s from my heart. What I wanted to see more than anything was my family together. That’s where my life is now. It isn’t necessarily predicated on, will I play golf. The golf really came secondary (here), and it showed.

“I just didn’t have it — and maybe I don’t have it. But I’m not going to continue playing like this. Unless I see something happen in the next month or two. …”

Even before going 79-85, missing the cut and finishing at 24-over-par 164 on a demanding Broadmoor East course, Irwin had said this “could be” his final U.S. Senior Open, and therefore his final USGA event. That’s definitely notable considering he’s won five USGA championships — three U.S. Opens and two U.S. Senior Opens.

Irwin, who grew up in Colorado and played golf and football at CU, has now competed in 23 U.S. Senior Opens in addition to 34 U.S. Opens. Only fellow former CU golfer Dale Douglass (26) and Arnold Palmer (25) have played in more U.S. Senior Opens.

Asked again after his round on Friday if this is his last U.S. Senior Open, he said, “I don’t know. The odds say yes, but I don’t know. If I can help push the needle in the direction of positive golf — not my golf (but golf in general, like) USGA golf, junior golf, golf — I’m happy to do that. And that might be where my role is. I don’t know. We’ll have to sit back and analyze how much playing is left in 2019.

“I’ll play out my plans (in 2018). Whether I play the Senior Players in Chicago (in two weeks), I don’t know. I need to make that decision. I will play the Senior British (next month at the Old Course at St. Andrews, where his son Steve will caddie for him) and probably The First Tee event (in late September) because I really enjoy being with those kids out at Pebble Beach. That’s fun.

“You got me at a down time and kicked me — or maybe I kicked myself.”

Irwin, named the male player of the century in Colorado during the CGA’s centennial year festivities in 2015, has won a record 45 times on PGA Tour Champions and 20 on the PGA Tour. But he’s only competed in eight PGA Tour Champions events each of the past two years and five so far in 2018.

Between age taking an ever-increasing toll on his game, and wanting to spend more time with his family, competitive golf obviously is not near the priority it used to be.
 
That was apparent in his very un-Irwin-like round on Friday. He made just two pars on the day and was playing bogey golf through 11 holes. He didn’t make a birdie until finishing up with one on the ninth hole, his 18th — at least going out this week on a minor high note.

“I was just way off on my golf game,” Irwin said. “There was nothing, nothing. On this golf course where you have rough like this and you’re not driving it well … And my irons — oh my gosh — I bet I didn’t hit four or five greens all day. I didn’t get it up and down. I had three-putts all over the place. I made two really good putts to keep from four-putting this week, so I felt really good about that.”

At least Irwin can still joke about it.

And he used the circumstances on Friday as a life lesson of sorts for grandson Dylan Meyer, who was caddying for him at The Broadmoor. (The two are pictured at left.)

“It’s like I told my grandson when we were playing 18: ‘This is the time it would be so easy to quit and walk right in, but we don’t quit. We’re going to finish it off.'” Irwin said.

An experimentation with new irons definitely didn’t help this week. In an effort to conteract the effect of age, Irwin went with lighter irons with different shafts.

“They’re lighter thinking I’ve lost some of my strength. But I can’t feel the club,” he said. “You don’t come into a U.S. Senior Open and play new irons. Well, I did.”

That certainly didn’t help, but Irwin by no means blames his poor play primarily on that.

As to what the future holds as Irwin devotes ever-less time to tournaments, there are some business matters, and he still does some course design/redesign work. That includes helping out with the new course at City Park Golf Course in Denver. And he’s ready to start a project in the Los Angeles area where an old 18-hole course that has gone to seed will be made into a new 12-hole course with a modernized practice facility, with much of the rest of the land being developed. And there’s a possiblity of another project in the Bahamas.

“There’s not that many jobs around, but I’d like to do a couple to help absorb my time and competitiveness,” he said. “I want be the best designer. There’s some things out there I’d still like to do.

“You always try to contribute, then you’ll always be competitive — whatever that word means. I’ve not known something different than being competitive.”

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

Hale Irwin has competed in 22 U.S. Senior Opens — this week will make 23 — and at 73 he’s the oldest player in the field at The Broadmoor.

Considering his ever-shrinking competitive schedule, and the fact that this U.S. Senior Open is being played in a state he’s synomymous with in many ways — Colorado — will this be his final U.S. Senior Open?

And actually, the question is bigger than that in many respects. After all, the World Golf Hall of Famer and former University of Colorado athlete has won five USGA championships in his career — three U.S. Opens and two U.S. Senior Opens — so when he does call it quits at the Senior Open, it would mark the end of the line for him in USGA championships of any sort.

Irwin’s answer on Tuesday afternoon at The Broadmoor about this possibly being his final U.S. Senior Open: “It could be,” he said. “I’m not going to say yes because that’s just the way I’m bred. But I’m just finding it harder and harder to compete the way I feel like you need to play to play against these guys.”

And if it does turn out to be his final USGA championship, will he be nostalgic this week given all he’s accomplished in those events and with this tournament being held in the state where he grew up?

“If it was (my last) — and we’re not saying that — being here around family and friends and the old stomping grounds, sure there’s a great deal of nostalgia here,” he said. “Going into the clubhouse and seeing the old 1967 Broadmoor Invitation (a tournament that Irwin won), that brings back a lot of fond memories. At the same time, I’m not one that gets hung up in the history and what used to be. I’m more, what can I do today? That’s kind of what drives my life now. I have a lot of history and a lot of it is great, but I don’t live my life in the past. I want to live my life in the present and the future.”

For the record, Irwin has competed in 56 USGA championships — 34 U.S. Opens and the 22 U.S. Senior Opens, which will become 23 this week. Only two golfers — fellow former Buff Dale Douglass (26) and Arnold Palmer (25) — have played in more U.S. Senior Opens. Irwin’s first USGA championship was the 1966 U.S. Open at Olympic Club in San Francisco, where he finished 61st.

Including his U.S. Open wins in 1974, ’79 and ’90, Irwin finished in the top 10 in that event seven times, with a third in 1975 and a fourth in 1978 at Cherry Hills Country Club.

At the U.S. Senior Open, he won in 1998 and 2000 and has placed in the top 10 eight times. He was never out of the top five in his first six U.S. Senior Open appearances. He ended up runner-up twice, third once, fourth in 2011 at age 66 and fifth twice. This week, Irwin and defending champion Kenny Perry are the only players in the field who have won at least two U.S. Senior Opens.

But at age 73 — and after winning a record 45 times on PGA Tour Champions, in addition to his 20 PGA Tour victories — Irwin has backed off his competitive schedule considerably. He’s played in eight PGA Tour Champions events each of the past two years and will be competing in his fifth of 2018 this week. His last event prior to the U.S. Senior Open was more than two months ago.

With age having taken a toll on his game, and with different priorities in his life, things have simply changed.

“Just distance off the tee,” he said. “This course (for instance), I’ve played enough to know where I should be hitting it, and I’m not (hitting it there). That’s happening every week now. I can see where my distance off the tee is less. I have more distance into the greens and my irons aren’t as long as they used to be. What used to be a driver and a 7-iron, now it’s a driver and a 4-iron or 5-iron, and that’s just hard to compete on an every-hole, every-day, every-week basis.

“When you’re not playing that much … I just have different priorities. Seeing the grandkids, trying to keep up with (son) Steve’s little girls up in Denver. It’s different, just different.”

On Tuesday, for instance, after putting on a kids-oriented clinic at The Broadmoor, Irwin was on the practice range having a little fun and giving a few tips to his grandsons. His wife, Sally, was there, as was brother Phil, who likewise played football at CU back in the day. There were also other family members and friends.

Asked what his goals are this week at the U.S. Senior Open, Irwin said, “Obviously you want to say make the cut but those things all seem superfluous when you’re looking at the overall scheme of things. The overall scheme of things here is to be with my family and friends. There are friends who aren’t doing physically that well that I’d like to see or get in contact with. To be able to enjoy what I’m able to enjoy — the little thing with the kids there (the junior-oriented clinic) is very heart-warming. I enjoy that.

“Competitively, if I can go out and play the kind of golf I think I’m still capable of playing, will that mean I’m going to be a threat to win? That might be pushing it. But I’d like to think I’d be representative of what once was. But I don’t have any preconceived notions. I’m taking this as a steppingstone to what’s next in my life. And that’s being defined as we speak.”

Speaking of family and friends, one of Irwin’s grandsons, Dylan Meyer, is caddying for Hale this week. And on the near horizon, son Steve, a former CGA Player of the Year, will loop for Hale at the Senior British Open at the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland July 26-29.

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

This week’s U.S. Senior Open will be the second held at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. And if this one ends up with as many interesting — and sometimes offbeat — storylines as the one the resort hosted in 2008, they’ll still be talking about it many years from now.

Let’s look back on some of the most memorable moments from the ’08 Senior Open:

— Power Couple: Greg Norman and Chris Evert were only married for 15 months before they separated, but they were still fresh from their nuptials when they came to The Broadmoor together in the summer of 2008 for Norman to compete in the U.S. Senior Open.

Evert, winner of 18 Grand Slam singles titles in her stellar tennis career, was a fixture in the galleries at The Broadmoor while rooting on her Australian hubbie. She even wore a Shark logo hat to match his. As you might imagine, the athlete super couple drew plenty of attention that week, just a month removed for their wedding.

Alas, their divorce became final in December 2009. And they said it wouldn’t last …

By the way, Norman finished fourth at The Broadmoor. The next year, he also placed fourth in the event, marking his final U.S. Senior Open appearance.

— Quiet, Please: World Golf Hall of Famer Hale Irwin, a former University of Colorado athlete who won The Broadmoor Invitation in 1967, had something to chime in about following his second round in 2008.

When Irwin was teeing off on the par-4 first hole at the East Course, the chimes from the Will Rogers Memorial Shrine of the Sun (below) on nearby Cheyenne Mountain went off in the midst of his downswing. He tried to stop his swing, but inadvertently still made contact with his ball. It went about 20 yards, under a Rolex clock just off to the left side of the tee.

“It was the shortest tee shot I think I’ve ever hit,” the three-time U.S. Open champion said at the time. “… It was like, what else can go wrong? I told them on press day they (the chimes, which go off every 15 minutes) were going to be a problem. It’s bothersome. People (here) may be used to it, but they’re not playing a golf championship. After that, I told my caddie to keep his watch handy every 15 minutes.”

For the record, Irwin still made a par on the first hole. After he received free relief from the clock near the tee, he hit his second shot, then his approach to 22 feet from the cup, and sank the putt.

Later in the round, on the 12th tee, the Rogers Shrine chimes went off while Irwin was set up to the ball, but this time he backed off with a slight smile before having begun his swing.

FYI regarding the chimes and this week’s championship: Russ Miller, the director of golf at The Broadmoor, told the USGA on Monday that the volume of the chimes has been reduced by 50 percent this week.

— Something’s a Bruin: The same round that he hit his 20-yard tee shot, Irwin encountered another wildly unexpected happening.

The former Coloradan and playing partners Tom Watson and Bernhard Langer — the highest-profile pairing that teed off Friday morning — were on the 13th hole when a large black bear ran across the fairway in front of them around noon (pictured at top). Then-ESPN on-course reporter Dottie Pepper was in the fairway with the group, and ESPN cameras captured the action.

“Dottie about wet her britches,” said Irwin, who noted that he saw the same bear in a back yard that Thursday.

“It was a crazy day.”

Added Fred Funk: “(Jack) Nicklaus isn’t here, so I guess that’s a substitute.”

The bear later made its way through two drainage pipes on the West Course and then departed the premises. But on Saturday night, a bruin — very possibly the same one — visited the concession stand at the seventh hole and helped itself to a smorgasbord of candy bars, bananas, hot dogs and bread.

Fellow TV broadcaster Roger Maltbie didn’t blame Pepper for being alarmed by a bear in such close proximity.

“The only part of me the bear would have seen was my backside headed out of the area,” he said.

Not surprisingly, the bear footage was a prominent fixture on ESPN’s SportsCenter for the remainder of the day.

— Green Issues: As if the bear and the chimes weren’t enough on that Friday in 2008, the pin placements for the second round that day drew the ire of many a U.S. Senior Open contestant.

Said 1992 U.S. Open champion Tom Kite: Some of the Friday pin placements “almost defy the imagination.”

Added Greg Norman: “The USGA should know better.”

Fred Funk, who finished second in 2008, behind Eduardo Romero, was amazed at the general difficulty of the greens that week.

“This is the hardest set of greens I’ve ever played,” he said. “And that’s throwing Augusta in — and Oakmont and Winged Foot and Pinehurst [No. 2]. I’ve just never seen greens with this much movement in them, meaning they don’t have any flat spots on them, like an Augusta (green) has. You have all that, and then you have to factor in that mountain. That’s what’s crazy. It just gives you that illusion that you have a putt that looks like it’s uphill, and it’s really downhill, or the other way around. It just keeps you guessing.”

— And then there’s these tidbits from that week: Bernhard Langer — the second-winningest player in PGA Tour Champions history, behind Hale Irwin — played in his first U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor in 2008. The German closed with a 66 to tie for sixth place. … None of the players with strong Colorado ties finished in the top 10 at the 2008 Senior Open. The best of the bunch were local resident Gary Hallberg (14th place) and Colorado Springs native and former University of Northern Colorado athlete R.W. Eaks (18th). But a player from fairly nearby — Jeff Klein of Scottsbluff, Neb. — placed ninth at The Broadmoor. His third-round score of 64 was just a stroke higher than the Senior Open record at the time. In fact, Klein was 8 under par after 14 holes before going 2 over in his last four. … The 2008 U.S. Senior Open — which featured a field that included World Golf Hall of Famers Tom Watson, Hale Irwin, Greg Norman, Bernhard Langer, Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite and Curtis Strange — attracted an announced 128,714 fans for the week.

All in all, this week’s tournament appears to have its work cut out if it hopes to match or surpass 2008 in terms of sheer memorability.

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

(June 21 Update: This story was updated after the USGA announced on Thursday that Steve Jones has withdrawn from the U.S. Senior Open field due to knee surgery.)

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Last week’s U.S. Open marked just the second time since the 1960s that that event was held without a single competitor with strong Colorado ties.

But that certainly won’t be an issue for the next USGA championship.

When The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs hosts the U.S. Senior Open June 28-July 1, the 156-man field will feature two Colorado residents, another two competitors who grew up in the Centennial State, one more who just went to college in Colorado, and others who have resided in the state over the years.

Local players have a rich history in the event — even though it’s only been held since 1980 — and this is the third time the state has hosted the championship. Jack Nicklaus won at Cherry Hills in 1993 and Eduardo Romero prevailed at The Broadmoor’s East Course in 2008.

Four times a player with major Colorado connections has won the Senior Open. Colorado Sports Hall of Famer Hale Irwin, who grew up in Boulder and played golf and football at the University of Colorado, claimed the titles in 1998 at Riviera in Pacific Palisades, Calif., and in 2000 at Saucon Valley in Bethlehem, Pa.

Dale Douglass, a product of Fort Morgan who also played at CU and now lives at Castle Pines during the summer, won as a Senior Tour rookie in 1986 at Scioto in Columbus, Ohio.

And Orville “Sarge” Moody, who was stationed at Fitzsimons during part of his Army career, earned the victory at Laurel Valley in Ligonier, Pa., in 1989, 20 years after his improbable U.S. Open win.

Here’s a rundown of the locals who will compete next week at The Broadmoor, their history in the U.S. Senior Open, how they’re playing now, and their connection to Colorado:

— Hale Irwin (20 PGA Tour wins, including 3 U.S. Opens; record 45 PGA Tour Champions victories, including 7 senior majors).

Colorado Connection: Grew up in Boulder. Played golf and football at CU. Inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and the CU Athletic Hall of Fame.

At the U.S. Senior Open: Has competed in the event 22 times. Won in 1998 and 2000, giving him five USGA championships overall. Has finished in top five eight times, including two runner-ups, with a fourth-place showing in 2011 at age 66.

Recent Play: At age 73, competes only occasionally. He’s played in four PGA Tour Champions events in 2018, with a best finish of 23rd in the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Cedar Lodge team event.

Notable: Has missed just one U.S. Senior Open (2003) since becoming elibible for the event in 1995. … In his first nine U.S. Senior Open appearances, finished no worse than 11th. … Placed 40th in 2008 U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor. … Irwin won The Broadmoor Invitation, a prestigious amateur championship at the club, in 1967.

— Brandt Jobe (1 PGA Tour Champions win).

Colorado Connection: Lived in Colorado from 1970 to ’99. Kent Denver High School graduate. Inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame.

At the U.S. Senior Open: In two starts, finished third in 2017 tournament.

Recent Play: Has posted two top-10 finishes in 2018 on PGA Tour Champions, with a best showing of fifth place at Insperity Invitational in May. Ranks 33rd on 2018 money list with $247,375.

Notable: Shot a 62 in the third round of the 2017 Senior Open en route to a third-place finish, matching the all-time single-round tournament scoring record. … Last year’s victory at the PGA Tour Champions’ Principal Charity Classic was his first in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event. … Among his four PGA Tour runner-ups was one at The International at Castle Pines in 2005.

— Doug Rohrbaugh.

Colorado Connection: Resident of Carbondale.

At the U.S. Senior Open: Has played in three previous U.S. Senior Opens, missing the cut in 2012, ’13 and ’15.

Recent Play: Competed in the 10th PGA Tour Champions event of his career, the Senior PGA Championship, in May, missing the cut. Had conditional status on PGA Tour Champions in 2015.

Notable: Earned a spot in the event by landing medalist honors with a 1-under-par 69 in qualifying at The Broadmoor on Memorial Day. … This will be the eighth senior major in his career (four U.S. Senior Opens, three Senior PGAs and one Regions Traditions). … In Colorado, Rohrbaugh has won the 2013 CoBank Colorado Senior Open and three Colorado PGA Professional Championships.

— Chris Johnson.

Colorado Connection: Resident of Castle Rock.

At the U.S. Senior Open: This will be his first appearance.

Recent Play: Missed cut at his first senior major, the Senior PGA Championship in May.

Notable: Earned a spot in the event by shooting a 2-over-par 72 in qualifying at The Broadmoor on Memorial Day … Won the Colorado PGA Professional Championship in 2010.

— Mikael Hogberg.

Colorado Connection: The native of Sweden played golf at CU from 1980-84.

At the U.S. Senior Open: Has played in four previous Senior Opens, making the cut twice and finishing 23rd in 2011.

Recent Play: Earned a spot in the event by being medalist with a 66 in qualifying in Fayetteville, N.C. on June 4. Hogberg is a resident of Greensboro, N.C.

Notable: Hogberg was a freshman at CU the year 1996 U.S. Open champion Steve Jones was a senior. That year (1981), the Buffs finished 11th in the NCAA Championships, their best showing at nationals since 1968.

— Esteban Toledo (4 PGA Tour Champions wins).

Colorado Connection: Lived in Castle Pines earlier in the new millennium.

At the U.S. Senior Open: Has made three cuts in five U.S. Senior Open appearances, with a best finish of 14th in 2014.

Recent Play: Top finish in 2018 PGA Tour Champions event was 12th in the Mitsubishi Electric Classic in April. Stands 47th on 2018 PGA Tour Champions money list with $171,793.

Notable: The native of Mexico won four times on PGA Tour Champions from 2013 through ’16.

Note: There are other players in the field who have lived in Colorado (for example, John Daly resided in Castle Pines briefly in the early 1990s and Tommy Armour III was born in Denver), but their local connections are relatively short-lived.

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The Essentials: 2018 U.S. Senior Open

— What: The 39th U.S. Senior Open.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Complete Field: CLICK HERE.

— Tee Times: CLICK HERE.

— Fan Information: CLICK HERE.

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

— Purse: Was $4 million in 2017.

— TV Schedule (broadcast in more than 100 countries):
Wednesday, June 27 — Preview, 10-11 a.m., FS2
Thursday, June 28 — First round, 2-7 p.m., FS1
Friday, June 29 — Second round, 1:30-6:30 p.m., FS1
Saturday, June 30 — Third round, 2-7 p.m., FS1
Sunday, July 1 — Final round, 2-7 p.m., FS1

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

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

— Actitivies Leading Up To And During Senior Open Week:

Friday, June 22 at Cherokee Ridge Golf Course in Colorado Springs — Play9 Day, a by-invitation event hosted by USGA and CGA, with former USGA president Judy Bell expected to be on hand. Cherokee Ridge is home of the Pikes Peak Linkers, a program in which kids receive golf instruction from professionals and have free access to the par-3 course at Cherokee Ridge. The Linkers receive support from the USGA and Colorado Golf Foundation.


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Championship Qualifiers: 79 players qualified for the U.S. Senior Open through their performance at 34 qualifying tournaments.

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

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

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

— Additional Information on the Senior Open: CLICK HERE.

Years ago, I wrote a column for the newspaper for which I worked at the time, the Daily Camera in Boulder, weighing in on where Hale Irwin ranked among golf’s GOAT list.

Which is to say, among the greatest players of all time?

I couldn’t readily locate the column amid my stacks of papers and clips, and since this was published in the days prior to just about everything in newspapers being archived on the internet, it’s not there either.

But to the best of my recollection, I think I put Irwin among the top 25 or so golfers of all time — at that time. Since a few greats have had the meat of their careers since then — Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh among them — that would move the former University of Colorado golf and football standout down the list a few notches.

The reason this comes to mind now is that Irwin will be the 2018 honoree at Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial tournament this coming week in Dublin, Ohio. Then the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior will be contested at Walnut Creek Golf Preserve in Westminster June 5-7, and he’ll compete in the U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs June 28-July 1. So it seems an opportune time to fully appreciate the career of the best golfer ever to grow up in Colorado.

When it was announced last year that Irwin would be honored at the upcoming Memorial, Nicklaus himself, who tops that GOAT list in many people’s minds, said, “Hale was truly one of the great golfers and athletes we ever had playing on the PGA Tour. He was a terrific golfer. He always had tremendous integrity. He’s been a terrific family man. Hale has always been one of the purest strikers of the golf ball. You knew when you got to a difficult golf course that Hale Irwin was going to be there somewhere. He was probably the best senior player we’ve ever had on the PGA Tour Champions.”

Despite his stellar record as a player, Irwin was pleasantly surprised to become a Memorial honoree, a group which includes many of the top players in history.

“I have a hard time putting myself in that category with the greats of the past, so I am absolutely delighted.” he said last year.

But Irwin’s golf resume reinforces what a talented player and fierce competitor he’s been. Here are the bullet-point highlights:

— Winner of 20 PGA Tour titles.

— Three U.S. Open victories, a total surpassed only by Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones and Willie Anderson, with four each.

— He remains the oldest winner of the U.S. Open (45 in 1990).

— Winner of a record 45 titles on PGA Tour Champions, with seven senior majors, including two U.S. Senior Opens.

— Competed on five U.S. Ryder Cup teams.

— Captained the first U.S. team in the President’s Cup, in 1994, and also competed on that team.

— Was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1992.

— Capped his amateur career by winning the NCAA individual title in 1967 while at CU, where he was also an All-Big Eight defensive back in football.

When Irwin received the Nicholson Award in Colorado in 2012, he noted that also growing up playing football paid dividends in golf.

“I looked at every golf course as a football field,” he said then. “It was me or them. I say that somewhat jokingly because the thing I had more of than the other fellas was effort. I point back to the football background. Look at me — I was a little guy even then, and I wasn’t terribly fast. So I had to read keys and be in position and play technically better than the next guy. Then I had to play over my weight. I had to hit harder. All that effort is what you could take to the golf course. So when you got to Winged Foot or those hard courses — where others guys might let up because they thought it was too hard — that was right up my alley.”

Besides all his golf success on a national and international scale, Irwin put together quite an amateur record in the eight or so years he lived in Colorado as a young man. He won three consecutive CGA Amateurs (1963-65), one CGA Match Play (1966), one CGA Junior Match Play (1962) and one boys state high school title while at Boulder High (1963). (At left are Irwin’s three CGA Stroke Play trophies, currently housed in the CGA offices The CGA Stroke Play is now called the CGA Amateur.)

And now, even though Irwin will turn 73 next Sunday, fellow competitors still talk about him. Unsolicited at a U.S. Senior Open event earlier this month, two-time champion Kenny Perry said, “Hale Irwin, he’s a freak. It’s unreal how incredible that man is. He’s 70-something years old and still beats his age every time he goes and tees it up.”

That’s an exaggeration, but Irwin has shot his age — or better — more than 30 times while competing on PGA Tour Champions, a truly remarkable feat.

So now we get back to where Irwin ranks among the greatest golfers of all time. It’s a matter of opinion to a certain extent, of course, and comparing eras is difficult. But looking at the players who own the most PGA Tour wins and the most majors, the top international golfers and the best amateurs ever — and throwing in his incredbile senior record — I still believe Irwin is easily in the top 35 on golf’s GOAT list.

For what it’s worth, these are the players I would put ahead of him, roughly in order:

Jack Nicklaus
Tiger Woods
Bobby Jones
Sam Snead
Walter Hagen
Ben Hogan
Arnold Palmer
Gary Player
Tom Watson
Gene Sarazen
Byron Nelson
Phil Mickelson
Billy Casper
Lee Trevino
Seve Ballesteros
Cary Middlecoff
Harry Vardon
Vijay Singh
Jimmy Demaret
Horton Smith
Lloyd Mangrum
Greg Norman
Tommy Armour
Paul Runyan
Leo Diegel
Ray Floyd
Henry Picard
Johnny Miller
Nick Faldo
Ernie Els

Pretty heady company indeed.
 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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