Coming into this week, Greg Bruckner had won two state opens or state senior opens in four different states — California, Texas, Arizona and Nevada. The one state out of the norm was none other than Colorado, where he had just one victory.

“All of a sudden this was the one I hadn’t won twice,” he said.

But the Phoenix resident took care of that on Friday at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver.

The 55-year-old became the first two-time winner of the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open, adding to the title he captured in 2012.

Bruckner (pictured above and below) backed up his 64 on Thursday — which matched an all-time tournament-best — with a 2-under-par 70 on Friday to cruise to a five-stroke victory. His 13-under-par 203 total tied for the second-best in tournament history, behind only his friend R.W. Eaks’ 201 in 2011.

“Always when you can win something for the second time, it’s so much better,” said Bruckner, who earned $8,500 on Friday. “It’s not a fluke. I’m honored. I didn’t know (I was the first) but it’s great.”

Bruckner went into the final round with a six-stroke lead, and the closest things got on Friday was three, when former PGA Tour and Champions Tour player John Ross of Bramwell, W.Va., birdied No. 12 from 10 feet. But Bruckner responded with a 15-foot birdie on the par-3 13th, while Ross three-putted for bogey, and the margin was back to five. A three-putt bogey by Bruckner at No. 16 returned the lead to three, but Ross bogeyed 17 and Bruckner closed things out with a 9-foot birdie on 18.

“I knew (a comeback) could be done, but I figured it would take 64 or better,” said Ross (below), who like Bruckner recently qualified for the U.S. Senior Open. “I’ve known Greg for years. I know how consistent and solid a player he is. I know it’s never over until it’s over, but Greg is just not going to beat himself. He knows how to play with the lead.”

Ross’ final-round 69 left him at 208 and in solo second in his first Colorado Senior Open — and in first place in the super-senior division as he’s 63 years old. Mike Northern of Colorado Springs tied for third with Chris Starkjohann of Oceanside, Calif., at 210.

For Northern, a four-time Colorado PGA Player of the Year, it was his second straight top-3 finish in the Colorado Senior Open as he was runner-up last year. This time, he rebounded from a first-round 76 to shoot 66-68.

“After the first round I’m looking at, ‘Am I going to make the cut?’, then things went well yesterday and I played pretty good today too,” Northern said. “It feels good. And if I get that putter figured out, who knows what will happen?”

After taking a six-shot lead into Friday, Bruckner seemed to show a little chink in the armor when he double bogeyed No. 1. He hit the green in regulation, but had to pitch the ball because there was rough between himself and the hole. He ended up taking four shots from the front of the green to find the cup.

“This might sound funny, but thank goodness I made double on the first hole because it kind of woke me up,” said Bruckner, who has conditional status on the Champions Tour this year. “There’s no more nerves. That double was a really good wake-up call. It was so frazzling that it almost put me into a nice focus.”

Indeed, Bruckner rebounded from the poor start to birdie the next three holes — from 3 feet, 15 feet, and gimme range, respectively. From there, he had a nice cushion for the rest of the day.

Mercier Outduels Bradbury for Low-Am Honors: Michael Mercier from Jupiter, Fla., edged Robin Bradbury of Superior to take low amateur honors on Friday.

Mercier (left), the No. 3-ranked senior amateur in the country according to amateurgolf.com, closed with a 1-over-par 73 to post a 4-over 220 total. Bradbury likewise carded a 73 on Friday to end up at 221.

It was Mercier’s third “victory” in three weeks as he won tournaments in Gainesville, Fla., and Chattanooga, Tenn., leading up to this.

“It was a goal of mine, obviously, to win it,” said the 57-year-old, who placed 20th overall. “This is probably the strongest field of players overall — with the pros — that I’ll play in all year. I look forward to that.”

High Praise: Ross, who has played a combined five years on the PGA and Champions Tour, raved about the Colorado Senior Open following his first time playing the tournament.

“Everything they’ve done here is far beyond what I was told it was going to be like,” Ross said. “I think they should have a representative from every state — from their golf associations — to be here and witness what goes on here. They put on a first-class event. It’s the little extras that they do that make you feel wanted and appreciated — on top of having a golf course groomed and maintained the way it is, and the caliber of the field.”

Chip Shots: Longtime PGA Tour player Larry Rinker finished 45th this week after rounds of 76-75-78 for a 229 total. … Vance Pollock of Westminster, who made a hole-in-one at No. 5 on Thursday, tied Rinker for 45th. … Contestants played lift, clean and place on Friday after heavy overnight rains soaked the course and left some areas near the wetlands under standing water (left). … Jenny Siegle, an associate producer at Altitude Sports & Entertainment, on Friday received the Ralph Moore Golf Journalism Award from the Colorado Open Golf Foundation Board of Trustees.

For scores from the Colorado Senior Open, CLICK HERE.
 
 

No one has ever repeated as champion of the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open, but on Friday Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale was close enough that it certainly whet his appetite.

Despite losing a share of the lead when he three-putted the 17th hole in the final round at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, the defending champion appeared to gain the upper hand when leader Ron Schroeder of Montgomery, Texas pulled his tee shot onto a cart path and it rocketed into a hazard left of the 18th fairway.

Rohrbaugh then smacked a perfect drive on the formidable par-5. He was hitting his second shot from the fairway quite a ways ahead of where Schroeder was addressing his third from the rough.

Alas, golf being what it is, Schroeder went on to save a par from 6 feet, while Rohrbaugh (pictured above) struggled coming in and carded a closing bogey. So the nice comeback he made to tie Schroeder with two holes left went for naught and the former Texas Amateur champion claimed a two-stroke victory.

“It’s disappointing, no question — very disappointing,” said Rohrbaugh, the head professional at Ironbridge Golf Club in Glenwood Springs. “But I honestly felt like I gave the tournament away in the first two days. As good as I hit the ball those days, I should have been 8-9-10 under par. I hit it that good. I got frustrated with the greens. I counted it up: I missed eight putts from inside of 5 feet for birdie in the first two rounds. That just wears you down.

“All that said, I’m certainly disappointed in the finish (on Friday). To be tied with two to go … He hit it into the hazard on the last hole so I thought I had a chance. But my second shot was awful. I was trying to put it in front of the green. That wasn’t that difficult a shot. But I hooked it, and I was trying to hit a little cut actually.”

Schroeder (left), whose biggest professional claim to fame is winning the 2010 Jamaican Open, shot an even-par 72 Friday to be the only player to finish the tournament under par. The 56-year-old ended up at 2-under 214, which gave him the $8,500 first prize.

Rohrbaugh and fellow Colorado PGA professional Mike Northern of Colorado Springs tied for second at 216, while Ron Vlosich of Lakewood and Tim Thelen of College Station, Texas shared fourth place at 217.

Schroeder won in his seventh appearance at the Colorado Senior Open.

“This was one I wanted,” said Schroeder, who placed third last year. “I kept coming back here. I just felt like I played this course well. … I’m glad to finally get this one under my belt.”

Schroeder counts the Colorado Senior Open victory as one of the best of his career. It comes six years after a head-on auto accident in Arkansas left him with broken hands and chest and foot injuries.

“That pretty much stopped my Champions (Tour) career stuff,” he said. “I’m a long hitter, and I lost a lot of (swing) speed. I lost 6-8 mph and never got that back.”

On Friday, Schroeder was two up on playing partner Rohrbaugh going into the 15th hole. But the defending champion drained a 15-foot birdie putt there to get within one. And he evened things up when Schroeder failed to get up and down from the thick rough beside the green on No. 16.

But, tied for the lead with two holes left, Rohrbaugh three-putted for bogey from 40 feet on No. 17, allowing Schroeder to take the lead again. However, Schroeder gave the Coloradan another opening by hitting his tee ball into the hazard on 18.

“I wasn’t feeling too good at the time with (Rohrbaugh) sitting up there going for the green in two and me have to lay up from the hazard to 160 (yards),” Schroeder said. “But I still had some golf to play and I know how hard that hole is. You can never let up on that golf hole. That’s one of the greatest finishing holes I’ve ever seen. It really is.

“I knew my work was cut out for me, but … in my mind he still had to make birdie to beat me. That’s what I was thinking.”

Laying three with 160 yards left to the flag, Schroeder noted that before he hit his wedge to 6 feet, “My playing partner (Bill Harvey) rode up beside and he said, ‘Let’s see what you’ve got.’ I said, ‘I’m going to show you.’ It worked out. He kind of loosened me up a little bit. I got up and down from 160. I was pretty happy about that.”

Meanwhile, Rohrbaugh’s second shot found a fairway bunker, then he thinned that sand shot over the green and couldn’t get up and down for par.

Despite not successfully defending his title, Rohrbaugh has put together a stellar run over the last year at GVR, winning the 2013 Colorado Senior Open, finishing third at the HealthOne Colorado Open, and placing second Friday in this year’s Senior Open.

“I had a chance,” said Rohrbaugh, the reigning Colorado PGA Professional Champion. “That’s all I can ask for. I came close. That doesn’t always happen.”

But Rohrbaugh struggled with the putter, while Schroeder thrived with the flat stick, and that was the difference.

“Every time I needed to be bailed out, the putter bailed me out,” the Texan said. “You can’t say enough about that club. When that club is working, you have a good chance of winning no matter how you’re playing.”

Moore Low-Amateur for Second Time in Senior Open: Kent Moore of Cherry Hills Village is already in the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. He’s won the CGA Stroke Play, the Match Play, the Senior Match Play and the Junior Match Play.

But what he accomplished on Friday — taking low-amateur honors at the Colorado Senior Open at age 58 — ranks high on his list of golf accomplishments.

“As you get older you start to hit it less the way you’d like,” said Moore, the men’s golf coach at Wheaton College in Illinois. “So it’s nice to win things while you still have a few years left.”

Moore also captured the low-amateur honor in this event in 2006. This time, he tied for sixth overall, shooting rounds of 70-75-74 for a 3-over-par 219 total. He finished five strokes behind champion Ron Schroeder.

The victory is also special for Moore because he served as the first chairman of the Colorado Open Golf Foundation Board of Trustees.

“At 58 it feels really good to be low am of the Colorado Senior Open,” he said. “It has such a tradition. I watched (the Colorado Open) since Gary Longfellow won at Hiwan (in 1974). I watched that on TV. I’ve followed the Colorado Open forever. I bet I’ve played in these events, between the Senior Open and the Colorado Open, 30 times. So this means a lot.”
 

Elway Places Second Among Amateurs: Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway didn’t play the way he’d like after an opening-round 71 — shooting 78-75 the last two days — but that didn’t keep him from finishing second among the amateurs at the Senior Open.

The former QB great and current Broncos executive finished five strokes behind low amateur Kent Moore. Elway placed 19th overall.

“You always have high expectations, especially when you start out the way I started (with the 71),” Elway said Friday. “Then yesterday was disappointing. Both (Thursday and Friday) I got off to slow starts but then was able to hang in there and hold it together. I played the back side in 1 under (on Friday). It was good. I was happy with it. It’s fun to play in these situations.”

Elway capped his tournament with a two-putt birdie on the tough 18th hole after hitting the green on the par-5 in two.

“It’s fun for me to play in tournament situations,” the 53-year-old said. “I feel like I’ve become a better player because when you play under the gun you concentrate more. I get better when I play in these tournaments, which I like.”

Notable: Jeff Thomsen of Boise, Idaho, who won the Colorado Senior Open in 2004, claimed the super-senior title Friday for players 60 and older. Thomsen finished 17th overall as rounds of 75-72-76 gave him a 223 total. … There were a couple of accomplished golfers among the caddies on Friday. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Janet Moore caddied for husband Kent, and Keith Humerickhouse, winner of the last four CGA Mid-Amateur Championships, looped for Doug Rohrbaugh. … Friday’s final round featured periodic light rain, but play was not interrupted. … Gregg Jones of Colorado Springs, who was in the same group as John Elway on Friday, made an 11 on the par-5 18th hole en route to a final-round 79.

For Colorado Senior Open scores, CLICK HERE.

John Elway had the orange mojo going on Wednesday.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback had Bronco orange grips on some of his golf clubs and predominantly orange shafts on some of his woods Wednesday as he competed in the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open for the first time since 2010.

“He’s definitely representing the Broncos,” caddie Davis Bryant said of the current Broncos general manager.

And though Elway is busy these days as a team executive, his game held up very well at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club. He was one of just seven players who broke par on Wednesday as his 1-under 71 left him in a share of fourth place.

Elway trails co-leaders Kent Moore of Cherry Hills Village, fellow amateur Tom Musselman of Telluride and Colorado PGA professional Mike Northern of Colorado Springs by one stroke in the 54-hole event. Moore is a member of the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, Northern is a four-time Colorado PGA Player of the Year, and Musselman was runner-up in the 2013 CGA Senior Match Play.

Suffice it to say it was a pleasant surprise for Elway to be near the top of the leaderboard.

“I didn’t make a lot of putts but I played about as good as I could play,” the 53-year-old said. “I was thrilled to be 1 under. It was a great start.

“I love to be able to play competitive golf. I don’t get to do it a lot. But it gets some butterflies going, gets the competitive juices flowing. I really enjoy it.”

Elway has played in four HealthOne Colorado Opens and is competing in his second Colorado Senior Open. In 2010, he was tied for low amateur at the event after one round and finished in 52nd place overall.

On Wednesday, while paired with his longtime swing instructor, Meridian Golf Club head professional Paul Lobato, and three-time HealthOne Colorado Open champion Bill Loeffler, Elway shot the best round of the threesome. He made three birdies and two bogeys on the day.

Elway (left) said he’s gotten in five or six rounds since the NFL draft three weeks ago. But he’s not on the course nearly as much as he was prior to becoming a Broncos executive early in 2011.

“I used to be able to get out to Palm Springs and spend a couple months out there,” he said. “I’m not playing nearly as much now, especially because we ended late (in the Super Bowl), which is what we want.

“I don’t remember my bad habits yet,” he joked.

One of the rounds Elway played recently was at GVR with Lobato, course general manager Matt Bryant and Bryant’s 14-year-old son, Davis.

After that, Elway asked Davis, a regular competitor in CJGA events, to caddie for him at the Senior Open, if Davis’ schoolwork permitted.

“He’s a great little player,” Elway said of Bryant. “He’s been around this track so many times and he knows the greens like the back of his hand. He was such a huge help. I’m glad he was able to get out of school and take care of it with his teachers and help me out.”

Coincidentally, Davis Bryant’s first day caddying for Elway came the same day his dad Matt celebrated his 40th birthday. (Elway is pictured at top with Davis Bryant.)

“My teachers said, ‘definitely, take advantage’ (of the opportunity to loop for Elway) but I had to make sure I had everything done in school,” Davis Bryant said. “It’s a very special opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime thing that I’ve been able to experience. I got to hold his clubs, sit in the cart with him. Everything about it was amazing.”

Elway usually plays in the Charlie Coe Invitational team event at Castle Pines Golf Club this week, but this time he opted for the Senior Open.

“I’ve got a great partner there (at the Charlie Coe, Tom Hart), but sometimes I rely too much on my partner there,” Elway said. “I’ve got to get a little more experience (on my own). Tahoe is the third week in July, and before I play there I’d like to play some other tournaments.”

Elway has finished third and sixth in the last two American Century Championship celebrity tournaments in Lake Tahoe.

Elway was one of three amateurs to break par on Wednesday, along with Moore and Musselman.

Joining Elway in a share of fourth place at 71 were defending champion Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale, Scott Sommers of Frederick and Bill Harvey of Hampton Bays, N.Y.

Andonian-Smith Starts Strong in History-Making Appearance: Sherry Andonian-Smith of Castle Rock not only scored a first on Wednesday — by becoming the first female to compete in the Colorado Senior Open — but her first-round performance was very competitive.

The 51-year-old PGA teaching professional at Valley Country Club in Centennial shot a 2-over-par 74 and shares 21st place after round 1 at Green Valley Ranch.

“I hit the ball fantastic. It exceeded my expectations,” Andonian-Smith (pictured above) said. “It would have been nice to make a couple of putts, but that’s golf. Maybe tomorrow they’ll fall. But that’s as good as I’ve hit it this year.”

Andonian-Smith said she’s never played a tournament round on a course so long as GVR was set up on Wednesday (6,942 yards). But that didn’t keep her from a strong, consistent round — one birdie, three bogeys and 14 pars on a course that didn’t yield a score lower than 70 on Wednesday.

“I’ve never played in a tournament this long ever,” she said. “Even the major championships I’ve played in have not been this long. And I’m old now.

“I’ve never made the first fairway before (over a 230-240-yard forced carry), and I made it today. That was my goal for the whole round really. It was downwind today. I think my dad was up there watching over me and giving me some downwind.”

So did Andonian-Smith get a sense of making some history on Wednesday?

“Yes, definitely, especially from all of the women” on hand, she said. “It’s very special. I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think it was going to be special. That ball that made it over on the first hole is going to be saved. That’s one of the harder shots I’ve ever had to hit in my life. It was cool.”

Andonian-Smith said it would be “awesome” to make the 36-hole cut on Thursday. To do that, she’ll have to remain in the top 55 players and ties.

Notable: Rohrbaugh, who competed in the Senior PGA Championship last week, opened with a 1-under-par 71 on Wednesday, making five birdies and four bogeys. … The overall low professional after 54 holes will earn $8,500. … Bill Loeffler, winner of three Colorado Opens and one Colorado Senior Open, was bogey-free and 2 under par going into No. 16 Wednesday. But he double bogeyed 16 and 18 coming in and shot 74. He had no bogeys for day, but carded two doubles.

For Colorado Senior Open scores, CLICK HERE.

It was a day of odd happenings at the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open on Friday:

— Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale won the tournament at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club by six strokes, matching the event’s largest margin of victory.

— For the second consecutive year, Colorado Springs native R.W. Eaks withdrew from the tournament mid-round while being in the top five on the leaderboard. Last year, the four-time Champions Tour winner attributed it to a pulled groin. On Friday, he was just fed up with how things were going for him.

“I’m just done,” he told a tournament official while exiting after nine holes. Asked if he was hurt, he said half-jokingly, “No, I’m just mentally ill.”

— With Eaks’ WD, five-time PGA Tour winner Danny Edwards went from 10 strokes out of the lead in the super-senior division (60 and older) to being a few strokes ahead — all in an instant.

— Two players made holes-in-one in Friday’s final round. Edwards aced the 140-yard 13th hole into the wind, using an 8-iron. It was the 22nd hole-in-one of his life. And Denver’s Paul Lobato aced the 184-yard fifth hole, also using an 8-iron. Lobato has made a half-dozen holes-in-one, all in competition.

— And, despite having no cartilage and a torn labrum in his surgically repaired left shoulder, University of Denver men’s golf coach Eric Hoos claimed low-amateur honors for the second time in three years at the Senior Open.

But on a day when so many things were noticeably out of the ordinary, it was something that most people probably didn’t see that was the most meaningful, at least for Rohrbaugh (pictured above being congratulated by rules official Rich Langston).

After parring the last hole on Friday to clinch his biggest victory ever, the head professional at Ironbridge Golf Club clenched his fists and glanced toward the sky. It was a tribute to his younger sister, Janet Marie, who died early this year after living her whole life with a heart defect.

“I lost my sister in January,” Rohrbaugh said as he teared up while explaining the situation a little while later. “Scott Freelove (a Titleist representative and a friend of Rohrbaugh) had some golf balls made up for me. They had her initials on one side and the number 49 for how old she was. That’s the golf ball I was using. So it was kind of a little kiss on the golf ball and looking up at her (after winning).”

Though Rohrbaugh became a little choked up after the tournament was over, the final round was a relatively uneventful one for the 51-year-old. He led by more than five strokes most of the day — and by nine at times — in becoming the first wire-to-wire winner of the Senior Open since 2007.

He’s the fourth Colorado PGA member to claim the Senior Open title — and the first since 2009 — joining Mike Zaremba, Dave Arbuckle and Bill Loeffler.

Despite playing his final 11 holes in 6 over par in more very windy conditions at Green Valley Ranch, Rohrbaugh was never challenged on Friday. He shot a 5-over-par 77 in the final round to finish at even-par 216, good for the $8,500 first prize.

Barry Conser of Scottsdale, Ariz. (72 for a 222 total) placed second alone, while Ron Vlosich of Lakewood (77 Friday), Timothy Matthews of Scotts, Mich. (75), Javier Sanchez of Fayetteville, Ga. (74) and Ron Schroeder of Montgomery, Texas (71) tied for third at 223.

Eaks (pictured at left) was Rohrbaugh’s closest pursuer early in the final round, but he hit into a hazard and made a triple bogey on the par-3 eighth hole, then after missing his par putt on No. 9, he swatted the ball off the green without holing it, though he would have been in third place at the time.

Eaks, the 2011 champion, attested the scorecard he was keeping, then drove his cart to the parking lot, leaving Rohrbaugh and Gary Rusnak to finish the round as a twosome.

With no challenge coming from Eaks or anyone else, Rohrbaugh could afford five bogeys on the back nine and still win with ease.

“It was sure nice to have that lead in these (windy) conditions,” he said.

Rohrbaugh has been playing competitive golf a long time, but Friday was his crowning achievement to date.

“It’s by far the biggest event I’ve ever won,” said the 2012 U.S. Senior Open qualifier. “I’ve been at it for a while. But I’ve always believed I had it. I’ve been close, but never in a big one like this.”

Said fellow Colorado PGA member Vlosich: “Doug is a good guy, a good player. I’m happy for him to win the tournament. That’s cool.”

Hoos (pictured at left), meanwhile, claimed his second Senior Open low-amateur trophy, this time needing a playoff to prevail. Sean Forey of Morrison, the low amateur in 2008 and ’10, looked to be in good shape to add a third trophy, but he double bogeyed the 18th hole in regulation and tied Hoos at 18-over-par 234.

On the first playoff hole, Hoos made a routine par by two-putting from 25 feet, while Forey missed the green and couldn’t get up and down.

“This one is really special considering that last year my body was in such bad shape I couldn’t even play (well),” said Hoos, a onetime winner on what is now the Web.com Tour. “So this feels great.

“I still have no cartilage in the (left) shoulder and my labrum is still torn, so I don’t know how long I’m going to be able to play at a pretty good level. So that makes it really special.”

As Hoos has been low amateur in 2011 and 2013, Edwards has claimed super-senior honors those same years. That was worth an extra $1,000, but his hole-in-one is what set Friday apart.

“They’re probably not as special as they once were, but it’s always nice to make one,” he said of another ace.

For Colorado Senior Open scores, CLICK HERE.

Champions have come from California, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Arkansas, Minnesota and Texas.

There have been winners from Colorado, too, but perhaps not as many as you’d expect. Three professionals based in the state — Mike Zaremba (2005), Dave Arbuckle (2007) and Bill Loeffler (2009) — have earned the trophy, along with part-time Coloradan John Olive, an amateur who won in 1999.

But given how the leaderboard stands going into the final round this year, there’s a good chance Colorado professionals will add to their victory total on Friday.

Out of the top six players after two rounds at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, four are Colorado PGA members. Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale, the head professional at Ironbridge Golf Club, maintained a large lead despite a very windy second day of the $50,000 tournament.

Despite making four bogeys in six holes on the back nine Thursday, Rohrbaugh (pictured) will take a four-stroke lead into Friday’s final round. He finished with a birdie Thursday to shoot a 2-over-par 74, good for a 5-under 139 total.

“There’s pride in (club professionals) winning because there’s guys here who only play full-time,” Rohrbaugh said. “That’s all they do. It would be nice if you can beat them. That feels pretty good for guys working. It’s hard for me. I haven’t played much competition this year at all. I’ve played two or three pro-ams. That’s it.”

Though Rohrbaugh’s closest pursuer is four back, he has a formidable resume. Colorado Springs native R.W. Eaks has won four Champions Tour events in his career and captured the 2011 Colorado Senior Open title.

Especially if there’s more wind on Friday, Rohrbaugh knows the final round will be anything but a walk in the park.

“You never feel comfortable,” said the 51-year-old, who qualified for the 2012 U.S. Senior Open. “If it were to blow like this tomorrow, nothing is safe. It’s just not.”

Eaks shot an even-par 72 on Thursday morning to stand at 143. If Rohrbaugh and/or Eaks plays well in the final round, it could be a two-man race on Friday, given that the next-best players are three behind Eaks.

Tied at 146 are Ron Vlosich of Lakewood (74 Thursday), Mike Northern of Colorado Springs (74), Doug Perry of Fort Collins (73) and Gary Rusnak of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. (78). Vlosich is a five-time Colorado PGA Player of the Year, while Northern has won that award four times. Rohrbaugh was the Section’s Senior Player of the Year in 2012.

Northern was making a run at Rohrbaugh despite winds in excess of 20 mph on Thursday afternoon. The head professional at Valley Hi Golf Course was 4 under par after sinking a 25-foot eagle putt on his 11th hole, but he went 6 over on his last seven, including a double bogey on his final hole.

“I made some bad decisions,” said Northern, who’s playing in his first Colorado Senior Open. “I was making good decisions for 11 holes, then the last seven it was just bad decision-making and I didn’t get her in the house quick enough.”

The flag-stretching wind certainly didn’t help matters. It wasn’t unusual for players hitting into the wind to be using three or four clubs more than on Wednesday.

The result was that 160 — 16 over par — made the cut into the final round. A total of 61 players advanced.

The average score for Thursday was 83.24, four strokes higher than on Wednesday.

“You were going to have to make some good shots or good putts to make pars, period,” Rohrbaugh said. “That’s the toughest I’ve ever had to play that golf course. It was brutal, just brutal. There’s just no two ways about it. … So to come out of the day 2 over, I’m happy. I can’t complain.

“It’s funny how I’ve always done well in tough conditions. I’ve been around a long time like all these guys and I realize par is a good score.”

The winner Friday will receive an $8,500 check.

In the competition for low amateur, Guy Mertz of Longmont (74-78–152) is two ahead of second-place Sean Forey of Morrison (75-79–154) and Michael Mercier of Jupiter, Fla. (76-78–154).

For Colorado Senior Open scores, CLICK HERE.

The head professional at Ironbridge Golf Club in Glenwood Springs played as if the conditions were perfect on Wednesday, shooting a 7-under-par 65 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club and building a three-stroke lead after the first round of the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open.

The score was just one shot off the single-round record for the 14th annual event, set by Charley Yandell in 2004.

“If you go back to the last 12 months, that’s the best round I’ve played by far,” the 51-year-old Rohrbaugh said. “I hit it good, I putted good, I just did everything today.”

Rohrbaugh hit 16 greens in regulation, needed just 27 putts and went bogey-free for the round. He birdied his first three holes, making a 30-foot putt on No. 10 (his first hole) and a 20-footer on No. 11. And, after the weather delay, he drained a 15-foot birdie and an 11-footer with 2 1/2 feet of break.

(Pictured above, Rohrbaugh, right, confers with rules official Rich Langston during Wednesday’s round.)

Only one other player broke 70 on Wednesday as Gary Rusnak of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., carded five birdies and a bogey en route to a 68. Colorado Springs-based professional Gregg Jones posted a 70 to stand in third place alone in the $50,000 event.

Colorado Springs native R.W. Eaks, the 2011 Senior Open champion and a four-time winner on the Champions Tour, shares fourth place at 71 with Paul Nolen of Tucson, Ariz.

Rohrbaugh, who qualified for the U.S. Senior Open last year, recently switched to a blade putter after using mallets for the last six years or so. The result was the 27-putt round, and on the two greens he missed, he sunk 4-foot par putts.

“I played at my course two days ago and from the tips I shot 69,” he said. “That’s what the doctor ordered. That’s what I needed. That was a good warmup. It gave me confidence, especially the putter. I rolled it good today.”

And Rohrbaugh said he caught a break when the rain delay came, which for him fell during his sixth hole. He had left much of his cold-weather gear in his car to start the round, and was regretting it by the time tournament officials blew the horn. But the delay gave him a chance to bring the heavy-duty stuff out for when play resumed.

“I brought it all,” he said. “I kept the mittens on — and that’s key for me. If I keep my hands warm, I can still putt.”

Rohrbaugh turned 50 — and thus became eligible for the Colorado Senior Open — not long before the 2012 tournament. But the result of his Senior Open debut wasn’t what he wanted — 15th place — which just made him all the hungrier for this year’s tournament.

“I did not play well last year so that was disappointing,” he said. “So obviously this was a goal this year. I want to play well in this.”

The top 55 golfers and ties after Thursday’s second round will make the cut and play in Friday’s final round.

For scores from the Senior Open, CLICK HERE.

David Delich earned low-amateur honors Friday in the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open, but suffice it to say he had bigger things in mind during the final round at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club.

The Colorado Springs resident won the amateur competition by a whopping 11 strokes, and he played so well that he had a legitimate chance at the overall title.

No amateur has won the Colorado Senior Open championship since John Olive — a Broadmoor Golf Club member like Delich — captured the inaugural title in 1999.

On Friday, Delich (pictured above) was in position to match Olive’s feat, having moved into a tie for the lead after draining a 30-foot birdie putt on the par-3 13th. But in the end, he couldn’t keep up with a birdie binge by Phoenix-based professional Greg Bruckner, and Delich had to settle for a runner-up finish.

“I’m chasing John Olive,” the 55-year-old Delich said. “I’ll get a little teasing from John that I couldn’t get it done.”

Since Olive won, no amateur has finished as high in the Colorado Senior Open as Delich did on Friday.

“I have no regrets,” said Delich, who won the Southern California Senior Amateur this summer to go along with his two CGA Senior Match Play titles. “Finishing second is great, I guess. But I’m not sure I’ll get back in this position so when you do get in position you like to try to win it.”

Bruckner, a 52-year-old who has won five senior state opens in the last three years (Arizona, Texas, Nevada, California and Colorado), played holes 9 through 15 in 5 under par Friday to go ahead for good. He shot the only final round in the 60s — a 4-under-par 68, in windy conditions — to win by three strokes with a 7-under 209 total. The victory was worth $8,500.

Despite bogeying Nos. 15 and 16 to fall out of contention, Delich carded a final-round 71 to come in at 212. Another Coloradan, PGA professional Perry Holmes of Denver, finished third for the second consecutive year, this time with a 213 total after closing with a 70. He earned $5,000.

Jim Carson of Anaheim Hills, Calif., who led after each of the first two days, shot a final-round 77 to tie Barry Conser of Scottsdale, Ariz., for fourth at 214.

Coming from four behind in the final round to win “feels fantastic,” said Bruckner (pictured at left), a winner on the Web.com Tour in 1992. “I came up here with my good friend R.W. Eaks. He won last year and that was my first time here; I finished fifth. I kept it in my mind: ‘Just have a good time like R.W. did.’ It turned out fantastic.”

After three-putting from 7 feet for bogey on No. 8, Bruckner hit the pin with a 5-iron on the par-5 ninth and made a 4-foot eagle for a share of the lead. On No. 10, he caught a bad break by ending up in a divot for his second shot, but he holed a 25-foot par putt. Then he made three birdies from inside of 8 feet on Nos. 12, 14 and 15.

But Delich was on quite a role of his own on the back nine. After a 2-foot birdie on No. 12, he canned the 30-footer on 13 that briefly tied him with Bruckner for the lead. But the Colorado amateur missed a 5-foot birdie attempt at No. 14, and had a 2-foot par putt do a 180-degree lipout on 15.

Bruckner, playing in the second-to-last group, said he didn’t know exactly how he stood until the 17th or 18th holes. And he said that worked out just fine.

“It was hard to (accurately) keep track of what was going on, so I said, ‘Forget it. I’m not even going to keep track.'” Bruckner said. “So there wasn’t as much pressure. It was much easier.”

As for Delich, he thought the overall title was within his grasp on Friday, despite having started the day four out of the lead.

“There was only one guy in front of me” most of the day, he said. “It wasn’t like I had to pass six or seven guys. And when you get yourself in that position, you want to close it. And you kind of put out of your mind who you’re playing against (top mini-tour professionals). They’re just golfers at this point. They’re pretty seasoned and tough to beat, but you just go out and play.”

And though he didn’t win the overall title, Delich did capture low-amateur honors by 11 strokes over Kelly Crone of Littleton.

“That’s certainly something you like to check off the box,” the former Colorado College hockey standout said. “Being low amateur is great. Being second place is real special too. It’s a boost for the year.”

Meanwhile, 61-year-old Scott Masingill pf Payette, Idaho (75 Friday for a 221 total) captured super-senior honors for players 60 and older.

For scores, CLICK HERE.

However, considering he last played a tournament 10 months ago, and he underwent neck fusion surgery last November, many would consider it quite an accomplishment that he’s not only competing again, but he easily made the cut Thursday in the Colorado Senior Open.

The 56-year-old from Castle Rock shot a 4-over-par 76 Thursday at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, leaving him in 35th place at 150 after two rounds. The Colorado Golf Hall of Famer trails leader Jim Carson of Anaheim Hills, Calif., by 13 strokes, but he had no problem advancing to Friday’s final round.

“I’m just glad to get out and hit it,” he said. “It’s kind of fun.”

But it’s also foreign in some respects. After his neck fusion, Loeffler didn’t start taking full swings with a golf club until May, and even now it feels very little like he did in the good old days, when he won three national titles: the 1986 U.S. Mid-Amateur, the 1992 PGA Assistant Professional Championship, and the 2007 Senior PGA Professional National Championship.

Asked how the swing feels, Loeffler said, “It feels terrible. It’s like a different human being. I don’t know where the club is. I’m supposed to swing like (David) Duval and (Annika) Sorenstam” with the head following the ball during the follow-through. “And one of my keys has always been to come through like that (with his head and eyes staying down). It’s a challenge.”

And it sounds like it will continue to be a challenge for a while. Besides Loeffler also experiencing some lower-back problems, the recovery from his November neck surgery is taking longer than he anticipated.

“It’s coming; I’m healing up,” he said. “But it surprises me. I thought it would be a six-month heal, and I just saw (the doctor) last week and he said it’s going to be another nine months — so 18 months (total). It’s a long process, a lot longer than I thought.

“But at least I’m hitting shots.”

Defending Champion Eaks Withdraws Mid-Round: Colorado Springs native R.W. Eaks was in second place after 27 holes of the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open on Thursday, but the defending champion withdrew on the 15th hole of round 2, saying he was hurt. Eaks had said Wednesday a pulled groin was bothering him.

The four-time winner on the Champions Tour was 1 under par in very windy afternoon conditions on Thursday, leaving him at 5 under overall. And though he bogeyed his first three holes on the back nine, but was still in fifth place at the time.

Carson Leads by 3 Entering Final Round: First-round leader Jim Carson of Anaheim Hills, Calif., maintained his advantage at the Senior Open on Thursday.

The 57-year-old shot a steady 1-under-par 71 in the morning portion of the second round and posted a 7-under 137 total, good for a three-stroke lead.

Bob Niger of El Dorado Hills, Calif., who’s finished in the tournament’s top three each of the last two years, stands at 140 after a 71 Thursday, while Colorado Springs amateur David Delich (69 Thursday) joined 70-year-old Tom Storey of Mesquite, Nev. (74) and Greg Bruckner of Phoenix (68) in third place at 141. Delich carded four birdies on Thursday.

Carson made two birdies — nearly holing out for eagle on No. 16 — and one bogey on Thursday.

“I actually hit the ball better, in my opinion” than he did in Wednesday’s round of 66, said Carson, winner of 55 mini-tour events in his career. “I just struggled with the putter, for crying out loud. I knocked it in close quite often, but I couldn’t get the ball to go in the hole. Some days are like that, but I did hit it solid.”

Notable: The lead threesome — Carson, Niger and Delich — will tee off for Friday’s final round at 11 a.m. … Delich, winner of two CGA Senior Match Play titles, started the tournament with a triple bogey, but has been 6 under par since. With rounds of 72-69–141, he holds a six-stroke advantage in the competition for low amateur. Next best are Kelly Crone of Littleton (73-74–147) and Bill Bolgar of Parker (74-73–147). … The 57 players who shot 9-over-par 153 or better survived the 36-hole cut. Among those who won’t be around for the final round is 2011 Senior Open low amateur Eric Hoos (80-81–161). Hoos, the University of Denver men’s golf coach, had to have a cortisone shot in the joint of his healing shoulder just to be able to defend his amateur title. This was his first tournament in a year. … A total championship purse of $50,000 will be up for grabs on Friday, with $8,500 going to the low professional.

For scores, CLICK HERE.

“Good shot, Gramps,” University of Denver men’s golf coach Eric Hoos said after R.W. Eaks’ pitch finished within a few feet of the cup on their final hole Wednesday.

Though “Gramps” has been Eaks’ nickname for a long time, it seemed particularly appropriate in a general sense during the first round of the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open.

The players at the top of the leaderboard in the 50-and-older tournament are veterans even by that age standard. Leader Jim Carson of Anaheim Hills, Calif., is 57, but second-place Tom Storey of Mesquite, Nev., is 70, and third-place R.W. Eaks (pictured) is 60.

Storey, winner of the PGA Tour’s Oklahoma City Open in 1977, shot three strokes under his age (67) Wednesday at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club. And Colorado Springs native Eaks, the defending champion and a winner of four Champions Tour events, posted a 68.

Carson, winner of 55 mini-tour events in his career, made seven birdies in relatively windless afternoon conditions en route to a 6-under-par 66, which gave him a one-stroke edge over Storey.

“I feel blessed to have played in such benign conditions, for sure,” said Carson, who birdied four of his first five holes. “It helped without question.”

As for Storey, shooting under his age was hardly a new experience.

“I do it every time I play unless it’s a junior event from the back tees in a tournament,” said Storey, who has finished in the top five in three Colorado Senior Opens, besides placing third twice in the Colorado Open. “If it’s just regular tees, I always break my age.”

As far as Eaks goes, after winning the Colorado Senior Open last year at age 59, he finished 11th in the Colorado Open at age 60 this summer.

“I love this golf course,” said Eaks, fresh off a 28th-place finish last week in the Champions Tour’s Boeing Classic. “It fits my eye. How can you not try to play good here? The people are so nice, it’s unbelievable.

“The Colorado Open and the Colorado Senior Open are the best state opens in the country. They’re run the best, and the golf course is great. Sure, this is a big deal to me. It’d be nice to win this again.”

After getting into just one Champions Tour event in 2011, Eaks has competed in four Champions tournaments this year. The former University of Northern Colorado basketball player and golfer hopes to get in a couple of more, then plans to go to Champions qualifying in the fall.

“I’m pretty excited about playing again,” he said. “I feel a little bit better (physically). I still can’t walk, but I feel better.”

Better, but certainly not perfect. Eaks’ knees have been a chronic problem, and he suffered a pulled groin this week. “It’s always something new — always,” he said.

Only three players joined Carson, Storey and Eaks in breaking 70 on Wednesday. Bob Niger of El Dorado Hills, Calif., Mark Balen of Orchard Park, N.Y., and Brad Britton of Fountain Hills, Ariz., fired 69s. Niger has finished second and third in the last two Colorado Senior Opens.

For Storey, Wednesday was quite a round. He holed a 5-iron from 172 yards for eagle on No. 1 — his 10th hole — and another approach shot hit the pin and yet another lipped out.

On the down side, he missed a 30-inch birdie putt on his final hole.

“The fact that one of (the long approach shots) went in made up for my three-putt and a couple others,” the three-time Nevada Open champion said. “I pretty much had an easy birdie putt on every hole. I shot pretty much what I should have shot. There wasn’t much lucky crap going on.”

Ironically, though Carson made seven birdies Wednesday, he saw his only bogey as the highlight of his round. On the par-3 17th (his eighth hole), his tee shot buried under the lip of the bunker. In fact, he had to rake the sand just to find his ball, then he had to recreate the lie.

Despite having to hit the ball almost vertical, he got it out onto the fringe, then two-putted from 60 feet for bogey.

“I was delighted with that,” Carson said. “I was pleased with the outcome because it could have been nasty. It was very daunting, but we got it done.”

Notable: Eric Hoos, the low amateur in last year’s Colorado Senior Open, is still battling shoulder problems and struggled to an 80 on Wednesday. … Another player dealing with ailments — in his case neck-related — 2009 Senior Open champion Bill Loeffler, managed a 74 after starting bogey-double bogey. … After Day 1, David Delich of Colorado Springs leads the competition for low-amateur following an even-par 72. … The field will be cut to the top 55 players and ties after Thursday’s second round.

For scores, CLICK HERE.

This week proved to be a blast from the past for R.W. Eaks and Eric Hoos.

From the mid-1980s to the mid-90s, the two traveled together regularly as mini-tour players, then on the Ben Hogan and Nike Tours, the predecessors of the current-day Nationwide Tour. And both enjoyed some success on that circuit in the 1990s, with Eaks winning three times and Hoos once.

Lots of water has passed under the bridge since then, but on Friday, they competed in the same tournament, and both earned trophies.

Eaks, a Colorado Springs native, captured the overall title at the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open, marking his first professional victory in Colorado. And Hoos, a reinstated amateur and the longtime men’s golf coach at the University of Denver, grabbed low-amateur honors and finished seventh overall at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club.

“When I heard (Eaks) was playing, I came out Tuesday after work and played about seven holes (in a practice round) with him,” said Hoos (pictured above at left with Eaks). “It was kind of like old times. It was fun. It showed me how much I miss playing, seeing Bobby and playing in a tournament and that kind of stuff.”

Both golfers are at far different times in their lives nowadays, but they proved this week that they’ve still got some game.

Eaks, who won four Champions Tour events in 2007 and 2008, not only captured the Senior Open title, but he broke the tournament’s scoring record.

The former University of Northern Colorado basketball and golf standout shot his second consecutive 6-under-par 66 and finished at 15-under 201 on Friday. That was two strokes better than the previous record for the tournament, a 13-under 203 set by Dave Arbuckle in 2007. And Eaks’ six-stroke victory matched the largest margin in Senior Open history.

Jim Kane of Edmond, Okla., holed out a 192-yard shot for eagle on the par-4 11th hole Friday, but couldn’t get any closer to Eaks than three shots on the back nine. His final-round 70 left him a distant second at 207. Perry Holmes of Denver (70-209) and Bob Niger of El Dorado Hills, Calif. (67-209) tied for third place.

The 59-year-old Eaks (pictured at left), who now lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., earned $8,500 for the victory.

“This is my first professional win in Colorado, so it’s huge for me,” said Eaks, who lived in the state until 1990. “But I haven’t played in that much stuff here.”

When Eaks was playing full-time on the Nationwide or Champions Tour, he intentionally avoided competing in events such as the Colorado Open or Colorado Senior Open because he didn’t think it was fair to the regulars in such tournaments. But now that he is no longer playing regularly on the Champions circuit — and is trying to see if he can get his game ready for another possible run at Champions qualifying school — the Colorado Senior Open was a good spot to test himself.

And Eaks took that more seriously than you might imagine. He certainly was trying to win the Colorado Senior Open, but he wanted to be challenged in the process. And the fact that he was six strokes ahead with nine holes left wasn’t ideal in that regard, but what happened at the beginning of the back nine changed that a little.

Eaks bogeyed No. 10 after hitting his tee shot into a divot, then Kane drained his 192-yard approach on No. 11 with a 6-iron, quickly cutting the margin to three shots.

On Kane’s eagle, “You can’t see (the pin where it was situated) from the fairway,” the Oklahoman said. Playing partner Mark Balen “and I were right next to each other, and when I hit it, I said, ‘That’s as good as I’ve got.’ Unbeknownst, it went it. That was fun.”

And it was fun for Eaks in a different respect.

“I kind of fell asleep because I had a six-shot lead,” he said. “When (Kane) made that eagle it kind of woke me up a little bit because I was kind of coasting. It helped me more than you probably realize. I was kind of loafing. The whole idea of me playing is to get my game back in shape. I really needed the pressure back on me to see how well I could play coming in. So it worked out more for my benefit than it would if I would have (kept winning) by six or seven or something.”

After both Eaks and Kane birdied No. 12, Kane missed a 5-foot birdie putt on 13 and a 7-footer on 14, “and that was kind of it right there,” he said.

Eaks pulled away with birdies on Nos. 14, 17 and 18 — three of his eight birdies on the day.

“It was great playing with R.W.; he’s a fantastic player, a great guy,” Kane said. “He’s a well-deserving champion. He played awesome.”

The win was Eaks’ first since his last Champions Tour victory in 2008.

“I think there’s more pressure on me to win this thing than anyone else,” he said. “So that helps, knowing that I can do it again. It’s hard to come back and win. I still kind of feel funny coming back and playing, but I haven’t been doing anything, so what the heck.”

Meanwhile, five-time PGA Tour winner Danny Edwards (pictured at left) captured the super-senior title for players 60 and older as his final-day 70 left him at 211.

For his part, Hoos, competing in his first Colorado Senior Open, earned low-amateur honors at 212 after making five consecutive birdies en route to a 68 Friday. Considering it’s been a very long while since he played three straight days of tournament golf — mainly due to a bad back — it was a very satisfying result. Hoos finished 11 strokes ahead of second-place amateur Harry Johnson of Vail.

“It’s the first (multi-day) tournament I’ve played in a long time,” Hoos said. “So it means a lot. (Low amateur) was all I was thinking about. I couldn’t catch Eaks, so I had to look for something else to keep me going — and that was being low amateur. So I’m very proud of it.”

A year after Colorado players were completely shut out of the top 10 in the Senior Open, Holmes (third) and Hoos (seventh) made the grade this time.

“I’m real pleased with third; I’ll certainly take it,” said Holmes, winner of the 2008 Colorado PGA Professional Championship. Holmes made just one bogey in the last two rounds in posting his first Colorado Senior Open top 10.

For HealthOne Colorado Senior Open scores, CLICK HERE.