When it was noted Tuesday that the turnout was great for the first CGA Super-Senior Stroke Play Championship, competitor Scott Crone couldn’t resist chiming in.
“We may be old, but we ain’t dead,” he said with a laugh.
Besides that, the 60-and-over set proved it can still play some tournament golf.
And no one made the case better than Jerry Kidney of Overland Golf Course. The 64-year-old retired fireman shot the only sub-par round on Tuesday at CommonGround Golf Course and rallied to win the inaugural Super-Senior Stroke Play Championship.
Kidney fired a 1-under-par 70 to finish at even-par 142, which was good for a three-stroke victory in the event limited to players 60 and older.
Though Kidney’s name will be the first engraved onto the tournament’s trophy, he felt like he just continued his run of success after being the super-senior division champion in 2010 and 2011 at the CGA Senior Stroke Play. But this year, the 60-and-overs commanded a championship until themselves.
Asked if it was special to be the first champion of the event, Kidney said, “I never thought of it that way. To me, I won last year and the year before also.”
Actually, the Littleton resident (pictured putting on No. 18 Tuesday) didn’t just win the super-senior division last year, he won the overall title in the 2011 CGA Senior Stroke Play. And he prevailed by six strokes, to boot.
Tuesday’s victory wasn’t quite so lopsided, but Kidney’s three-birdie, two-bogey day was enough for him to finish three clear of runner-up Harry Johnson of Eagle Ranch Golf Course. Johnson, who posted a 145 total after closing with a 72 on Tuesday, finished second in a CGA championship for the third time in the last year. He was also runner-up in the 2011 CGA Mid-Amateur and the 2012 CGA Senior Stroke Play.
“You just try,” said Johnson, who couldn’t overcome a balky putter at CommonGround. “There are some really good players here. Just to be in that company and have a shot at it is fabulous. I do expect some things, but that’s a good result.”
Roger Gunderson of CommonGround and Bob Cloud of Bear Creek Golf Club shared third place at 147 after matching final-round 75s.
Bob Sims of Black Bear Golf Club, who led after round 1 with a 67, struggled to an 82 Tuesday and tied for ninth place at 149.
In the 70-and-older division, 70-year-old Jim Collins of the Country Club at Castle Pines won by four strokes after carding a 3-over-par 74 Tuesday for a 145 total. Mark Barlau of Lakota Canyon Ranch Golf Club finished second after closing with a 73.
Competitors in the 70-and-over division played the course 277 yards shorter than their younger cohorts, but it was nonetheless impressive that Collins was under par through the first 28 holes of the tournament.
As for Kidney, he was just happy to get back on the right track after missing the cut in his title defense at the 2012 CGA Senior Stroke Play and shooting an 85 in the USGA Senior Amateur qualifying.
“I’ve been playing so bad it felt great to finally play well, though the last five holes I kind of fell apart (going 2 over par),” Kidney said. “The scores I’ve been turning in have been awful. I don’t know what happened. But I hit the ball just terrific today — I was 3 under and it seemed easy — until about the last five holes. It just got cold and windy I guess.”
CGA Super-Senior Stroke Play Championship
At Par-71 CommonGround GC in Aurora
60-AND-OVER DIVISION
Jerry Kidney, Overland Park GC 72-70–142
Harry Johnson, Eagle Ranch GC 73-72–145
Bob Cloud, Bear Creek GC 72-75–147
Roger Gunderson, CommonGround GC 72-75–147
Patrick Mooney, Colorado GC 72-76–148
Pete Perry, South Suburban GC 75-73–148
Robert Bulthaup, Valley CC 76-72–148
Terry Pettit, Collindale GC 73-75–148
Bob Sims, Black Bear GC 67-82–149
Jeffrey English, AvidGolfer Passport Club 76-73–149
John Vanderbloemen, Haymaker GC 70-79–149
Rod Walters, Indian Tree GC 76-73–149
Scott Crone, Pinehurst CC 74-75–149
Tim Daniel, Eaton CC 78-71–149
Tom Warren, CommonGround GC 74-75–149
Glenn Hyde, Riverdale GC 75-75–150
Jeffrey Wagner, Fox Hollow GC 72-78–150
Dan Grigsby, Riverdale GC 80-71–151
Randy Miller, Boulder CC 77-74–151
William Scott Peterson, Patty Jewett GC 74-77–151
Bill Weinman, Canongate Colorado 73-79–152
Chuck Fisher, Riverdale GC 78-74–152
Dan Birnley, Conquistador GC 76-76–152
Dave Roylance, CommonGround GC 75-77–152
John Sostmann, Columbine CC 79-73–152
Richard Griggs, Desert Hawk GC 78-74–152
Bob Rognmoe, Raccoon Creek GC 74-79–153
John Leamon, Littleton GC 73-80–153
Richard Barg, Aurora Hills GC 74-79–153
Michael Clark, Flatirons GC 79-75–154
Doug Jones, Tiara Rado GC 77-78–155
Frank Wilkinson, Lincoln Park GC 76-79–155
Tony Tormey, Inverness GC 79-76–155
Bruce Hayes, Heritage at Westmoor 79-77–156
Steven Hill, CommonGround GC 79-77–156
Ken Tai, Perry Park CC 75-82–157
Larry Pate, Fox Hollow GC 78-79–157
Art Pitman, Denver Amateur Golf Tour 78-80–158
Daniel Dymerski, Columbine CC 81-77–158
Terry Hymans, Canongate Colorado 82-76–158
Tom Keltner, Raven at Three Peaks 80-78–158
Charlie Ogren, Collindale GC 78-81–159
Gary Custer, Patty Jewett GC 81-79–160
Marc Sims, Eisenhower GC 83-77–160
Danny Wyrick, AvidGolfer Passport Club 78-83–161
Fred Blanchfield, Spring Valley GC 79-83–162
Styles Adamson, CommonGround GC 78-84–162
Gary Keogh, Columbine CC 84-79–163
John Livingston, AvidGolfer Passport Club 86-78–164
Chet Baker, The Meadows GC 80-85–165
Michael Straud, The GC at Heather Ridge 83-82–165
John Warkentin, Inverness GC 82-84–166
Nick Lusero, Walking Stick GC 83-83–166
Rich Trout, The Club at Rolling Hills 87-80–167
Bernie Mares, City Park GC 84-92–176
David Farabaugh, Broadlands GC 79-DQ
70-AND-OVER DIVISION
Jim Collins, The CC at Castle Pines 71-74–145
Mark Barlau, Lakota Canyon Ranch GC 76-73–149
John Litvay, Collegiate Peaks GC 74-77–151
Joe Morrill, Eagle Ranch GC 77-75–152
Dave Lawson, The Courses at Hyland Hills 77-77–154
Larry Hayes, The Courses at Hyland Hills 79-75–154
Frank Wagner, Coal Creek GC 77-78–155
John South, Fox Hill CC 79-76–155
Larry Brown, Lakewood CC 77-80–157
Bill Bogdanoff, South Suburban GC 77-81–158
Allen Phelon, South Suburban GC 85-74–159
Dick Schmaltz, Elmwood GC 81-78–159
Richard Langston, Broken Tee Englewood 81-78–159
David Gross, Flatirons GC 81-81–162
Jon Burnett, River Valley Ranch GC 81-84–165
Dave Shaub, Desert Hawk GC 85-84–169
Matt Quinn, Estes Park GC 89-84–173
Bob Brown, Desert Hawk GC 83-93–176
John Carroll, GC at Bear Dance 93-91–184
Isaiah Knott, Black Canyon GC 98-113–211
Jim Mcveigh, Patty Jewett GC 102-WD
John Golden, CommonGround GC 78-WD
When it comes to CGA team championships, Jon Lindstrom and Dean Clapp are certainly no strangers to the leaderboards.
Even if they aren’t winning tournaments, they always seem to be in the hunt.
On Sunday at Legacy Ridge Golf Course in Westminster, they finished in the top five in the CGA Four-Ball Championship for the fourth straight year, a stretch which includes a runner-up showing following a playoff in 2009. But it’s safe to say this one stands out because they left with the first-place trophies.
“We kind of got the monkey off our back; we’ve been close a few times,” noted Clapp, a 39-year-old sales manager who plays out of Meadow Hills Golf Course.
Sunday marked Lindstrom and Clapp’s third CGA team championship together as they won the 2009 and 2010 titles at the since-discontinued CGA Two-Man Team event.
At the Four-Ball, Lindstrom and Clapp led wire-to-wire and posted a one-stroke victory. They made just one bogey in 54 holes of the better-ball event in carding rounds of 64-65-69 for a 15-under-par 198 total.
Tristan Sanders and Tim Kratz of CommonGround Golf Course shot 62-67 on the weekend to finish in second place at 199.
That one-stroke difference was hard-earned as Lindstrom-Clapp had to scramble for pars a couple of times coming down the stretch on Sunday. And Lindstrom’s chip-in birdie at No. 10 didn’t hurt either.
“All three days we kind of ham-and-egged it,” said Lindstrom, a 44-year-old insurance broker who plays out of the Heritage at Westmoor. “We pretty much knew where we stood (on the leaderboard) teeing off on 16 today. At that point we figured at worst case we were tied, so we thought if we could par out, we’d be in pretty good shape.”
And they did just that, though it took some nice up-and-downs for par.
This marks the second CGA Four-Ball titles for both Lindstrom and Clapp (pictured above), who won with different partners in 2002 and 2005, respectively. Lindstrom also captured the championship at the 2008 CGA Mid-Amateur.
The Four-Ball senior division title on Sunday went to 64-year-old Jerry Kidney of Overland Golf Course and 65-year-old Daniel Dymerski of Columbine Country Club, though it took five extra holes to settle it. Dymerski made a 15-foot birdie putt on the fifth playoff hole (No. 14) to finally end it in the matchup with Guy Mertz and Tony Workman of the Fox Hill Club. Mertz had a putt nearly identical to Dymerski’s to extend the playoff further, but it trickled just left of the cup.
“I have to be totally honest — I think I pulled that putt a little bit,” Dymerski said. “I didn’t expect it to break as much as it did, but I pulled it.”
On the fourth playoff hole, Workman could have won it for the Fox Hill pair, but he pulled a 4-foot birdie attempt.
Kidney and Dymerski (pictured just above) closed with a 67 Sunday as Dymerski chipped in twice during the round. They posted a 10-under 203 total, tying them with Mertz and Workman, who closed with a 68 on Sunday.
It was the fourth CGA Four-Ball senior division title for Kidney, who won with another partner in 1998, ’99 and 2002. He’s also captured the 2011 CGA Senior Stroke Play Championship and the senior division of the 2005 CGA Two-Man Team — with yet another teammate.
“I go through partners left and right,” Kidney joked. “They can only put up with me for so long.”
CGA Four-Ball Championship
At Par-71 Legacy Ridge GC in Westminster
OPEN DIVISION
View Leaderboard and Scorecards
Jon Lindstrom, Heritage at Westmoor / Dean Clapp, Meadow Hills GC 64-65-69–198
Tristan Sanders, CommonGround GC / Tim Kratz, CommonGround GC 70-62-67–199
Michael Harrington, Garden of the Gods Club / Jim Doidge, Pueblo CC 65-66-69–200
Andy Dannewitz, Meadow Hills GC / Brian Richmeier, Meadow Hills GC 68-63-70–201
Danny Riskam, Columbine CC / Pete Mangold, Cherry Creek CC 66-66-70–202
Lanny Cameron, Mariana Butte GC / Shane Unfred, Highland Meadows GC 65-69-68–202
Christopher Good, Lone Tree Mens Golf Club / Gus Lundquist, The Club at Pradera 70-66-66–202
Alex Buecking, Columbine CC / Steve Irwin, Lakewood CC 67-65-70–202
Kyle Danford, Fort Collins CC / Jonathan Marsico, Castle Pines GC 67-69-68–204
Billy Iverson, CC of the Rockies / Mark Zbrzeznj, Eagle-Vail GC 71-65-68–204
Ryan Boshoven, Boomerang Golf Links / Derek Fribbs, Plum Creek G&CC 68-66-71–205
Tim Fitzgerald, Meridian Golf Club / James Kurtenbach, South Suburban GC 66-71-68–205
Eric Eugene Butler, Legacy Ridge GC / Andy Brooks, Legacy Ridge GC 64-70-72–206
Andy Moore, The Olde Course at Loveland / Wes Martin, The Courses at Hyland Hills 70-69-68–207
David Hunn, Collindale GC / John Perry, Highland Meadows GC 69-70-68–207
Owen Ellis, Flatirons GC / Joe Young, Flatirons GC 68-71-69–208
Will Myer, Denver CC / Reed Myer, Denver CC 69-71-70–210
Tom Richardson, Highlands Ranch GC / Louie Lee, The CC at Castle Pines 70-69-71–210
Keith Humerickhouse, Gypsum Creek GC / Jared Bickling, Gypsum Creek GC 71-69-71–211
Paul Erdman, Colorado National Golf Club / Jeff Searing, Colorado National GC 73-70-71–214
Patrick Wethington, Indian Tree GC / Don Stoner, Indian Tree GC 65-74-75–214
Mark Cook, Greeley CC / Chuck Scheinost, Boomerang Golf Links72-71-73–216
Steve Redmond, Raccoon Creek Men’s Club / Perry Rickel, Colorado GC 72-74-70–216
Bob Yurglich, CommonGround GC / Joey Yurglich, Valley CC 72-70-78–220
Robert Sherrill, Columbine CC / Chris Clark, Columbine CC 70-71-79–220
Branden Barron, South Suburban Family Sports / Bill Parker, Avid Golfer Passport 68-72-81–221
Timothy Nowak, Ute Creek GC / Wes Georges, Garden of the Gods Club 74-74-74–222
Jim Jagels, Hiwan GC / Rick Larson, CommonGround GC 78-74-74–226
Steve Hackenberg, Riverdale GC / Joseph Palombo, Riverdale GC 74-79-75–228
Jay Orris, Boulder CC / James Mchose, Boulder CC 78-75-80–233
SENIOR DIVISION
View Leaderboard and Scorecards
x-indicates won playoff
x-Jerry Kidney, Overland Park MC / Daniel Dymerski, Columbine CC 68-68-67–203
Guy Mertz, Fox Hill Club / Tony Workman, Fox Hill Club 67-68-68–203
Kary Kaltenbacher, Glenmoor CC / Rod Walters, Indian Tree GC 70-66-68–204
Kelly Crone, Highlands Ranch GC / Larry Netherton, Highlands Ranch GC 69-66-69–204
Bill Stevens, Raccoon Creek GC / Mark Franz, Saddle Rock GC 72-66-66–204
Robin Bradbury, Legacy Ridge GC / John Sostmann, Columbine CC 66-70-69–205
Scott Crone, Pinehurst CC / Art Cudworth, Raccoon Creek MC 68-69-69–206
Gary Albrecht, CommonGround GC / Bob Chandler, CommonGround GC 67-68-71–206
Pat Bowe, CommonGround GC / Dave J Brown, RMGCSA GL 70-67-71–208
Keith Masters, Meadow Hills GC / John Applegate, Meadow Hills GC 69-70-70–209
Sean Forey, Club at Rolling Hills / Scott Radcliffe, Club at Rolling Hills 69-72-68–209
David Williams, Cherry Creek CC / Tad Willenbrock, Glenmoor CC 69-71-69–209
Jeff Sweet, Saddle Rock GC / Daryl Fengler, Murphy Creek GC 69-72-70–211
Jeffrey English, Avid Golfer Passport / Bill Bolgar, Ridge at Castle Pines North 70-70-72–212
Jim Reynolds, Bear Creek GC / Bob Cloud, Bear Creek GC 71-72-69–212
David Delich, Broadmoor GC / Bruce Hogg, Patty Jewett GC 71-73-69–213
Phil Herrera, Lincoln Park GC / Frank Wilkinson, Lincoln Park GC 67-73-74–214
Glenn Hyde, Riverdale GC / Chuck Fisher, Riverdale GC 69-70-75–214
Grant Porter, CommonGround GC / Jim LeMar, The Meadows GC 73-73-69–215
Randal Gaddis, Lone Tree GC / Jerry Beren, Coal Creek Mens GC 73-68-75–216
Thomas Roos, Spring Valley GC / Dennis Fields, CommonGround GC 69-75-73–217
Chuck Delich, Eisenhower Golf Club / Rick George, Castle Pines GC 68-73-77–218
Bruce Hayes, Heritage at Westmoor / Brian Higgins, Bear Creek GC 74-68-76–218
Pete Perry, South Suburban GC / Tom Coates, South Suburban GC 70-75-74–219
Scott Anderson, Harmony Club / Frank Carson, Meridian Golf Club 78-73-69–220
Bob Schuler, Green Gables CC / Brian Woody, Ridge at Castle Pines North 71-79-73–223
Perry Umlauf, CommonGround GC / Steve Kass, CommonGround GC 74-73-77–224
Mark Barkley, Blackstone CC / Adrian Tapia, Coal Creek GC 69-75-81–225
Paul Yoon, Pueblo CC / George Hubersberger, Pueblo CC 79-80-76–235
Mark Runyan, Blackstone CC / Steve Kosarek, CommonGround GC 74-76-NC
With three holes remaining in his round Friday, Jerry Kidney won’t deny he had thoughts of grandeur.
With the CGA Senior Stroke Play title all but sewn up, the retired fireman from Littleton knew that if he played those final three holes at Valley Country Club in 2 under par, he would shoot his age.
“I haven’t done that yet, so it would have been nice,” he said. “But I was kind of thinking about that, believe it or not.”
While the 63-year-old from Overland Golf Course didn’t accomplish that goal, he closed with three straight pars and matched the competitive course record at Valley with a 7-under-par 65. In the process, he became one of the few players to simultaneously win both the overall and super-senior titles in the event.
Kidney, who will turn 64 in November, isn’t the oldest Senior Stroke Play champion in history — former state senator Les Fowler, for instance, was 65 when he won in 1989 — but he certainly ranks right up there.
“I just assumed I was never going to win,” said Kidney, who earned his first individual CGA title. “You get to be my age … I’ve been playing so bad I didn’t think I had any shot. And those 50 year olds, they look so young, they hit it forever and they’re enthusiastic. Guys my age, none of us are hardly playing anymore.”
Kidney, who placed third in the Senior Stroke Play last year, was 10 under par the last two days of this week’s event and posted an overall total of 8-under 208. On Friday alone, he made eight birdies, offset by one bogey.
Only one player in the field stayed within a single-digit margin of Kidney. Kelly Crone of Highlands Ranch Golf Club, the 2003 champion, started the day tied with his playing partner and despite shooting under par on Friday (71), he finished six strokes behind Kidney. Tied for third at 220, a dozen strokes back of Kidney, were Robin Bradbury of Legacy Ridge Golf Course (73 Friday) and Tad Willenbrock of Glenmoor Country Club (69).
With Crone (pictured at left watching Kidney tee off) being 59 years old, this was a week to chalk one up for the older guys. Crone, also a Littleton resident and a good friend of Kidney, was just happy to be an interested spectator to one of the best rounds in tournament history.
“Getting to watch someone play a round like that is just fantastic,” he said. “I played real good, but it happens. Someone shoots 65, you’re going to get second. That’s all there is to it because I don’t have that in me.”
Crone trailed by only a stroke after 10 holes on Friday, but his bogey on No. 11 and Kidney’s 15-foot birdie there accounted for a two-shot swing. Then Kidney reeled off three consecutive birdies on 13 through 15 and the rout was on.
Kidney said he had no inkling coming into the week that some stellar play was on the horizon. In fact, he was pretty discouraged about his golf game after shooting 73-78-83 last week in the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open.
“I was putting so bad,” he said. “Eighty would have probably been a closer guess to what I thought I would shoot (this week). It was that bad.”
But after being embarrassed by his play on the greens at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, Kidney switched to a claw grip at Valley, and it seemed to work wonders. Many of his birdie putts were from short range on Friday, but he also dropped several from more than 10 feet.
“Jerry is one of my best buddies, and to see him play that well, it actually made me play better, and it made me try harder, of course,” Crone said. “I didn’t come through, but I enjoyed it.”
For the record, Kidney has shot lower scores — most notably, a 61 on his home course of Overland — but he admits that under the circumstances Friday’s round will go down as arguably the best of his life. And it led to the Senior Stroke Play title, which he acknowledges is his biggest accomplishment in golf.
“I amazed myself, I guess,” he said.
Kidney won the super-senior division for players 60 and older by 19 strokes over Harry Johnson of Eagle Ranch Golf Course. It was his second consecutive super-senior title in this tournament.
CGA Senior Stroke Play Championship
At Par-72 Valley CC in Aurora
Jerry Kidney, Overland GC, 74-69-65–208
Kelly Crone, Highlands Ranch GC, 72-71-71–214
Robin Bradbury, Legacy Ridge GC, 73-74-73–220
Tad Willenbrock, Glenmoor CC, 76-75-69–220
Ray Makloski, Pueblo CC, 77-71-74–222
Bruce Hogg, Patty Jewett GC, 78-72-73–223
Scott Radcliffe, Rolling Hills CC, 73-71-79–223
Pat Bowe, CommonGround GC, 77-75-72–224
Dave J Brown, RMGCSA GL, 77-70-77–224
Scott Sullivan, Bookcliff CC, 76-71-77–224
Gary Albrecht, CommonGround GC, 77-77-71–225
Glynn Hopkins, Pinery CC, 79-73-73–225
David Delich, Broadmoor GC, 75-78-73–226
Guy Mertz, Fox Hill CC, 78-71-77–226
Robert Burke, Twin Peaks GC, 74-76-76–226
Art Cudworth, Raccoon Creek GC, 72-72-82–226
Richard Griggs, Desert Hawk GC, 76-73-78–227
Harry Johnson, Eagle Ranch GC, 75-75-77–227
Kary Kaltenbacher, Glenmoor CC, 76-77-74–227
Hal Marshall, Bear Creek GC, 78-77-72–227
Lonnie Miller, Bookcliff CC, 73-73-81–227
Carl Juengst, Meridian GC, 73-78-77–228
Butch Boucher, Haymaker GC, 78-77-74–229
Grant Porter, CommonGround GC, 76-78-75–229
Chuck Delich, Eisenhower GC, 74-78-77–229
Mark Hirsch, Red Hawk Ridge GC, 76-77-76–229
Roger Gunderson, CommonGround GC, 78-77-74–229
Bob Cloud, Bear Creek GC, 71-81-78–230
Patrick Horvath, Murphy Creek GC, 77-77-76–230
Ronald Knapp, Colorado GC, 78-73-80–231
Daniel Dymerski, Columbine Country Club, 75-75-81–231
Jeffrey English, Avid Golfer Passport, 76-79-76–231
Rod Walters, Indian Tree GC, 79-76-76–231
Craig Gardiner, Denver CC, 79-76-77–232
Randy J Larson, Meridian GC, 75-77-80–232
Joe Distefano, Telluride Ski & Golf Club, 80-74-78–232
Ed Noordewier, Pelican Lakes G&CC, 71-78-83–232
Dennis Lucero, Lincoln Park GC, 82-73-78–233
Steve Bell, Denver CC, 74-79-81–234
Brian Mooney, Colorado National GC, 80-74-80–234
Pat Bucci, Westwoods GC, 77-77-80–234
Fredrick Steffers, Patty Jewett GC, 80-75-82–237
Dennis Fields, Fox Hollow GC, 79-74-86–239
Steve Ivy, Pelican Lakes G&CC, 74-81-87–242
Larry Netherton, Highlands Ranch GC, 76-74-WD–WD
SUPER-SENIOR DIVISION
Jerry Kidney, Overland Park GC – 74-69-65–208
Harry Johnson, Eagle Ranch GC – 75-75-77–227
Roger Gunderson, CommonGround GC – 78-77-74–229
Daniel Dymerski, Columbine Country Club – 75-75-81–231
Jeffrey English, Avid Golfer Passport – 76-79-76–231
Ronald Knapp, Colorado GC – 78-73-80–231
Craig Gardiner, Denver CC – 79-76-77–232
Fredrick Steffers, Patty Jewett GC – 80-75-82–237