Qualifying for the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship is now in its fourth year, and on Thursday, three two-man teams went where no one had gone before in Colorado.

The three squads each posted best-ball scores of 61, the lowest rounds in the history of Colorado-based qualifying for the event, though relative to par, two other teams likewise fired 9-under-par totals — in their case for 62s — last year at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora.

Tom Hart of Denver and Jonathan Marsico of Cherry Hills Village, Nick Engen of Denver and John Jarmul of Greenwood Village, and Ben Klaus of Oklahoma City and Riley Pumphrey of Austin, Texas shared medalist honors out of a field of 56 twosomes by carding 9-under-par 61s at Lake Valley Golf Club in Niwot.

All three teams thereby landed berths in the U.S. Four-Ball, set for May 19-23 at Jupiter Hills Club in Tequesta, Fla. (The qualifiers are pictured: back row from left, Jarmul and Engen, Hart and Marsico, and kneeling Klaus and Pumphrey.)

It will be the second national U.S. Four-Ball for Hart and Marsico, who advanced to the round of 32 in match play in the 2016 championship, as well as for Pumphrey. It’ll be the first for Engen and Jarmul, and for Klaus. In fact, it’ll be the first USGA national championship of any sort for Jarmul.

Hart, who won the Trans-Mississippi Four-Ball championship with John Elway at Cherry Hills Country Club in 2009, shot a 6-under 64 on his own ball on Thursday. He pitched in for eagle from 45 yards on the par-5 ninth and added six birdies. Overall, Hart and Marsico (left) as a team finished with an eagle and seven birdies.

“We’re thrilled with the score, and we both played solidly, but Tommy played phenomenal,” said Marsico, the 2008 CGA Amateur champion who will depart on Friday for the U.S. Mid-Amateur in Atlanta. “He hits it to 2 feet on No. 1 and misses it, and subsequently shoots 30 on his own ball on the front. He pitches in for eagle on 9 and comes back and makes a nice birdie on 10.”

Hart finished the round with an eagle, six birdies and two bogeys, while Marsico had two birdies and three bogeys.

“We play so good together all the time and have a lot of fun,” Hart said. “Neither one of us is much for quitting, so we’ve always got a good chance in these events.”

After making match play in the 2016 U.S. Four-Ball, Marsico and Hart were in a two-team playoff at the qualifier last year, but finished as the odd team out.

“There’s nothing better (than going back this time),” Marsico said. “Going to play a USGA championship with one of your best buddies at a great venue … It’s nice to have a good friend and a great player next to you.”

Like Hart and Marsico, Engen and Jarmul went bogey-free on Thursday, in their case with nine birdies. It was quite a performance for two players from Colorado Golf Club who were attempting to qualify for this event for the first time, and who hadn’t seen Lake Valley in 20 years (in the case of Jarmul) or ever (in the case of Engen).

“Nick came out of the gate firing,” said Jarmul, who grew up in nearby Boulder. “He had four birdies in a row on 2, 3, 4 and 5. Then I birdied four of nine. And we made a gnarly little par putt on 18 (from 5 feet) to go bogey-free. It was a good round. We both played solid.

“I thought we had a pretty good handle on the greens for as much undulation as they have. We did a pretty good job figuring out where the putts were going. Most of the putts, we were burning edges. But probably half our birdies were from inside of 5 feet.”

Engen has played in one USGA championship before — the now-defunct U.S. Amateur Public Links — and he knows how big a deal it is.

“It’s huge,” said the 31-year-old. “Anytime you qualify for a USGA event, that’s pretty special. They’re hard to do. That’s kind of the cream of the crop there.”

Klaus and Pumphrey, former University of Oklahoma teammates, posted an eagle, eight birdies and a bogey on Thursday, with Klaus rolling in a 30-foot putt on No. 9 for the eagle.

“We had one hot streak in the middle of the round (going 8 under in nine holes) that got us through a lot of it,” said Klaus, a former professional who regained his amateur status in 2015. “We didn’t finish like we’d like to, but we’d had done enough earlier that it worked out.”

It will be the first USGA championship for Klaus, who qualified for the 2008 U.S. Amateur but didn’t get to compete as he suffered a pre-tournament injury.

For Pumphrey, it will be his fifth USGA championship.

Five teams finished at 64 on Thursday and played off as the sun set for the two alternate spots. Earning the first alternate position were Ryan Burke of Longmont and Dylan Wonnacott of Fort Collins — two former teammates who won a state high school team title together at Silver Creek — who birdied the third extra hole.

The other teams to shoot 64 were Colorado State University golfers Jake Staiano and Colton Yates, Nick Burns of Denver and Chris Strouse of Greenwood Village, Jeff Chapman of Centennial and Michael Harrington of Colorado Springs, and Marcus Tait and Michael Tait of Littleton.
 

U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Qualifying
At Par-70 Lake Valley GC in Niwot
ADVANCE TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Nick Engen, Denver/John Jarmul, Greenwood Village 29-32–61
Jonathan Marsico, Cherry Hills Village/Tom Hart, Denver 29-32–61
Ben Klaus, Oklahoma City/Riley Pumphrey, Austin, Texas 31-30–61

ALTERNATES (In Order)
Ryan Burke, Longmont/Dylan Wonnacott, Fort Collins 32-32–64
Jeff Chapman, Centennial/Michael Harrington, Colorado Springs 33-31–64

OTHERS WHO SHARED FOURTH PLACE
Jake Staiano, Cherry Hills Village/Colton Yates, Scottsdale, Ariz. 31-33–64
Nick Burns, Denver/Chris Strouse, Greenwood Village 34-30–64
Marcus Tait/Michael Tait, Littleton 34-30–64

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

When Lake Valley Golf Club (left) in Niwot hosts the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Qualifier on Thursday (Oct. 5), the contestants will include:

— Brian Guetz, a two-time Colorado Open champion and one of just two amateurs to win that event (along with Gary Longfellow). Guetz, now an assistant men’s golf coach at the University of Denver, will partner in the Four-Ball Qualifier with fellow Columbine Country Club member Alex Buecking, who last year advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Four-Ball with Jason Enloe.

— Matt Call, who has the distinction of having been both the CGA (2000) and Colorado PGA (2006 and ’07) Player of the Year. Call, a former University of Colorado golfer who has regained his amateur status, will team up with fellow former Buff teammate Norton Rainey for the Four-Ball Qualifer.

In all, 56 two-man teams will compete at Lake Valley, with the top three earning spots in the national U.S. Four-Ball, which will be contested May 19-23 at Jupiter Hills Club in Tequesta, Fla.

Several former contestants in this national championship will be playing at Lake Valley — Alex Kephart and Kurtis Lucas (at nationals in 2017; Kephart also went with a different partner in 2015); Tom Hart and Jonathan Marsico (went to match play round of 32 in 2016); Kyle Danford and Davis Johnson (2016); and Jeff Chapman (2015), Zach Fowlds (2016), and Buecking (2016), all of whom have new partners this time around. In Chapman’s case, he’s joining with 2014 CGA Player of the Year Michael Harrington.

Others in Thursday’s field are Colorado State University teammates Jake Staiano and Colton Yates, who will try to follow on the heels of CSU golfers Katrina Prendergast and Ellen Secor qualifying this week for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball; and recent CGA “major” winners Chris Korte and Nick Nosewicz.

For Thursday’s tee times, CLICK HERE.

Ron Vlosich admits his golf game wasn’t really up to par, so to speak, in the early part of the season.

“In the (Colorado PGA) Section pro-am stuff, I was shooting like 75 all the time,” the golf professional from Lakewood said. “I told my buddy, ‘I think 75 is par now.'”

Fortunately for the Colorado Golf Hall of Famer, that changed about 10 days ago, just in time for Wednesday’s U.S. Senior Open qualifying tournament, an event in which he’s thrived over the last decade.

And sure enough, despite playing half of his round in very windy conditions at Lake Valley Golf Club in Niwot, Vlosich earned medalist honors out of a starting field of 63. That means the five-time Colorado PGA Player of the Year is headed to the U.S. Senior Open for the fifth time.

“It’s nice to go back,” the 59-year-old said. “You just wish your game was sharper to compete with all those (PGA Tour Champions) guys who are so good. But it’s always fun to go and chop it around. My game is not on that (tour) level, to be honest with you. But it’s encouraging to break par today.”

Vlosich (pictured above) shot a 1-under-par 69 on a day that went from calm to very windy to calm to windy again. He was joined in qualifying by amateur John Hornbeck of Saratoga, Wyo., who locked down the second and final national berth by posting an even-par 70 and prevailing in a playoff.

Hornbeck avoided Wednesday’s early afternoon winds as he was part of the first group off the tee in the morning. He played his final 10 holes in 3 under par, chipping in from 25 feet for eagle on No. 9.

But four other players — two-time U.S. Senior Open qualifier David Delich of Colorado Springs, Doug Wherry of Lakewood, Brian Harris of Denver and Matt Hall of Grand Junction — also posted 70s, so the five played off for the second spot into the U.S. Senior Open, which will be contested Aug. 11-14 at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio.

Hornbeck (left) rolled in an 18-foot birdie on the first extra hole and Harris matched him with a tap-in birdie, leaving them to vie for the lone remaining Senior Open spot. The other three contestants were relegated to playing for the second alternate position, which eventually went to Hall after four extra holes. Delich, the 2015 CGA Senior Player of the Year, also lost out in a playoff in last year’s U.S. Senior Open qualifier, but that time he later came off the alternate list to earn a spot in the national championship.

After both Hornbeck and Harris three-putted for bogey on the second playoff hole, Harris did so again from long range on the third extra hole. And when Hornbeck’s birdie putt on that hole finished 1 foot from the cup and he made par, he joined Vlosich as a qualifier, while Harris ended up first alternate.

“I wasn’t going to give it away twice,” Hornbeck said of avoiding a second three-putt in the playoff.

While it will be the 58-year-old Hornbeck’s first U.S. Senior Open, he’s previously qualified — in Colorado — for a U.S. Senior Amateur, in 2014.

“I got to play Augusta National in 2013. (Competing in the Senior Open) will be No. 2 on my bucket list,” Hornbeck said.

As for Vlosich, he was 3 under par through 10 holes on Wednesday, but gave a couple back on the back nine when the wind was howling at times. He avoided joining the big playoff at 70 by draining a 5-foot par putt on his 18th hole.

“The wind came up on 9 for us, and it was gusting pretty good,” Vlosich said. “I couldn’t get the ball close to the hole the last nine holes. It was tough conditions and some of the pins (were difficult). I was very happy to shoot under par. Anything under par for me is good.”

Vlosich, a former longtime director of golf at the now-defunct Green Gables Country Club, previously competed in the U.S. Senior Open in 2007, ’10, ’11 and ’14. He’s also played in a U.S. Open, a PGA Championship and two Senior PGA Championships.

While Vlosich and most of the field had to deal with formidable wind at least part of the day Wednesday, Hornbeck and Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kent Moore were first off the tee and signed their scorecard before the the gusting reared its head. Moore holed a 120-yard shot on the par-4 17th hole for eagle and shot 72.

“We were real fortunate to get done before that,” Hornbeck said of the wind. “We didn’t play our best but we played pretty good. We left a few out there because we had really nice conditions.”

But Hornbeck had to battle some adversity as he was 3 over after seven holes, but rallied to make the playoff. After Moore carded his eagle on the par-4 17th, Hornbeck made a 30-foot birdie.

“I said, ‘I make a birdie and can’t even get the tee,’ Hornbeck said with a laugh.

While this year’s U.S. Senior Open is in Ohio and next year’s is in Peabody, Mass., the 2018 championship will be contested in Colorado, June 28-July 1 that year at The Broadmoor Golf Club’s East Course in Colorado Springs.
 

U.S. Senior Open Qualifying
At Par-70 Lake Valley GC in Niwot

QUALIFIED FOR SENIOR OPEN
Ron Vlosich, Lakewood, Colo. 33-36–69
John Hornbeck, Saratoga, Wyo. 36-34–70
ALTERNATES (in order)
Brian Harris, Denver, Colo. 35-35–70
Matt Hall, Grand Junction, Colo. 34-36–70
DID NOT QUALIFY
Douglas Wherry, Lakewood, Colo. 34-36–70
David Delich, Colorado Springs, Colo. 37-33–70
Billy Tuten, Sugar Land, Texas 33-38–71
Kent Moore, Cherry Hills Village, Colo. 36-36–72
Rick Cole, Eaton, Colo. 37-35–72
Doug Rohrbaugh, Carbondale, Colo. 37-35–72
Guy Mertz, Longmont, Colo. 37-36–73
George Andrews III, Pueblo, Colo. 37-36–73
Gregg Jones, Colorado Springs, Colo. 36-37–73
Michael Larson, Longmont, Colo. 34-39–73
James Blair, St George, Utah 37-37–74
John Hull, Sheridan, Wyo. 36-38–74
Dale Smigelsky, Fort Collins, Colo. 39-35–74
Thomas Roos, Centennial, Colo. 39-35–74
Robert Polk, Parker, Colo. 39-35–74
Victor Minovich, Littleton, Colo. 34-40–74
Doug Perry, Fort Collins, Colo. 40-35–75
Rick Uhlir, Boulder, Colo. 36-39–75
Tom Krystyn, Denver, Colo. 36-39–75
Terry Lorenz, Littleton, Colo. 37-38–75
Richard Kelly, Golden, Colo. 37-39–76
Ray Makloski, Pueblo, Colo. 36-40–76
Patrick Reidy, Littleton, Colo. 37-39–76
Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction, Colo. 39-37–76
Robin Bradbury, Superior, Colo. 39-37–76
Andy Titterton, Parker, Colo. 35-42–77
Jeff Oneth, Greenwood Village, Colo. 38-39–77
Bill Hancock, Highlands Ranch, Colo. 40-37–77
Jeff Crosier, Aliso Viejo, Calif. 35-43–78
Jeff Slupe, Windsor, Colo. 37-41–78
Peter Sylvester, Oro Valley, Ariz. 39-39–78
Greg Parson, Littleton, Colo. 39-39–78
Shawn Wilcox, Denver, Colo. 39-39–78
Mike Rawles, Costa Mesa, Calif. 34-44–78
Mike Northern, Colorado Springs, Colo. 39-39–78
Dennis Cirbo, Littleton, Colo. 37-41–78
Jay Orris, Boulder, Colo. 39-39–78
James Sisneros, Colorado Springs, Colo. 39-40–79
Tom Nosewicz, Aurora, Colo. 38-41–79
John Ward, Denver, Colo. 40-39–79
Owen Ellis, Boulder, Colo. 39-40–79
Quentin Sasser, Salt Lake City, Utah 36-43–79
Thomas Walter, Parker, Colo. 41-38–79
Scott Peterson, Windsor, Colo. 44-36–80
Fred Ward, Willard, Utah 38-42–80
Marshall Clark, Denver, Colo. 40-40–80
Kevin Ott, Arvada, Colo. 38-44–82
Tom Carricato, Castle Rock, Colo. 42-40–82
Jeff Reich, Chandler, Ariz. 40-42–82
Keith Gockenbach, Erie, Colo. 42-40–82
Gary Sladek, Fort Collins, Colo. 42-41–83
Dean Sessions, Westminster, Colo. 40-43–83
Paul Boggini, El Dorado Hills, Calif. 42-42–84
Tom Krause, Centennial, Colo. 41-44–85
Michael Lovato, Colorado Springs, Colo. 47-43–90
Marty Mosher, Bastrop, Texas 48-44–92
Bobby Rennick, Cedaredge, Colo. WD
Todd Waldron, Winter Park, Colo. WD
Scott Hart, Aurora, Colo. WD
 

The top two finishers out of Wednesday’s field of 67 will advance to the 2016 Senior Open, set for Aug. 11-14 at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio.

Two competitors who came through a Colorado qualifier last year to play in the 2015 U.S. Senior Open will be back for this week’s qualifying tournament: professional Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale and amateur David Delich of Colorado Springs. (They’re pictured, with Delich at left.)

Rohrbaugh, who was conditionally exempt on the PGA Tour Champions last year, made it into a playoff in last year’s qualifying when he holed a 98-yard shot for par on his final hole of regulation. Then he beat Delich in a playoff, apparently for the last national berth. But later Delich, the 2015 CGA Senior Player of the Year, also advanced, in his case off the alternate list.

Others scheduled to compete at Lake Valley are four-time U.S. Senior Open qualifier Ron Vlosich of Lakewood; two-time Colorado Open champion Jim Blair; amateur Kent Moore, like Vlosich a Colorado Golf Hall of Famer; and Dale Smigelsky, winner of the 2015 Colorado Senior PGA Professional Championship.

For Wednesday’s tee times, CLICK HERE.