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.

In an unprecedented accomplishment, one person has swept the Colorado PGA’s honors as both the Dow Finsterwald Player of the Year and the Senior Player of the Year.

Doug Rohrbaugh (left) of Carbondale did the honors in 2018, and tonight (Nov. 2) at Colorado Golf Club in Parker he’ll receive both awards during the Section’s Special Awards Gala.

It’s a notable feat in several respects, beyond the aforementioned:

— Rohrbaugh, 56, earned the overall POY honor for the first time, despite having won the Colorado PGA Professional Championship three times — all as a senior golfer.

— Rohrbaugh’s POY award snaps a run of four straight wins in the category by Geoff Keffer, who earned the honor five times overall from 2012-17.

— It’s the fourth time Rohrbaugh has been the Section’s Senior POY, following up on 2012, ’13 and ’14. Only one golfer has been the SPOY more times (Dave Arbuckle, with five), while Bill Majure has four like Rohrbaugh.

Rohrbaugh recorded eight wins — or ties for first place — over the course of the 2018 Colorado PGA season, including in the season-long Match Play Championship. That’s in addition to being medalist in U.S. Senior Open qualifying at The Broadmoor. That was one of two PGA Tour Champions majors in which Rohrbaugh competed in 2018, the other being the Senior PGA Championship. He also recently finished 57th in the national Senior PGA Professional Championship.

“My goal all along has been Player of the Year,” Rohrbaugh, now a sales representative for AndersonOrd Golf Apparel, said after tying for second place in the Colorado PGA Professional Championship in September. “I’ve never been able to do it because I could never play enough events. This year, I’ve been able to play everything.”

In another first, the Colorado PGA this year is naming its inaugural Women’s Player of the Year, with Sherry Andonian-Smith of Centennial earning that distinction in 2018. Like Rohrbaugh, she’s 56 years old, another example of the Section’s depth of quality senior players.

Andonian-Smith recently became the first woman to compete in the national Senior PGA Professional Championship, placing 29th out of 264 players. She also qualified for the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open. And she won the Colorado PGA West Chapter Championship for the second time in three years. That was one of two victories for her in CPGA events in 2018. In addition, she and Alexandra Braga became the first women from the Colorado PGA to qualify for the national PGA Professional Championship.

Here are the theColorado PGA award winners who will be honored tonight, including Golf Professional of the Year Ty Thompson (READ MORE):

Golf Professional of the Year — Ty Thompson, Crosshairs Consulting.

Dow Finsterwald Player of the Year — Doug Rohrbaugh, AndersonOrd Golf Apparel.

Senior Player of the Year — Doug Rohrbaugh, AndersonOrd Golf Apparel.

Women’s Player of the Year — Sherry Andonian-Smith, Valley CC.

Associate Player of the Year — Ben Lanting, Bear Creek GC.”¨”¨

Teacher of the Year — Dan Sniffin, Omni Interlocken Resort.”¨”¨

Bill Strausbaugh Award (mentoring fellow PGA professionals) — Stuart Bruening, The Golf Club at Bear Dance.”¨”¨

Assistant Professional of the Year — Ed Marzec, Country Club of the Rockies.”¨”¨

Horton Smith Award (exceptional contributions to promote and improve PGA educational programs) — Ben Welsh, Frost Creek Club.”¨”¨

Player Development Award — Trent Wearner, Trent Wearner Golf Academy.”¨”¨

Youth Player Development Award — Erin Diegel, Legacy Ridge Golf Course.”¨”¨

Warren Smith Award (special contributions to game of golf, the Colorado PGA, junior golf and their facility) — Kyle Heyen, Hiwan Golf Club.”¨”¨

Private Merchandiser of the Year — Jake O’Dell, The Club at Flying Horse.”¨”¨

Resort Merchandiser of the Year — Jeff Hanson, Red Sky Golf Club.”¨”¨

Public Merchandiser of the Year — Brian Carlson, Walnut Creek Golf Preserve.

President’s Award (promoting and enhancing PGA professionals, the PGA Section and the game of golf and contributing to the betterment of the golf professional vocation) — Allen Walters, Colorado AvidGolfer.

Noble Chalfant Inductees (lifetime distinction for PGA members) — Clayton Cole, Dow Finsterwald, Bill Majure.

Todd Phipers Media Award — Joe Cole, Fox21 in Colorado Springs

(Updated Nov. 3) Vic Kline Award (to Section board of directors member for outstanding service and leadership for the Section) — Spencer Zinn, West Edge Energy.
 

“No woman has ever played in that — anywhere in the country,” said Andonian-Smith (left), who had a sparkle in her eye at the prospect at becoming the first.

And the 56-year-old from Centennial did just that this week at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla. “I’ve wanted this for a few years,” she said earlier this week.

Then Andonian-Smith became the first woman to make the 36-hole cut in the event.

Then she became the first to survive the 54-hole cut.

And on Sunday she capped off a dream week by finishing 29th out of a field of 264 and being the top performer out of the representatives of the Colorado PGA. Though the top 35 finishers advance to the 2019 Senior PGA Championship, because Andonian-Smith was playing from a shorter set of tees this week — and at the Colorado Senior PGA Professional Championship — she wasn’t eligible to qualify for the PGA Tour Champions major. But a top-30 finish on Sunday was certainly stellar.

Andonian-Smith, who works out of Valley Country Club and was named the Colorado PGA’s inaugural Women’s Player of the Year in 2018, shot rounds of 72-72-72-73 for a 1-over-par 289 total in Florida.

She climbed 12 spots on Sunday to move inside the top 30, with a birdie on her 17th hole helping the cause down the stretch. Andonian-Smith finished with two birdies and three bogeys in the final round.

One other Coloradan made the 54-hole cut at the Senior PGA Professional Championship, with Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale placing 57th on Sunday.

Rohrbaugh, this year’s CPGA Player of the Year, shot a 2-over-par 74 on Sunday to post a 5-over 293 total. He carded three birdies and five bogeys in the final round.

Here are the round-by-round scores for competitors from the Colorado PGA:

29. Sherry Andonian-Smith, Valley CC 72-72-72–216
57. Doug Rohrbaugh, Snowmass Club 73-72-74–219
MISSED 36-HOLE CUT
97. Barry Milstead, Valley CC 69-78–147
97. Mike Zaremba, Desert Hawk at Pueblo West 70-77–147
119. Chris Johnson, Colorado PGA Life Member 71-77–148
145. Jeff Hanson, Red Sky GC 73-77–150
247. Mike McCutchen, Family Sports 81-79–160

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.

Clearly, the 56-year-old from Valley Country Club is not satisfied at just being the first female competitor ever at the event.

A day after surviving the 36-hole cut in the 264-person tourament, Andonian-Smith easily did likewise regarding the 54-hole cut to the low 70 players and ties. In fact, in an event that will reward spots in the 2019 Senior PGA Championship to the top 35 finishers on Sunday, Andonian-Smith is tied for 41st place after Saturday’s third round.

Andonian-Smith (left), the Colorado PGA’s inaugural Women’s Player of the Year, shot her third consecutive even-par 72 at PGA Golf Club. She overcame a double bogey on the sixth hole on Saturday to play her final dozen holes in 2 under.

Joining Andonian-Smith in making the 54-hole cut was Colorado PGA Player of the Year Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale, who advanced on the number with a three-day total of 3-over-par 219, which leaves him in a tie for 67th place.

Rohrbaugh, a three-time winner of the Colorado PGA Professional Championship, fired a 2-over-par 74 on Saturday. He parred his first 14 holes of the day, but bogeyed two of his last four.

Besides the top 35 finishers on Sunday landing berths in the Senior PGA Championship in Rochester, N.Y., May 23-26, the top top five on the leaderboard will earn exemptions into the final stage of the 2018 PGA Tour Champions Q-School.

Here are the round-by-round scores for competitors from the Colorado PGA:

41. Sherry Andonian-Smith, Valley CC 72-72-72–216
67. Doug Rohrbaugh, Snowmass Club 73-72-74–219
MISSED 36-HOLE CUT
97. Barry Milstead, Valley CC 69-78–147
97. Mike Zaremba, Desert Hawk at Pueblo West 70-77–147
119. Chris Johnson, Colorado PGA Life Member 71-77–148
145. Jeff Hanson, Red Sky GC 73-77–150
247. Mike McCutchen, Family Sports 81-79–160

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.

On Friday, she added a layer to that feat by making the 36-hole cut at the tournament in Port St. Lucie Fla.

Andonian-Smith (left) and three-time Colorado PGA Professional Championship winner Doug Rohrbaugh were the two members of the Colorado Section to advance to Saturday’s third round of the 72-hole event. Another cut will come after Saturday — to the low 70 players and ties.

Andonian-Smith, the Colorado PGA’s Women’s Player of the Year, shot her second even-par 72 and shares 63rd place out of the 264-player field. The 56-year-old Centennial resident carded four birdies and four bogeys on Friday to check in at 144.

Rohrbaugh, the Colorado PGA’s Player of the Year and Senior Player of the Year in 2018, matched Andonian-Smith’s 72 and stands at 145, in a tie for 75th place. The 56-year-old Carbondale resident had two birdies and two bogeys on Saturday.

The tournament will continue through Sunday.

The low 35 finishers on Sunday will earn berths into the 2019 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in Rochester, N.Y., May 23-26, and the top top five finishers will land exemptions into the final stage of the 2018 PGA Tour Champions Q-School.

Here are the round-by-round scores for competitors from the Colorado PGA:

63. Sherry Andonian-Smith, Valley CC 72-72–144
75. Doug Rohrbaugh, Snowmass Club 73-72–145
MISSED 36-HOLE CUT
97. Barry Milstead, Valley CC 69-78–147
97. Mike Zaremba, Desert Hawk at Pueblo West 70-77–147
119. Chris Johnson, Colorado PGA Life Member 71-77–148
145. Jeff Hanson, Red Sky GC 73-77–150
247. Mike McCutchen, Family Sports 81-79–160

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.

Milstead (left) carded three birdies in a bogey-free round on Thursday. He sits five strokes out of the lead.

Also posting under-par totals for Colorado PGA players were reigning Colorado Senior PGA Professional Champion Mike Zaremba of Desert Hawk at Pueblo West (70, good for 34th place) and PGA Life Member Chris Johnson of Castle Rock (71, 54th place).

Sherry Andonian-Smith of Valley CC, who became the first woman to compete in the national Senior PGA Professional Championship, opened with an even-par 72, leaving her in 80th place. Andonian-Smith, the Colorado PGA’s inaugural Woman’s Player of the Year who originally was an alternate for the competition, recorded three birdies and three bogeys in round 1.

“If you would have given me that score, I would have taken it,” Andonian-Smith told PGA.com. “But once I got out there, I was a little embarrassed on the greens (putting). I’m trying to make Bermuda (grass) my friend.”

The 72-hole tournament will continue through Sunday. The field will be cut to the low 90 players and and ties after 36 holes, and to the low 70 and ties after 54 holes.

The low 35 finishers on Sunday will earn berths into the 2019 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in Rochester, N.Y., May 23-26, and the top top five finishers will land exemptions into the final stage of the 2018 PGA Tour Champions Q-School.

Here are the round-by-round scores for competitors from the Colorado PGA:

16. Barry Milstead, Valley CC 69
34. Mike Zaremba, Desert Hawk at Pueblo West 70
54. Chris Johnson, Colorado PGA Life Member 71
80. Sherry Andonian-Smith, Valley CC 72
103. Doug Rohrbaugh, Snowmass Club 73
103. Jeff Hanson, Red Sky GC 73
252. Mike McCutchen, Family Sports 81

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.

McGill (left in a Golf Channel photo) improved on her 35th-place performance in 2017 thanks to an impressive 2-under-par 70 on Wednesday in French Lick, Ind., which tied for the low final round of the event.

The Denver native, who won the 1993 U.S. Women’s Amateur and ’94 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links, placed 23rd on Wednesday out of a field of 80 players. With a five-birdie three-bogey day in round 3, she posted a total of 12-over-par 228, finishing 20 strokes behind champion Laura Davies, who also won the U.S. Senior Women’s Open this year. McGill’s 70 was 10 strokes better than what she carded on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Sherry Andonian-Smith, the Colorado PGA’s inaugural Women’s Player of the Year in 2018, tied for 37th place on Wednesday (233 total) and World Golf Hall of Famer and part-time Coloradan Hollis Stacy tied for 67th (244).

It’s been a memorable year for Andonian-Smith, who also qualified for the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open, finished second at the Colorado PGA Professional Championship, won her second Colorado PGA West Chapter Championship in three years, and became one of the first two Colorado women to qualify for the 2019 national PGA Professional Championship.

Here are the round-by-round scores for the players with strong Colorado ties who competed in the Senior LPGA Championship in French Lick, Ind.:

23. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Jill McGill 78-80-70–228
37. Colorado PGA member Sherry Andonian-Smith 81-73-79–233
67. Part-time Colorado resident Hollis Stacy 78-80-86–244

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.

The victory was her second in three years at the West Chapter Championship, with her 2016 win also coming at Aspen Glen. This year, the showing in the 39-player event was worth $1,440.

Andonian-Smith (left), a 55-year-old from Valley Country Club, shot a 5-under-par 67 — which tied for the lowest round of the event — on Wednesday to rally for a one-stroke win. She posted a 5-under-par 139 total for two days, one better than runner-up Kirk Trowbridge of the MetaGolf Learning Center, who shot two straight 70s.

It was the second victory in this Colorado PGA season for Andonian-Smith, who teamed up with Geoff Keffer to share the title in the Western Chapter Pro-Pro Championship in late May.

West Chapter Championship
Oct. 2-3, 2018 (final) at Par-72 Aspen Glen Club in Carbondale
Top Finishers
1. Sherry Andonian-Smith 72-67–139
2. Kirk Trowbridge 70-70–140
T3. John Lynch 67-75–142
T3. Ari Papadopoulos 71-71–142
5. Ben Lanting 69-74–143
T6. Doug Rohrbaugh 71-73–144
T6. Remington Post 71-73–144
T6. Eric Bradley 72-72–144
T6. Geoff Keffer 72-72–144
T10. Peter Norwood 73-72–145
T10. Jacques Deyoe 69-76–145

For complete results, CLICK HERE.
    

Blows were struck for senior golfers — once again — and for women on Wednesday in the Colorado PGA Professional Championship.

In the first major tournament hosted by TPC Colorado in Berthoud, a player in his 50s won the Section title for an amazing fifth time in the last six years.

And for the first time in the history of the event, a woman — actually two of them in this case — qualified for the national PGA Professional Championship.

Yes, it was an eventful day at the Colorado PGA’s biggest tournament of the year.

Patrick Reidy, a 52-year-old who has worked at Inverness Golf Club since he was 14, rebounded from a triple-bogey 8 on the 722-yard 13th hole — yes, you read that right — by playing his final five holes in 1 under par. That earned him the biggest victory of his career, and the $8,500 that goes with it.

“Other than playing golf at (the University of Colorado in the mid-1980s), this is hands down the greatest thing I’ve ever accomplished in my golfing career,” the left-hander said. “It’s great, seriously. It’s unexpected to be even having this conversation to be honest with you.

“To actually hold this (trophy) right now is absolutely crazy. It’s bringing tears to my eyes.”

Reidy (above and left) is just the most recent of the senior set to claim this title in recent years. Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale won three straight from 2013 through ’15 — when he was 51, 52 and 53 years old — and John Ogden prevailed last year at age 50. That means that Geoff Keffer (2016) is the only player under 50 to win the Colorado PGA Professional Championship in the last six times the tournament has been contested.

“It shows how strong our seniors are in this Section,” said Rohrbaugh, who tied for second on Wednesday with, among others, 55-year-old Sherry Andonian-Smith of Valley Country Club. “I’d take our top 10 seniors against the top 10 of any Section in the country. The results speak to that.”

The women competing this week made a statement as well. As noted, Andonian-Smith shared second place overall, while two-time Colorado PGA Women’s Champion Alexandra Braga of Denver Country Club tied for sixth place despite playing her last three holes in 3 over par.

With the top eight finishers on Wednesday earning spots in the national PGA Professional Championship, set for April 28-May 1 in Bluffton, S.C., both Andonian-Smith and Braga will be packing their bags. According to Colorado PGA executive director Eddie Ainsworth, it’ll be the first time a woman from the Colorado Section has advanced to the national tournament.

“I’ve been trying to do it since I’ve been a Colorado PGA member — so eight years — and I’ve been close a couple of times, so it’s great to get it done,” said Andonian-Smith, (left) who earlier this year qualified and played in the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open.

Joining Andonian-Smith and Braga (below) in earning berths to the national event were Reidy, Rohrbaugh, Dustin Miller and Eric Bradley from Black Bear Golf Club, Remington Post of Raven Golf Club at Three Peaks and 2012 Section champion Caine Fitzgerald of Meadow Hills.

Reidy birdied the final hole from 5 feet on Wednesday to give himself a two-stroke victory in the Section championship with a 1-over-par 217 total for three rounds. Sharing runner-up honors at 219 with Andonian-Smith (73 Wednesday) and Rohrbaugh (74) were Miller (75) and Post (80).

Braga, Fitzgerald and Bradley tied for sixth place at 221.

That Reidy ended up with the title left him a bit dumbfounded.

“I don’t know what to tell you honestly,” said Reidy, who has spent all 27 years of his PGA professional career at Inverness. “This is a complete shock.

“I win a pro-am here and there, but I don’t win anything big. Things were going well this week. A couple of putts went in. I don’t putt great, but putts went in this week. It was fun.”

As for extending that remarkable streak of 50-somethings winning this event, Reidy said, “John Ogden inspired me last year. To see Doug Rohrbaugh do what he does, that’s inspiring. It’s so comforting to see guys that can sustain their career and compete at this level. It’s such a great Section to be part of.”

Aside from his snowman on the 722-yard 13th hole, Reidy played a very strong final round on a course that measured 7,437 yards for the male competitors. On that 13th hole, he put his third shot in the bunker, failed to get it out, then after he did, he three-putt for triple bogey.

But Reidy birdied the previous hole from 5 feet and No. 18 from the same distance. And he missed three other birdie attempts inside of 15 feet in the final five holes. In the end, he seemed to hit it better than his 74 indicated.

“I could have given up right there (after No. 13),” he said. “But I came off that hole and I said, ‘Let’s man up and see what you’ve got and go do it.’ I hit great shots all the way coming in.

“I can do more mental damage to myself than anybody on the planet. Today I got out of my own way.”

However it happened, the victory left a big smile on the face of a guy who endured more than his share of adversity at a young age. His dad died when Patrick was 16, and the younger Reidy lost sight in his left eye for several years after a racquetball accident during his college days.

But Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Tom Babb, a fixture as the director of golf at Inverness from 1973 to 2000, hired Reidy at the club when he was 14 and mentored him throughout his younger days.

“My dad passed away when I was 16 years old and Tom Babb was there more for me more than any other person on the planet,” Reidy said. “At 16 years old, you’re going through a tough time. I started working for Tom when I was 14. It changed my life and my golfing career.

“Tom is rolling over in his grave right now, laughing his (butt) off.”

Meanwhile, some of the runner-ups on Wednesday were left wondering, “What if?”

Miller, who eagled two of his first three holes, was in great shape to win until playing his first five holes of the back nine in 6 over par. Post, meanwhile, was riding high until playing his final 10 holes in 7 over. And Rohrbaugh (left), the Colorado PGA Player of the Year points leader, had his sights set on his fourth title until making double bogeys on 14 and 18. On the par-4 final hole, he was 40 yards from the hole in two, but caught his wedge thin and his ball flew into the back bunker and he couldn’t get it up and down.

“It’s just disappointing, very disappointing,” he said. “I played really solid all day until (the two doubles). … I just had one goal: Win. It’s real disappointing because usually when I’m in the hunt, that’s when I’m at my best. I don’t really fold typically.”

TPC Colorado, which just within the last couple of weeks started allowing some public play, is expected to host a Web.com Tour event next summer as part of a five-year contract. But the 2019 Web.com Tour schedule has yet to be released.

Colorado PGA Professional Championship
Sept. 10-12, 2018 (final) at Par-72 TPC Colorado in Berthoud
ADVANCE TO NATIONAL PGA PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Patrick Reidy, Inverness 71-72-74–217
T2. Sherry Andonian-Smith, Valley 78-68-73–219
T2. Doug Rohrbaugh, Carbondale 75-70-74–219
T2. Dustin Miller, Black Bear 71-73-75–219
T2. Remington Post, Raven Golf Club at Three Peaks 70-69-80–219
T6. Alexandra Braga, Denver CC 69-75-77–221
T6. Eric Bradley, Black Bear 72-74-75–221
T6. Caine Fitzgerald, Meado Hills 72-74-75–221
ALSO
T9. Mike Zaremba, Desert Hawk 74-73-75–222
T9. Doug Wherry, Jake’s Academy 76-74-72–222
T9. Jordan Gibbs, Denver CC 73-71-78–222

For all the scores, CLICK HERE.

The PGA assistant professional at Denver Country Club won the first two CPGA Women’s Championships and she led after round 1 of this year’s tournament at The Ranch Country Club in Westminster.

But there would be no trifecta for Braga on Thursday.

Tara Morris, a PGA assistant pro at the Country Club at Castle Pines, saw to that.

Morris and Braga were tied after the scheduled 36 holes of the event, with both players at 4-under-par 138 as Braga bogeyed the final two holes after making birdie at the previous two.

But after Braga missed a 12-foot birdie attempt on the first playoff hole, Morris drained a slick 8-foot downhiller for birdie and the victory, which was worth $1,000.

Morris, who bogeyed the first two holes of Thursday’s round, trailed by five after 25 holes as Braga birdied Nos. 3 and 6. But Morris rallied, making birdies at 8, 9, 12 and 15 before a bogey at 17 for a back-nine 35. Braga closed with a 38 on the final nine of regulation.

The victory earned Morris (pictured in a CPGA photo) a spot in the 2019 PGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship.

Sherry Andonian-Smith, who played in the U.S. Senior Women’s Open last month, finished third in the 13-player field on Thursday with a 1-under 141 total.

Colorado PGA Women’s Championship
Aug. 22-23, 2018 (final) at The Ranch CC in Westminster
1. Tara Morris 68-70–138 (winner in playoff)
2. Alexandra Braga 67-71–138
3. Sherry Andonian-Smith 70-71–141
4. Stefanie Ferguson 75-74–149
5. Shannon Hanley 72-79–151
T6. Liz McCabe 78-79–157
T6. Terra Shehee 78-79–157
8. Kelly Deimund 80-80–160
9. Holly Champion 80-84–164
10. Rachel Cavalier 86-80–166

For complete results, CLICK HERE.