On Wednesday, Welch figuratively used his grappling skills to wrestle away the boys title in the Colorado Junior Amateur from Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins, who threw down the gauntlet in the final round by shooting a 5-under-par 31 on the front nine and a 6-under-par 66 overall at Todd Creek Golf Club in Thornton.

So what did Welch, playing four groups behind Stewart on Wednesday, do in response?

He just posted his best tournament round ever — for the second straight day — by shooting a 66 of his own to overtake Stewart on the back nine and claim the boys championship.

“This week is actually the first time I’ve broken 70 in a tournament,” the 17-year-old said. “To come out and shoot 68 yesterday and 66 today was phenomenal.”

On the girls side, Katie Berrian of Castle Rock did some nifty final-round work of her own to claim the trophy. The 16-year-old rebounded from a second-round 82 with an even-par 72 to emerge from a tightly-packed leaderboard to earn the victory.

“This is one of my biggest wins definitely, especially since it was a three-day tournament. And it was a major championship,” Berrian noted. “I feel really accomplished, and I’m going to celebrate my accomplishment. Now I’m really confident, so I can go into more tournaments feeling like, ‘I did that, so I can do it again.'”

In both the cases of Berrian and Welch, Wednesday marked their first major titles in Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado events. (The champions are pictured together above.)

Welch’s 68-66 in the final two rounds netted him a 10-under-par 206 total and the victory, which he called the biggest of his young career. And to make it even more impressive, Wednesday’s 66 came despite being 2 over par after three holes of the final round. That means he went 8 under par for his last 15 holes.

“On hole 7, my playing partner said, ‘Dillon shot 5 under on the front.’ I was like, ‘Oh Jeez, I’ve got to start making some more birdies,'” said Welch (left). “I had birdied three in a row (4-6) and I birdied No. 8. When I came to the back nine, I knew I was one or two down to Dillon at that point. I told myself to ‘keep hitting good shots. You’re playing well and you’re hitting good putts.'”

Welch, the younger brother of 2015 Colorado Boys Junior Player of the Year Coby Welch, finished the day with nine birdies and three bogeys. And he birdied 16 from 5 feet and 18 from 8 feet following an awkward bunker shot — all after Stewart was finished to break a tie and account for the final margin of victory.

Stewart (bottom), winner of the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior last month, likewise went 68-66 the last two rounds at Todd Creek, checking in at 208 for second place. The future Oklahoma State golfer was 7 under par for the day through 14 holes, but took a double bogey on No. 15 after hitting his second shot into the hazard in front of the green following an errant tee shot into the native grass right of the fairway.

“I played solid and gave myself an opportunity to win,” said Stewart, who will play in the U.S. Junior Amateur next week. “You can’t complain when somebody backs up your 66 with another 66. There’s nothing you can say.”

Welch said he plans on playing college golf — brother Coby is doing so at the University of Northern Colorado — but doesn’t know where yet.

“This will hopefully help” with offers, he said.

Asked if he likes golf or wrestling better, Welch said, “I definitely prefer golf. I’m pretty good at wrestling because we started when we were younger. My dad (Tim) is the head wrestling coach (at Valor). But I definitely think golf is more fun.”

First-round leader TJ Shehee of Mead shared third place at 210 with Ryan Liao of Littleton as both fired 69s on Wednesday.

In the girls tournament, Berrian (left) was two behind entering the final day. But after going 2 over par on the front nine, she played the back in a bogey-free 2 under par, making birdies on 14 and 16. The 16-year-old, who placed third in the 5A girls state high school tournament in May, finished with a 10-over-par 226 total after going 72-82-72.

“Yesterday my alignment was off,” said Berrian, a former 11-13 Colorado Junior Series Champion. “I made a little tweak in my setup. Today on the range I put an alignment stick down, picked a target and dialed it in. It helped me. I was back on the pins today just like the first day.

“I was really focused on my game. I never gave up, even on the front nine where I was 2 over, which wasn’t what I was looking for. But I stayed focused and was patient. I waited for my birdies and I got them, finishing 2 under on the back.

“It was to my advantage that I wasn’t in the final group so that I could focus on me and what I was doing rather than where I was on the leaderboard. I focused yesterday on where I was on the leaderboard and that didn’t really work for me.”

Down the stretch on Wednesday, Berrian birdied the 16th hole, then sank a 10-foot par save on 17 after being over the green. And a 3 1/2-foot par putt on 18 proved crucial as well.

Josie Baker (left) of Sherman Oaks, Calif., a JGAC member who will play her college golf at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland starting in the fall, went 3 over par in four holes Wednesday starting on No. 10 to lose her grip on the lead. She birdied No. 18 to close with a 75, which left her a stroke back of Berrian at 227.

“I definitely have mixed feelings,” said Baker, whose parents are from Colorado and who lives in the Centennial State for a couple of months during the summer. “I thought I played pretty solid all three days. To string together three rounds in the mid-70s is always a pretty good tournment. But obviously I’m disappointed. Today I didn’t hit the ball my best. Obviously, I would have liked to have won. Katie played a great round.”

Marie Jordaan of Lakewood, who shared the lead with Baker and Meghan Vogt of Broomfield after two rounds, finished third at 229 after a final-round 77.

For the scores from the Colorado Junior Amateur, click BOYS, GIRLS.

In the boys tournament, Jake Welch of Highlands Ranch shot a 4-under-par 68 at Todd Creek Golf Club in Thornton to take a one-stroke lead into Wednesday’s final round. But eight players are either one or two shots out of the lead, and another four are four back.

Welch finished with six birdies and a double bogey in round 2 to check in at 4-under 140 overall.

Five players share second place at 141, including first-round leader TJ Shehee of Mead (75 on Tuesday), Walker Franklin of Broomfield (70), Jack Hughes of Aspen (71), Ryan Liao of Littleton (72) and Connor Jones of Westminster (69).

Among those at 142 is Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins, winner of the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior last month, who carded a second-round 68.

In the girls competition, three players share the lead at 8-over-par 152 — Meghan Vogt of Broomfield, Marie Jordaan of Lakewood and Josie Baker of Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Vogt, who qualified last month for the U.S. Girls’ Junior, shot a second-round 75, while Jordaan had a 76 and Baker a 77.

First-round leader Katie Berrian of Castle Rock holds fourth place at 154 after posting an 82 on Tuesday. Emma Bryant of Aurora, the 5A girls state high school champion, is another stroke back after a second-round 78.

For the scores from the Colorado Junior Amateur, click BOYS, GIRLS.

Shehee fired a 6-under-par 66 to grab a three-stroke advantage among the boys. And Berrian posted an even-par 72 to go up by three in the girls tournament.

The 54-hole Colorado Junior Am, the second major of the year for the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado, will continue through Wednesday.

Shehee made seven birdies and one bogey in the opening round. The 17-year-old played his final 13 holes in 6 under. Shehee finished eighth last month in the year’s first major, the Colorado PGA Championship.

A total of seven boys broke par on Monday. Ryan Liao, a 15-year-old from Littleton, holds second place at 69 after a five-birdie, two-bogey day. Sharing third place at 70 are Jack Hughes of Aspen and Jake Francis of Watkins.

Berrian, who finished third in the 5A girls state high school tournament in May, carded three birdies and three bogeys on Monday to take the top spot among the girls after round 1.

Josie Baker, a JGAC member from Sherman Oaks, Calif., posted a 75 despite a triple bogey on No. 6 to hold second place. Marie Jordaan of Lakewood sits in third place at 76.

For the scores from the Colorado Junior Amateur, click BOYS, GIRLS.

On the boys side, there’s been PGA Tour veteran Brandt Jobe (1983); Wyndham Clark (2009) and Mark Hubbard (2007), both of whom have competed in quite a few PGA Tour events in recent years; and Geoff Keffer (1997), a five-time Colorado PGA Player of the Year.

On the girls side, past champs have included Jennifer Kupcho (2014), currently the No. 2-ranked women’s amateur in the world; social media sensation Paige Spiranac (2010); and Becca Huffer (2005), a former CoBank Colorado Women’s Open champion who just finished second in a Symetra Tour event.

Another chapter will be written in the Colorado Junior Am next week when Todd Creek Golf Club (pictured) in Thornton hosts the 54-hole event Monday through Wednesday (July 9-11). No former champions are in the field as 2018 winner Davis Bryant of Aurora is competing at the IMG Academy Junior World Championships in the San Diego area next week, and his female counterpart, Arielle Keating, moved to Florida last summer and will be playing college golf at Florida Atlantic in the fall. Among those joining Bryant at the Junior Worlds will be 2017 Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado Girls Player of the Year Hailey Schalk of Erie, Kelsey Webster of Boulder and Cal McCoy of Highlands Ranch.

But scheduled to compete in the boys tournament at Todd Creek are Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins, winner of the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior last month, and Walker Franklin of Broomfield, who sits No. 3 on the JGAC Tour boys points list in 2018, behind Bryant and Stewart.

In the girls portion of the Colorado Junior Amateur, entered are Emma Bryant of Aurora, the reigning 5A state high school champion and the winner of the 2017 Colorado Junior Match Play; Meghan Vogt of Broomfield, who recently qualified for the U.S. Girls’ Junior; and future University of Northern Colorado golfer Shelby Poynter, who competed in the 2017 U.S. Girls’ Junior.

The Colorado Junior Amateur is the second of four JGAC majors in 2018.

For Monday’s tee times, CLICK HERE.
 

Janet Moore of Centennial won her record eighth CWGA Mashie Championship and Susie Roh of Denver her first, but they both have an impressive rate of success in the four-ball match play event.

Moore, a Colorado Golf Hall of Famer, has captured the title eight of the 23 times the tournament has been held. And Roh, her teammate, is now one-for-one after claiming the championship in her first time competing.

In Thursday’s championship flight final at Todd Creek Golf Club in Thornton, Moore and Roh scored a 3-and-2 victory over two college golfers who reside in Colorado, 2016 champion Gillian Vance from the University of Colorado and partner Jaylee Tait from Montana State University.

Moore put her team over the top with a 6-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole, while Vance missed a 5-footer that would have prolonged the match.

Moore has now won Mashie titles with three different partners “” six times with fellow Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Christie Austin, once with Moore competing with her daughter Sarah, and once with Roh. (The 2017 champs are pictured together at top and below, with Moore at left.) But Moore’s last Mashie title with any partner had been 2011.

“The strength of my game in Mashies is picking great partners,” Moore said with a laugh. “And I did that really well this time. Susie is a great player and held us in there the whole time. And she played great yesterday (at Saddleback Golf Club in the semifinals); she shot 68. I didn’t contribute on any hole until the very last hole.”

For Roh, a former professional who once won a mini-tour event and now is a very good mid-amateur player, it was her first CWGA championship of any sort. Meanwhile, it’s believed to be Moore’s 20th, with 15 two-person team titles complementing her five CWGA Stroke Play championships in the 1990s.

“I was really nervous the first day and Janet carried us (in the quarterfinals). Then we kind of flip-flopped (in the semifinals),” Roh said. “But every match we had was a grind.”

In the final, Vance and Tait won the first hole with Tait’s birdie, but they fell behind when Roh carded back-to-back birdies on holes 7 and 8. Roh gave her team a 3-up lead with a two-putt birdie on No. 14. Then after Vance and Tait won the 15th hole with a par, Moore ended things with her birdie on 16.

“We were both very consistent “” too consistent,” said Tait, the 2016 CWGA Match Play runner-up who was competing in the Mashie for the first time. “We birdied the first hole, then nothing after that. You can’t really win this with pars.” (Tait and Vance are pictured together, with Tait at left.)

Added Vance: “It was a long drought. But it was just fun to play with these women. We played with Janet last year (in the final), and it’s just always fun to play with them. I know they’re super good. It’s just a blast to be out here, honestly.”

In both the semifinals and the final, Moore, 52, and Roh, 43, defeated opponents made up of college players. But on Thursday, Roh often out-drove Vance, a former 5A state high school champion, and Tait, a former U.S. Women’s Amateur qualifier.

“Susie here can bomb it, so that was fun,” Moore said. “Her length is definitely a huge plus “” and she’s just a competitor, so she’s fun to play with.

“But (college opponents) come out and they get a little nervous that they’re going to get beat by an old lady. We have that advantage that we’re older and maybe can sneak up on them a little bit.”

But no matter the opponent, and no matter how many CWGA championships she has under her built, adding another puts a smile on Moore’s face.

“It’s very satisfying,” she said. “It’s fun to still be able to compete.”

The Mashie marked the first CWGA championship of 2017.

Champions of the other flights on Thursday were:

First Flight: Vickie Brown and Sally Lawrence

Second Flight: Mary Repetto and Carla Stearns

Third Flight: Kim Gould and Theresa Lange

Fourth Flight: Alison O’Connor and Pat O’Connor

Fifth Flight: Darlene Evans and Beckie Harkey

Sixth Flight: Bonnie Catalano and Pam Levkulich

Seventh Flight: Dee Riedel and Sharon Thiel

Eighth Flight: Maree Albright and Joyce Craig

Ninth Flight: Judy Jones and Teresa Smiley

Tenth Flight: Lesley Ackerman and Lori Maul

For results from all the flights, CLICK HERE.

The much-delayed start to the JGAC season — due to weather issues earlier in the spring — led to a Junior Tour tournament at Todd Creek Golf Club in Thornton being the first tournament for the new JGAC, which was founded by the CGA and the Colorado PGA, with support from the CWGA.

Barela posted rounds of 70-73 Saturday and Sunday for a 1-under-par 143 total to win the boys event by three strokes over Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins. For complete boys results, CLICK HERE.

In the girls tournament, Schalk went 78-74 and carded an 8-over-par 152 total for two rounds. Placing second, four back, was Caroline Jordaan of Cherry Hills Village. For all the girls results, CLICK HERE.

For Ed Strain, the CGA Team Interclub is a family affair, both literally and figuratively.

After all, his dad, Homer, and his son, Kyle, both join him in competing in the season-long championship as representatives of Todd Creek Golf Club. And in a more general sense, Strain looks at the Todd Creek team as kind of one big happy family.

And a successful family at that.

On Sunday, two years after losing in the finals of the Team Interclub, Todd Creek claimed the title by defeating the defending champs from The Broadmoor Golf Club 23-13 in the championship match at CommonGround Golf Course.

“It feels fantastic to come out on top,” said Ed Strain, Todd Creek’s captain. “It’s a good group of guys. We’ve been fighting for four years since we’ve been playing in (the Team Interclub). It really feels good to win as a team. That’s the most important thing.”

As for three Strains being part of the dozen team members that won Sunday’s finals, Strain said, “You’ve got three generations of Strains (competing). It’s pretty fun to be able to play that way. It’s pretty rare.”

Todd Creek, based in Thornton, completed a season in which it won all seven of its matches in the season-long net match play competition that involves golf clubs from throughout the state. In those seven matches, Todd Creek outscored its opponents by a combined 180-72.

Jeff Stewart, who owns a 1.1 handicap, and Homer Strain went 2-0 on Sunday for Todd Creek, winning both their singles and four-ball matches in the final CGA championship of 2015.

“Just being out here with your golf buddies playing is always great,” said Stewart, a semi-regular with Todd Creek over the last four years. “And having some competition — you’re playing with buddies and your buddies are depending on you — that’s always fun. I always play better golf in competition.”

Todd Creek’s 2015 finals team included seven players who competed on the club’s squad that finished second to the Golf Club at Bear Dance in the 2013 finals.

Overall, Todd Creek, all wearing neon shirts on Sunday, outscored The Broadmoor 16-8 in singles and 7-5 in four-ball.

A year after going undefeated in claiming the 2014 Team Interclub title, The Broadmoor finished 5-2 on the season and had its moments on Sunday (left).

“It was an honor to be in the finals two years in a row, especially with the whole (CGA) tournament season being dedicated to Joe Salvo (a highly respected rules official and longtime Broadmoor member who passed away in April),” said Mark Sutherland, a non-playing team captain and PGA membership golf professional at The Broadmoor for the last three years. “We thought we had our lucky 13th player on our side, but (Todd Creek) played a great game and deservedly won.” 

Though the final margin Sunday was a healthy 10 points, 11 of the 18 overall matches went to the final hole, resulting in either halves or 1-up results.

Ed Strain pointed to the camaraderie among the Todd Creek players as being one of the keys to their recent success in the Team Interclub.

“We play every Sunday, and our single digits play easily with our high digits and everybody gets along good,” he said. “One of the best things we do when we have a small bunch of guys is we just throw tees in a hat, we pull them out, and that’s who plays together. Having that camaraderie probably pushed us over the edge. It’s a bunch of guys that just want to win.”

(And some of that camaraderie extended to Todd Creek’s opponents, left.)

This year marks the sixth season of the CGA Team Interclub. The competition started in May with 51 teams.

The regular season lasted from May through mid-summer, with geographically-linked groups of four teams playing round-robins against one another. The team from each group with the highest point total advanced to the playoffs — along with three runners-up, including The Broadmoor — with the postseason matches running from August through October. This year, the finals marked the 77th match of the year, not counting walkovers.



Both in the regular season and the playoffs, teams of a dozen men each — of widely varying abilities — square off, with singles and four-ball matches held concurrently. Each individual match is worth two points — two for a win and one for a tie.

As part of the Team Interclub, the CGA will donate $500 to the junior golf program at Todd Creek.

CGA Team Interclub Championship Finals
At CommonGround GC in Aurora
FINAL SCORE: Todd Creek GC 23, The Broadmoor GC 13

Singles (Todd Creek 16, The Broadmoor 8)
Jeff Stewart (TC) def. Mike Allred (B), 4 and 3
Brad Grogg (B) halved with Kyle Strain (TC)
Bill Kemp (B) def. Delfido Rodrigeuez (TC), 1 up
Dustin Snell (TC) def. Don Sall (B), 4 and 2
John Lundien (TC) def. Greg Flaks (B), 2 and 1
Ed Strain (TC) def. Ed Hayden (B), 1 up
Roger Utley (TC) def. Doug Wasson (B), 2 and 1
John McPherson (B) def. Tom Rowell (TC), 1 up
Roger Perry (B) def. Mike Adams (TC), 1 up
Joe Rizzi (TC) def. Scott Meagher (B), 4 and 3
Homer Strain (TC) def. Duke Mitchell (B), 5 and 4
Bill Carder (B) halved with Kevin Nicks (TC)

Four-Ball (Todd Creek 7, The Broadmoor 5)
Jeff Stewart-Kyle Strain (TC) def. Mike Allred-Brad Grogg (B), 3 and 2
Dustin Snell-Delfido Rodriguez (TC) halved with Don Sall-Bill Kemp (B)
Ed Hayden-Greg Flaks (B) def. Ed Strain-John Lundien (TC), 1 up
Tom Rowell-Roger Utley (TC) halved with John McPherson-Doug Wasson (B)
Joe Rizzi-Mike Adams (TC) halved with Scott Meagher-Roger Perry (B)
Kevin Nicks-Homer Strain (TC) def. Bill Carder-Duke Mitchell (B), 1 up
 

In the title match, The Broadmoor Golf Club will face Todd Creek Golf Club, with The Broadmoor seeking to join Lone Tree Golf Club (2011 and ’12) as a two-time Team Interclub champion. Like Lone Tree, The Broadmoor will be trying to go back-to-back as it beat Rifle Creek Golf Course for last year’s title.

Todd Creek will likewise return to the finals in short order, having been runner-up to the Golf Club at Bear Dance in 2013.

The Broadmoor and Todd Creek become the third and fourth clubs to qualify for two Team Interclub finals, joining Lone Tree and Rifle Creek.

This year marks the sixth season of the CGA Team Interclub. The competition started in May with 51 teams, though a handful forfeited during the regular season.

The Team Interclub is a season-long net match play competition that involves golf clubs from throughout the state. This year’s championship included teams from as far west as Adobe Creek National Golf Course in Fruita, as far east as Bunker Hill Country Club in Brush, as far south as Elmwood Golf Course in Pueblo, and as far north as a combination team from Mariana Butte and the Olde Course in Loveland.

The regular season lasted from May through mid-summer, with geographically-linked groups of four teams playing round-robins against one another. The team from each group with the highest point total advanced to the playoffs — along with three runners-up, including The Broadmoor — with the postseason matches running from August through October. This year, the finals will mark the 77th match of the year, not counting walkovers.



Both in the regular season and the playoffs, teams of a dozen men each — of widely varying abilities — square off, with singles and four-ball matches held concurrently. Each individual match is worth two points — two for a win and one for a tie.

Todd Creek has been the most impressive team so far this season, having won all six of its matches and outscoring its opponents by a combined 157-59. Todd Creek was the only team to score more than 75 points in the regular season, accumulating 86 and earning the top seed in the playoffs.

The Broadmoor, which went 7-0 last year in winning the title, is 5-1 this season, with the lone loss coming to the Country Club of Colorado during the regular season. But The Broadmoor avenged that loss in the first round of the playoffs and has outscored its opponents 126-90 overall.

To get to the finals, The Broadmoor defeated Meadow Hills Golf Course 22-14 in the semis, while Todd Creek beat Twin Peaks Golf Course 25-11. Previously in the playoffs, The Broadmoor overcame the Country Club of Colorado, then Battlement Mesa. In earlier playoff rounds, Todd Creek defeated Sunset, then Lone Tree.

Here are Sunday’s tentative rosters for each of the finalists:

TODD CREEK
Jeff Stewart
Kyle Strain
Dustin Snell
Delfido Rodriguez
Ed Strain
John Lundien
Tom Rowell
Roger Utley
Joe Rizzi
Mike Adams
Kevin Nicks
Homer Strain

THE BROADMOOR
Mike Allred
Brad Grogg
Don Sall
Bill Kemp
Ed Hayden
Greg Flaks
John McPherson
Doug Wasson
Scott Meagher
Roger Perry
Bill Carder
Duke Mitchell

The Broadmoor will have five players back from its 2014 championship team, while Todd Creek will have seven returning from its 2013 runner-up squad.
 

On Sunday, they did just that by teaming up to win the CGA Senior Four-Ball Championship at Todd Creek Golf Club in Thornton.

Kelly, who plays out of Heritage at Westmoor, and Beiersdorf, from the Ridge at Castle Pines North, came from two down in the final round to claim the title by three strokes.

“I’ve been waiting for this for a very long time,” Beiersdorf said. “Rick and I turned 50 last year within a couple weeks of each together. We were also neighbors out in Golden for many years. So it’s a really nice opportunity for the two of us to team up. We did it last year and didn’t quite get it done,” but we did this year.

Kelly and Beiersdorf (above, with Beiersdorf in blue) shot back-to-back 5-under-par 67s on the weekend for their comeback victory. They posted a 9-under-par 207 total.

 “This means a lot,” said Kelly, an eight-time club champion at Fox Hollow. “We’re really happy to have this out of the way two years into (their senior golf status). We’ve got our first CGA championship and we’re really proud of that.”

Doug Moore and Raymond Kelley of Lone Tree Golf Club took second place on Sunday after closing with a 68 for a 210 total.

The two teams that tied for third place — Scott Radcliffe and Sean Forey, and Robert Sherrill and Gary Keogh — shared the title in the super-senior division for players 60 and older, each finishing at 5-under 211. Radcliffe and Forey won the Senior Four-Ball together in 2003.

Kelly and Beiersdorf placed 14th last year in their first go-around at the CGA Senior Four-Ball. But this time around, there was no one better. And Beiersdorf was quick to give credit to Kelly, who racked up six birdies on his own ball Sunday.

“Rick was phenomenal on Day 3,” Beiersdorf said. “It was fun to watch the quality of golf that was being played there. I had the luxury of being his teammate, especially on Day 3. It was really great golf on his behalf.”

Said Kelly: “We ham and egged it, as they say. We caught fire yesterday and started playing some real golf.”

Indeed, the partners played their last 34 holes in 11 under par.

For the story on the open-division CGA Four-Ball, CLICK HERE.

CGA Senior Four-Ball Championship
At Par-72 Todd Creek GC in Thornton

Bob Beiersdorf,Ridge at Castle Pines North/Rick Kelly,Heritage at Westmoor 73-67-67–207
Doug Moore,Lone Tree GC/Raymond Kelley,Lone Tree GC 70-72-68–210
Scott Radcliffe,Club at Rolling Hills/Sean Forey,Bear Creek GC 70-72-69–211
Robert Sherrill,Columbine CC/Gary Keogh,Columbine CC 67-71-73–211
Kelly Crone,Highlands Ranch GC/Larry Netherton,Highlands Ranch GC 73-68-71–212
Bruce Hogg,Patty Jewett GC/David Delich,Broadmoor GC 70-72-71–213
Paul K Edwards,Meridian GC/Mr. Robert F West,Cherry Creek CC 66-74-73–213
Mike Lohse,West Woods GC/Len Mize,West Woods GC 70-71-72–213
Owen Ellis,Flatirons GC/Robin Bradbury,Heritage at Westmoor 71-73-69–213
Thomas Roos,Spring Valley GC/Dennis Fields,Heritage at Westmoor 70-74-70–214
Brent Timm,Pinery CC/Glynn Hopkins,Pinery CC 72-74-69–215
Tony Workman,Ptarmigan CC/Guy Mertz,Fox Hill CC 70-69-77–216
Bill Bolgar,Ridge at Castle Pines North/Jeffrey English,Colo Avidgolfer Passport 72-74-70–216
Mike Larson,Boulder CC/Frank Wilkinson,Lincoln Park GC 72-71-73–216
Jim LeMar,Meadows GC/Scott Crone,Pinehurst CC 71-71-74–216
Mark Donahue,Cherry Hills CC/Bill Woodward,Cherry Hills CC 77-68-71–216
Robert Burke,Twin Peaks GC/John Sostman,Meadows GC 70-71-75–216
Pat Bowe,Commonground GC/Dave Brown,RMGCSA Golf League 71-71-75–217
Brian Harris,Denver CC/Daniel Dymerski,Columbine CC 71-72-74–217
Bradley Becker,Plum Creek G & CC/Steve Kass,Meadow Hills GC 72-73-72–217
David Liberg,Ridge at Castle Pines North/Mark Hirsch,Lone Tree GC 72-73-72–217
Kary Kaltenbacher,Glenmoor CC/Rod Walters,Heritage at Westmoor 72-73-73–218
Ken Sady,Eagle Ranch GC/Mr. Harry Johnson,Eagle Ranch GC 74-72-72–218
John Applegate,Meadow Hills GC/Bob Chandler,Heritage at Westmoor 70-70-78–218
Lance Balthaser,Englewood Men’s GC/Rob McLelland,Canongate Colorado 73-70-75–218
Randy Gaddis,Lone Tree GC/Jerry Beren,Lone Tree GC 73-75-71–219
Jake Jacobson,Lakewood CC/Mr. Wyck Joseph Brown,Lakewood CC 73-72-74–219
Scott Anderson,Harmony GC/Frank Carson,Meridian GC 70-74-75–219
Tom Ritchie,Meridian GC/David Merritt,Meridian GC 74-73-73–220
Mark Runyan,Canongate Colorado/Mark Barkley,Canongate Colorado 77-72-72–221
Tim D Steidle,Lone Tree GC/Laird Middleton,Coal Creek Mens GC 73-73-75–221
Bob Kubiak,South Suburban GC/Tom Coates,South Suburban GC–71-77-74–222
Daryl Fengler,Murphy Creek GC/Jeff Sweet,Murphy Creek GC 72-73-77–222
Dan Reedy,Boulder CC/Louie Mckee,Boulder CC 76-71-76–223
Tony Tormey,Inverness GC/Tim Kromer,Inverness GC- 0-76-78–224
Randy Kippes,Saddle Rock GC/Chuck Fisher,Legacy Ridge GC 75-78-72–225
Louie Lee,CC at Castle Pines/Mike Giarratano,CC at Castle Pines 76-74-76–226
Geoff Brooks,South Suburban Family Sports/Paul Karsen,Meridian GC 77-74-75–226
Jim Reynolds,Bear Creek GC/Don Berthiaume,Bear Creek GC 78-76-73–227
Bob Dameron,Hyland Hills/Bobby Ortega,Hyland Hills 71-74-82–227
Reed Myer,Denver CC/Craig Gardiner,Denver CC 75-75-78–228
David Dines,Highlands Ranch GC/Michael Dines,Wellshire GC 75-72-81–228
Thomas McGeary,Highlands Ranch GC/Robert Blayney,Highlands Ranch GC 75-77-76–228
Bruce Hayes,Heritage at Westmoor/Bob Sims,Canongate Colorado 76-75-78–229
Paul Yoon,Colorado Springs CC/Carl Merkel,Riverdale GC 80-75-74–229
Marc Sims,Eisenhower GC/Bob Perry,Eisenhower GC 79-79-74–232
Joe Alford,/Todd Beckman,Indian Peaks GC 77-80-76–233
Richard Harrison,Ptarmigan CC/Mark Hailey,Olde Course at Loveland 78-82-73–233
Roger Lawson,Wellshire GC/Dale Mitchell Dean,Todd Creek GC 77-79-77–233
Joe Patrick,Four Mile Ranch Club/Rex Gilbert,Shadow Hills GC 80-80-83–243
Gene H Davis,Commonground GC/John E Rager,Riverdale GC 77-86-80–243
Michael Montano,Dos Rios CC Men’s/Joseph Marolla,Colo Avidgolfer Passport 91-87-85–263

Super-Senior Division (60+)
Scott Radcliffe,Rolling Hills, the Club at/Sean Forey,Bear Creek GC 70-72-69–211
Robert Sherrill,Columbine CC/Gary Keogh,Columbine CC 67-71-73–211
Kelly Crone,Highlands Ranch GC/Larry Netherton,Highlands Ranch GC 73-68-71–212
Jim LeMar,Meadows GC/Scott Crone,Pinehurst CC 71-71-74–216
Kary Kaltenbacher,Glenmoor CC/Rod Walters,Heritage at Westmoor 72-73-73–218
Tom Ritchie,Meridian GC/David Merritt,Meridian GC 74-73-73–220
Mark Runyan,Canongate Colorado/Mark Barkley,Canongate Colorado 77-72-72–221
Jim Reynolds,Bear Creek GC/Don Berthiaume,Bear Creek GC 78-76-73–227
Bruce Hayes,Heritage at Westmoor/Bob Sims,Canongate Colorado 76-75-78–229
Richard Harrison,Ptarmigan CC/Mark Hailey,Olde Course at Loveland 78-82-73–233
Roger Lawson,Wellshire GC/Dale Mitchell Dean,Todd Creek GC 77-79-77–233
Gene H Davis,Commonground GC/John E Rager,Riverdale GC 77-86-80–243
Michael Montano,Dos Rios CC Men’s/Joseph Marolla,Colo Avidgolfer Passport 91-87-85–263

Doug Rohrbaugh has made improbable accomplishments seem almost commonplace over the last couple of years.

And the head professional at Ironbridge Golf Club in Glenwood Springs did it again on Wednesday at the Colorado PGA Professional Championship.

This time around, these were the two new notches on Rohrbaugh’s belt:

— The Carbondale resident became the first player in the 21st century to win two consecutive CPGA Professional Championships. Ken Krieger was the last to manage the feat, winning three in a row from 1996 through ’98.

— At age 52, Rohrbaugh is believed to be the oldest winner of the Colorado PGA Section’s championship. In fact, he was thought to be the oldest last year when he won.

“I was so thrilled last year,” he said. “Now to do it again — man! It feels good, boy. It really feels good.”

Rohrbaugh made it all look relatively easy on Wednesday, cruising to a five-stroke victory at Todd Creek Golf Club in Thornton. He shot a 3-under-par 69 in the final round, giving him a 12-under 204 total. The victory was worth $8,000 out of the $55,000 purse.

Matt Schalk (pictured above in green congratulating Rohrbaugh) finished runner-up for the second time in three years. This time, the director of golf at Colorado National Golf Club and the Fox Hill Club closed with a 72 for a 209 total. Mike Zaremba of Desert Hawk, winner of the 1987 and ’99 championships, ended with a 68 to place third at 211.

Those three, along with the next five on the leaderboard, qualified for the 2015 PGA Professional National Championship, scheduled for June 28-July 1 in Philadelphia. Joining Rohrbaugh, Schalk and Zaremba in earning those berths were Geoff Keffer of Murphy Creek (212), Rob Hunt of The Links (213), Kyle Voska of The Links (214), three-time HealthOne Colorado Open champion Bill Loeffler of The Links (214) and Doug Wherry of Jake’s Academy (214).

This week’s performance was an extension of the stellar play demonstrated by Rohrbaugh (left) since 2012. In that two-plus year period, he’s won the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open, the Colorado PGA Professional Championship and the Colorado Senior PGA Professional Championship (all in 2013), qualified for the U.S. Senior Open in both 2012 and ’13, and then won the Section title again on Wednesday.

“It’s amazing what the confidence level has been after the (2013) Colorado Senior Open. That just changed everything,” he said.

At Todd Creek, while the battle for the national tournament spots went on throughout the day, it quickly became a two-man competition for the championship between Rohrbaugh and Schalk.

Twice — after a Schalk birdie on the first hole and after a two-shot swing on No. 8 where Schalk birdied and Rohrbaugh made his only bogey — Schalk (left) crept within a stroke. But that was as close as it got.

“I was playing well, but I just couldn’t get any putts to fall,” said Schalk, who has posted top-eight finishes in this event for three straight years. “I had a ton of putts on the edge. And he played the same as he did the last two days — real consistent. He wasn’t going to make any mistakes. You definitely had to go win this tournament; he wasn’t going to give it to you.”

The turning point came on the stretch from holes 9 through 12. After seeing his lead dwindle to one, Rohrbaugh picked up a shot on each one of those four holes to increase his lead to five and basically put the tournament on ice. Schalk bogeyed 9, 10 and 11, then Rohrbaugh knocked in a 6-foot birdie on 12. On No. 13, Schalk made a 5-foot birdie, but only after Rohrbaugh drained a 25-footer for birdie.

“That stretch was huge,” Rohrbaugh said. “It just relaxed me a lot from that point. I didn’t have to take any chances or go pin-seeking.”

The overall key, Rohrbaugh (below) said, was a putter he only put into play during a practice round on Sunday. He had used it for the second half of last season, but it fell out of favor this year — until this week.

“This one I can definitely pin on one club — and it was the putter,” he said. “On Sunday I brought it with me for a practice round. Oh my, was that a good decision. The first day I had 24 putts. Yesterday had to be similar. And today I still putted good.

“I felt like I could make everything I looked at all week. That’s a good feeling. I putted so good the first day and it carried over every day. The 3-footer I missed on 8 today was my only missed putt inside 10 feet for the week.”

Though Schalk obviously was looking to win, he was happy with his performance under the circumstances.

“This is my first stroke-play tournament in probably 10 months, so I was a little bit uncomfortable at times,” he said. “But I was happy with how I played. My goal was to get to 12 under — that was the ultimate number — but I just didn’t get there.

“Doug is a good player. He manages the courses very well. He’s not overly long, but he hits it in the right places and he has a great short game.”

Rohrbaugh plans again this year to go through the Champions Tour qualifying process. He made it to the final stage last year, but fell short of earning any status.

Colorado PGA Professional Championship
Sept. 8-10, 2014 (final) at Par-72 Todd Creek GC in Thornton

Top 10 Finishers — 1. Doug Rohrbaugh 67-68-69–204; 2. Matt Schalk 68-69-72–209; 3. Mike Zaremba 72-71-68–211; 4. Geoff Keffer 70-71-71–212; 5. Rob Hunt 66-78-69–213; 6. (tie) Kyle Voska 72-73-69–214; Bill Loeffler 70-70-74–214; Doug Wherry 69-70-75–214; 9. Bobby Quaratino 76-69-71–216; 10. (tie) Travis Morton 71-77-70–218; Ari Papadopoulos 67-78-73–218. For complete results, CLICK HERE.