It’s funny how the golf gods work.

Just ask Neil Johnson. He can certainly attest.

On Monday at Legacy Ridge Golf Course, the Phoenix-based golf professional qualified for the CoBank Colorado Open for the first time — and by the narrowest of margins. After surviving a playoff, he earned the 15th and final position at stake at the fourth and final Colorado Open qualifying tournament.

“Maybe literally I was the last guy in (the field),” said Johnson, who also noted he made a hole-in-one on the eve of the qualifying tournament

Then less than a week later, the 34-year-old parlayed his good fortune into the richest payday and the biggest victory of his life, winning the 52nd Colorado Open at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club.

“The elephant in the room is the big $100,000 check, which is awesome,” he said. “But for me I always just loved playing golf. On the first day (of the tournament) when you asked me, ‘What’s your signature win?’, it was like, ‘Geez, I’ve been doing this for eight years and I don’t have a signature win. But this obviously changes that.

“To beat a field like this … You’ve got every type of player — you’ve got PGA Tour winners, PGA Tour members, Web.com members, Canadian and Latinamerican Tour players and mini-tour all-stars. To come out on top is definitely the defining win so far of my career.”

Besides earning a tournament-record six-figure check, Johnson posted the best score, relative to par, in the 52 years of the Open. Johnson went 64-69-68-64 for a 23-under-par 265 total at GVR. Derek Tolan shot a 22-under 262 in 2009 when the course was playing to a par-71.

Johnson fended off back-nine challenges Sunday from two-time PGA Tour winner Jonathan Kaye of Boulder and 2005 Colorado Open champion Wil Collins of Albuquerque. But Johnson’s bogey-free 8-under-par 64 proved too much, and he posted a three-stroke victory. He capped things off with a fist-pump after sinking an 8-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole (pictured at top).

Awaiting him afterward was by far the biggest check of his career.

“Prior to this it was $21,000,” he noted. “I’m like a mini-tour veteran in a way. I’ve played everything. I can count on two fingers how many checks I’ve had of over $10,000. I get $5,000 here, $2,000 there and whatever, then all of a sudden, BOOM, this.

“The craziest thing is last week I played a tournament and made a little over $4,000, and I’m like, ‘Hey that puts me in the black for the year. I can now afford the rest of my tournaments. I can now afford Q-school — I couldn’t afford it last year; I was broke. So everything is going into my pocket now.’ And the first check is six figures? Come on!”

Kaye (left), competing in his first tournament in two years, held and shared the lead on the back nine Sunday after starting the day birdie-eagle and being 7 under par through 12 holes. But he badly mishit his second shot on the par-5 18th hole — a 5-wood from 277 yards — which went into the hazard, leading to his only bogey and essentially ending his chances of winning his second Colorado Open. Ironically, he then dropped about 5 yards back and hit the same 5 wood perfectly to about 15 feet from the flag, though he missed the putt.

“I kind of had to go for it because I knew I had to make at least birdie and maybe eagle” on 18, he said. “I was in the rough. It wasn’t the greatest lie but I hit a terrible shot. I could probably hit that 10 times and never do that again. It would have been ideal had my tee shot not gone (just into the rough).

“I’d love to have that (second) shot again. It still might not be good enough, but I’d like to give it a better effort.

“For a guy who hasn’t played in as long as I have, I was pretty happy with the way I got it around. (But) I was trying to win. That was my goal. It’s nice to play well, but I don’t care about seconds and thirds at this point.”

The 45-year-old former University of Colorado golfer shared second place at 268 with Collins (left), with each winning $15,250 — a far cry from Johnson’s $100K. Kaye closed with a 66 and Collins with a 69 after bogeying the 17th hole.

Jim Knous of Englewood matched the course record with a 10-under-par 62 — the fourth such score this week — to share fourth place at 269 with Zahkai Brown of Arvada and Martin Trainer of Palo Alto, Calif. Brown, who birdied five of his first six holes on Sunday, now has recorded four top-five finishes in the last five Colorado Opens, winning in 2013, placing second in 2012 and ’15, and ending up fourth on Sunday.

Knous played his last three holes in 4 under par, went 7 under in his last eight, and shot a record 7-under 29 on the back nine.

“It felt amazing,” said the former Colorado School of Mines golfer. “It’s the best nine holes I’ve ever played, coming in with birdie, birdie, eagle. That’s pretty special.”

With Nick Hodge of Littleton tying for nine place at 271, Coloradans earned four spots in the top 10 (Kaye, Knous, Brown, left, and Hodge).

But Johnson reserved the top position for himself. He played three rounds of the tournament (Thursday, Saturday and Sunday) without a bogey. And on Sunday, in addition to carding six birdies (including three straight from holes 12-14), he holed his second shot for an eagle on the 463-yard sixth hole.

“Starting the day, I looked at it like I started the week with a 64 and maybe I can bookend it with another 64 and get to 23 (under),” he said. “And I got there on the last putt.”

CSU’s Makloski Best Among Amateurs: Jimmy Makloski of Pueblo made a run at low-amateur honors at last year’s Colorado Open, but a triple bogey on the 15th hole of the final round derailed his chances.

On Sunday, though, there were no such hiccups, and the Colorado State University golfer finished as the top amateur. He played his final 16 holes in 2 under par, shot a 1-under 71 for the day and ended up at 8-under 280 for the week.

“Last year I was real close and blew it out the end,” said Makloski (left), the 2012 CGA Junior Stroke Play champion. “It went down kind of the opposite way as this year. So it was kind of nice.”

Makloski, who tied for 34th place overall, finished two strokes better than a trio of players in the amateur competition — his Colorado State teammates from last season Jake Staiano and Dominic Kieffer, plus Connor Klein of Lone Tree. Staiano, the top amateur going into Sunday, closed with a 77, while Kieffer, who wrapped up his CSU career in the spring, had a 75. Klein carded the best Sunday round, with a 69.

“It’s always nice to see your teammates do well,” Makloski said of the Rams being atop the amateur standings. “Hopefully it will carry over into the (college) season.”

Knous Goes Low Again: In a tournament that already featured numerous Colorado Open scoring records, Sunday certainly had its moments. Notably, two players in one day matched the Green Valley Ranch course record of 62, which had previously been shot this week by Wil Collins (round 1) and Alex Kim (round 3).

Both Jim Knous of Englewood and D.J. Brigman of Albuquerque eagled the 18th hole to finish 10 under for the day. That helped Knous tie for fourth place overall and Brigman share seventh place.

It was the third time in less than a decade that Knous has matched or tied a course record in the Denver metro area. He previously did it with a final-round 10-under-par 60 at Boulder Country Club that forced a playoff in the 2010 CGA Stroke Play, and with a 9-under 63 at a USGA qualifier at Heritage Eagle Bend.

Ironically, Knous began his round with a bogey on No. 1 Sunday after hitting his approach over the green and into a hazard.

With his record 29 on the back nine, Knous now not only shares the overall course record at GVR, but has tied the front-nine mark and owns the back-nine standard outright. He recorded a 29 on the front nine in the 2012 tournament.

“I just try not to slow down,” he said. “The putter just got hot, especially on that back nine. It was just birdies galore. Once they start going in, you get a good visual and they all start going in.”

Brigman also made an eagle, nine birdies and a bogey on Sunday. It was his seventh 62 in competition.

“The scoring conditions were ideal this week,” Brigman said. “There were obviously some low numbers this week, but I was happy to end on a great note.”

Stadler Still Hurting; Status in Limbo: Part-time Denver resident Kevin Stadler completed his first tournament in a year, tying for 41st place Sunday in the Colorado Open. But the condition of his left hand, which has sidelined him for the better part of the last 20 months, certainly wasn’t promising, he said.

“I can scrape it around here and post a somewhat respectable score, but I can’t do it when it’s going to be at the level I’m going to need it at,” Stadler said, referring to the PGA Tour, where he won once in 2014. “It’s nowhere near the place it needs to be.”

Stadler shot rounds of 73-67-68-74 for a 6-under-par 282 total at Green Valley Ranch. On Sunday, he put together a “bizarre round” in which he shot a 7-over-par 43 on his front nine (the back at GVR) and a 5-under 31 on his back. He made an eagle, four birdies, a quadruple bogey, a double bogey and two bogeys.

“The first three days were pretty good. Today was terrible,” he said. “I had no chance today. I couldn’t really swing all day. After five or six holes I figured out how to move it forward in play. Every shot, (the pain) was kind of zinging me right at address. It felt like (my shots) could go absolutely anywhere.”

Stadler said he’s going to try different treatments and see how the hand responds.

“The way it is right now though, I wouldn’t try to play again if it’s like this until maybe this thing (the Colorado Open) next year,” he said. “Hopefully that’s not the case, but it didn’t respond very well. It was OK for the first days, but doing it four days in a row — then eventually down the road wanting to play three or four weeks in a row, is just not going to be a reality (barring a major improvement).”

Honoring Kensler: At the beginning of Sunday’s awards ceremony, Colorado Open Golf Foundation CEO Kevin Laura asked for a moment of silence for longtime Denver Post golf writer Tom Kensler, who passed away at age 64 on Friday. He was “a guy we all knew and loved,” Laura said. “He loved playing golf as much as he did writing about it. He’s going to be sorely missed.”

A service for Kensler will be held Aug. 6 at 11 a.m., at the Archdiocese of Denver Mortuary Chapel at 12801 W. 44th Ave., in Wheat Ridge.

Notable: Gunner Wiebe had an unusual first seven holes on Sunday, making two eagles and two double bogeys in that stretch. He finished tied for 14th place at 15-under-par 273. … Among the spectators at GVR Sunday was Steve Ziegler, who in 2009 swept both the CGA Stroke Play and Match Play titles in the same year, the only time that’s happened since 1985.

For scores from the Colorado Open CLICK HERE.

It’s been a unique week at the CoBank Colorado Open.

Through three days at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club …

— Twice the course record of 62 has been matched, including Saturday by Alex Kim (left) of Fullerton, Calif., who used a hole-in-one to vault into the 54-hole lead. It was the second ace of tournament week.

— Also on Saturday, the very rare “albatross” made an appearance at GVR, with James Back of La Palma, Calif., recording a double eagle on the 531-yard par-5 12th hole, flying a 229-yard approach into the cup with a 5-iron.

— With little wind and pure greens, the scores are so low this year that the 36-hole cut of 3 under par was a tournament record by three strokes. And Kim’s 18-under-par total is a 54-hole tourney record, also by three.

— And this year’s tournament also featured a female competitor, Sherry Andonian-Smith of Denver, for the first time ever.

Now, though, things will really take on a different look. In the first 51 Colorado Opens, the highest first-prize payout has been $38,800, in 1997. But on Sunday, $100,000 will go to the winner, more than quadrupling last year’s $23,000 winner’s check.

Suffice it to say that many of those in the running for the title this year have never truly been in contention going into the final round of a tournament in which the winner would receive a six-figure check.

Indeed, aside from for the two players on the leaderboard who have won PGA Tour events — Jonathan Kaye of Boulder and Parker McLachlin of Honolulu — Sunday will be novel experience for just about everyone who’s in contention.

And making it even more unique is the huge money difference between first and second place, $100,000 and $20,000.

“The purse is huge, especially for guys playing the mini tours,” said Kim, a former UCLA golfer who played in the 2015 U.S. Open. “We don’t play for this kind of purse ($250,000).”

As noted, Kaye (left) is an exception. The former University of Colorado golfer earned $900,000 for winning the 2003 Buick Open and $936,000 for his victory at the 2004 FBR Open on the PGA Tour.

“I always looked at it that they were giving away money and I was there to get it,” Kaye said Saturday. “I was like, ‘I’m going to go as low as I can.’ I wasn’t really thinking about the consequences at that point. I was trying to go as low as I could to make money.’

“My rookie year (on the PGA Tour), that was how I kept my card. I had the No. 1 scoring average on tour on Saturday, but I only made eight cuts. I played good when I had to.

“But the young kids now, they aren’t scared. They look at it as a (cash) giveaway, I think. They think they can win right away. I think these guys (in contention at the Colorado Open) are all pretty good. (But) hopefully they all get nervous and crumble and I can slide in there. I’ll still take the money. A hundred grand is a hundred grand.”

With Saturday’s 62 and an 18-under-par 198 total, Kim will take a one-stroke lead into Sunday. The previous 54-hole tournament record, in relation to par, was Derek Tolan’s 15 under mark in 2009. That year, the former CU golfer went on to finish a record 22 under par.

Wil Collins (left) of Albuquerque, N.M., the 2005 Open champion, played his final five holes in 3 under par on Saturday and his bogey-free 67 left him a stroke behind Kim heading into the final round.

Colorado native Nick Hodge of Littleton and Neil Johnson of Phoenix share third place at 201, with Hodge carding a 66 that featured a 30 on the front nine, and Johnson posting a 68.

“This is the biggest event we play during the year as mini-tour players,” said Hodge (below). “There’s a little extra on there. I’ve been playing really well all week. It’s definitely a big event. It would be important to me to win (having grown) up here and everything.”

The group four out of the lead — at 14-under-par 202 — features two former champions (Kaye and Zahkai Brown of Arvada) and, as noted, two players who have won on the PGA Tour (Kaye and McLachlin), along with Martin Trainer of Palo Alto, Calif.

Brown is in the hunt for his fourth top-2 Colorado Open finish in the last five years, while Kaye is playing his first tournament in two years. Both shot 70 after sharing the 36-hole lead with Collins.

“I’d much rather be closer, but I am where I am so I guess I’ll have to try to make it up,” said Kaye, who needed a 30-foot chip-in for bogey on No. 16 after hitting a tree and watching his second shot go into a hazard. “It was kind of ugly today. I didn’t play very well all in all. It wasn’t as clean as the other two days. Hopefully tomorrow will be better and we’ll try to make a run at it.”

Kim, meanwhile, put himself atop the leaderboard Saturday thanks to matching the course record of 62 set by Nick Mason in 2013 and matched by Collins on Thursday.

While Kim made nine birdies on the day — including a 7-footer on 18 — it was the ace on the 177-yard eighth hole that especially grabbed the attention. His 9-iron hit about 6 feet short of the flag, took a bounce and rolled in. It was his fourth hole-in-one, but his first in competition.

“I was plugging along at 2 under, and made that hole-in-one and it was just off to the races,” said Kim, who qualified for the Colorado Open on July 12 in Eagle. “I birdied the next hole and turned at 5 under. It easily could have been a 2-under front nine, but it helps when you make a ‘1’.

“One of my playing partners said while (his tee shot on 8) was in the air, ‘Go in’, and sure enough, it one-hopped and just disappeared. I threw my club in the air. That was pretty cool.”

As for the day overall, while Kim has shot 61 before, Saturday’s 62 was his best ever in competition.

“I’m pretty pleased with that,” said the South Korea-born 26-year-old, who’s playing his first Colorado Open.

Mark Me Down for a Deuce: As noted, James Back — whose hometown of La Palma, Calif., is about 10 miles from Kim’s hometown of Fullerton — had his own fireworks on Saturday.

After a good drive on the 531-yard 12th hole — his third hole of the day — he hit a baby draw with his 5-iron from 229 yards and the ball flew straight into the cup for a double eagle, the first of his life.

Only it took Back several minutes to realize his accomplishment.

“I hit it pretty good and I was looking at it,” he said. “I didn’t see any bounce. I went up to the green and I thought it had gone over. The guys were checking all over (for the ball). Finally, the guys checked the hole and it was in the hole. It hit the back of the cup and went in the hole. It was pretty crazy.

“I didn’t expect it to go in, but if it’s in, good for me.”

Back finished with a 7-under-par 65 on Saturday and shares 14th place at 11-under 205.

Ram Tough: The chase for low-amateur honors may come down to what amounts to an intrasquad competition for Colorado State University golfers from last season.

Jake Staiano of Cherry Hills Village will take a two-stroke lead in the amateur competiton into Sunday’s final round. Staiano, who advanced to match play at last year’s U.S. Amateur, has gone 68-68-69 for an 11-under-par 205 total. He played his last four holes in 3 under par on Saturday.

Two back of Staiano is former Ram Dominic Kieffer of Byron, Minn., who posted a 67 on Saturday. And Jimmy Makloski of Pueblo is another two back after carding a third-round 68.

University of Colorado golfer John Souza trails Staiano by five following a 74 on Saturday.

Sitting Out This Senior British: It might seem a bit unusual to see Mark Wiebe caddying for son Gunner in this week’s Colorado Open, considering the Senior British Open is being contested this week in Scotland. After all, Wiebe won the Senior British just three years ago.

But concerns over physical ailments — most notably neck problems — made the elder Wiebe think better of a trip overseas.

“Something is going on, so it’s been a real drag,” said Wiebe, a Colorado Golf Hall of Famer and five-time Champions winner who noted that he’s had to withdraw from all the senior majors so far in 2016. “And to go all the way over there, all I’m thinking is, ‘Am I going to get there and be able to play?’

“I’ve tried to play injured for over a year and I suck (at that). I’m no good injured. I need to be 100 percent.”

Gunner Wiebe, playing his first tournament in two months, shares 10th place at 12-under 204 after a 68 on Saturday. (Gunner and Mark are pictured together above.)

Notable: The lead threesome of Alex Kim, Wil Collins and Nick Hodge will tee off for Sunday’s final round at 9:25 a.m. … Part-time Denver resident Kevin Stadler, winner of the 2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open on the PGA Tour, shot a 4-under-par 68 on Saturday to move up to 29th place at 8-under 208 in his first tournament in over a year.

For scores from the Colorado Open CLICK HERE.
 

For Sunday tee times, CLICK HERE.
 
 

Three past champions share the lead at the halfway point of the $250,000 CoBank Colorado Open, and, amazingly enough, one of them is competing in his first tournament in two years.

Former University of Colorado golfer Jonathan Kaye, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour whose last tournament was the 2014 Colorado Open, shot a 7-under-par 65 on Friday at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club to vault into a tie for first place with Zahkai Brown of Arvada and Wil Collins of Albuquerque, N.M.

“For not having played in a long time, I can’t complain,” said Kaye (pictured), the 1996 Colorado Open champ who now resides in Boulder during the summer.

Kaye, who will turn 46 on Aug. 2, won PGA Tour events in 2003 and 2004, and has earned more than $10.5 million on that circuit, but he last competed in 2014. That year, he played three Web.com Tour events and the Colorado Open, where he shot 78-77 and missed the cut.

But this week is a totally different matter as Kaye has carded an eagle, 13 birdies and just three bogeys in two days at GVR. He’s posted scores of 67-65 for a 12-under-par total.

“I’ve hit it really good,” he said. “I’m just cruising along. We’ll see tomorrow, right? But I’m swinging nice and I’m hitting my irons good. I seem to be pulling the right clubs and have my yardages down. If everything holds, just keep doing the same thing.”

All in all, it’s been pretty impressive for a guy who plays golf casually two or three times a week.

“What I don’t do is practice — and it really shows,” Kaye said. “I go out there and I play OK, but you can see on my short game and stuff, I haven’t been practicing. But I tried to make a commitment to myself to try to get out to work on my short game just a little bit before this so I didn’t look like a complete moron, and it seems to be going pretty good.”

Kaye finds himself at the top of the leaderboard with two guys who compete nearly week in and week out on mini tours, state opens and the like. Collins, winner of the Colorado Open in 2005, backed up his course-record-tying 62 Thursday with a 70 on Friday. And Brown, the champion three years ago, has gone 67-65 like Kaye.

This has become the routine in recent years for Brown (left), the former Colorado State University golfer who has recorded three top-two finishes in the last four Colorado Opens. In addition to his win in 2013, the former CGA Player of the Year placed second in 2012 and last year.

“I’ve been playing really well this year. I’ve been hitting it really well,” said Brown, who’s captured four mini-tour titles in 2016 and gotten his Web.com Tour qualifying entry fees paid. “I love this golf course and it suits my game. I was excited coming into this event.”

The long-hitting Brown hit each of the four par-5s in two on Friday and two-putted for four birdies there. On the 635-yard 18th hole, he smacked a drive 435 yards, leaving him with just a 200-yard approach to the green.

With being in contention three of the last four years, Brown has no doubt formulated an effective game plan for GVR.

“I’ve been hitting my driver really well, so obviously I’ll try to hit the par-5s in two again (and) drive 4 and 14 (two sub-350-yard par-4s). If I play those holes solid and birdie a few others, it should be tough to beat if you go out there and shoot a 64 or whatnot. (Great scores are) out there; the greens are perfect.”

Collins, who played regularly on the PGA Tour in 2009 and has qualified for two U.S. Opens, picked up Friday where he left off Thursday as he started birdie-eagle in round 2. But three bogeys in the stretch from holes 6 through 9 set him back a little before he birdied each of the par-5s on the back nine.

“I came out sharp, then I paid the price for some sloppy routines,” the 37-year-old said. “That put me back on my heels a bit, but I told myself to stay positive. The course is in such great shape and the weather has been perfect. I knew there would be some birdies. At least I got the two par-5s on the back side to get in red numbers for the day.

“I hate to say it’s never easy to follow up a great round, but there were some positives out there again today.”

And Kaye, Brown and Collins have plenty of players right on their heels as scoring conditions continued to be ideal at GVR. Neil Johnson of Phoenix (69 Friday), Grant Doverspike of Bakersfield, Calif. (66) and Martin Trainer of Palo Alto, Calif. (69) share fourth place one back of the leaders.

Two-time champion Derek Tolan of Highlands Ranch checked in at 10-under 134 after a 68 Friday. Also at that figure is one-time PGA Tour winner Parker McLachlin and German Max Rottluff, each of whom shot a second-round 64.

With little wind and true-rolling greens, it’s no great surprise that a record-low score was necessary to make the 36-hole cut. Three-under-par, three better than the next-lowest cut figure in tournament history, was the standard for this year, with 64 players advancing to the weekend.

Among those who will be around for Saturday and Sunday is part-time Denver resident Kevin Stadler, winner of the 2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open on the PGA Tour. Stadler, competing in his first tournament in over a year, shot a 5-under-par 67 and stands at 4-under 140.

Notable: Five amateurs made the cut on Friday. Setting the standard are Colorado State University golfer Jake Staiano of Cherry Hills Village and University of Colorado golfer John Souza of Phoenix, who checked in at 8-under-par 136, good for a share of 12th place overall. Staiano shot a 68 Friday and Souza a 67. … Derek Barron of Tacoma, Wash., was disqualied after Friday’s round because he failed to sign his scorecard. Barron was 9 under par — just three behind the leaders. … Keith Clearwater, one of four winners of PGA Tour events in the field, withdrew during Friday’s second round due to a foot injury. He was 4 over par through 30 holes. … Sherry Andonian-Smith of Denver, the first female competitor in the history of the Colorado Open, carded rounds of 86-85 for a 27-over-par 171 total. … The leaders will tee off at 9:25 a.m. for Saturday’s third round.

For scores from the Colorado Open CLICK HERE.
 

For Saturday tee times, CLICK HERE.

For a story on Gunner Wiebe’s return from a freak accident two months ago, CLICK HERE.
 

By his best estimate, Derek Tolan of Denver thinks he’s made it to the second and final stage of U.S. Open qualifying six, seven or eight times, including the year he actually qualified for the Open, in 2002 as a 16-year-old.

But for the first time in recent years, the two-time CoBank Colorado Open champion has a good feeling going into the 36-hole U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying, for which he earned a spot on Sunday.

“I feel way better this year,” the former University of Colorado golfer said on Sunday after shooting a 1-under-par 69 at Local Qualifying at the East Course at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. “After the Colorado Open last year I started retooling some stuff. (Before that) I could fake it and shoot a couple good scores under par if you got me on a course with wide fairways and good greens. But it wasn’t anything to do any damage on a high level. I’ve been really working on it. This spring I’ve really started to turn a corner, especially of late — not only shooting good scores, but easily shooting good scores, which is when I know my game is where it needs to be. I’m a lot less stressed (during rounds). I’m really excited about that, so I like my odds much better this year — significantly.”

Tolan and two other Coloradans — co-medalists Chris Thayer of Denver and Brandon Barron of Aurora (pictured above, with Thayer at left) — were among the five players who advanced to Sectionals through Sunday’s U.S. Open Local Qualifier at The Broadmoor.

Joining them in advancing to Sectionals on Sunday were Wil Collins of Albuquerque, N.M., the 2005 Colorado Open champion, and Landon Johnson of South Pasadena, Calif.

Thayer, the 2014 CGA Mid-Amateur champion, and Barron matched 2-under-par 68s in cool conditions on the historic East Course. Tolan played his final seven holes in 3 under par to shoot 69 on Sunday, making birdies on 17 and 18 in the process. Collins, who has played in two U.S. Opens, also posted a 69, while Johnson carded a 71.

Johnson then defeated Eric Hallberg of Parker and Jeremy Lederer of Glenwood Springs, who also had 71s, in a sudden-death playoff for the fifth and final Sectional spot at stake. Johnson and Hallberg made routine pars on the first extra hole, while Lederer posted a bogey and was eliminated. Then after Hallberg, son of longtime tour professional Gary Hallberg, barely missed the green on the second playoff hole and chipped to 4 feet, Johnson drained a 6-foot birdie putt to advance.

Tolan (left) was 2 over par through 10 holes and in danger of letting a Sectional berth slip through his fingers. But he cited his rally as an example of his increased confidence in his play this year.

After going bogey-par-bogey on 8, 9 and 10, “I didn’t let it bother me and I got back to work,” said the 30-year-old, who praised the course conditions as “phenomenal.” “After that it cleaned up nicely and I played really solid.

“Normally (being 2 over after 10), that would be my stress point and I’d have to kind of force stuff because I wouldn’t know when the next firework was going off. Now my heartbeat didn’t change because I knew I would have some opportunities coming in because I have so much more control over the golf ball.”

Meanwhile, despite The Broadmoor often taking a while for golfers to master, Thayer, Collins and Johnson had solid scores in their first or second times around the East layout.

“There are just so many spots to make a bogey, and it’s (7,233) yards and par-70,” said Thayer, who made four birdies — including ones from 35, 25 and 15 feet — and two bogeys. “It’s a pretty good course.

“The greens are so good. I bought a greens-reading book online from the Opens that they’ve had here. That helped a ton.

“It’s pretty cool (to advance to Sectionals). I’ve never done it before. I felt coming in like my game was in great shape. I kind of expected that I could play well. It’ll be fun to give it a shot at Sectionals, for sure.”

Barron, a 26-year-old who turned pro last year, racked up five birdies on Sunday en route to sharing medalist honors with Thayer.

“I’m very pleased,” said Barron, who helped South Mountain Community College in Phoenix win the 2010 national junior college title. “I qualified for Sectionals once before, a long time ago (2005, when he was 15). I’m just excited to go play in that field again and have a chance to go to the U.S. Open. It’s awesome to get back.”

Collins competed in the 2005 and ’13 U.S. Opens — qualifying in 2005 at Columbine Country Club south of Denver, and played full-time on the PGA Tour in 2009. But at the beginning of this year, he was transitioning away from competitive golf, mainly due to injuries.

“I didn’t start the year playing,” he said. “I was looking another direction. I started substitute teaching and teaching some junior golf. I’ve been struggling with the right wrist and tendinitis, tennis elbow — it’s just been a nightmare. But I happened to win an event at the end of March (the Southern California Open). That kind of changed things for me a little bit.”

On Sunday, in his first visit to The Broadmoor, Collins carded four birdies and two bogeys.

“What a beautiful place. It’s pretty special,” he said.

As for Johnson, a 21-year-old who turned professional out of high school, his day ended with an emphatic fist-pump (left), which is especially satisfying considering it was in a playoff. And with that 6-foot birdie putt, he earned a trip to Sectionals for the first time.

“This was probably the best round I’ve had in five months,” he said after his 71.

Johnson, who competed in the 2011 U.S. Amateur Public Links as a 16-year-old, was playing at The Broadmoor only because the qualifier coincided with a family vacation.

Sunday marked the second of three U.S. Open Local Qualifiers being held in Colorado. Last Monday at Heritage at Westmoor, Coloradans Jim Knous, Bryan Kruse, Cameron Harrell, Scott Petersen and Andrew Romano earned spots in Sectionals. Next up in the Local Qualifier at Collindale Golf Course in Fort Collins on Tuesday.

The 10 U.S.-based Sectional Qualifiers will be contested on June 6. From there, the top finishers will advance to the Open itself, set for June 16-19 at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club.
 

U.S. Open Local Qualifying
At Par-70 Broadmoor GC, East Course

ADVANCE TO SECTIONALS
Brandon Barron, Aurora, Colo. 32-36–68
Christopher Thayer, Denver, Colo. 34-34–68
Derek Tolan, Denver, Colo. 36-33–69
Wil Collins, Albuquerque, N.M. 35-34–69
Landon Johnson, South Pasadena, Calif. 37-34–71
ALTERNATES (In order)
Eric Hallberg, Parker, Colo. 35-36–71
Jeremy Lederer, Glenwood Springs, Colo. 37-34–71
FAILED TO QUALIFY
Dustin White, Pullman, Wash. 35-37–72
Nicholas Mason, Denver, Colo. 35-37–72
Joshua Gardella, Littleton, Colo. 35-37–72
Ryan Zetwick, Castle Rock, Colo. 36-36–72
Derek Fribbs, Thornton, Colo. 37-36–73
Taylor Stamp, Colorado Springs, Colo. 38-35–73
Sunwoo Choi, USAF Academy, Colo. 38-35–73
Steven Irwin, Arvada, Colo. 37-37–74
Ryan Schmitz, Greenwood Village, Colo. 36-38–74
Isaac Petersilie, Colorado Springs, Colo. 38-36–74
Jake Staiano, Englewood, Colo. 36-38–74
Caine Fitzgerald, Parker, Colo. 37-38–75
Christopher Good, Denver, Colo. 36-39–75
Jeff Chapman, Centennial, Colo. 39-36–75
Jimmy Makloski, Pueblo, Colo. 35-40–75
Coby Welch, Highlands Ranch, Colo. 38-37–75
Braden Bentley, Colorado Springs, Colo. 36-40–76
James Kackley, Denver, Colo. 37-39–76
George Markham, Phoenix, Ariz. 36-40–76
Luke Trujillo, Colorado Springs, Colo. 37-39–76
Alex Kephart, Colorado Springs, Colo. 39-37–76
Owen Pasvogel, Colorado Springs, Colo. 39-37–76
Will Matthews, Centennial, Colo. 38-39–77
Jordan Totten, Cayman Islands 38-39–77
Graham Cliff, Parker, Colo. 39-38–77
Luke Travins, Colorado Springs, Colo. 35-42–77
Chase Wilson, Colorado Springs, Colo. 40-38–78
Calum White, Centennial, Colo. 39-39–78
Kurtis Lucas, Colorado Springs, Colo. 41-37–78
Sam Nichamin, Avon, Colo. 41-37–78
Kyle Rademacher, Hobe Sound, Fla. 43-35–78
Clint Miller, Lone Tree, Colo. 43-36–79
Barry O’Neill, Loveland, Colo. 41-38–79
Kaleb Nichols, Peyton, Colo. 42-37–79
James Sorenson, Bloomington, Minn. 37-42–79
Douglas Wherry, Lakewood, Colo. 42-37–79
Chris Hyten, Castle Rock, Colo. 40-39–79
David Delich, Colorado Springs, Colo. 42-37–79
Nick Leibold, Littleton, Colo. 41-39–80
Mike Kerrigan, Castle Rock, Colo. 39-41–80
Eric Bradley, Eagle, Colo. 42-38–80
Nick Miller, Centennial, Colo. 38-42–80
Kevin Chan, Colorado Springs, Colo. 38-42–80
Robert Wyatt, Colorado Springs, Colo. 41-39–80
Garrett Froggatte, Colorado Springs, Colo. 43-38–81
Brett Willis, Denver, Colo. 39-42–81
Nick Zinanti, Pueblo, Colo. 40-41–81
Daniel Augustine, Castle Pines, Colo. 41-40–81
Harrison Murphy, McKinney, Texas 41-40–81
Marshall Clark, Denver, Colo. 35-46–81
Austin Hardman, Highlands Ranch, Colo. 38-43–81
Tanner Comes, Spokane, Wash. 40-41–81
Marc Hudson, Aurora, Colo. 42-40–82
Mike Swan, Crested Butte, Colo. 41-41–82
David Leede, Greenwood Village, Colo. 46-36–82
Arik Roberts, Colorado Springs, Colo. 40-42–82
Justin Mortensen, Salt Lake City, Utah 43-39–82
Conrad Smith, Golden, Colo. 39-43–82
Justin Snyder, Colorado Springs, Colo. 38-44–82
Troy Berglund, USAF Academy, Colo. 41-42–83
Chris Winter, Colorado Springs, Colo. 41-43–84
Austin Burgess, Colorado Springs, Colo. 42-42–84
Hayden Fry, Colorado Springs, Colo. 39-45–84
Mark Zbrzeznj, Edwards, Colo. 41-43–84
Chadd Vasquez, Colorado Springs, Colo. 43-42–85
Marcus Drange, Billings, Mont. 44-42–86
Devyn Solano, Aurora, Colo. 46-40–86
Marc Renjard, Colorado Springs, Colo. 43-43–86
Derek Williams, Colorado Springs, Colo. 46-40–86
Riche Moore, Aurora, Colo. 42-45–87
Jake Saliba, Colorado Springs, Colo. 41-47–88
Phil McCarthy, Denver, Colo. 46-43–89
Andrew McCormick, Denver, Colo. 44-47–91
Heikke Nielsen, Louisville, Colo. 42-51–93
Brian Harris, Woodland Park, Colo. NC
Cody Eberl, Lakewood, Colo. NS
 

Three Local Qualifying tournaments will be held again this year in Colorado: Monday (May 9) at The Heritage at Westmoor in Westminster, May 15 at the East Course at The Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado Springs, and May 17 at Collindale Golf Course in Fort Collins. Collindale is serving as a Local Qualifying site for the 13th consecutive year.

At each Colorado venue, about 84 competitors will vie for five spots in the 36-hole Sectional Qualifying, set for June 6 at 10 sites in the U.S. From there, the top finishers will advance to the Open itself.

In all, 111 U.S. Open Local Qualifiers will be held. A total of 9,877 entries were sent in for this year’s championship.

At the Colorado sites, previous U.S. Open competitors in the field include Leif Olson and Jason Preeo (Heritage at Westmoor) and Derek Tolan, Steve Irwin, Nick Mason and Wil Collins (all at The Broadmoor).

Among those entered in Colorado who advanced to Sectionals last year were Nathaniel Goddard, Greg Johnson, Michael Schoolcraft, Jim Knous, Cameron Harrell and Andrew Romano (all at Heritage at Westmoor this year); Tolan, Eric Bradley and Jake Staiano (all at The Broadmoor this year); and Parker Edens (Collindale this year).

For tee times, click on the following: Heritage at Westmoor, The Broadmoor, Collindale.
 

But R.W. Eaks (pictured) isn’t your typical 60-year-old golfer.

Despite his age, the former longtime Colorado Springs resident could very well be in the hunt at the 48th Colorado Open, which runs Thursday through Sunday at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver.

Eaks, in the field after winning the 2011 HealthOne Colorado Senior Open at GVR, has the most impressive golf resume of anyone competing in the Colorado Open this week.

The former University of Northern Colorado athlete owns four victories on the Champions Tour — all coming in 2007 and 2008 — and three more on what is now known as the Web.com Tour.

Eaks still plays occasionally on the Champions circuit — three times this year so far and once in 2011 — but he has very limited status. That’s why he played in the Colorado Senior Open last year. And even though he spent much of his life in Colorado, his six-stroke victory in the senior tournament marked his first professional win in the Centennial State.

The set-up for the Senior Open at Green Valley Ranch isn’t what it is for the Colorado Open, but Eaks’ record 15-under-par performance over three rounds proved he certainly could be a contender this week. Because of longtime back problems, Eaks will be allowed to ride in a cart at GVR.

Meanwhile, a prominent player who missed last year’s Colorado Open is back in the field this year. Coloradan Derek Tolan, who won the Open in 2009 and was a regular participant for a decade, skipped last year’s event because he played in a conflicting tournament on the Web.com Tour.

In all, nine former Colorado Open champions are expected to play this week, including defending champ Ben Portie and former PGA Tour player Wil Collins.

The winner this week will receive an exemption in the Canadian Tour’s Great Waterway Classic in Ontario Sept. 6-9, along with the Texas State Open.

Colorado Open: All the Essentials

What: 48th annual HealthOne Colorado Open.

When: Thursday through Sunday (July 26-29).

Where: Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver (4900 Himalaya Road).

Prize Money: $125,000, with $23,000 going to the low professional.

Field Size: 156 players, with a cut to the low 60 and ties after 36 holes.

Defending Champion: Ben Portie.

Other Former Champions in Field: Nathan Lashley (2010), Derek Tolan (2009), John Douma (2007), Dustin White (2006), Wil Collins (2005), Scott Petersen (2000), Mike Zaremba (1995), Jim Blair (1983 and 1987).

Attendance: Free.

The Albuquerque resident not only won the 2005 HealthOne Colorado Open, but he’s twice been medalist in U.S. Open Local Qualifying at Walking Stick Golf Course in Pueblo.

Five years ago, he shot a 64 and won the qualifier by four strokes. And on Monday, he overcame the cold and rain to fire a 4-under-par 67 and prevail by two.

“It feels good,” the former PGA Tour player said. “I haven’t had many good things happen in quite some time, but I’ve had some success at Walking Stick. It’s a good golf course for me. You don’t have to be extremely long, and I’ve played it quite a few times. I played some junior events there and the Southern Colorado Amateur there. It’s a good place to come.

“I’m thrilled. I have my sights set on going to the Olympic Club” in San Francisco, site of the U.S. Open June 14-17.

Collins made seven birdies on Monday — one on a chip-in — to be one of five players who advanced in the two-stage qualifying process. Also moving on out of the 82-man field were Michael Baird, James Love and Nick Mason, all from Denver, and Bradley Besler of Blessing, Texas.

Baird, a former University of Colorado golfer, carded a 69, while the other three recorded 70s.

The top five finishers earned spots in the 36-hole Sectionals, the final stage of Open qualifying. They’ll play at one of 13 Sectional tournaments held worldwide, most of which will be contested June 4.

The five players who tied at 70 on Monday had to play off for the final three Sectional berths. Love, a former University of Denver golfer who now has a Nationwide Tour card, and Mason, the 2010 Utah Open champion, joined Besler in parring all three playoff holes to advance. Dustin White, who grew up in Pueblo, bogeyed the second extra hole and Keenan Holt of Durango bogeyed the third to finish as the second and first alternates, respectively.

Collins, 33, who played on the PGA Tour in 2009, missed the cut in the U.S. Open in 2005, the same year he won the Colorado Open.

Baird made five birdies and three bogeys on Monday to join Collins as the only players to break 70 on a day that featured temperatures in the 40s and a light rain on and off.

“It felt good” to make it, said Baird, a 27-year-old who has been playing the Golfweek National Pro Tour this year. “I didn’t have my best stuff, and to still get through is encouraging.

“It was mainly just the cold that was hard to get used to. I was hitting a lot of long irons into par-4s, so it was kind of a grind.”

Baird will be going to Sectionals for the second time, though he’s never played in a U.S. Open.

Steve Irwin, son of three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin, fell short in his bid to qualify for two consecutive U.S. Opens as he shot a 77. Also missing out was Tom Glissmeyer, who qualified for the U.S. Open as a 16-year-old in 2003. He posted an even-par 71 at Walking Stick.

Monday marked the first of three U.S. Open Local Qualifying tournaments scheduled in Colorado. Others will be held May 14 at two other sites, the Heritage at Westmoor in Westminster and Collindale Golf Club in Fort Collins. The top five finishers at each course will advance to Sectional Qualifying.

All told, 9,006 entries were accepted for this year’s U.S. Open.
 

U.S. Open Local Qualifying
At Par-71 Walking Stick GC in Pueblo

ADVANCE TO SECTIONAL QUALIFYING
Wil Collins, Albuquerque, N.M., 33-34–67
Michael Baird, Denver, Colo., 35-34–69
James Love, Denver, Colo., 37-33–70
Bradley Besler, Blessing, Texas, 35-35–70
Nicholas Mason, Denver, Colo., 36-34–70

ALTERNATES (in order)
Keenan Holt, Durango, Colo., 34-36–70
Dustin White, Pueblo, Colo., 34-36–70

FAILED TO QUALIFY
Tom Glissmeyer, Colorado Springs, Colo., 35-36–71
Luke Hickmott, Saratoga, Calif., 35-36–71
Steve Ziegler, Westminster, Colo., 34-37–71
Michael Harrington, Colorado Springs, Colo., 37-35–72
Chris Smith, Denver, Colo., 38-35–73
David Simpson, Englewood, Colo., 34-39–73
Jesse Barnsley, Albuquerque, N.M., 36-37–73
Andrew Connell, Denver, Colo., 35-38–73
Steve Saunders, Albuquerque, N.M., 37-36–73
Zenon Brown, Arvada, Colo., 37-37–74
Jared Butler, Thornton, Colo., 35-39–74
Tommy Carpenter, Centennial, Colo., 36-38–74
Jimmy Makloski, Pueblo, Colo., 37-37–74
Tim Wohlgemuth, Denver, Colo., 36-38–74
Connor Klein, Lone Tree, Colo., 38-37–75
Cody Eberl, Indio, Calif., 37-38–75
Kyle Burns, Denver, Colo., 37-38–75
Walker Frey, Garden City, Kan., 37-38–75
Keith Humerickhouse, Gypsum, Colo., 36-39–75
Matthew Marino, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 37-38–75
Zechariah Potter, Wichita, Kan., 36-39–75
Mike Troyer, Parker, Colo., 37-38–75
Benjamin Moore, Englewood, Colo., 39-36–75
Brian Morfeld, Littleton, Colo., 37-39–76
David Schroeder II, Colorado Springs, Colo., 40-36–76
Michael Fan, Pearl City, Hawaii, 38-38–76
Jeremy Berbert, Westminster, Colo., 40-36–76
William Squires, Pueblo West, Colo., 39-37–76
David Cosel, Monument, Colo., 39-37–76
Jason Schmidt, Aurora, Colo., 39-37–76
David Duarte, Pueblo, Colo., 38-39–77
Peter Norwood, Denver, Colo., 37-40–77
Chris Niemiec, Saint Charles, Ill., 38-39–77
Steven Irwin, Arvada, Colo., 39-38–77
Travis Wolf, Denver, Colo., 37-40–77
Sam Chapman, Parker, Colo., 37-41–78
Trey Fankhouser, Goodwell, Okla., 41-37–78
Charles Soule, Denver, Colo., 40-38–78
Andrew Romano, Littleton, Colo., 43-35–78
Zach Dunlap, Hugoton, Kan., 39-40–79
Carson Henry, Englewood, Colo., 39-40–79
Blake Young, Trinidad, Colo., 39-40–79
Garrett Froggatte, Colorado Springs, Colo., 34-45–79
Matthew Brookshier, Colorado Springs, Colo., 38-41–79
Alex Crall, Aurora, Colo., 42-37–79
Eric Hallberg, Castle Rock, Colo., 38-42–80
Corey Graham, San Jose, Calif., 40-40–80
Scott Brozena, Oakland, Calif., 37-43–80
Joshua Weeden, Englewood, Colo., 39-41–80
Ethan Freeman, Littleton, Colo., 40-40–80
Ben Gibson, Colorado Springs, Colo., 42-38–80
Charles Rider, Centennial, Colo., 36-45–81
Riley O’Neill, Monument, Colo., 37-44–81
Adam Jardon, Monte Vista, Colo., 41-40–81
Adam Joiner, Carbondale, Colo., 43-39–82
Danny Armstrong, Steamboat Springs, Colo., 43-39–82
James Sorenson, Mount Pleasant, Iowa, 41-41–82
Chris Weinstein, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 38-44–82
William Bernhardt, Canon City, Colo., 45-38–83
Graham McCoy, Colorado Springs, Colo., 41-42–83
Steven Anderson, Grand Junction, Colo., 41-43–84
Andrew Vance, Lakewood, Colo., 44-40–84
Cameron Connor, Boulder, Colo., 42-43–85
Ken Weiss, Centennial, Colo., 45-40–85
Matthew Unrein, Cortez, Colo., 43-42–85
Randy Urso, Aurora, Colo., 44-42–86
Brian Thomas, Aurora, Colo., 42-45–87
Nick Simmons, Greenwood Village, Colo., 40-48–88
Bradley Neher, Englewood, Colo., WD
David Delich, Colorado Springs, Colo., WD
Richard Lash, Dillon, Colo., WD
Brian Whitehouse, Garden City, Kan., NC
Jason Bandy, Glendale, Ariz., NS
John Luoma, Parker, Colo., WD
Justin Borzych, Castle Rock, Colo., NC