Bill Loeffler found the final-round mojo he needed to win the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open last year, but he’ll need to summon up something similar — and possibly more — to earn another replica of the trophy that bears his image.
Last September, the professional from Castle Rock trailed the leaders by two strokes through 36 holes, but a final-round 66 gave him a five-shot victory. This time around, Loeffler sits four shots out of the lead going into the final day, and there are four other people he has to overtake as well.
Asked about his prospects for victory, Loeffler said, “I don’t want to say there’s no chance, because then why show up? But realistically it would take another good round like last year, or even better.”
Loeffler shot an even-par 72 on Thursday, leaving him at 2-under 142 through two days. He’s the only Coloradan in red figures after 36 holes.
Bob Niger (pictured) of El Dorado Hills, Calif., retained the lead at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club despite a double bogey on his 16th hole Thursday. The 50-year-old, who finished 20th in a Champions Tour event in July, stands at 6-under-par 138 after a second-round 71, giving him a two-stroke advantage going into Friday’s final round.
Ron Schroeder of Montgomery, Texas and Jim Kane of Edmond, Okla., share second place at 140. Schroeder matched the day’s best score — a 69 — while Kane had a 70.
Loeffler, a three-time winner of the Colorado Open, faced more challenging conditions than most of the leaders on Thursday, when the morning weather was chilly and breezy. The defending champion started his round when the temperature was just 50 degrees.
“It was tough playing this morning,” he said. “We had to hit a lot of different shots. On No. 1 yesterday, I hit a pitching wedge (approach shot). Today, I hit a 4-iron and it should have been a 3-iron. That’s how different it was — just blowing and cold.”
For the second straight day, the par-5 ninth hole was a downfall for Loeffler, who has posted four straight top-three finishes in the Senior Open. He bogeyed the hole on Wednesday, then made a double-bogey 7 there on Thursday.
As much ground as Loeffler has to make up Friday, it would have been an even bigger margin had Niger not made his double bogey on No. 16. It was the only blemish on the final 17 holes of the leader’s card. Niger said he misjudged the wind and hit his tee shot too close to the large trees that guard the right side of the hole. He hit a tree with his first approach and had to settle for a 6 on the par-4.
“I was trying to hit it to 150 (yards out) and I ended up 100 yards out; it was a 50-yard gaffe,” Niger said. “I was totally screwed. I couldn’t go left or right. Other than that hole, it was a pretty good round. I wasn’t in any trouble up to there.”
Niger turned pro for the second time in 2007 after being named the Northern California Golf Association (amateur) Player of the Year in both 2005 and 2006. He now plays golf full-time and he went to Champions Tour qualifying last spring, making it to the final stage. This year he’s been trying to Monday-qualify into Champions events, and he finished 20th at the Montreal Championship and 69th at the U.S. Senior Open, both earlier this summer.
This week’s Senior Open marks Niger’s first tournament in Colorado, and so far he’s liking the results.
“I haven’t got it quite dialed in yet (at altitude), but it’s OK,” he said. “I thought if I played well (this week) that I’d have a good chance.”
While Loeffler is the only Coloradan among the top nine players after two rounds, 2005 champion Mike Zaremba of Pueblo West still has an outside chance at the title despite following up his first-round 68 with a 76 on Thursday. Zaremba, who has placed sixth or better in all six of his Colorado Senior Opens, didn’t make a bogey in the first 24 holes of this week’s tournament, but then played his next eight holes in 5 over par.
The field was cut to 59 players — everyone who is 8 over or better for two days — after Thursday’s round. Among the prominent competitors who missed the cut were Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kent Moore (78-77–155) and former Bronco Glenn Hyde (82-78–160).
The lead threesome will tee off on Friday at 10:40 a.m. The winner will receive an $8,500 check.
ELWAY MAKES CUT, SHARES 27TH PLACE: John Elway accomplished the initial goal he set for his first Colorado Senior Open — making the 36-hole cut. In fact, the former Broncos quarterback was 1 under par through his first 25 holes before dropping five strokes in his next eight holes. Despite a 4-over-par 76 on Thursday — and a 4-over 148 total — Elway is just two strokes behind the low amateur, Sean Forey of Morrison (75-71–146).
“I’d like to be low amateur,” said Elway, who’s tied for 27th place overall. “Hopefully I can play well tomorrow and get it back down around par.”
Elway thought the cut was going to be 4 over par — instead of 8 over, which it turned out to be — and so he was happy that he grinded out three pars on his final holes.
“I thought I was right on the line,” he said. “It was kind of fun to be in that position.”
For the day, Elway finished with one birdie, three bogeys and a double bogey.
CHIP SHOTS: Gerry James of Ponte Vedra, Fla., who only got into the field on Monday, was 7 under par for the tournament at one point in his round on Thursday. But he was none too happy after taking a triple bogey on his 17th hole (No. 8). James finished with a 72 and a 3-under 141 total. “¦ Five-time PGA Tour winner Danny Edwards, a runner-up in the Senior Open last year, shot a 71 on Wednesday and is seven shots out of the lead. “¦ Two-time Colorado Open champion Jim Blair withdrew on Thursday morning, a day after shooting a first-round 77.
