It’s more a testament to John Olive’s lifelong accomplishments as a tournament player — rather than any lapse in memory — that he can’t precisely remember the number of USGA championships he’s competed in, or all the CGA titles he’s won.
After all, when the part-time Colorado Springs resident earned medalist honors Monday in USGA Senior Amateur Sectional Qualifying at Heritage Todd Creek Golf Club, it marked roughly the 12th time Olive has landed a spot in a USGA championship.
In addition, he’s won at least 10 CGA individual titles, including the 1977 Stroke Play and nine senior championships, in addition to capturing the inaugural Colorado Senior Open. It’s little wonder why he’s in the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame.
Still, Monday’s achievement was pretty special given that Olive will turn 66 years old later this month, and he was competing against a field primarily made up of 50-somethings. (The Senior Amateur is limited to players 55 and older.) And he beat every one of them, plus all his fellow 60-somethings.
“It means more the older you get,” said Olive (pictured). “I’m 66 this month. It just feels really good to be still competitive. I still play pretty good at times, but not all the time. You appreciate the good that you can have where when you’re younger you take it for granted sometimes. Now you don’t take it for granted anymore. So it means a lot.”
Olive shot an even-par 72 to set the standard out of Monday’s field of 55 golfers. He was one of three players who landed berths in the USGA Senior Amateur, which will be contested Sept. 10-15 in Manakin-Sabot, Va.
Joining him at the national championship will be Rick George of Greenwood Village and Brian Harris of Rochester, N.Y., Bausch & Lomb’s chief financial officer, who still owns a home in Denver. George and Harris posted 1-over-par 73s.
Olive will be going to his third USGA Senior Amateur, while George and Harris qualified for their first USGA championship.
Olive has previously landed spots in a U.S. Amateur, a U.S. Senior Open, “six to eight” U.S. Mid-Amateurs, along with his two other USGA Senior Amateurs.
While fellow competitor Robert Polk of Parker playfully joked that “anybody that old ought not be able to qualify” when Olive had to hold his scorecard at arm’s-length to see the numbers clearly, Olive’s fellow players fully realize he has plenty of game as he approaches his 66th birthday. He’s already shot below his age a couple of times — “In another week (when he turns 66) it’s going to be easier,” he said with a laugh. “All I’ve got to do is try to stay upright.” — and two years ago he advanced to match play at the Senior Amateur. Then on Monday he battled back to shoot an even-par 72 after being 2 over par through six holes.
“There were a lot of times when I was probably the favorite that I didn’t (qualify) because you put a lot of pressure on yourself,” said Olive, who plays out of the Broadmoor Golf Club. “I’m sure there are some guys here who just know they’re plenty good enough to be medalist and who don’t do it. Sometimes, you don’t have any expectations and you come and play golf and somehow I think it works better. When I was younger sometimes you’re trying too hard. I’m thinking there’s a half-a-dozen guys here who I would guess day in and day out would really be better than me, but they’re trying too hard. So you never know.”
Olive used to be a hard-core tournament player, but his attitude has mellowed a bit over time.
“Now I’m a social golfer who occasionally plays a tournament,” he said. “And I’m happy to say that. It was tough to get to that point psychologically. It used to be, ‘I’m a tournament player. That social golf is sissy stuff.’ But I’m proud to say now that I’m a social golfer playing the white tees with lots of friends.”
Meanwhile, George and Harris are happy to get a chance to compete in a USGA championship for the first time.
George, a member of the CGA Board of Governors, birdied two of his last three holes Monday to qualify. But even with that, he was stunned that he had a chance at a national berth.
“I was surprised,” said the 59-year-old who plays out of Castle Pines Golf Club. “I thought I had missed enough birdie opportunities that I wasn’t going to make it. I missed a lot of chances and I thought that would come back to haunt me.”
But with some tough pin placements, no one in the field broke par, which left George a happy man.
“This will be a very special experience for me,” George said of playing in the USGA Senior Amateur.
Harris will just meet the age requirement for the Senior Amateur as he turns 55 between now and the start of the national tournament. On Monday, he qualified despite taking a double bogey on the 17th hole.
So when Harris said, “I just get in under the wire” regarding his age, he could have also been talking about qualifying with no room to spare.
Advancing to nationals “is fantastic,” he said. “It’s always a thrill to qualify for a USGA event. I’m more of a club golfer, but when the opportunity presents itself … My game has been a bit mixed to be honest, so it was nice to put a steady round together today.”
Harris was a resident of Denver until 2009, when he was named CFO of Bausch & Lomb and moved to the company’s worldwide headquarters in Rochester. The native of Scotland still keeps a home in Denver.
Polk and Rich Morrison of Marana, Ariz., will be the first and second alternates, respectively, from the Todd Creek USGA Senior Amateur qualifying site.
USGA Senior Amateur Sectional Qualifying
At Par-72 Heritage Todd Creek GC in Thornton
QUALIFIERS
John Olive, Colorado Springs, Colo., 37-35–72
Brian Harris, Rochester, N.Y., 37-36–73
Rick George, Greenwood Village, Colo., 38-35–73
ALTERNATES (in order)
Robert Polk, Parker, Colo., 36-38–74
Rich Morrison, Marana, Ariz., 39-35–74
FAILED TO QUALIFY
Van Lefferdink, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., 37-38–75
Steve Summers, Dallas, Texas, 37-38–75
Robert Cloud, Denver, Colo., 38-37–75
Gary Albrecht, Denver, Colo., 37-38–75
Jim Lemar, Littleton, Colo., 37-38–75
David Brown, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 39-36–75
Jim Pierce, Oro Valley, Ariz., 39-37–76
Stephen Bell, Denver, Colo., 39-37–76
Robin Bradbury, Louisville, Colo., 38-38–76
Jerry Kidney, Littleton, Colo., 37-39–76
Kelly Crone, Littleton, Colo., 42-35–77
Tom Turner, Fort Collins, Colo., 40-37–77
Doug Jones, Grand Junction, Colo., 39-38–77
Scott Radcliffe, Golden, Colo., 40-37–77
Mark Runyan, Centennial, Colo., 38-39–77
Jon Campbell, Casper, Wyo., 36-41–77
Kelly Cox, Midland, Texas, 43-35–78
Charlie Post, Castle Rock, Colo., 36-42–78
Jim Reynolds, Denver, Colo., 37-41–78
Larry Netherton, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 40-38–78
David Davis, Lakewood, Colo., 39-40–79
Bruce Hayes, Niwot, Colo., 42-37–79
Steve Ivy, Fort Collins, Colo., 38-41–79
Frank Wilkinson III, Grand Junction, Colo., 41-38–79
Jim English, Boulder, Colo., 38-41–79
Tom Keltner, Silverthorne, Colo., 41-38–79
John Sostmann, Littleton, Colo., 40-39–79
Kary Kaltenbacher, Englewood, Colo., 37-42–79
Roger Gunderson, Aurora, Colo., 41-38–79
Chris Pennels, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 39-41–80
David Merritt, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 39-41–80
Jack Clevenger, Castle Rock, Colo., 41-39–80
Randy Miller, Boulder, Colo., 39-42–81
Fredrick Steffers, Colorado Springs, Colo., 39-42–81
John Applegate, Littleton, Colo., 40-42–82
Jeff Wagner, Golden, Colo., 40-42–82
Tim McAdam, Edwards, Colo., 43-40–83
Tom Johnson, Tampa, Fla., 43-40–83
Laird Middleton, Centennial, Colo., 41-43–84
Don Berthiaume, Littleton, Colo., 45-40–85
Alan Diercks, Davie, Fla., 42-44–86
Danny Wyrick, Arvada, Colo., 43-43–86
Bob Berglund, Parker, Colo., 43-43–86
Michael Davis, Denver, Colo., 42-44–86
Dan Grigsby, Thornton, Colo., 41-45–86
Thomas Kundinger, Horseshoe Bay, Texas, 41-46–87
Robert Hallmark, McLean, Va., 47-41–88
Mark Barkley, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 45-45–90
Duwayne Lewis, Cheyenne, Wyo., NS
Gary Potter, Denver, Colo., WD
