When it was noted Tuesday that the turnout was great for the first CGA Super-Senior Stroke Play Championship, competitor Scott Crone couldn’t resist chiming in.
“We may be old, but we ain’t dead,” he said with a laugh.
Besides that, the 60-and-over set proved it can still play some tournament golf.
And no one made the case better than Jerry Kidney of Overland Golf Course. The 64-year-old retired fireman shot the only sub-par round on Tuesday at CommonGround Golf Course and rallied to win the inaugural Super-Senior Stroke Play Championship.
Kidney fired a 1-under-par 70 to finish at even-par 142, which was good for a three-stroke victory in the event limited to players 60 and older.
Though Kidney’s name will be the first engraved onto the tournament’s trophy, he felt like he just continued his run of success after being the super-senior division champion in 2010 and 2011 at the CGA Senior Stroke Play. But this year, the 60-and-overs commanded a championship until themselves.
Asked if it was special to be the first champion of the event, Kidney said, “I never thought of it that way. To me, I won last year and the year before also.”
Actually, the Littleton resident (pictured putting on No. 18 Tuesday) didn’t just win the super-senior division last year, he won the overall title in the 2011 CGA Senior Stroke Play. And he prevailed by six strokes, to boot.
Tuesday’s victory wasn’t quite so lopsided, but Kidney’s three-birdie, two-bogey day was enough for him to finish three clear of runner-up Harry Johnson of Eagle Ranch Golf Course. Johnson, who posted a 145 total after closing with a 72 on Tuesday, finished second in a CGA championship for the third time in the last year. He was also runner-up in the 2011 CGA Mid-Amateur and the 2012 CGA Senior Stroke Play.
“You just try,” said Johnson, who couldn’t overcome a balky putter at CommonGround. “There are some really good players here. Just to be in that company and have a shot at it is fabulous. I do expect some things, but that’s a good result.”
Roger Gunderson of CommonGround and Bob Cloud of Bear Creek Golf Club shared third place at 147 after matching final-round 75s.
Bob Sims of Black Bear Golf Club, who led after round 1 with a 67, struggled to an 82 Tuesday and tied for ninth place at 149.
In the 70-and-older division, 70-year-old Jim Collins of the Country Club at Castle Pines won by four strokes after carding a 3-over-par 74 Tuesday for a 145 total. Mark Barlau of Lakota Canyon Ranch Golf Club finished second after closing with a 73.
Competitors in the 70-and-over division played the course 277 yards shorter than their younger cohorts, but it was nonetheless impressive that Collins was under par through the first 28 holes of the tournament.
As for Kidney, he was just happy to get back on the right track after missing the cut in his title defense at the 2012 CGA Senior Stroke Play and shooting an 85 in the USGA Senior Amateur qualifying.
“I’ve been playing so bad it felt great to finally play well, though the last five holes I kind of fell apart (going 2 over par),” Kidney said. “The scores I’ve been turning in have been awful. I don’t know what happened. But I hit the ball just terrific today — I was 3 under and it seemed easy — until about the last five holes. It just got cold and windy I guess.”
CGA Super-Senior Stroke Play Championship
At Par-71 CommonGround GC in Aurora
60-AND-OVER DIVISION
Jerry Kidney, Overland Park GC 72-70–142
Harry Johnson, Eagle Ranch GC 73-72–145
Bob Cloud, Bear Creek GC 72-75–147
Roger Gunderson, CommonGround GC 72-75–147
Patrick Mooney, Colorado GC 72-76–148
Pete Perry, South Suburban GC 75-73–148
Robert Bulthaup, Valley CC 76-72–148
Terry Pettit, Collindale GC 73-75–148
Bob Sims, Black Bear GC 67-82–149
Jeffrey English, AvidGolfer Passport Club 76-73–149
John Vanderbloemen, Haymaker GC 70-79–149
Rod Walters, Indian Tree GC 76-73–149
Scott Crone, Pinehurst CC 74-75–149
Tim Daniel, Eaton CC 78-71–149
Tom Warren, CommonGround GC 74-75–149
Glenn Hyde, Riverdale GC 75-75–150
Jeffrey Wagner, Fox Hollow GC 72-78–150
Dan Grigsby, Riverdale GC 80-71–151
Randy Miller, Boulder CC 77-74–151
William Scott Peterson, Patty Jewett GC 74-77–151
Bill Weinman, Canongate Colorado 73-79–152
Chuck Fisher, Riverdale GC 78-74–152
Dan Birnley, Conquistador GC 76-76–152
Dave Roylance, CommonGround GC 75-77–152
John Sostmann, Columbine CC 79-73–152
Richard Griggs, Desert Hawk GC 78-74–152
Bob Rognmoe, Raccoon Creek GC 74-79–153
John Leamon, Littleton GC 73-80–153
Richard Barg, Aurora Hills GC 74-79–153
Michael Clark, Flatirons GC 79-75–154
Doug Jones, Tiara Rado GC 77-78–155
Frank Wilkinson, Lincoln Park GC 76-79–155
Tony Tormey, Inverness GC 79-76–155
Bruce Hayes, Heritage at Westmoor 79-77–156
Steven Hill, CommonGround GC 79-77–156
Ken Tai, Perry Park CC 75-82–157
Larry Pate, Fox Hollow GC 78-79–157
Art Pitman, Denver Amateur Golf Tour 78-80–158
Daniel Dymerski, Columbine CC 81-77–158
Terry Hymans, Canongate Colorado 82-76–158
Tom Keltner, Raven at Three Peaks 80-78–158
Charlie Ogren, Collindale GC 78-81–159
Gary Custer, Patty Jewett GC 81-79–160
Marc Sims, Eisenhower GC 83-77–160
Danny Wyrick, AvidGolfer Passport Club 78-83–161
Fred Blanchfield, Spring Valley GC 79-83–162
Styles Adamson, CommonGround GC 78-84–162
Gary Keogh, Columbine CC 84-79–163
John Livingston, AvidGolfer Passport Club 86-78–164
Chet Baker, The Meadows GC 80-85–165
Michael Straud, The GC at Heather Ridge 83-82–165
John Warkentin, Inverness GC 82-84–166
Nick Lusero, Walking Stick GC 83-83–166
Rich Trout, The Club at Rolling Hills 87-80–167
Bernie Mares, City Park GC 84-92–176
David Farabaugh, Broadlands GC 79-DQ
70-AND-OVER DIVISION
Jim Collins, The CC at Castle Pines 71-74–145
Mark Barlau, Lakota Canyon Ranch GC 76-73–149
John Litvay, Collegiate Peaks GC 74-77–151
Joe Morrill, Eagle Ranch GC 77-75–152
Dave Lawson, The Courses at Hyland Hills 77-77–154
Larry Hayes, The Courses at Hyland Hills 79-75–154
Frank Wagner, Coal Creek GC 77-78–155
John South, Fox Hill CC 79-76–155
Larry Brown, Lakewood CC 77-80–157
Bill Bogdanoff, South Suburban GC 77-81–158
Allen Phelon, South Suburban GC 85-74–159
Dick Schmaltz, Elmwood GC 81-78–159
Richard Langston, Broken Tee Englewood 81-78–159
David Gross, Flatirons GC 81-81–162
Jon Burnett, River Valley Ranch GC 81-84–165
Dave Shaub, Desert Hawk GC 85-84–169
Matt Quinn, Estes Park GC 89-84–173
Bob Brown, Desert Hawk GC 83-93–176
John Carroll, GC at Bear Dance 93-91–184
Isaiah Knott, Black Canyon GC 98-113–211
Jim Mcveigh, Patty Jewett GC 102-WD
John Golden, CommonGround GC 78-WD
