Ron Vlosich admits his golf game wasn’t really up to par, so to speak, in the early part of the season.
“In the (Colorado PGA) Section pro-am stuff, I was shooting like 75 all the time,” the golf professional from Lakewood said. “I told my buddy, ‘I think 75 is par now.'”
Fortunately for the Colorado Golf Hall of Famer, that changed about 10 days ago, just in time for Wednesday’s U.S. Senior Open qualifying tournament, an event in which he’s thrived over the last decade.
And sure enough, despite playing half of his round in very windy conditions at Lake Valley Golf Club in Niwot, Vlosich earned medalist honors out of a starting field of 63. That means the five-time Colorado PGA Player of the Year is headed to the U.S. Senior Open for the fifth time.
“It’s nice to go back,” the 59-year-old said. “You just wish your game was sharper to compete with all those (PGA Tour Champions) guys who are so good. But it’s always fun to go and chop it around. My game is not on that (tour) level, to be honest with you. But it’s encouraging to break par today.”
Vlosich (pictured above) shot a 1-under-par 69 on a day that went from calm to very windy to calm to windy again. He was joined in qualifying by amateur John Hornbeck of Saratoga, Wyo., who locked down the second and final national berth by posting an even-par 70 and prevailing in a playoff.
Hornbeck avoided Wednesday’s early afternoon winds as he was part of the first group off the tee in the morning. He played his final 10 holes in 3 under par, chipping in from 25 feet for eagle on No. 9.
But four other players — two-time U.S. Senior Open qualifier David Delich of Colorado Springs, Doug Wherry of Lakewood, Brian Harris of Denver and Matt Hall of Grand Junction — also posted 70s, so the five played off for the second spot into the U.S. Senior Open, which will be contested Aug. 11-14 at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio.
Hornbeck (left) rolled in an 18-foot birdie on the first extra hole and Harris matched him with a tap-in birdie, leaving them to vie for the lone remaining Senior Open spot. The other three contestants were relegated to playing for the second alternate position, which eventually went to Hall after four extra holes. Delich, the 2015 CGA Senior Player of the Year, also lost out in a playoff in last year’s U.S. Senior Open qualifier, but that time he later came off the alternate list to earn a spot in the national championship.
After both Hornbeck and Harris three-putted for bogey on the second playoff hole, Harris did so again from long range on the third extra hole. And when Hornbeck’s birdie putt on that hole finished 1 foot from the cup and he made par, he joined Vlosich as a qualifier, while Harris ended up first alternate.
“I wasn’t going to give it away twice,” Hornbeck said of avoiding a second three-putt in the playoff.
While it will be the 58-year-old Hornbeck’s first U.S. Senior Open, he’s previously qualified — in Colorado — for a U.S. Senior Amateur, in 2014.
“I got to play Augusta National in 2013. (Competing in the Senior Open) will be No. 2 on my bucket list,” Hornbeck said.
As for Vlosich, he was 3 under par through 10 holes on Wednesday, but gave a couple back on the back nine when the wind was howling at times. He avoided joining the big playoff at 70 by draining a 5-foot par putt on his 18th hole.
“The wind came up on 9 for us, and it was gusting pretty good,” Vlosich said. “I couldn’t get the ball close to the hole the last nine holes. It was tough conditions and some of the pins (were difficult). I was very happy to shoot under par. Anything under par for me is good.”
Vlosich, a former longtime director of golf at the now-defunct Green Gables Country Club, previously competed in the U.S. Senior Open in 2007, ’10, ’11 and ’14. He’s also played in a U.S. Open, a PGA Championship and two Senior PGA Championships.
While Vlosich and most of the field had to deal with formidable wind at least part of the day Wednesday, Hornbeck and Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kent Moore were first off the tee and signed their scorecard before the the gusting reared its head. Moore holed a 120-yard shot on the par-4 17th hole for eagle and shot 72.
“We were real fortunate to get done before that,” Hornbeck said of the wind. “We didn’t play our best but we played pretty good. We left a few out there because we had really nice conditions.”
But Hornbeck had to battle some adversity as he was 3 over after seven holes, but rallied to make the playoff. After Moore carded his eagle on the par-4 17th, Hornbeck made a 30-foot birdie.
“I said, ‘I make a birdie and can’t even get the tee,’ Hornbeck said with a laugh.
While this year’s U.S. Senior Open is in Ohio and next year’s is in Peabody, Mass., the 2018 championship will be contested in Colorado, June 28-July 1 that year at The Broadmoor Golf Club’s East Course in Colorado Springs.
U.S. Senior Open Qualifying
At Par-70 Lake Valley GC in Niwot
QUALIFIED FOR SENIOR OPEN
Ron Vlosich, Lakewood, Colo. 33-36–69
John Hornbeck, Saratoga, Wyo. 36-34–70
ALTERNATES (in order)
Brian Harris, Denver, Colo. 35-35–70
Matt Hall, Grand Junction, Colo. 34-36–70
DID NOT QUALIFY
Douglas Wherry, Lakewood, Colo. 34-36–70
David Delich, Colorado Springs, Colo. 37-33–70
Billy Tuten, Sugar Land, Texas 33-38–71
Kent Moore, Cherry Hills Village, Colo. 36-36–72
Rick Cole, Eaton, Colo. 37-35–72
Doug Rohrbaugh, Carbondale, Colo. 37-35–72
Guy Mertz, Longmont, Colo. 37-36–73
George Andrews III, Pueblo, Colo. 37-36–73
Gregg Jones, Colorado Springs, Colo. 36-37–73
Michael Larson, Longmont, Colo. 34-39–73
James Blair, St George, Utah 37-37–74
John Hull, Sheridan, Wyo. 36-38–74
Dale Smigelsky, Fort Collins, Colo. 39-35–74
Thomas Roos, Centennial, Colo. 39-35–74
Robert Polk, Parker, Colo. 39-35–74
Victor Minovich, Littleton, Colo. 34-40–74
Doug Perry, Fort Collins, Colo. 40-35–75
Rick Uhlir, Boulder, Colo. 36-39–75
Tom Krystyn, Denver, Colo. 36-39–75
Terry Lorenz, Littleton, Colo. 37-38–75
Richard Kelly, Golden, Colo. 37-39–76
Ray Makloski, Pueblo, Colo. 36-40–76
Patrick Reidy, Littleton, Colo. 37-39–76
Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction, Colo. 39-37–76
Robin Bradbury, Superior, Colo. 39-37–76
Andy Titterton, Parker, Colo. 35-42–77
Jeff Oneth, Greenwood Village, Colo. 38-39–77
Bill Hancock, Highlands Ranch, Colo. 40-37–77
Jeff Crosier, Aliso Viejo, Calif. 35-43–78
Jeff Slupe, Windsor, Colo. 37-41–78
Peter Sylvester, Oro Valley, Ariz. 39-39–78
Greg Parson, Littleton, Colo. 39-39–78
Shawn Wilcox, Denver, Colo. 39-39–78
Mike Rawles, Costa Mesa, Calif. 34-44–78
Mike Northern, Colorado Springs, Colo. 39-39–78
Dennis Cirbo, Littleton, Colo. 37-41–78
Jay Orris, Boulder, Colo. 39-39–78
James Sisneros, Colorado Springs, Colo. 39-40–79
Tom Nosewicz, Aurora, Colo. 38-41–79
John Ward, Denver, Colo. 40-39–79
Owen Ellis, Boulder, Colo. 39-40–79
Quentin Sasser, Salt Lake City, Utah 36-43–79
Thomas Walter, Parker, Colo. 41-38–79
Scott Peterson, Windsor, Colo. 44-36–80
Fred Ward, Willard, Utah 38-42–80
Marshall Clark, Denver, Colo. 40-40–80
Kevin Ott, Arvada, Colo. 38-44–82
Tom Carricato, Castle Rock, Colo. 42-40–82
Jeff Reich, Chandler, Ariz. 40-42–82
Keith Gockenbach, Erie, Colo. 42-40–82
Gary Sladek, Fort Collins, Colo. 42-41–83
Dean Sessions, Westminster, Colo. 40-43–83
Paul Boggini, El Dorado Hills, Calif. 42-42–84
Tom Krause, Centennial, Colo. 41-44–85
Michael Lovato, Colorado Springs, Colo. 47-43–90
Marty Mosher, Bastrop, Texas 48-44–92
Bobby Rennick, Cedaredge, Colo. WD
Todd Waldron, Winter Park, Colo. WD
Scott Hart, Aurora, Colo. WD
