It took a while — six decades to be precise — but Gary Albrecht of Denver and Robin Bradbury of Superior scored USGA breakthroughs on Thursday.
The two Coloradans, both now 60 years old, had never had the good fortune of qualifying for a USGA championship before. But they crossed that off their bucket lists at Fox Hollow Golf Course by punching their tickets to the U.S. Senior Amateur.
“One of my goals has been to get to a USGA event, so it’s a big deal for me,” Bradbury said. “It took 60 years to get here … but better late than never. I’m very excited about it.”
Said Albrecht: “It’s amazing, awesome. I’ve never qualified for an event like this.”
In fact, both went so far as to call what they did Thursday the top golf accomplishment of their lifetimes.
“Without question,” said Albrecht, who competed in a national long-drive competition at the 1982 PGA Championship.
“Clearly,” added Bradbury (left), who posted top-four finishes in both the CGA Senior Match Play and Senior Amateur in 2015.
Albrecht and Bradbury joined John Hornbeck of Saratoga, Wyo., in earning the three available U.S. Senior Amateur spots from Thursday’s qualifying tournament. (The qualifiers are pictured above, from left: Hornbeck, Albrecht and Bradbury.)
On a day when no one in the starting field of 55 matched or broke par, Albrecht, Bradbury and Hornbeck shared medalist honors at 1-over-par 72 with Jim Reynolds of Denver.
Then after Bradbury and Hornbeck secured the first two national berths with pars on the second hole of a playoff, Albrecht rebounded from a double bogey on extra hole No. 2 to earn the final Senior Am spot with a routine par. Reynolds, who survived a double bogey on the second playoff hole after losing his tee shot in a hazard, three-putted for bogey from 70 feet on the third extra hole to end up the odd man out in the four-person playoff. His 8-foot par putt just slipped by the right edge of the cup.
“I thought he made his putt.” said Albrecht. “I was fortunate.”
That means Albrecht, Bradbury and Hornbeck, 58, will be headed in mid-September to Old Warson Country Club in St. Louis, where the U.S. Senior Am will be played Sept. 17-22.
This marks the second time this summer that Hornbeck has qualified in Colorado — via a playoff — for a USGA championship. He played in the U.S. Senior Open last week, missing the cut. Thanks to bouncing back from a bogey-bogey start on Thursday, this year will mark his second U.S. Senior Amateur and his eighth USGA championship overall.
“I’m getting tired of having to keep playing in them,” Hornbeck (left) said of playoffs in Colorado-based qualifiers. “But this is really special” to advance to two USGA championships in the same year. “The Senior Open was fantastic. I wasn’t even nervous or anything playing around with those (PGA Tour Champions) guys.”
Albrecht, who serves on the CGA board of governors and plays much of his golf at Ballyneal and CGA-owned CommonGround, went 2 under par for his last 10 holes of regulation on Thursday.
Bradbury, meanwhile, needed just 22 putts in regulation, then one-putted the second playoff hole for par after a poor drive.
“All that really means is I missed a lot of greens,” he said of his 22-putt round. “Like (on the second extra hole), a one-putt. That’s what I was doing all day today. Twenty-two putts is pretty crazy, but whatever it takes.”
The U.S. Senior Amateur is limited to players 55 and older.
U.S. Senior Amateur Qualifying
At Par-71 Fox Hollow GC (Canyon/Meadow) in Lakewood
QUALIFIED FOR U.S. SENIOR AM
John Hornbeck, Saratoga, Wyo. 36-36–72
Gary Albrecht, Denver, Colo. 38-34–72
Robin Bradbury, Superior, Colo. 36-36–72
ALTERNATES (IN ORDER)
Jim Reynolds, Denver, Colo. 35-37–72
Mark Barkley, Highlands Ranch, Colo. 34-39–73
DID NOT QUALIFY
Jake Jacobson, Castle Rock, Colo. 37-36–73
Robert Polk, Parker, Colo. 34-39–73
Harry Johnson, Edwards, Colo. 37-36–73
Guy Mertz, Longmont, Colo. 39-34–73
Charlie Post, Castle Rock, Colo. 37-36–73
Paul Edwards, Parker, Colo. 38-36–74
Kent Moore, Cherry Hills Village, Colo. 38-36–74
Ken Sady, Avon, Colo. 37-37–74
Jeffrey Page, Natick, Mass. 36-38–74
Pat Bowe, Denver, Colo. 38-37–75
Jerry Morgan, Amarillo, Texas 38-37–75
Mark Franz, Aurora, Colo. 38-37–75
Matt Hall, Grand Junction, Colo. 41-34–75
Sean Forey, Morrison, Colo. 38-38–76
Michael Larson, Boulder, Colo. 39-37–76
Laird Middleton, Centennial, Colo. 39-37–76
Kary Kaltenbacher, Englewood, Colo. 39-37–76
Rick George, Greenwood Village, Colo. 42-35–77
James English, Boulder, Colo. 40-37–77
Jim Lemar, Littleton, Colo. 38-39–77
Mark Breese, Lafayette, Colo. 37-40–77
Brian Harris, Denver, Colo. 37-40–77
Bill Bolgar, Parker, Colo. 42-36–78
David Brown, Highlands Ranch, Colo. 42-36–78
Bob Schuler, Denver, Colo. 42-36–78
Bruce Hayes, Golden, Colo. 39-39–78
Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction, Colo. 40-38–78
Grant Porter, Castle Pines, Colo. 36-42–78
Robert Cloud, Denver, Colo. 39-40–79
David Merritt, Castle Pines, Colo. 40-40–80
John Sostman, Denver, Colo. 38-42–80
Tim McAdam, Scottsdale, Ariz. 39-41–80
Randy Dolan, Englewood, Colo. 42-38–80
Jerry Lehrman, St. Louis Park, Minn. 44-37–81
Wes Heusel, Pueblo, Colo. 41-41–82
Thomas Grawe, Pine, Colo. 44-38–82
Pat Bucci, Littleton, Colo. 44-39–83
Greg Thiesen, Erie, Colo. 39-44–83
David Delich, Colorado Springs, Colo. 44-39–83
Jeff Reich, Chandler, Ariz. 42-41–83
Butch Carlson, Boulder, Colo. 40-43–83
Chris Pennels, Highlands Ranch, Colo. 40-43–83
Steve Cribari, La Quinta, Calif. 42-42–84
Stephen Barlow, Cherry Hills, Colo. 42-42–84
Randy Miller, Boulder, Colo. 44-45–89
Louis Gerig, Glenwood Springs, Colo. 49-41–90
Danny Wyrick, Arvada, Colo. 47-44–91
Gary Stark, Denver, Colo. 48-43–91
William Farmer, Dallas, Texas NS
John Olive, Colorado Springs, Colo. WD
David Derks, Arvada, Colo. WD
