The top three finishers at September’s Colorado PGA Professional Championship matched 3-over-par rounds on Sunday to lead the Colorado contingent at the national PGA Professional Championship in Sunriver, Ore.
Tied at 3 over after round 1 were Geoff Keffer of Lakewood, the 2016 Colorado PGA Professional Champion; runner-up Mike Northern of Colorado Springs, who finished fourth in last year’s national Senior PGA Professional Championship; and Ari Papadopoulos of Eagle-Vail, who placed third in the Section tournament.
Keffer shot a 74 on Meadows Golf Course and Northern and Papadopoulos had 75s on Crosswater Club Course to share 129th place after round 1 of the 312-person tournament.
Both Keffer and Northern recorded two birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey on Sunday, while Papadopoulos made one birdie and four bogeys.
Arizonan Marty Jertson, winner of the 2001 CGA Amateur, is tied for 62nd place after opening with a 1-over-par 72.
Loren Personett of Nashville, Tenn., leads the way after shooting a 5-under-par 66 on Sunday, when he holed out from 161 yards for eagle on the par-4 12th hole.
The eight Coloradans competing earned spots in the field thanks to their finishes last September in the Colorado PGA Professional Championship at Cherry Creek Country Club.
The field will be cut to the low 90 players and ties after 36 holes and to the low 70 players and ties after 54 holes.
Play will conclude on Wednesday. The top 20 finishers will qualify for the PGA Championship, set for Aug. 10-13 in Charlotte, N.C.
Here are all the scores for players with significant Colorado connections:
62. Former CGA Amateur champion Marty Jertson, 72 (+1)
129. Geoff Keffer, Lakewood 74 (+3)
129. Mike Northern, Colorado Springs 75 (+3)
129. Ari Papadopoulos, Eagle-Vail 75 (+3)
155. Dale Smigelsky, Fort Collins 75 (+4)
243. Caine Fitzgerald, Parker 78 (+7)
243. Eric Bradley, Parker 78 (+7)
291. Joseph Carlton, Golden 81 (+10)
291. Kirk Trowbridge, Castle Rock 82 (+10)
For all the scores, CLICK HERE.
