Dale Smigelsky of Fort Collins finished Tuesday’s third round of the national PGA Professional Championship just about where he started it, and he remained well within striking distance of landing a berth in the 2017 PGA Championship.
Smigelsky (pictured), the PGA director of golf at Collindale Golf Course, fired a 1-over-par 73 in Sunriver, Ore., putting him in 34th place heading into Wednesday’s final round. A three-birdie, four-bogey day left him at 2-over-par 217 overall, nine strokes behind leader Rod Perry of Port Orange, Fla., who posted a 70 on Tuesday.
The top 20 finishers on Wednesday will earn spots in the PGA Championship — set for Aug. 10-13 in Charlotte, N.C. — and as of the close of play on Tuesday, the competitors at even-par 215 would be playing off for PGA Championship berths.
If Smigelsky can rally to earn one of those 20 spots, he’d have berths in both the U.S. Senior Open and the PGA Championships in the summer of 2017.
Meanwhile, the other Coloradan who made the 36-hole cut, Ari Papadopoulos of Eagle-Vail, fell just short of surviving the 54-hole cut to the low 70 players and ties. Papadopoulos finished 72nd at 221 after a third-round 74 that featured an 18th-hole bogey.
Arizonan Marty Jertson, winner of the 2001 CGA Amateur, made the 54-hole cut on the number as a 74 left him at 220 and in a tie for 62nd place.
Here are all the scores for players with significant Colorado connections who competed in the 312-man tournament:
34. Dale Smigelsky, Fort Collins 75-69-73–217
62. Former CGA Amateur champion Marty Jertson, 72-74-74–220
Missed 54-Hole Cut
72. Ari Papadopoulos, Eagle-Vail 75-72-74–221
Missed 36-Hole Cut
190. Geoff Keffer, Lakewood 74-78–152
209. Caine Fitzgerald, Parker 78-75–153
226. Mike Northern, Colorado Springs 75-79–154
226. Eric Bradley, Parker 78-76–154
240. Kirk Trowbridge, Castle Rock 82-73–155
250. Joseph Carlton, Golden 81-75–156
For all of the scores from the PGA Professional Championship, CLICK HERE.