It wasn’t a good day to be a former champion at the 49th CGA Senior Match Play.
Six of the seven remaining past winners of the championship lost in either the round of 32 or the round of 16 on Tuesday at Buffalo Run Golf Course in Commerce City.
Bob Chandler of Overland Park Golf Course won twice on Tuesday and defeated defending champion Pat Bucci of West Woods Golf Club in 19 holes in the round of 16 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Three other former champions also fell in the round of 16 on Tuesday — three-time winner David Delich of The Broadmoor (4 and 2 to 2017 CGA Senior Amateur champion Steve Ivan of Patty Jewett Golf Course), 2010 champ Guy Mertz of The Fox Hill Club (in 20 holes to Robin Bradbury of Walnut Creek Golf Preserve) and 2009 winner Robert Polk of Colorado Golf Club (2 and 1 to Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kent Moore).
Past champions Ray Makloski of Pueblo Country Club and Jeff Oneth of Colorado Golf Club lost in Tuesday morning’s round of 32.
That makes Moore (pictured), the 2006 winner from Cherry Hills Country Club, as the only past champion to make the final eight.
Among those in the quarterfinals — in addition to Chandler, Ivan, Moore and Bradbury — are 2016 U.S. Senior Open qualifier John Hornbeck of Wyoming, Bill Irwin of Highlands Ranch Golf Club, Victor Minovich of Foothills Golf Course and 2017 CGA Senior Player of the Year Keith Atkins.
The Senior Match Play, limited to players 52 and older, will feature the quarterfinals and semifinals on Wednesday. The 18-hole championship match is set for next Thursday morning.
For results from Buffalo Run, CLICK HERE.
