Age is just a number to Ron Vlosich, PGA Life Member. At 62, Ron became the oldest person on record to claim the Colorado PGA Professional Championship on Wednesday, September 11. In doing so, he claimed the title for the fourth time and the first time since winning three in-a-row from 1991 through 1993.
“It means a lot,” noted Vlosich following the championship. “I don’t win that often anymore so it’s a real treat to be able to do it again.”
Vlosich entered the final round with a two-shot lead after posting rounds of 69-71. Vlosich opened the final round with three consecutive pars before a birdie at the par-4 fourth hole extended his lead to three shots. He followed that up with back-to-back bogeys opening the door for 2001 champion Micah Rudosky to make a charge. Rudosky, the PGA Head Professional at Conquistador Golf Course, posted two birdies to tie Vlosich at the turn.
Momentum quickly shifted back Vlosich’s way though as an errant tee shot on the par-4 10th hole led to a bogey for Rudosky and a “routine” birdie at the par-5 eleventh helped Vlosich open up a two-shot lead.
Vlosich maintained his lead throughout the back-nine. He ran into potential trouble though at the par-3 seventeenth as an wayward tee shot left him with a precarious lie up against the back lip of the bunker. He displayed incredible touch and left his second shot a foot from the hole and was able to tap-in his par putt to maintain his lead.
“I had to try and get cute and hit the hero shot,” Vlosich noted.
In winning, Vlosich became the third player ever to win the Colorado PGA Professional Championship on four occasions. He joins Jack Sommers, PGA and Fred Wampler, PGA in doing so.
“It’s a good crowd,” Vlosich noted when referring to Sommers and Wampler. “It’s nice to be listed in that company, for sure. Especially at my age; everything is just a bonus anymore.”
While everyone in the championship was vying for the title, they were also competing for eight qualifying spots into the 2020 PGA Professional Championship. Ironically, Vlosich was one of the players that were ineligible to advance based on his classification with the PGA of America.
Earning the qualifying spots based on the 54-hole results were Rudosky; Ben Honaman, PGA, Head Professional at Lakewood Country Club; Erik Billinger, PGA, University of Denver Men’s Golf Coach; Michael Zaremba, PGA, General Manager at Desert Hawk at Pueblo West; Seth Terpstra, PGA, Instructor at GOLFTEC – DTC; and Ryan Wroblewski, PGA, Assistant Professional at Cherry Hills CC. Three players finished tied for the last two qualifying positions. Doug Rohrbaugh, PGA, Instructor at Snowmass Club and Geoff Keffer, PGA, Assistant Professional at Lakewood CC were able to claim the last two places.
Vlosich claimed a first-place prize of $10,000, the first time ever that the prize money for first place reached that amount. He also earned the keys to a one-month lease to a Cadillac XT4, courtesy of John Elway Cadillac at Park Meadows.
Colorado PGA Professional Championship
Meridian Golf Club
September 9-11, 2019
| 1 | Ron Vlosich | Life Member | 69 | 71 | 72 | 212 | -4 |
| 2 | Micah Rudosky | Conquistador | 70 | 73 | 70 | 213 | -3 |
| T3 | Ben Honaman | Lakewood CC | 73 | 72 | 71 | 216 | E |
| Erik Billinger | University of Denver | 73 | 69 | 74 | 216 | E | |
| T5 | Michael Zaremba | Desert Hawk | 75 | 71 | 71 | 217 | +1 |
| Seth Terpstra | GolfTEC – DTC | 69 | 73 | 75 | 217 | +1 | |
| Ryan Wroblewski | Cherry Hills | 74 | 68 | 75 | 217 | +1 | |
| T8 | Doug Rohrbaugh | Anderson Ord | 72 | 76 | 70 | 218 | +2 |
| Geoff Keffer | Lakewood CC | 75 | 73 | 70 | 218 | +2 | |
| Sherry Andonian | Valley | 72 | 73 | 73 | 218 | +2 |