Rudosky Secures Three-Peat of the Colorado PGA Professional Championship
2023 Colorado PGA Sends Nine to Frisco, Texas
Carbondale, Colo. - Mother nature saved its best for the last day, with abundant sunshine filling the Roaring Fork Valley throughout the day. It was a three-horse race as the final round began on Wednesday with Micah Rudosky, PGA Head Professional at Conquistador Golf Course at -8, Matt Schalk, PGA General Manager at Colorado National Golf Club at -6, and Ben Lanting, PGA Assistant Professional at Bear Creek Golf Club at -5. “I knew I had to play a good round of golf today. With those two chasing me, they weren’t going anywhere,” Rudosky stated.
Rudosky only managed one birdie and one bogey on his front nine, where he found himself one shot back of Schalk after his front nine of 3-under-par 33. Lanting was right on their heels after posting a 2-under-par front nine to find himself two off of Schalk’s lead. After pars on ten from Rudosky and Schalk, they birdied the par-five 11th to stay one shot apart. Schalk hit his drive on 12 into the native area, where he made a bogey, and after Rudosky’s par, he found himself back in the lead, dead even with Schalk with six to play.
After both players made pars on 13 and 14, the most challenging hole on the golf course came calling, the 475-yard par 4, 15th. Rudosky laid back off the tee, having 211 yards in for his second shot. A 6-iron safely to the middle of the green and two putts later, Rudosky had his par and retook the solo lead after Schalk made a bogey.
There was no break after the most challenging hole, as the 231-yard par 3, 16th was next. Rudosky stepped up and striped a 4-iron, “my best shot of the week,” Rudosky stated. Hitting the 4-iron to 15 feet and putting the pressure back on Schalk to have to answer. Schalk hit his tee shot to 25 feet and two-putted for a par. Rudoksy stepped up and rolled his birdie in to give him a two-shot lead with two holes to play.
On the 610-yard par 5, 17th, “I just wanted to put something in play,” Rudosky said. “It is a three-shot hole for me, and I hit an okay drive, good layup, and had 118 yards for my third.” Rudosky calmly finessed his wedge to 10 feet, where he holed the birdie putt to take a 3-shot lead into the 18th.
The par 4, 18th at River Valley Ranch is no cakewalk. Water left and out of bounds right makes the tee shot imperative, and finding the fairway very important. Rudosky pulled 3-wood and calmly striped it down the middle, leaving him 189 yards into the green. His 8-iron found the putting surface, and he could finally relax and realize he was about to win his 4th Colorado PGA Professional Championship and 3rd in a row. Two putts later and a par on the last, it was official: Rudosky was the 2023 Colorado PGA Professional Champion.
When asked what it means to join the likes of Doug Rohrbaugh, PGA, Ken Krieger, PGA, and Ron Vlosich, PGA, as the only players to win this championship three years in a row, Rudosky stated, “To be there with those three guys that have done it, great players, great people, that’s what I like.”
Rudosky was one of nine players who qualified for the 2024 PGA Professional Championship, to be played April 28 through May 1, 2024, at Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco in Frisco, Texas. The other eight who will join Rudosky in Texas are Ben Lanting, PGA (-9), Matt Schalk, PGA (-7), Geoff Keffer, PGA Assistant Professional at Lakewood Country Club (E), Tyler Parsloe, PGA Instructor at Jake’s Academy (+1), Bill Hancock, PGA Assistant Professional at Meadow Hills Golf Course (+2), Joe Carlton, PGA Head Professional at Legacy Ridge Golf Course (+2), Dan Sniffin, PGA Instructor at Omni Interlocken Golf Club (+3), and Caine Fitzgerald, PGA Head Professional at Meadow Hills Golf Course (+3).
The Colorado Section of the PGA would like to thank the national presenting partners Club Car/Colorado Golf & Turf, Corebridge Financial, and Rolex. We would also like to thank our supporting partners Titleist/FootJoy, Callaway, Nike Golf, TaylorMade, Golf Channel, the PGA Tour, True Temper, Strackaline, Sterling Cut Glass, 1st and 10th Tee Bars, and BioSteel for their support of this event.
River Valley Ranch's golf course was in phenomenal shape for all three days and received rave reviews from Colorado PGA Professionals. Head Golf Course Superintendent Chad Weber and his team did a fantastic job, and we could not be more appreciative of their efforts. Thank you to the Director of Golf, Steve VanDyke, PGA, and Head Golf Professional Remington Post, PGA, and their extraordinary professional team for their hard work and dedication to our championship.
Colorado PGA Professional Championship Qualifiers:
1. Micah Rudosky, PGA | Conquistador Golf Course | 67-69-69—-205 (-11)
2. Ben Lanting, PGA | Bear Creek Golf Club | 70-69-68—-207 (-9)
3. Matt Schalk, PGA | Colorado National Golf Club | 69-69-71—-209 (-7)
4. Geoff Keffer, PGA | Lakewood Country Club | 68-75-73—-216 (E)
5. Tyler Parsloe, PGA | Jake’s Academy | 74-74-69—-217 (+1)
T6. Bill Hancock, PGA | Meadow Hills Golf Course | 73-73-72—-218 (+2)
T6. Joe Carlton, PGA | Legacy Ridge Golf Course | 73-72-73—-218 (+2)
T8. Dan Sniffin, PGA | Omni Interlocken Golf Club | 73-72-74—-219 (+3)
T8. Caine Fitzgerald, PGA | Meadow Hills GC | 72-72-75—-219 (+3)
Alternates (In Order):
1st: Dan O’Shaughnessy, PGA | Springhill Golf Course | 70-77-73—-220 (+4)
2nd: Rob Grall, PGA | Colorado National Golf Club | 73-76-72—-221 (+5)
3rd: Dustin Miller, PGA | The Swing Bays | 74-72-75—-221 (+5)
4rd: Don Hurter, PGA | Denver Country Club | 72-75-74—-221 (+5)
5th: Blake Isakson, PGA | Jacoby Golf Course | 71-73-78—-222 (+6)
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