The big question at the Colorado Open this year is, can local veteran pro Bill Loeffler start keeping company with the legendary Dave Hill?
Can Loeffler, the defending champion, win a fourth Colorado Open to move alongside the most colorful touring pro in Colorado history as co-holder of the tournament record for victories?
The answer: maybe.
All he likely has to do is duplicate the performance he had at Green Valley Ranch last year. He shot a closing- round 69 for an 11-under-par 277, good enough to get into a playoff, which he won on the first hole over veteran Nebraska pro Jeff Klein.
With championships at Hiwan in 1991 and Inverness in 1993, that gave Loeffler three championships on three courses. Hill won all four of his at Hiwan, in 1971, 1976, 1977 and 1981.
“Well, I certainly didn’t expect to win last year, just because I hadn’t for years and years,” Loeffler said. “But you know, usually the number is right around 10-under. I was 11-under last year.”
Loeffler is among 156 golfers who’ll be looking for a magic number when competition in the 72-hole tournament begins at 7 a.m. today. He’ll be playing the first two rounds with past champions Brett Wayment (2001) of Logan, Utah, and Brian Guetz of Scottsdale, Ariz., who won as an amateur in 1994. Other past champions in the field include Bill Riddle (1999) of Phoenix, Mike Zaremba (1995) of Pueblo and Chris Endress (1989) of Glendale, Ariz.
They’ll be competing for $125,000 in prize money ($22,500 to the winner) and an exemption in The International at Castle Pines next week.
For Loeffler, the director of golf for the Highlands Ranch Golf Courses and a member at Castle Pines, getting that first exemption last year was nice.
“But I think a bigger part for me was I hadn’t won it since 1993. So for an old guy (47) to come in and beat a bunch of young guys meant a lot,” he said. “It helped me get through the rest of the season. I won the Colorado Section PGA Championship a few weeks after that. It put me in good frame of mind that I could still compete at a pretty high level.”
If Loeffler can’t defend his title, there’s one player he wouldn’t mind passing the trophy to – Matt Zions, a former University of Colorado player from Australia who won the Denver Open on Sunday.
“He’s a terrific player,” Loeffler said. “He caddies at Castle Pines, so if he were to win the Colorado Open, he’d go from caddie in The International to player in one week, and I think he’d do very well. He’s got the length to play Castle Pines with the big boys, and he knows the course extremely well.”
Zions, one of the first-round leaders at the Colorado Open a year ago, was happy to hear that.
“That’s very kind,” he said. “It would be kind of a neat story. I really believe my game is good enough right now, and last week made me feel like that. If I can stay out of my own way, I’d love for that to happen. I know Castle Pines like the back of my hand.
“It would be a dream come true, no doubt about it. I think I could do really well in The International, but the first thing you have to do is win the Colorado Open. One step at a time. That’s my new frame of mind these days, and it seems to be working.”
Joseph Sanchez can be reached at 303-820-5458 or jsanchez@denverpost.com.
