Ron Vlosich has had an illustrious playing career. The PGA Life Member has competed in the US Open, five U.S. Senior Opens, the PGA Championship and two Senior PGA Championships. Here at the section level, Vlosich has won three Colorado PGA Professional championships consecutively between 1991 and 1993, but he had never won the biggest senior event in the Colorado Section. Tuesday, August 15, Vlosich checked that win off as he claimed the 2017 Colorado Senior PGA Professional Championship at Valley Country Club with a nine-under-par 135.

Vlosich opened the event with an unassuming three-under-par 69  with four birdies and just one bogey. That left him three shots behind overnight leaders Mike Northern and Bill Loeffler and in a tie with four other players in seventh place. Ahead of Vlosich was Mike Northern, the defending champion, Mike Zaremba, the 2005 champion, and Doug Rohrbaugh, the 2012 and 2013 champion. It was safe to say, he had his work cut out for him.

Playing in the second to last group, Vlosich had a flawless second round. The 60 year old from Lakewood, CO made six birdies, three on the front and three on the back and no bogeys to fire an impressive six-under-par 66.

“I guess I didn’t make any bogeys today,” Vlosich noted when asked about his round. “I just went about my business and didn’t even realize it.”

While Vlosich did all he could, there were a number of other players he had to wait out to claim his title. Northern started the day with a three shot lead on Vlosich and made a move of his own with back-to-back birdies at the 12th and 13th to get to nine-under-par. He however gave a shot back when he bogeyed the par-5 15th. Northern had chances coming in, including a 12 foot birdie putt at the last, but was unable to gain any more ground on Vlosich.

It was his putter than led Vlosich to victory on Tuesday. A day after striking the ball extremely well, he noted one big change between his two rounds. “I made a few putts today which was nice,” noted Vlosich of his round. “I hit it really close all day yesterday and didn’t make a single thing. All of my birdies were from inside a foot or two.”

While all 54 players were competing for the championship, they were also competing for six qualifying spots into the Senior PGA Professional Championship set for this coming September 28 thru October 1, 2017 at Desert Mountain Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ. Loeffler and Northern were already exempt into the event based on their previous finish, Northern finishing in the top-10 in 2016 and Loeffler having won the event in 2007. Joining Vlosich, Northern and Loeffler are; Don Hurter, PGA Director of Instruction at Castle Pines Golf Club; Michael Zaremba, PGA Director of Golf at Desert Hawk at Pueblo West; Bill Hancock, PGA Head Professional at Littleton Golf & Tennis Center; Barry Milstead, PGA Head Professional at Valley Country; Rick Cole, PGA Head Professional at Eaton Country Club.

Thank you to Valley Country Club and their members for hosting this event!