COLORADO SPRINGS — From The Golden Bear to Mrs. 59 and beyond, The Broadmoor’s been a stage for historic golf moments.
It was here in 1959 that 19-year-old Jack Nicklaus had his national coming-out as he won the U.S. Amateur Championship, then considered a major, with a birdie on the final hole. And it was also at The Broadmoor in 1995 that Annika Sorenstam earned her first LPGA Tour win by claiming the U.S. Women’s Open by one stroke.
Both golf legends acknowledged the importance of those victories in their Hall of Fame careers. Nicklaus has called the shot to win the ’59 U.S. Amateur “probably the most important putt I ever made,” while Sorenstam has noted her victory at The Broadmoor “kick-started my career.”
If the past is any indication, perhaps there are more memorable moments coming this weekend.
Major championship golf returns to the Colorado Springs staple Thursday through Sunday with the 45th U.S. Senior Open Championship, the ninth United States Golf Association championship at the resort.
“All these years later, we’re still talking about Jack winning his first major here, as we are with Annika’s win,” said Russ Miller, The Broadmoor’s longtime director of golf. “At the time, nobody knew how great Jack was going to be, but in my mind, he’s the greatest champion ever.
“And Annika, now also regarded by many as the greatest female golfer ever, was a relative unknown in ’95. She qualified to make it in. She couldn’t really afford to come, so she had some people help her fly here, stay here, pay her bills. I don’t think anyone quite knew what she was capable of until she won here, too.”
Sweden's Annika Sorenstam shows off her trophy after winning the 50th U.S. Women's Open Golf Tournament at The Broadmoor Country Club in Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunday, July 16, 1995. (AP Poto/Ed Andrieski)The Broadmoor last hosted the U.S. Senior Open in 2018, when David Toms sank a 19-foot par putt on the final hole to secure a one-shot victory over three other golfers.
This year’s tournament, held at the club’s East Course, will be the third U.S. Senior Open — open to golfers aged 50 and over — held at The Broadmoor. The club is one of only seven to have hosted a U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Senior Open and U.S. Amateur.
In addition, The Broadmoor’s also hosted an array of other championships, including the NCAA Championship (five times from 1953 to ’69), the Western Amateur (1935 and ’41), the Women’s Western Open (1938), and the Trans-Mississippi Amateur (five times from 1927 to ’49).
Colorado legend Hale Irwin will serve as the honorary chairman for The Broadmoor’s latest championship showcase. The Boulder High School and CU alum won three U.S. Opens and then became an icon on the PGA Tour Champions, winning 45 times as the first senior player to surpass $20 million in earnings.
Hale Irwin is shown with his trophy after winning the U.S. Open Championship title at the Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., June 16, 1974. This is the 50-year anniversary of Irwin winning the famous "Massacre at Winged Foot." (AP Photo, file)“He was the first true, dominant force on the Champions Tour,” observed Ben Kimball, the USGA’s senior director of championships. “And yes, Bernhard Langer came along later and slowly and steadily rewrote the record book that Irwin set. But if you’re judging by sheer pioneering dominance, Mr. Irwin set the bar.”
Irwin grew up in the small town of Baxter Springs, Kansas, before moving to Boulder in eighth grade. He caddied in the mornings at Boulder County Club during his high school days. He made $2.75 caddying, then spent $2.25 of that on greens fees to play in the afternoon.
Those blue-collar beginnings helped push Irwin to the 1967 NCAA title with the CU Buffs and first-team all-Big Eight recognition as a defensive back in football. And they are part of the reason why he sees high value in bringing golf’s biggest events to Colorado.
The event is the third straight year a notable golf tournament has come to the state, following last summer’s BMW Championship at Castle Pines and the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills.
“For any host city or state, that story of local golf’s history, and its current growth, needs to be told,” Irwin explained. “And major championships like (the U.S. Senior Open) play a big part in reminding the next generation of that history and presenting a chance to see some of the world’s best up-close.”
This upcoming weekend’s tournament features a who’s who of the best senior golfers in the world, and past winners of all four majors.
The list of exemptions includes two-time U.S. Open champions Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Lee Janzen; Masters winners Langer, Angel Cabrera, Vijay Singh and Mike Weir; PGA Championship winners Davis Love III, Padraig Harrington and Toms; and The Open Championship winners Justin Leonard, Mark Calcavecchia and Stewart Cink.
Roughly 50% of the field comes from qualifying, including amateurs with a handicap not exceeding 2.4. Household names and anonymous club pros alike will be tested by the 107-year-old course, which will be set up at 7,264 yards and play to a par 70.
The course features narrow fairways and primary rough that will range from 3.5 to 5 inches during the tournament. Firm and fast greens will put a premium on accuracy and decision-making, especially when factoring in the approximate 10% extra carry due to the course’s 6,400-foot elevation.
Robert Laberge, Getty ImagesDavid Toms makes a tee shot on the third hole during the final round of the U.S. Senior Open Championship at The Broadmoor Golf Club on July 1, 2018 in Colorado Springs.“To be in contention, you’ll definitely need to hit the fairways, that is a priority, and hit the greens,” said Colorado native Shane Bertsch, who has appeared in six USGA championships, including two U.S. Senior Opens. “And you’re going to have to really putt well, because without interference from Mother Nature (from rain softening the greens), if the club has control of them like they want to, they can be treacherous.”
Kimball added that “success here starts with keeping the ball below the hole.”
“Is it the (elevation)? Is it (Cheyenne) Mountain? Honestly, it’s both,” Kimball said. “Players will have to learn quickly and understand that the mountain’s influence is crucial to every shot they play during championship week. Expect to see a lot of head-scratching out there.”
Tickets are still available for the four-day affair. Kids aged 17 and younger get in free with a paid adult. Around 130,000 spectators are expected over the duration of the tournament. Miller said an outside study found about 70% of those visitors are coming from outside the Front Range, leading to an estimated $24 million economic impact for Colorado Springs.
The event surely won’t be the last chapter of championship golf in an ongoing relationship between The Broadmoor and the USGA. Just the latest.
“We hope come (Monday),” Hank Thompson, the USGA’s senior director for the tournament, hinted, “that we’ll be invited back at some point in time to be a guest here again.”
The gallery lines the edge of the water on the fourth hole during the second round of the 2008 U.S. Senior Open Championship at the Broadmoor on August 1, 2008 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) A black bear runs across the 13th fairway during the second round of the 2008 U.S. Senior Open Championship at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo. on Friday, August 1, 2008. (Copyright USGA/John Mummert)U.S. Senior Open Championship at the Broadmoor schedule
• June 26 – June 29, The Broadmoor’s East Course
• Tickets available at championships.usga.org/ussenioropen.html
• Ages 17 and under free with a paid adult (max 4 junior tickets per adult)
• Gates open from 7 a.m. to conclusion of play each day
• In the event of a tie, a two-hole aggregate playoff will be on the 4th and 18th holes
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