Tournament News
Geoff Keffer Wins 2020 Colorado PGA Professional Championship
Keffer earns his second PGA Championship Title, taking the lead after round two
G
eoff Keffer, PGA, Assistant Professional at Lakewood Country Club, won the Colorado PGA Professional Championship by three strokes at Valley Country Club September 14-16, 2020. This is the second time Keffer has won the Section Championship with his previous win being in 2016. On day one, three-time champion Doug Rohrbaugh, PGA, Teaching Professional at The Snowmass Club, carded an incredible 66 and had a miraculous par save on the 8th hole. He was up by one stroke, Keffer was in second with a 67, and Dale Smigelsky, Life Member, was in third with a 68. Day two, Keffer pulled ahead for the lead, carding a second round of 67. Rohrbaugh slid to second after carding a 3-under-par 69. Smigelsky was still in third, but after carding a 72, he was six strokes behind the leader. It was an exciting final round and it started off with all eyes focused on Keffer and Rohrbaugh. But, Smigelsky had an impressive start to the day with five birdies on the front nine to climb from third place to within one stroke of Keffer.
President of the Colorado PGA, Ben Welsh, presents the trophy to Keffer, who also claimed a $10,000 check for the win.
Smigelsky shares, ““I got hot. I knocked it close in a lot of spots on the front nine. I was at 5-under-par at the turn and was within one of Geoff. But it switched when he made a great up-and-down on 10 for birdie and I three-putted for par. Geoff just has too much firepower. He ran away from us.” Smigelsky carded a 6-under-par round and placed second with a 10-under-par overall.
Each day Keffer played the back 9 better than the front, taking about nine or 10 holes to see a putt go in. “Once you see one go in, then it makes it easier to make more,” comments Keffer. When asked about the final round, Keffer comments, “Dale was just firing birdies left and right. He shot 5-under on the front. I had two bad bogeys and I finished even. But then, watching the putt go in on 10 and 11, I knew I was still in the lead. The 12th hole should be an easy drive for me, but I don’t think I have hit that fairway in two years. I hit it to a bad spot in the right trees, hit a good little pitch up to the front part of the green and made a good par. Then I had good pars the rest of the way. Thought I made birdie on 16, but my putt was just fast. Honestly, I didn’t look at the leaderboard until we were
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The SUMMIT
