4 surgeries later, Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe ready for ‘one last hurrah’ at Broadmoor for U.S. Senior Open; hailstorm turns course white; Erie’s Matt Schalk set to hit championship’s opening tee shot
By Gary Baines – 6/24/2025
COLORADO SPRINGS — If anyone could use a little good mojo after what he’s undergone the last few years, it’s Brandt Jobe.
The Kent Denver grad, who lived in Colorado from 1970 to ’99, underwent four surgeries — on both hips (one twice), plus a shoulder/collarbone — from 2022-24. The total includes one botched operation, leading to him teeing it up in just six PGA Tour Champions events combined the past two years.
Considering Jobe was playing some good golf before that stretch — he posted nine top-10 finishes on the Champions circuit in the prior 11 months, including a runner-up — it was particularly frustrating.
It “took two years of my life, my golf, and I’m not even the same person I was,” he said.
But if there’s anyplace that might get Jobe going in the right direction, it could be Colorado, and especially The Broadmoor, where the U.S. Senior Open starts on Thursday.
After all, the new Colorado Golf Hall of Fame Museum is located at The Broadmoor, and Jobe was inducted into the Hall in 2005.
Also, Jobe won two of his four state amateurs — in this case, both CGA Match Plays — at The Broadmoor’s since-closed South Course, prevailing by the lopsided margins of 7 and 6 as an 18-year-old in 1984 and 12 and 11 at age 19 in ’85.
Then, much much recently, Jobe made a run at the 2018 U.S. Senior Open title at The Broadmoor’s East Course, and ended up finishing fifth.
So, even though Jobe hasn’t placed better than 25th in a Champions event in the last 28 months, perhaps good vibes will return for him at The Broadmoor this week. And, by the way, that 25th place came on Sunday at another senior major, the Kaulig Companies Championships, also played at a tough venue, Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.
“This was a big one for me (to compete in) because I don’t know how many more I’m going to be playing. Obviously I’m getting up there in age,” said Jobe, who will turn 60 in a little over five weeks. “To be able to come back here … this was important to get here.
“I enjoyed it so much the last time I was here. It was so difficult, and it was a great venue. The tournament was fantastic. You don’t know how many more times you’re going to get to play in Colorado and do that, so this was big for me.”
In fact, earlier this month, Jobe called it “one last hurrah.”
Jobe during Monday’s practice round.
Jobe just barely made it into the field as he was the final qualifier — at the time — from a tournament two weeks ago at nearby Country Club of Colorado, where he needed to sink a 20-foot par putt to extend a playoff that eventually lasted three holes.
Considering Jobe’s physical state two or three years ago, to get another run at the Champions circuit was far from a sure thing.
“This one, I thought I was basically done,” he said.
And though he isn’t yet — he’s competed in nine Champions events this year — he told Colorado Golf Journal two weeks ago that he won’t ever be 100 percent again physically.
“I’ll never be the same,” he said. “My right hip doesn’t work right. It collapses in my swing a lot. I hit some shots I didn’t used to hit. But it is what it is. I’m getting old. I’m going to be 60 this year. I’ve had a good run. I’m trying to figure out how to do it.”
But he is making a little progress.
“I’m kind of getting closer to playing a little bit of golf again, but this hip won’t support, so when I turn, it wants to just … collapse, and then I’m hitting hard right and hard left, and I’ve been doing that all year,” Jobe said on Tuesday. “The last few weeks it’s kind of starting to narrow up and get a little better. I played solid last week.”
Jobe has been to the mountaintop before — at least on PGA Tour Champions, where he’s won twice — once each in 2017 and ’19. On the PGA Tour, he played 337 events, and though he didn’t win, he finished runner-up four times, including at the 2005 International in Castle Rock, where he took a 9-point lead into the final round. And in the 1990s, he thrived internationally, winning 12 times, mostly in Asia.
Coincidentally, Jobe isn’t the only notable athlete in his family who has dealt with injury issues in recent times. In fact, his son Jackson, a rookie pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, this month underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. Jackson was 4-1 with a 4.22 ERA in 10 starts this year.
Asked if he’s had any advice for Jackson on the injury front, Brandt said, “I told him this: If this is what you decide to do for a living, I’m going to tell you what, there’s a ton of talent (in baseball) just like there is in golf, and it’s how hard you want to work, what sacrifices you want to make for yourself that other people aren’t willing to make.
“You’re married to the sport, so to speak, and I told him that. I said, ‘You’ve got to outwork everybody.’”
Meanwhile, as for Brandt himself, how does he like his chances this week at The Broadmoor?
“I figured here I have a little more knowledge than most,” he said. “I’ve played here so many times, had success the last time I was here. With all that, I like my odds better. But these venues, it’s hard to predict how you’re going to play because there’s so many variables. … And this course is going to test you because those greens are very difficult, and you saw the rough yesterday. It’s difficult. It’s going to be a challenge. … But I figure I’ve got probably a little better start than most here.
“But I look forward to it. I’ve done this enough that, hey, it’s fun to try, fun to see what happens.”
And, no doubt, Jobe will be receiving plenty of support — from fans, plus family and friends. On Tuesday, after concluding an interview, he was headed to arrange for more tickets for his crew.
Brandt Jobe, Back in the Day: For those who may not think a longtime tour player remembers specifics of his junior golf days, you have this from Jobe. He was asked a favorite memory regarding his golf in Colorado. As it turns out it came from the 1983 CGA Junior Stroke Play, where he won at Applewood Golf Course in Golden.
“I think I shot 63 in one of the rounds,” he noted correctly. “But I won by a bunch. And I thought, ‘Wow, this is pretty cool, and that memory has never left.”
How things looked at The Broadmoor after Tuesday’s hailstorm.
All Hail Breaks Loose: Big thunderstorms may not be unusual for many longtime Coloradans accustomed to them rolling over the mountains during the summer, but the one on Tuesday afternoon at The Broadmoor was such that some players and caddies were left saying they’d never seen anything like it.
Not long after electronic signs on the course warned of impending severe weather, it did indeed engulf the area. What built to a very hard rainstorm eventually turned into pounding hail, which lasted quite a while, ending play for the day.
By the time the storm was over, fairways and greens were covered to the point that they were white, not green. (The USGA did not report any significant damage, however.)
One player who seemed to take it all in stride was Miguel Angel Jiménez, who backed his chair against the outside wall of a restaurant and seemed unfazed as hailstones bounced perhaps 10 feet away.
Miguel Angel Jiménez, winner of his third senior major on Sunday, was his usual cool self during Tuesday’s hailstorm.
For Matt Schalk, It’ll Be His Tee: Matt Schalk, the PGA general manager at Colorado National Golf Club in Erie, will have the honor of hitting the first tee shot of the 2025 U.S. Senior Open.
Schalk, winner of the 2022 national Senior PGA Professional Championship, will be in the first group off the No. 1 tee at The Broadmoor for Thursday’s opening round. And he’ll be the first member of his threesome to tee off.
“It’s definitely nerve-racking — but more than anything, it’s an incredible honor,” Schalk said by text as he was working at his day job on Tuesday. “I’m proud to represent Colorado and to lead off the U.S. Senior Open right here in my home state. Having my daughter (former University of Colorado golfer Hailey Schalk) on the bag and my family and friends out there supporting me will make it even more special. I feel truly blessed to be part of this event and to share, in some small way, in the tremendous history of Colorado golf.”
Schalk will be playing in his second Senior Open after qualifying at The Broadmoor in 2024 and at the nearby Country Club of Colorado this year.
Here are notable tee times for big-name players and competitors with strong Colorado ties on Thursday and Friday, respectively:
7 a.m. No. 1 / 12:30 p.m. No. 10 – Matt Schalk, Erie, Colo.; Ryan Helminen, Appleton, Wis.; (a) Dave Bunker, Canada
7:31 a.m. No. 1 / 1:01 p.m. No. 10 – Shane Bertsch, Parker, Colo.; Stuart Appleby, Australia; Arjun Atwal, India
8:34 a.m. No. 1 / 2:04 p.m. No. 10 – Miguel Angel Jiménez, Spain; Thomas Bjørn, Denmark; Steve Flesch, Union, Ky.
1:22 p.m. No. 1 / 7:52 a.m. No. 10 – Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe, Nichols Hills, Okla.; Jeff Maggert, The Woodlands, Texas; Scott Parel, Augusta, Ga.
1:33 p.m. No. 1 / 8:03 a.m. No. 10 – Vijay Singh, Fiji; Tim O’Neal, Savannah, Ga.; Chad Campbell, Andrews, Texas
1:43 p.m. No. 1 / 8:13 a.m. No. 10 – Pádraig Harrington, Ireland; former Aspen resident Justin Leonard, Tequesta, Fla.; Stewart Cink, Atlanta, Ga.
2:36 p.m. / 9:06 a.m. – Boomer Erick, Hingham, Mass.; (a) former CSU golfer Darrin Overson, Orem, Utah; (a) Kelly Grunewald, Midland, Texas
8:03 a.m. No. 10 / 1:33 p.m. No. 1 – Bernhard Langer, Germany; David Toms, Shreveport, La.; Gene Sauers, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
1:54 p.m. No. 10 / 8:24 a.m. No. 1 – Tim Petrovic, Austin, Texas; Chris DiMarco, Denver, Colo.; Rod Pampling, Australia
2:04 p.m. No. 10 / 8:34 a.m. No. 1 – Ernie Els, South Africa; Ángel Cabrera, Argentina; Retief Goosen, South Africa
For all the Thursday and Friday tee times, CLICK HERE.
David Toms, winner of the 2018 U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor, signs an autograph on Tuesday.
Notable: Among the qualifiers for this week’s U.S. Senior Open is Tom Greller, older brother of Michael Greller, the longtime caddie for Jordan Spieth, winner of 13 PGA Tour events including three major championships. The elder Greller advanced through two rounds of qualifying in Oregon. Michael Greller is on hand this week for the USSO, but won’t be caddying for Tom; that duty will go to Tom’s 20-uear-old son, Ray, who plays golf at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. … On Wednesday, U.S. Senior Open competitor and two-time USGA champion Todd White will compete in a “Warrior Challenge” against three combat veterans who will play as a better-ball team. White, winner of the 2023 U.S. Senior Amateur and the 2015 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, will tee it up at 2:30 p.m., on The Broadmoor’s West Course (holes 2, 3, 17 and 18) against the following vets: Sgt. 1st Class Cole Church (retired), of Fountain, Colo., and two current or former Fort Carson-based soldiers — Sgt. 1st Class Isaac Fearnside and Capt. Steven Musholt. The Warrior Challenge is being held as part of Military Appreciation Day at the U.S. Senior Open. All active-duty service members and veterans of any branch of service (and one guest) can receive free admission. A military outpost is located just east of the 18th green, offering free snacks and drinks. … A local qualifier for the Drive, Chip & Putt competition will be held Wednesday in conjunction with the U.S. Senior Open. A field of 116 kids will compete at the West Course. The USGA, which runs the U.S. Senior Open, teams with the PGA of America and the Masters to conduct the Drive, Chip & Putt, which features local, sub-regional and regional qualifying, plus the National Finals at Augusta National the Sunday before the Masters.
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U.S. Senior Open: The Essentials
What: 45th U.S. Senior Open.
When: Practice rounds June 23-25. Championship rounds June 26-29.
Where: East Course at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. 7,247 yards, par-70.
Hole By Hole Set-Up:
Hole 1: 429 yards (Par 4)
Hole 2: 339 yards (Par 4)
Hole 3: 601 yards (Par 5)
Hole 4: 165 yards (Par 3)
Hole 5: 433 yards (Par 4)
Hole 6: 402 yards (Par 4)
Hole 7: 426 yards (Par 4)
Hole 8: 178 yards (Par 3)
Hole 9: 535 yards (Par 5)
OUT: 3,508 yards (Par 36)
Hole 10: 501 yards (Par 4)
Hole 11: 478 yards (Par 4)
Hole 12: 223 yards (Par 3)
Hole 13: 493 yards (Par 4)
Hole 14: 427 yards (Par 4)
Hole 15: 459 yards (Par 4)
Hole 16: 180 yards (Par 3)
Hole 17: 545 yards (Par 4)
Hole 18: 433 yards (Par 4)
IN: 3,739 yards (Par 34)
TOTAL: 7,247 yards (Par 70)
Field Size: 156 players, all age 50 as of June 26.
Cut: After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the low 60 scorers and ties.
Potential Playoff: Two-hole aggregate.
TV Broadcast (All times MT):
Thursday and Friday (June 26-27): Peacock, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; Golf Channel, 4-7 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday (June 28-29): NBC, noon-4 p.m.
Purse: $4 million, with $800,000 going to the winner.
“Locals” in the Field: Barring the unforeseen, six players with significant Colorado ties will be in the field: Parker resident Shane Bertsch, Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe, Denver resident Chris DiMarco, former Aspen resident Justin Leonard, former Colorado State University golfer Darrin Overson, and Erie resident Matt Schalk.
Open-Age Major Champions in Field (Majors Won: 26): Ernie Els 4, Vijay Singh 3, Padraig Harrington 3, Bernhard Langer 2, Angel Cabrera 2, Retief Goosen 2, Lee Janzen 2, David Toms, Y.E. Yang, Michael Campbell, Darren Clarke, Stewart Cink, Justin Leonard, Jeff Sluman, Mike Weir.
Senior Major Champions in Field (Senior Majors Won: 44): Bernhard Langer 12, Miguel Angel Jiménez 3, Alex Cejka 3, Fred Funk 3, Angel Cabrera 2, Jerry Kelly 2, Paul Broadhurst 2, Jeff Maggert 2, Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, Vijay Singh, Darren Clarke, Retief Goosen, Steven Alker, K.J. Choi, Doug Barron, Ken Tanigawa, David Toms, Scott McCarron, Rocco Mediate, Gene Sauers, Olin Browne, Brad Bryant.
PGA Tour Wins Among Players in Field (264): Vijay Singh 34, Ernie Els 19, David Toms 13, Justin Leonard 12, Stuart Appleby 9, Stewart Cink 8, Fred Funk 8, K.J. Choi 8, Lee Janzen 8, Mike Weir 8, Retief Goosen 7, Padraig Harrington 6, Rocco Mediate 6, Jeff Sluman 6, Paul Goydos 5, Scott Verplank 5, Brian Gay 5, Stephen Ames 4, Billy Andrade 4, Chad Campbell 4, Woody Austin 4, Joe Durant 4, Bob Estes 4, Duffy Waldorf 4, Steve Flesch 4, Notah Begay 4, Angel Cabrera 3, Darren Clarke 3, Jeff Maggert 3, Chris DiMarco 3, Gene Sauers 3, Rod Pampling 3, Bernhard Langer 3, J.J. Henry 3, Kirk Triplett 3, Jerry Kelly 3, Olin Browne 3, Scott McCarron 3, Boo Weekley 3, Len Mattiace 2, Paul Stankowski 2, Y.E. Yang 2, Brad Bryant, Arjun Atwal, Eric Axley, Michael Campbell, Jim Carter, Alex Cejka, Greg Chalmers, Glen Day, Ken Duke, Harrison Frazar, Jason Gore, Mark Hensby, Freddie Jacobson, Tim Petrovic, Dicky Pride, Ted Purdy, Kevin Sutherland, Bo Van Pelt, Willie Wood, Matt Gogel.
— For Players in Field, Winners of Big-Time Tournaments — That Are Open to Pros — in Colorado: Shane Bertsch (1998 Colorado Open at Saddle Rock), Stewart Cink (1996 Nike Colorado Classic at Riverdale Dunes), Ernie Els (2000 International at Castle Pines), Retief Goosen (2005 International at Castle Pines), Lee Janzen (1995 International at Castle Pines), Brandt Jobe (1992 Colorado Open at Inverness), Rod Pampling (2004 International at Castle Pines), Tom Pernice Jr. (2001 International at Castle Pines), Tag Ridings (Korn Ferry Tour’s 2021 TPC Colorado Classic at TPC Colorado), Vijay Singh (1998 International at Castle Pines), David Toms (1999 International at Castle Pines and 2018 U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor), Willie Wood (1983 Broadmoor Invitation at The Broadmoor and the 1984 Colorado Open at Hiwan), Duffy Waldorf (1984 Broadmoor Invitation at The Broadmoor). Note: Jobe, Ridings, Wood and Waldorf earned spots in the USSO field through recent final-qualifying tournaments.
Ticket Info: Kids 17 and under will be admitted free to the U.S. Senior Open when accompanied by a ticketed adult. For U.S. Senior Open ticket information and packages, CLICK HERE.
More Information: For more general information about the U.S. Senior Open, CLICK HERE.
(NOTE: Some of the previously published stories in this periodic series related to the 2025 U.S. Senior Open:
— Matt Schalk of Erie a U.S. Senior Open qualifying medalist for 2nd straight year; Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe, Denver resident Chris DiMarco, former CSU golfer Darrin Overson and Utahn Steve Schneiter also headed to USSO at The Broadmoor
— As U.S. Senior Open approaches, The Broadmoor is set to once again present one of the toughest tests in senior golf
— Ranking of the previous 8 USGA championships held at The Broadmoor
— U.S. Senior Open record book brimming with Colorado-related superlatives
— Fully exempt players for 2025 U.S. Senior Open
— Highlights of the three previous times Colorado has hosted the U.S. Senior Open
— Hale Irwin named honorary chair for 2025 Senior Open
— Senior Open going to a 2-stage qualifying process in 2025)
About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. The University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com