Hornbeck/Minovich expand lead to 3 at CGA Senior Four-Ball
By Gary Baines – 5/27/2020
There may be a trend developing in CGA senior championships.
In the association’s 2019 senior finale, Wyoming resident and CGA member John Hornbeck lapped the field for the title in the CGA Senior Amateur, winning by 13 strokes, which is believed to be a record margin of victory at that event.
Then in the CGA’s 2020 championship season opener, Hornbeck could go wire-to-wire again, in this case with the help of partner Victor Minovich of Foothills Golf Course.
Hornbeck and Minovich opened up a three-stroke lead after Wednesday’s second round of the 54-hole CGA Senior Four-Ball at Thorncreek Golf Course in Thornton. They shot a better-ball 7-under-par 65 on Wednesday — the best score of the championship so far — leaving them at 12-under 132 going into Thursday’s final round.
To put that into perspective, Thomas Roos and Denny Fields won last year’s tournament — which was reduced to 36 holes — at 7 under par at Thorncreek, though the weather is much better this year.
Hornbeck, a Wyoming State Golf Association Hall of Famer who plays out of Collindale Golf eClub, and Minovich recorded eight best-ball birdies on Wednesday while make their only bogey of the first two days — on No. 8 in round 2.
Hornbeck owns two major titles in CGA senior events — the 2018 Senior Match Play and last year’s Senior Amateur — while Minovich advanced to the round of 16 at his first USGA championship, the 2019 U.S. Senior Amateur.
Robert Polk of Colorado Golf Club and former CGA president Bill Fowler from The Club at Rolling Hills, the champions in 2016 and ’18, stand in second place at 9-under-par 135. They carded a 66 on Wednesday after chalking up eight birdies for the day.
Last year’s champs, Roos and Fields, share third place at 137 with David Delich, who won the Senior Four-Ball in 2014, and brother Chuck Delich. Roos and Fields posted a 67 on Wednesday and the Deliches a 68.
The CGA Senior Four-Ball this year is limited to players 54 and older. Those teams with both golfers 64 and older also are competing in the super-senior division of the event. The Delich brothers lead that division by three over defending champs Bob Cloud and Jim Reynolds, who carded a second-round 69.
The championship for both divisions will conclude on Thursday.
For all the scores from the CGA Senior Four-Ball, CLICK HERE.