On Tuesday, the USGA announced that former Denver Broncos quarterback and current Denver Broncos general manager John Elway will serve as the honorary chairman of the 39th U.S. Senior Open Championship, which will be held in Colorado Springs at the Broadmoor Golf Club’s East Course from June 28 to July 1, 2018.
“I’m very proud and excited to be named honorary chairman of the 2018 U.S. Senior Open at the historic Broadmoor Golf Club,” Elway said in a statement released by the USGA. “The Broadmoor has been such a big part of Colorado golf history and a longtime supporter of the game. Personally, I’ve always enjoyed playing the East Course and have so many special memories. It’s easy to see why the resort is regarded as one of the world’s most celebrated golf destinations.
“The Broadmoor has hosted some of golf’s biggest tournaments, and it’s the perfect home for the 2018 U.S. Senior Open. I could not be more honored to help support this prestigious event.”
This will be the eighth USGA championship hosted at the Broadmoor and the second U.S. Senior Open.
Elway, who’s an avid golfer himself, will look to support and promote the tournament in his role as honorary chairman, and he knows just how special (and unpredictable) the Broadmoor Golf Club’s East Course can be.
“It’s a great course,” Elway said during a press conference on Tuesday. “The greens are something I’ve never seen anywhere else. The last time I was there, I think I hit 18 greens and shot an 85.”
The Broncos’ legend has played in two Colorado Senior Opens and is one of the the best “celebrity” golfers out there, though calling him a “celebrity” golfer is disservice to Elway’s talent; he’s no Charles Barkley. A low-handicapped golfer, Elway could likely qualify for the U.S. Senior Open if he put his mind to it.
For him, the sport offers something he’s missed since retirement.
“As an athlete, [golf] is the only sport you can play forever,” Elway said. “It gives us ex-athletes a chance to compete.”
The tournament may be a ways off, but you can be sure that hotels and accommodations will fill up fast for what the USGA calls the “Super Bowl of the Senior Tour.”