CARLTON (LEGACY RIDGE GC) & KEFFER (LAKEWOOD CC) TIED FOR THE LEAD AFTER DAY ONE
Colorado Springs, CO, September 15, 2025 - The 2025 Colorado PGA Professional Championship, hosted by Flying Horse North, kicked off on Monday, September 15th. This 54-hole tournament is the most prestigious championship for the PGA of America Golf Professionals of the Colorado PGA Section, dating back to 1958, with J.D. Taylor hoisting the trophy. This year’s championship includes 110 Professionals in the field representing golf facilities from across Colorado and Wyoming. Up for grabs this week is the Ralph “Rip” Arnold Memorial Trophy, eight qualifying spots into the National PGA Professional Championship at Bandon Dunes in 2026, and a $76,000 purse, which is the largest purse in the history of the championship.
The co-leaders after the opening 18 holes were Joe Carlton, PGA Head Professional at Legacy Ridge Golf Course, and two-time section champion, Geoff Keffer, PGA Assistant Professional at Lakewood Country Club, after two brilliant rounds of four-under-par 68.
Carlton, who has qualified for three PPCs in his career, had a round consisting of six birdies and only two bogies. “I three-putted the first hole for bogey from eight feet and then rattled off four birdies in the next seven holes, so that helped,” stated Carlton. Carlton made a great up and down on 16, from a short-sided spot in the bunker, to save par and keep the round going before birdies on 17 and 18, closing out his 68.
Keffer, who won this championship in 2016 and 2020, had a steady round, hitting 16 of 18 greens and carding six birdies and only two bogies. “It was just solid, hit it decent, irons were decent, and my putts were on line,” Keffer said. Keffer is looking to qualify for his seventh consecutive PPC and is sitting in a great spot to accomplish that feat after his opening round.
Sitting one shot behind Carlton’s lead is a trifecta of players, Dustin Miller, PGA Director of Instruction at The Swing Bays, Ben Lanting, PGA Assistant Professional at Bear Creek Golf Club, and Ryan Hodge, PGA Director of Golf at The Glacier Club, who fired great rounds of three-under-par 69.
Miller had a rollercoaster type of day with his round consisting of an eagle, six birdies, three bogies, and a double bogey. As Miller approached the 16th tee, he sat at one-over-par on the day, “I told my cart partner, Mike Fengler, I'm going birdie birdie on 16 and 17 and give myself a chance for an eagle at the last,” Miller stated. Miller made his prediction come true, draining birdies on 16 and 17 and sticking a 9-iron to five feet on 18 for his closing eagle and a four-under-par stretch in his last three holes.
Lanting’s round was a carbon copy of Miller’s, up and down with a stellar finish on his back nine. An eagle, seven birdies, and six bogies led to the opening round 69, but Lanting stood on the 15th tee two-over-par and needed a strong finish to get back near the lead after round one. “15 the par three, I hit it to 60 feet and knocked it in, that carried momentum into 16, where I made a 15 footer for birdie, an eight footer on 17 for birdie, and about a 15 footer on 18 for eagle,” Lanting stated. Those 98 feet of putts over that four-hole stretch vaulted Lanting up the leaderboard and into contention over the next two days.
Hodge’s round was a tale of two nines; he was lights-out on the front nine, opening in five-under-par 31, carding an eagle, four birdies, and a lone bogey to sit alone in first place. “I hit it really close on the front nine and didn’t miss it in any bad spots, missed it in a few bad spots on the back nine, which led to a few bogies,” Hodge said. The bad spots Hodge hit it in on the back nine cost him a couple of shots and dropped him into a tie for third after the opening round.
A group of four players sit two shots off Carlton’s lead after opening rounds of 70: Will Veith, PGA Assistant Professional at The Golf Club at Bear Dance, 2012 champion Caine Fitzgerald, PGA Head Professional at Meadow Hills Golf Course, Visanu Tongwarin, PGA Instructor at Legacy Ridge Golf Course, and Nick Welch, PGA Assistant Professional at The Ranch Country Club.
Colorado PGA Professional Championship - Top 9 after Round 1
T1. Joe Carlton, PGA | Legacy Ridge Golf Club | 68 (-4)
T1. Geoff Keffer, PGA | Lakewood Country Club | 68 (-4)
T3. Dustin Miller, PGA | The Swing Bays | 69 (-3)
T3. Ben Lanting, PGA | Bear Creek Golf Club | 69 (-3)
T3. Ryan Hodge, PGA | The Glacier Club | 69 (-3)
T6. Will Veith, PGA | Golf Club at Bear Dance | 70 (-2)
T6. Visanu Tongwarin, PGA | Legacy Ridge Golf Course | 70 (-2)
T6. Caine Fitzgerald, PGA | Meadow Hills Golf Course | 70 (-2)
T6. Nick Welch, PGA | The Ranch Country Club | 70 (-2)
The second round of the championship proper will begin on Tuesday, September 16th, with the morning wave of starting times beginning at 7:30 am. The afternoon wave will begin at 12:30 pm.
The Colorado PGA Professional Championship is a 54-hole event with a cut to the low 55 plus ties after round two.
