There will be 120 golfers in the field for the first-ever U.S. Women’s Senior Open that starts July 12 but there is more to this story.

Centennial resident Janet Moore is probably tired of hearing the above play on words, but the 53-year-old is a Colorado Golf Hall of Famer who will enter her 26th U.S. Golf Association tournament.

“They (USGA tournaments) were all a big thrill,” said Moore. “It’s always my goal to qualify for them. My goal someday is to do well in one of them. The furthest I’ve gone is the quarterfinals in a Mid-Amateur. Right now this tournament would be the one that sticks out the most. This is against pros and really, really good players. It will be fun. I’m just going to go out and have fun and try to play my best.”

The tournament will be at the Chicago Golf Club, one of the five founding clubs of the USGA and the oldest course in the U.S. in continuous use at the same location. The course will be 6,082 yards and play to par 73.

Moore, who attended Wheat Ridge High School, shot a 74 on June 12 at Common Ground Golf Course in Aurora to qualify for the inaugural Senior Women’s Open.

She won a Colorado-record four consecutive CGA Women’s Stroke Play titles and five overall. Moore was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2001 when she was only 36 years old.

Moore was one of four golfers to qualify from the June 12 tournament. Valley Country Club teaching professional Sherry Andonian-Smith and part-time Gunnison resident Marilyn Hardy also qualified along with Patricia Beliard from Katy, Texas.

“I’m very excited they are having the first U.S. Senior Women’s Open,” she said. “A lot of people say it is long overdue and as an amateur for me it is a bonus.

“Once I heard they were having it, I set my sights on qualifying for it. There is something very special about a USGA event. As an amateur it allows you to play at a high level. And you get to play with great players from other states and across the country.”

Moore, whose husband and Arapahoe High School graduate Kent is a Colorado Golf Hall of Famer who has won over 15 Colorado Golf Association titles, never considered turning professional.

“For a while there I was doing really well on the state level but unless you are dominating of the state level and doing real well nationally it doesn’t make much sense to turn pro,” she explained.

“I could do OK there for a while on the state level but I’ve never won a national tournament. That’s the reality of it. You have to be dominating at both levels to be able to compete.”

An ailing neck has bothered Moore and it wasn’t until June 28 that she committed to compete in the Women’s Senior Open. She started preparing for the tournament July 3.

“I’ve been doing everything to take care of it,” Moore revealed. “I’ve gone to a chiropractor, a trainer, message, everything, you name it, I’ve done it. It is now getting better. I used to practice five hours a day. I practice two hours a day and that’s enough for me. I practice a little smarter these days.”

Moore coached golf at Wheaton College for a few years when her daughter Sarah was playing. It is a 10-minute drive from the Chicago Golf Club and Moore got the chance to play the course once.

No. 8 national ranking

Mountain Vista’s Class 5A state championship baseball team was ranked eighth nationally in the MaxPreps rankings for the 2018 season.

According to MaxPreps and CHSAANow.com, it was the highest a Colorado team has been in the computer rankings since Rocky Mountain was No. 7 following the 2010 season.

Mountain Vista was eighth in both the writers and computer rankings. The Golden Eagles, third in West Region rankings, ended the season with a 26-1 record with its only loss coming in the first game of the 5A double elimination state tournament.

Class 4A state champion Valor Christian was ranked 42nd nationally by MaxPreps.

Besides Rocky Mountain in 2010, other top national rankings over the years by Colorado schools include Cherry Creek No. 12 in 2012, Rocky Mountain No. 11 in 2014 and Eaton No. 17 in 2015.

Jim Benton is a sports writer for Colorado Community Media. He has been covering sports in the Denver area since 1968. He can be reached at jbenton@coloradocommunitymedia.com or at 303-566-4083.