This win meant a lot to Steve Holmes.

The PGA professional from California has played in the Inspirato Colorado Senior Open three times and has always enjoyed it. He came in second to Boulder’s Jonathan Kaye in 2024.

On Friday in the final round at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, Holmes shot a 5-under 67 to put his name on the trophy as the winner.

“For seniors that aren’t on the Champions Tour, there’s just not a whole lot of tournaments to play,” the 54-year-old said. “So I always consider this our major, other than U.S. Open and stuff like that we can get into. I know everyone’s always stoked to be here. I look forward to this tournament every year.”

Holmes, who opened the tournament with 66 and was the first-round co-leader, beat Parker’s Shane Bertsch by three strokes. Boulder’s Matt Schalk, previous winner Guy Boros and Chris Dompier all finished tied for third at 6 under.

Bertsch, the 1998 Colorado Open champion, started the day three shots back of Willie Wood but fired 70. Wood, who won the 1984 Colorado Open, struggled in the final round and finished in a tie for sixth after a 76.

The start of the round couldn’t have gone better for Holmes. He birdied four of the first five holes to vault up the leaderboard and look like he was going to run away from the field.

“Today I played really well. I’d been having a problem with final rounds, being kind of really tentative,” he said. “I told myself today I’m just going to be a little more aggressive. And if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out.”

It almost didn’t work out as Holmes made a mess of the 10th hole. He hooked his drive out of bounds and ended up making a double bogey. Holmes just missed a putt that would have resulted in a bogey. That dropped him into a tie for the lead with Bertsch and Wood.

“I didn’t really panic. I just said it was a bad swing,” Holmes said. “But I said there’s a lot of birdie holes left and you’re playing great, so just don’t worry about it.”

Holmes went on to take advantage of those scoreable holes as he made birdie on the next four holes to take command of the tournament. He went 1 over for the last four holes for the victory.

“That’s just the way pro golf is. You’re one minute away from quitting, and the next minute you’re getting ready to win a tournament,” Holmes said.

Holmes said he is headed back home after the win as he has a lesson Saturday morning at Rustic Canyon Golf Course in Westlake, Calif.

With the win, Holmes receives a first-place prize of $15,000 but also an exemption into sectional qualifying for the 2027 U.S. Senior Open at Oak Tree National in Edmond, Okla., next June.

In the low amateur competition, Mark Henderson of Highlands Ranch held off four-time low amateur champion and Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Jon Lindstrom of Denver by one stroke.