Denver Realtor Nearing Top of Long-Drive World Inspirato Colorado Women’s Open Ready for Strong Field

The field for the 2023 Inspirato Colorado Women’s Open features past-champions and other top pros and amateurs.

The women’s tournament, June 14 to 16 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver, is attracting world-class golfers thanks inpart to the prize money offered.

Both the Inspirato men’s and women’s Colorado Open’s are the highest paying state open tournaments in the country. Each has a $250,000 total prize package with the winners receiving $100,000 each.

Three past champions - Savannah Vilaubi, Clariss Guce and Becca Huffer - have signed up for this year’s women’s open.

Guce, from Artesia, Calif., won last year’s tournament with a tournament score of 14-under.

Huffer won in 2013 and 2019, and is playing on the Epson Tour this year.

Vilaubi won the Epson Tour’s Copper Rock Championship earlier this year.

Also planning to compete are Gerina Mendoza, a three-time member of the Solheim Cup Team, as well as two-time U.S. Women’s

Amateur champion Kristen Gillman. Mendoza, from Roswell, N.M., finished tied for 14th in last year’s tournament.

Other Epson Tour pros expected include Daniela Iacobelli , Alyaa Abdulghany, Haley Moore and Jillian Hollis. Colordado Golf Hall of Fame member Jill McGill is signed up.

“Overall our field is as strong or stronger than last year,” said Kevin Laura, president of the Golf Club at Green Valley Ranch. “The biggest difference is we had to move our dates because of US Women’s Open in July. We moved ours two week later than usual because we wanted to be opposite an open week in Epson Tour.” scheduled to compete again June 9 through 11 at Colorado’s Big Foot Turf Farm in Lasalle.

The tournament is likely to move back in 2024 to the first week in June, Laura said.

The men’s tournament, also at GVR, is scheduled for July 20 to 23. Last year’s tournament was won by Wil Adams of Albuquerque with a score of 23-under. The third-leg of the Inspirato series, the Colorado Senior Open, is Aug. 23 to 25 at Green Valley. It was won in 2022 by Guy Boros of Ft. Lauderdale, the son of the threetime PGA majors winner Julius Boros. Guy Boros shot 15-under to win by one stroke.

“I like it for so many reasons,” she said. “It provides a competitive outlet for me. I’m very competitive. I’ve never felt adrenaline like me in my life. People are cheering, there’s loud music. You have to hit it in the grid that’s 25 to 40 yards wide. I just want to keep going. You can’t win them all but I might as well try.”