Final day of Inspirato Colorado Women’s Open set for battle of the generations

 A rookie is in the midst of veteran champions going into the final day

By Jim Bebbington

There is a short list of young amateurs who have come to the Inspirato Colorado Open series over the years and competed on an equal footing with the pros.

After day 2 of the Inspirato Colorado Women’s Open 18-year-old Lavanya Gupta, an incoming freshman on the University of Kansas golf team, hopes to join them.

At one point Thursday Gupta birdied six holes in a row, en route to a 5-under round of 67. Starting on the back nine, she birdied the 18^th hole, and then the first five holes on the front nine at Green Valley Golf Club in Denver.

“I think I was just focusing on missing it in the right places, and then holing a few putts in a row – that helps a lot,” she said after the round.

She has competed as an amateur for several years in pro tournaments in India, winning twice. She said he hopes Friday’s final round is more of the same for her.

“I take just the same strategy as the last two days – focusing on missing it in the right places,” she said.

Alyaa Abdulghany, the 2025 winner, carried her own bag for the second straight day, fired an eagle on the tricky hole No. 16, to finish at 3-under for the tournament and remain in the hunt.

Amateurs who have performed well in past Colorado Opens include Phil Mickelson, who almost won in 1989 at age 19, finishing third. Becca Huffer, who grew up in Denver and has played professionally for 15 years, nearly won as an amateur in 2008 at age 18. Paige Mackenzie won in 2006 as an amateur just before she launched a 10-year LPGA career. And Westminster’s Jennifer Kupcho finished second twice as an amateur, at ages 17 and 20, before turning pro. She has four victories, including one major, on the LPGA.

Gupta’s college head coach at the University of Kansas, Littleon-native Lindsay Kuhle, walked alongside Gupta on the back nine. She liked what she saw.

“She’s just very consistent, both off the tee and her approach shots and her wedges are just very consistent,” she said. “She’s always been like that, which is just great, great ball striker. But when she made birdies on nine through five –  six in a row – it was just really good ball striking. And then she made an 18 or 20 to 18 and 24 footer, everything else (birdie putts) were wedges inside six to 10 feet.”

Kuhle is the former women’s golf coach at the University of Denver, and began a successful run at Kansas in 2021.