Denver’s Becca Huffer Wins Colorado Women’s Open in Playoff

LindaSue Chenoweth

Denver, CO: After finishing second in her professional debut in last year’s HealthONE Colorado Women’s Open, Becca Huffer of Denver beat Emilie Burger of Hoschaton, GA on the first playoff hole to win the championship at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club.

Huffer, a graduate of Littleton High School and the University of Notre Dame, shot a final round 68 (4-under) to finish in a tie at 7-under par 209 with Burger, a 2013 University of Georgia alum who carded a 3-under par 69. Both players bogeyed the difficult par 5 18th hole in regulation to fall into a tie for the lead, with Huffer making a par to Burger’s bogey for the playoff win and the $11,000 winner’s check. Huffer’s final round included an eagle, four birdies and two bogeys.

Second round leader Natalie Sheary of West Hartford, CT finished alone in third place after a final round 74 (2-over) dropped her to 6-under (210). Sheary nearly made it a three-way playoff but her birdie putt on the final hole came up inches short.

In fourth place just one stroke back of Sheary were University of Colorado alumna Emily Talley of Napa, CA, University of Nebraska graduate Madeleine Sheils of Boise, ID and Kendall Dye of Phoenix, who played at University of Oklahoma and was the leader after the first round.

Low amateur honors went to Brittany Fan of Pearl City, HI who fired a final round 69 (3-under) to finish at 1-over par 217. The 17-year old high school senior will be playing her collegiate golf at the University of Colorado in Boulder next fall.

In the pro-am competition LPGA Tour player Ashli Bunch and her playing partner Dick Myers of Greenwood Village, CO posted the low round of the tournament (13-under 59) to finish in first place at 26-under 190. The pro-am win earned Bunch the $2,800 first place check. Finishing second at 23-under were Green Valley Ranch owner Pat Hamill and his professional Katie Kempter, who played her collegiate golf at University of Denver.

Complete results and payouts of the $73,000 purse follow and can be found online by visiting www.ColoradoOpen.com.