Inspirato Colorado Open Day 1 sees amateurs rise to the top

First Day of the Inspirato Colorado Open finishes with a seven tied for the lead

By Jim Bebbington

The first day of competition at the 2025 Inspirato Colorado Open saw low scores, perfect conditions, and a crowd at the top of the leaderboard.

Willis Panzarello, playing Thursday in the 2025 Inspirato Colorado Open, finished at 6-under tied for the lead.

An amateur, Denver University golfer Willis Panzarello, finished tied for the lead after shooting a 6-under in the morning rounds. Panzarello, from Palm Desert California, played last season as a red-shirt junior for DU and won the stroke-play portion of the Summit League men’s golf championship.

He was joined at 6-under par by six other players, including amateur Jimmy Makloski of Pueblo. The pro-side of the field is filled with players with experience on the Korn Ferry Tour and mini-tours and some PGA Tour starts.

Louis Kelly of New Jersey

But the calm conditions Thursday allowed players to shoot straight at the flags. There are 25 players within two strokes of the lead. Among them are 2024 winner Davis Bryant of Aurora, and two-time past champion Will Collins of Albuquerque. Connor Jones of Westminster, who earlier this month finished tied for 24th at the Ascendant presented by Blue Korn Ferry event at TPC Colorado, finished Thursday at five under.

Joe Neuheisel of Scottsdale, Ariz., son of former University of Colorado football coach Rick Neuheisel, competing Thursday in the Inspirato Colorado Open.

Recent years have shown that the winner will string together four consistently strong days, so the challenge for all the players is now to stay in contention. Play resumes Friday with a cut tomorrow night, then two final days of play at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in Denver.

Special coverage will continue throughout the weekend on ColoradoAvidGolfer.Com and on our Instagram and Tik Tok channels.

Click here to follow the tournament live through Sunday’s final round.

Gavin Amella of Castle Rock and father Gary during Thursday’s first round of the Inspirato Colorado Open

Jim Bebbington is the Director of Content at Colorado AvidGolfer and can be reached at [email protected]

Colorado AvidGolfer Magazine is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it, publishing eight issues annually and proudly delivering daily content via coloradoavidgolfer.com.

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