Revamped Inspirato Colorado Women’s Open still earns praise

Winner Alyaa Abdulghany says Colorado tournament is special

By Jim Bebbington

After three grueling 18-hole rounds two Epson Tour professionals – Alyaa Abdulghany and Brianna Do – needed two playoff holes Friday before deciding the winner of the 2025 Inspirato Colorado Women’s Open.

Abdulghany, 26, scrambled for pars on both playoff holes – each played on the par 5 No. 18 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Course. Both times she bounced her approach shot hard off the green and wound up in the back rough. Do placed her approach shots each time in the center of the green.

But it was Abdulghany who won. She chipped close both times and sank her par putts. On the second playoff hole Do pushed her potential winning birdie putt well past the hole, then missed her comeback par putt by an inch.

 

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As fellow Epson Tour pro Ellie Slama doused Abdulghany with bottled water she hugged her caddie – her mom.

“I like having my mom on the bag,” she said. “It keeps me calm.”

She entered the final round tied with Do for third place, behind two-time winner Denver-native Becca Huffer and Yixian Guo of China. Abdulghany slowly and steadily moved first into a tie for the lead with Huffer, then she and Do finished tied at 13-under par after regulation.

“(It was) just kind of taking it one step at a time,” she said. “The biggest thing really was to make sure that we stuck to our game and our process and whatever happens after that happens.”

With the win Abdulghany becomes the fourth woman to win both low-amateur and the professional tournament at the Inspirato Colorado Open. Abdulghany was low-am the first year she played here, in 2020. The three others include Huffer and LPGA major winner Jennifer Kupcho.

“It’s been a great time and every time if I don’t get a chance to play in the U.S. Open I’ll come out here and play in Colorado,” she said.

For Huffer it was another near-win in a tournament where she has uniquely flourished for nearly 20 years. Friday she finished in third place and missed a chip-in birdie on No. 17 by millimeters to keep her out of the playoff. She won in 2013 and 2019 and finished second in 2012, 2021 and 2023. She was low-amateur in 2008.

“I had a good front nine, a couple good holes, but just couldn’t get anything rolling at the end,” Huffer said. “Overall I’m pleased with my tournament.”

Tournament organizers feared before this year’s tournament that the reduction in first-place prize money – from $100,000 to $50,000 – would significantly impact the number of players wanting to come to Colorado for it. In the end the field included a strong contingent of players from the Epson Tour – the LPGA’s developmental tour – as well as the best teaching pros and top amateurs from around the state.

The top 10 for this year’s tournament were:

1 Alyaa Abdulghany, Newport Beach, CA         -13                            $50,000

2 Brianna Do, Lakewood, CA                              -13                            $23,000

3 *Becca Huffer, Denver, CO                               -11                            $12,250

4 Yixian Guo, Zhejiang, China                             -10                            $10,000

T5 Jessica Geise, Hinckley, OH                           -9                               $8,000

T5 *Haylee Harford, Leavittsburg, OH              -9                               $8,000

T5 Lauren Peter, Carmel, NY                               -9                               $8,000

T8 *Clariss Guce, Artesia, CA                               -6                               $5,500

T8 Ellie Slama, Salem, OR                                     -6                               $5,500

T10 Lauren Dickey, Loveland, CO                        -5                               $3,500

T10 Nika Ito, Chiba, Japan                                     -5                               $3,500

T10 Katherine Muzi, Lakewood Ranch, FL         -5                               $3,500

* – Past Winner

For complete results, go here.

The 2025 Inspirato Colorado Open Series continues with the men’s Open July 24 to 27 and the Senior Open Aug. 27 to 29.