Sunday shoot-out in store for Inspirato Colorado Open

Pros head toward 20-under par in 2025 Inspirato Colorado Open

By Jim Bebbington

Green Valley Ranch Golf Club is getting raves from the pros playing this week’s Inspirato Colorado Open, but the best players are still getting close to 20-under par for the tournament heading into the final round.

Sam Saunders of Albuquerque, NM, remained on top of the leaderboard Saturday after shooting an 8-under par round that put him at 16-under for the tournament. He has a two-shot lead over Skyler Finnell of Carmel, Calif., and a three-shot lead over former CU golfer Tucker Clark of Phoenix and last year’s runner-up, Jim Knous of Basalt.

Saunders on Saturday had his best round yet, starting off with birdies on the first three holes and then shooting a bogey-free round.

“I just hit my irons great and I actually made a couple putts to start the day which is nice,” he said.

Saunders no longer plays professionally full-time and is an assistant coach at New Mexico University’s men’s golf team.

Clark is in his first year as a professional after playing on the CU men’s golf team for three seasons and is preparing to try to advance through the PGA Tour Q-School process this fall. He also shot an 8-under bogey-free round Saturday.

“It’s definitely been a good, solid start,” Clark said. “Hopefully by tomorrow I’m holding the trophy. If not, I got a lot of good things to take away from the week.”

Finnell, 31, has experience on the Canadian, Latin American and Korn Ferry Tours but came to the Colorado Open this year as he’s trying to spend more time in the U.S. at this stage in his career. He said he’s been playing well but a putting lesson two weeks ago with Russell Surber in San Diego has had immediate benefits. “That’s helped find things a little bit on the greens,” he said. “Cleaning up the par putts that keep the momentum (going) and making the birdie putts that allow you to keep going lower.”

Knous retired last year from his professional golf focus, taking a job with Ping and moving from Colorado to Arizona, and yet is in the mix for the second year in a row for the Inspirato Colorado Open title. He said he’s playing consistently this week and wants that to continue one more day.

The key? “Ball striking,” he said. “Center strikes; put the bat on the ball if you will. Keep it down the middle and hit fairways and greens. Sounds simple, but really that’s kind of the key out here. It’s just hitting fairways and a lot of greens.”

There is also a cluster of 11 high-powered players including several past champions at 10 and 11-under par. Defending champion Davis Bryant bogeyed the last hole to finish the day at 11-under for the tournament. The group with him there includes AJ Ott of Fort Collins and Chris Korte of Littleton.

The low-amateur contest remains up for grabs. Two-time low am Parker Edens is one stroke behind Nick Nosewicz of Aurora. Nosewicz hit driver off the fairway on No. 18 Saturday to set up a 25-foot eagle putt and missed by an inch. He is at 7-under par going into Sunday’s final round.

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

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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