Reports of the Denver Open’s demise were greatly exaggerated.
Two years after getting booted from Green Valley Ranch when the Colorado Open took up residence, the Denver Open is alive and welcomed. The 54-hole event runs July 22-24 at Buffalo Run Golf Course in Commerce City.
“Area pros and guys from out of state are really happy we kept going,” said Tom Krause, executive director of the Denver Open. “It gives them another good purse to play for, another place to play.”
Attracted by the $75,000 payout, the tournament will have a full field of at least 156 golfers, Krause said, which might be expanded to 168. The entry fee is $400. Coors has signed on this year as the title sponsor.
The number of out-of-state golfers entering Denver Open qualifiers increased about 50 percent this year, to 60.
Buffalo Run, a Scottish-style, prairie links layout, plays to 7,411 yards and drew rave reviews last year when the Denver Open was held there for the first time. The Denver Open would not have moved if Green Valley Ranch developer Oakwood Homes hadn’t purchased the Colorado Open events. But there are no hard feelings, Krause said.
In fact, Krause works with Colorado Open officials to avoid scheduling conflicts with their respective qualifiers. The 72-hole Colorado Open, which offers a $125,000 purse and a spot in The International to its winner, will be played the following week, July 28-31.
“I think the Colorado Open is the best tournament of its kind in the country, and we want to be second best,” Krause said.
New this year will be special activities for spectators around the green of the 207-yard, par-3 17th in hopes of fostering a raucous atmosphere patterned after the PGA Tour’s FBR Open near Phoenix. There is no charge for admission or parking.
Footnote
More commitments are rolling in for The International, the latest from Englishman Luke Donald and Australian Aaron Baddeley. Donald has two second-place finishes this year and is 13th on the PGA Tour’s money list. Baddeley has four top-10 finishes this season. Also committing are Charles Howell III and Sean O’Hair, 23, who claimed his first PGA Tour victory last weekend at the John Deere Classic. Other commitments include Hunter Mahan, Arron Oberholser, South Korean Kevin Na and Ryan Palmer.
