The 2016 Colorado Open will have the biggest state golf open purse in America at $250,000, according to a news release. The number is double last year’s purse.
The championship will also feature the biggest first-place prize at $100,000.
CoBank succeeds HealthOne as the title sponsor for the Colorado Open, which takes place July 21-24 at the Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in Denver.
Championship officials hope the purse increase will attract top players to the Colorado Open.
“The CoBank Colorado Open is already widely recognized as one of the premier state opens in the nation,” Kevin Laura, CEO of the Colorado Open Golf Foundation, said in a release. “Doubling the purse will take the tournament to a whole new level. We expect to attract a great field of top players, and look forward to putting on the best open in our tournament’s history.”
Jimmy Gunn, the 2015 Colorado Open champion, said the money may persuade him to defend his title.
“This change in purse and first place money will make me think long and hard about taking the week off from the Tour and defend my title,” he said in the release.
