Haylee Harford has had a successful 2023 campaign, only missing two cuts on the Epson Tour and collecting an additional top-5 finish at the IOA Golf Classic presented by LPT Realty. Harford has now added the biggest paycheck from a non-LPGA Tour event to her resumé. The $100,000 winner's check at the Inspirato Colorado Women's Open can go a long way in a player's career, funding them for the rest of their season and beyond. Harford had a commanding lead heading into the final round and held off fellow Epson Tour member Becca Huffer in the final round to take home the title.
“It means so much to win the Colorado Women’s Open. It’s an incredible event with a purse equal to the men and a high level of competition,” said Harford. “I’ve been working really hard and have faced some ups and downs throughout the past year so this win couldn’t have come at a better time for me. It definitely gives me confidence going into the rest of the season and I’m looking forward to playing in Harris, Michigan next week.”
Becca Huffer has been finding her form on the Epson Tour this year, only missing one cut to start the first half of her 2023 season. The Denver native made six birdies in her last 12 holes to apply pressure and raced to the top on the leaderboard with a final round 68 (-4) but fell one-shot short in the end. The runner-up finish has Huffer feeling good heading into the Island Resort Championship next week in Harris, Michigan.
"It's always nice to get a good finish on the books," said Huffer. "I was pleased with how I turned around my round the last 12 holes after not a great 2nd round and start to the 3rd. It definitely gives me confidence heading into next week, knowing I can get some birdies rolling to put myself into contention."
Dominating the leaderboard, Epson Tour members showed their talent and gained momentum before heading into the next event, the Island Resort Championship. Of the 38 athletes that made the cut, 31 are current members of the LPGA's qualifying tour. Other notable top finishes came from Kristen Gillman (3rd), Kaitlin Milligan (T4), Amy Lee (T4), Robyn Choi (7th), Brianna Do (T8) and Kathleen Scavo (T8).
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