FCA Denver Open Returning to Vista Ridge GC

By Gary Baines

Colorado Golf Journal, Friday, February 15, 2008

     The latest incarnation of the Denver Open is taking shape, with Vista Ridge Golf Club in Erie set to host the 2008 tournament on Aug. 19 and 20.

    The event has partnered with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and now will be called the FCA Denver Open. Unlike in the past, the championship field will be limited to members of the Colorado Section PGA, meaning no amateurs can compete, except in the pro-am.

     “It was imperative that if this partnership was to happen that the tournament would be open only to those Colorado professionals that work full-time in the golf business,” tournament director Tom Krause said in an e-mail. “It was designed in appreciation of all the dedicated pros that promote and continue to grow the game in Colorado.”

   Plans call for 50 pros to compete for a minimum purse of $25,000. The championship rounds will be combined with a 36-hole pro-am, where the 50 pros will join up with 50 amateur threesomes, with an amateur team purse of $15,000 up for grabs.

   The entry fee for pros will be $300 each, and for amateurs it will be $1,500 per team. Registration is scheduled to begin April 1 at fcadenveropen.com.

    This will be the second straight year the Denver Open has been held at Vista Ridge after previous stops at Buffalo Run Golf Course in Commerce City and Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver.

    The tournament was a multi-round event from 2003 through 2006, but last year it was scaled back to a one-day tournament at Vista Ridge. The change in scope was forced by tournament entries dropping significantly in recent years after hitting 360 in 2003.

     The Denver Open has drawn some notable competitors since it was resurrected five years ago. The list of past champions include former Colorado State golfer Martin Laird, who is now playing on the PGA Tour, and former University of Colorado golfer Matt Zions, who played in the British Open last summer.

36-Hole Tournament Will Have Pro Purse of at Least $25,000

Martin Laird

Matt Zions

FORMER DENVER
OPEN CHAMPIONS