Sabrina Iqbal becomes the latest CU golfer to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open; Colorado-based qualifying for the event set for April 30
By Gary Baines – 4/16/2024
Sabrina Iqbal, who’s wrapping up her first and only season as a University of Colorado golfer, this week qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open — arguably the most prestigious tournament in women’s golf — for the second time as an amateur.
The fifth-year college player from San Jose, a transfer from Texas Christian University, shot 71-68 over 36 holes on Monday in the qualifier in El Macero, Calif., adding to the list of current and former CU golfers who have recently qualified for the national championship.
This year’s U.S. Women’s Open is set for May 30-June 2 at Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club.
Iqbal, who played in the USWO in 2019, finished a stroke behind medalist — and Stanford golfer — Megha Ganne (70-68). Joining them in advancing was Alexa Melton of USC (74-66).
Over the 36 holes, Iqbal recorded 12 birdies and seven bogeys.
Last year, Iqbal qualified for the final stage of LPGA Tour qualifying, called LPGA Q-Series, but elected not to compete there as it would have required her to turn pro before the spring season of college golf at CU.
In the last decade, four other current or former CU golfers have competed in the U.S. Women’s Open, including Jenny Coleman (2015, ’21 and ’23), Robyn Choi (2017 and ’18), Malak Bouraeda (2022) and Jessica Wallace (2014).
The Colorado-based qualifier for the U.S. Women’s Open will be held over 36 holes on April 30 at Walnut Creek Golf Preserve in Westminster, where three spots will be at stake. Former CU golfers Choi and Coleman, who both have status on the LPGA Tour this year, are among those in the field.
For the scores of the qualifier in El Macero, CLICK HERE.
About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. The University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com