Professional golf is back in Colorado for what has become an annual summer tradition: The Ascendant at TPC Colorado in Berthoud.
This will be the sixth annual edition of the Korn Ferry Tour event that started in 2019, and it’s a popular spot on tour.
The golfers are fresh off a bye week for the Independence Day holiday, and The Ascendant was named Korn Ferry Tournament of the Year in 2023 for the second time in three years.
The Colorado stop kicks off the back half of the tour calendar, as top golfers hope to cement a top-30 finish in the season standings to earn their PGA Tour card.
Here’s what golf fans should know about the 2024 edition of The Ascendant Presented by Blue, including players to watch, how to watch/follow online, ticket options and more.
The TPC Colorado course
The TPC Colorado at Heron Lakes course opened in summer 2018 and is an 18-hole layout just northwest of Berthoud that is renowned for its prodigious length.
The course can play up to 8,029 yards from the tournament tees and features the massive 773-yard par-5 13th hole that is nearly impossible to reach in two shots.
TPC Colorado plays as a semi-hybrid of American and European links golf, featuring deep pot bunkers and scenic holes lined by shimmering lakes with Rocky Mountain vistas in the distance.
Players to watch at TPC Colorado
The Colorado connections
AJ Ott: The 2021 Colorado State graduate and former Rams’ star qualified thanks to a win in the sponsor exemption tournaments held Saturday at TPC Colorado. It will be Ott’s first-ever Korn Ferry Tour appearance.
Jeremy Paul: The former University of Colorado golfer finished third at TPC Colorado in 2022 and sits at No. 13 on this year’s Korn Ferry Tour points list, including a win at The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic in January.
Kyle Westmoreland: The former Air Force Academy standout is 25th on the tour’s points list and has five top-five finishes this season, highlighted by a runner-up finish in The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic.
Sam Saunders: The Fort Collins resident and grandson of Arnold Palmer is often a fan favorite at this event. He had his best finish of the season last month with a tie for 14th at the UNC Health Championship.
Kevin Stadler: The part-time Denver resident and son of former PGA Tour star Craig Stadler will be looking for his first made cut this season.
Josh Creel: The Cheyenne native and former CU golfer is coming off a tie for 34th at the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic last week and is looking to snap a streak of five missed cuts at the Korn Ferry ranks.
Former Ascendant champions
Nelson Ledesma: The inaugural champion in 2019 is back and could use a good finish while currently at 42nd on the points list.
Tag Ridings: The 2021 winner is looking to regain his form from three years ago after just one top-25 finish to date this season.
Track record of success
There are a handful of golfers who sit among the top 20 on the Korn Ferry Tour and were in Sunday contention at The Ascendant last year:
Tim Widing: Tied for fourth (16 under) last year and is currently third on the Korn Ferry points list.
Quade Cummins: Tied for sixth (14 under) in 2023 and sits at No. 8 on this season’s points list.
Frankie Capan III: Tied for 14th (11 under) last year and is 10th on 2023-24 Korn Ferry points list.
Jackson Suber: Tied for ninth (13 under) in 2023 and currently 11th on the points list.
Isaiah Salinda: Tied for 16th (10 under) in last year’s event and sits at No. 15 on Korn Ferry points list.
Former PGA Tour winners in TPC Colorado field:
Ben Crane (5 wins); Bo Van Pelt (1)
Tournament schedule, format
The tournament features four 18-hole rounds, July 11- 14. The field of 156 will be cut to the low 65 scores (including ties) for the final two rounds on Saturday and Sunday.
Leaders are expected to tee off by 1:30 p.m. local time on the weekend, weather permitting. For example, the 2022 final round was moved up nearly three hours due to anticipated inclement weather.
The prize purse for the 2024 edition is again $1 million, with the winner set to earn $180,000.
Past TPC Colorado results, champions
The tournament has been consistently competitive, with three of the five champions winning by just one shot and the other two winners taking it by two strokes each.
An event scoring record has also been set or matched in all five years.
Here are the previous Ascendant at TPC Colorado winners:
2023: Nicholas Lindheim (20 under)
2022: Zecheng “Marty” Dou (17 under)
2021: Tag Ridings (16 under)
2020: Will Zalatoris (15 under)
2019: Nelson Ledesma (15 under)
The Ascendant has become a launching pad to the PGA Tour, with Ledesma, Zalatoris, Dou and Lindheim all moving up after winning at TPC Colorado.
Zalatoris is currently No. 46 in the Official World Golf Ranking (after consecutive years in the top 20) and has four top-10 finishes at major championships.
Lindheim will not be defending his 2023 title this week.