Colorado Korn Ferry stop again sees record scores and huge crowds

Del Solar sets new tournament record at 22-under par at TPC Colorado

By Jim Bebbington

Cristobal Del Solar beat the heat and the field in a scorching Korn Ferry Ascendant presented by Blue Playing held at TPC Colorado July 11 to 14.

Del Solar came from three strokes back on the final Sunday to win and set the tournament record, finishing at 22-under par.

He fired two eagles on the day to score a final-day 66. Saturday-night leader Matt McCarty, who was at 19-under par when he teed off Sunday, shot 3-over and finished T-5.

Del Solar, a Chilean who began professional golf in 2017, won $180,000 with the victory and earned his card for the PGA Tour in 2025.

“I called my wife when I was signing the scorecard. She was bawling,” Del Solar said. “She was crying, and she’s taking care of my daughter, so I didn’t know if she was crying because of her or because of me, but, yeah, they’re all very happy.”

CU alum Jeremy Paul had one of his best tournaments of the year. He also fired a 6-under 66 on Sunday, including birdies on 15, 17 and 18 and finished T-5. The only thing that kept him from finishing higher was an even-par round on Thursday. Paul won his first start of the season, the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay. Air Force Academy graduate Kyle Westmoreland finished T-42 at 10-under.

The four-day tournament in Berthoud continued its legacy of strong crowds, even as the temperatures soared into the 100s most days.

“It was truly a team effort,” said tournament director Drew Blass. “Everyone in the community stepped up from housing over 105 players and caddies to first responders increasing staff to manage the higher temperatures, to local partners and media support. There was incredible TPC Colorado hospitality and set up of the golf course. The 525 volunteers did everything needed to host a world class event.  It was an amazing event with Cristobal Del Solar breaking our tournament course record with 22-under.”

Del Solar and McCarty traded places for good on No. 9 on Sunday. McCarty teed off conservatively, hitting a fairway wood to the middle of the fairway. Del Solar hit driver and cut the corner of the 468-yard par 4 and ended up 30 yards from the pin.

Del Solar’s chip options were limited with a tight pin placement between a bunker and the backside slope down to the lake. He pitched wide and safe and parred. McCarty’s second shot ended up in a front-left bunker, he blasted out long, and chipped back on, finishing with a double-bogey.

Alistair Docherty, playing with Del Solar and McCarty, was in the mix for the lead but double-bogeyed No. 6, a short part 4 that leads most players to attempt to drive the green. He ended up in the tall hay left of the green with a very difficult lie; his pitch was still short of the green, and then he hit a lob wedge short and it caught the slope of the green and rolled in a bunker.

He rallied with birdies on Nos. 11 and 12 to regain ground, and finished fourth.