The Ascendant Presented by Blue is Back

TPC Colorado – The Berthoud beast is longer than ever and ready for the pros

By Jim Bebbington

The Korn Ferry Tour returns to Berthoud and the TPC Colorado July 12 to 16 and the popular tour stop has added even more length to challenge the PGA Tour’s aspirants.

The TPC course was already a giant – it played last year at more than 7,900 yards. But because of work to create additional restaurant options, the course crew moved the 10^th tee back so that this year’s test will measure out at more than 8,000 yards for the first time.

“We are definitely one of the longest courses,” said Tournament Director Drew Blass.

Steady rains helped make for lush conditions and long rough. The course was readied by crews led by Kevin Malloy, TPC Colorado’s Director of Golf Course Maintenance Operations.

“Kevin and his team have done an incredible job,” Blass said. “The rough sounds like its going to be pretty thick. It’s definitely going to play tough.”

The course always gives as good as it gets for this tour. Korn Ferry players are vying for points each tournament, and at the end of the season the top 30 players get PGA Tour cards for the next year. So they are able to go low on almost any course.

“We are thrilled that we have not been over 20 under (for a winning tournament score),” Blass said. “These players are incredible golfers and we have been around 16 to 17 under for the winner.”

For fans, the tournament this year is adding a little more on-course transportation. A trolly system has been used for years to help visitors get back to the stretch of holes farthest from the clubhouse, and this year it has added stops.

TPC Colorado is laid out in the traditional style with the opening holes taking you far out, and the back nine returning to the clubhouse. So fans walking out to holes No. 7,8 or 9 can have a full hike ahead of them.

More than 500 volunteers make the tournament happen, and the event has proven a successful part of the Tour. It was voted Tournament of the Year in 2021, and the two main sponsors – Cyprus Ascendant Services is the title sponsor and Blue Federal Credit Union is the presenting sponsor – have agreed to back it through at least 2026.

Thus the tournament’s name: The Ascendant presented by Blue.

“We didn’t want to have the longest name ever on Tour,” Blass said.

The volunteer army and community support have been key at keeping the event an important destination for the Korn Ferry Tournament. Volunteers help with transportation, walking scorers, marshalls, and some put up players or caddies in their houses.

“We are always ranked easily on the top 3 on the tour,” Blass said.

Players expected to be in the 156-player field include several in the Top 10 of the Tour’s points rankings including Rico Hoey from California, ranked No. 2 in the Korn Ferry Tour points. He won earlier this year at the Visit Knoxville Open. Air Force Academy graduate Tom Whitney, who is ranked No. 14 on the Tour’s points list, and PGA Tour veteran Boo Weekley are also in the field. Lakewood’s Jim Knous is listed as an alternate as of Tuesday.

Last year’s winner, Zecheng Dou of China, has made 11 cuts on the PGA Tour this year, with his best finish a T-5 in the AT&T Byron Nelson.

 

 

How to go:

Tickets: One day tickets start at $25 and children 15 and under and members of the military and military retirees with valid ID are free. TheAscendant.com/tickets

Getting there: TPC Colorado is 2375 TPC Parkway in Berthoud, off U.S. 287, northwest of Denver.

Schedule: Junior Golf Clinic on July 10; Pro-Am July 12; tournament play July13 to 16. Gates open 6:30 a.m. on tournament days.

Purse: $1.5 million

More information: TheAscendant.com

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