With a win at TPC Colorado potentially securing his 2025 PGA Tour card, ex-Buff Jeremy Paul opens with 66 at The Ascendant; Richy Werenski ties tourney record with 63; Fort Collins’ Sam Saunders needs strong finish to season to avoid losing tour status
By Gary Baines – 7/11/2024
BERTHOUD — On a day the temperature reached 98 degrees — with triple digits forecast to be on the way this weekend — several players with significant local ties came out hot at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Ascendant presented by Blue at TPC Colorado in Berthoud.
That certainly included former University of Colorado golfer Jeremy Paul, who fired a bogey-free 6-under-par 66 the same day that his brother Yannik posted a 5-under 65 at the PGA Tour’s Scottish Open. Jeremy matched his personal competitive best at TPC Colorado.
Suffice it to say it was a very good day for the twins from Germany. “I talked to him this morning,” Jeremy said of Yannik. “He’s in great position and he’s been playing well. I’m happy for him. It’s nice to see him finally get a good score together.”
Also blazin’ on Thursday at TPC Colorado were numerous others as five golfers shot 65 or lower at a course that measures 8,029 yards. That includes one-time PGA Tour winner Ricky Werenski, who matched the single-round tournament record with a 9-under 63.
Among the golfers — besides Jeremy Paul — with strong area ties who broke 70 on Thursday were Cheyenne native Josh Creel (67), part-time Denver resident Kevin Stadler (69) and former Air Force Academy golfer Kyle Westmoreland (69).
Paul is no stranger to performing well at The Ascendant. Two years ago, he closed with a 66 to tie for third in the event. Until he won the season-opening Korn Ferry Tour event this year, that was Paul’s best finish on the KFT.
And on Thursday, the 30-year-old made six birdies and no bogeys, chipping in from 46 feet on No. 17. “With a birdie there, you definitely gain on the field,” Paul said. He also birdied the 275-yard, par-3 14th, meaning he carded birdies on the course’s two toughest holes on day 1.
“I really like the golf course,” said Paul, who concluded his CU career in 2017. “I like playing in Colorado. It’s obviously very familiar for me. I like playing at altitude. A lot of people haven’t played that much — and don’t have much experience — at altitude. So it’s definitely an advantage. You have to hit a lot of drivers here, and I like hitting a lot of drivers off the tee.
“It’s also nice if you have good experience at a golf course. But at the end of the day, when a golf course suits you it’s nice, but you’ve got to wait and see if it’s your turn. You’ve got to keep playing well.”
Paul is looking for his breakthrough to the PGA Tour, and is in good position to earn a 2025 card following his January victory in the Bahamas. He’s currently 13th on the season-long points list — with the top 30 at the end of the year landing PGA Tour status — and a top finish this weekend would greatly help the cause.
In fact, a victory on Sunday would lock up a PGA Tour card for next year.
“It’s been solid so far,” Paul said of the season. “I’ve played solid the last weeks, months. I’ve always had one round (that isn’t great) and I’ll finish between 12th and 40th place. The points are so heavy at the top so you’ve got to get a couple of top 5s, top 3s. I just want to put myself in a spot that I have a chance on Sunday. That’s kind of the goal, then see where it goes.
“It’s nice to get off to a good start. On this tour, if you have a slow start, it’s almost like you’re out of the tournament. It’s important to play well right from the beginning so you can have a chance on Sunday.”
In addition to his 46-foot chip-in at No. 17, Paul’s other birdies included an 18-foot putt and two 10-footers.
“If the wind is down, the course is obviously pretty gettable,” he said.
Meanwhile, Creel, who started his college golf career at CU before completing it at Central Oklahoma, played his back nine (the front at TPC Colorado) in 5-under 31 en route to a 67. A week after placing 34th on the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic, Creel recorded an eagle, four birdies and a bogey on Thursday.
Kevin Stadler coaxes in a birdie on the first hole Thursday.
As for Stadler, a winner once on the PGA Tour and four times on the KFT, he got off to one of his better starts of the season. Thursday marked just the second time he’s shot in the 60s in round 1 — in 10 KFT starts and one on the PGA Tour. Should the Kent Denver grad remain in the top 65 and ties after Friday’s second round, he’ll make his first cut of the season in a Tour event.
Westmoreland, who had his PGA Tour card last season, is on track to regain it as he’s 25th on the points list. A return to the top of the leaderboard — he posted two top-5 finishes to start the KFT season — would work wonders this week. On Thursday, he carded an eagle (from 23 feet on No. 5) to go with four birdies and three bogeys. He parred his final hole from 13 feet, but other highlights included a birdie from 4 feet on the 275-yard, par-3 14th and a birdie from 2 feet on No. 6 after a 68-yard bunker shot.
Kyle Westmoreland acknowledges applause for one of his birdies on Thursday.
Meanwhile, in his first round in a Korn Ferry Tour event, former Colorado State golfer AJ Ott carded an even-par 72. The Fort Collins resident, who landed a spot in the field through last Saturday’s sponsor exemption tournament, parred his first eight holes of the day, bogeyed 9 birdied 11 and 15 and bogeyed 17. He was part of the last threesome off the first tee box on Thursday.
AJ Ott hits the first tee shot of his Korn Ferry Tour career.
Record-Tying Round: Werenski, one of seven PGA Tour winners in this week’s field, matched the tournament’s 18-hole scoring record by opening with a 9-under-par 63 on Thursday, which gave him a one-stroke lead.
The 2020 Barracuda Championship winner, a veteran of 204 PGA Tour events, chipped in for eagle on the third hole (his 12th of the day) and added seven birdies in a bogey-free round.
“I just played pretty solid today, to tell you the truth,” Werenski said. “I chipped in for eagle, which gives you a nice little boost. Other than that, it’s just a lot of greens, gave myself some putts and I putted well. Just solid overall.”
Werenski’s 63 at The Ascendant matched those of Chase Johnson and Greyson Sigg (both 2020) and Taylor Moore (2021) for the low scores in tournament history.
Werenski has split his time this season between the PGA Tour (7 starts, best finish: 18th) and the Korn Ferry (11 previous starts, best finish: third place). In addition to his PGA Tour victory, he has one on the KFT, back in 2016. This week marks his first time competing at TPC Colorado. It’s his eighth consecutive week of golf tournaments. He’s decided to focus on the KFT for the remainder of this season as he sits 52nd on the season-long points list and can earn a PGA Tour card if he finishes the year in the top 30.
“I just figured I’d probably be kicking myself if I didn’t play out here,” he said. “I’ve got a good chance to get a card this year. Go play the rest of the year out here and try to do that and get it done, then I don’t have to play out here next year. … I’m going to stick it out out here and give it my all out on this tour.”
Werenski leads by one over Thomas Walsh and Brian Campbell. Walsh holed out for eagle on the par-4 11th hole from 186 yards. Campbell also recorded an eagle, albeit of the more traditional variety, sinking a 22-foot putt on No. 5, his 14th hole of the day.
Sam Saunders had an up and down first round on Thursday.
Time May Be Running Out on Fort Collins’ Sam Saunders: Sam Saunders has played full time on the PGA Tour and/or the Korn Ferry Tour for the last dozen years or so, but unless his results start trending a fair amount better in the next couple of months, that run could end soon for the resident of Fort Collins and Steamboat Springs.
Saunders, the 36-year-old grandson of Arnold Palmer, came into this week’s Ascendant at TPC Colorado sitting 146th on the Korn Ferry Tour’s 2024 points list. And, to remain exempt on the KFT beyond this season, he’ll need to finish the year in the top 75 to keep full status, or at least the top 100 to be conditionally exempt.
On Thursday, competing about 30 minutes from his southern Fort Collins home, Saunders looked to be headed for a good round. In fact, with a 6:30 a.m. tee time and a strong start, he was in the lead for a time. Sinking a 27-foot eagle putt on No. 5 left him 4 under par at that point, and he posted a 4-under 32 on the front nine.
But things went south on the back nine as a double bogey on the tough 17th led to a 5-over 41. Overall, he rode the seesaw to a 1-over 73, which left him in 121stplace at the end of the day.
“I was playing nicely and hitting the ball well and I got off to a solid start,” he said, noting he had an “unfortunate three-putt on the 10th hole. I hit a good wedge and it spun back down the hill.
“I got a really bad mud ball on that crazy long par-5 (No. 13). That’s just the most frustrating thing in the world because I’m pretty sure it hasn’t rained here in a week, but they’re putting more water than I’ve ever seen out there on this golf course. I hit a nice shot but unfortunately that’s just what happens, and it goes down in the (fairway) bunker. Then a plugged lie in the next bunker and I made a bogey there.
“That’s golf. Sometimes you hit perfect shots and the golf course just chews you up and spits you out. But it’s frustrating when it’s just because of wet conditions.
“I’m so excited because this is a good golf course and has the potential to be a really good tough test. But I think they’re a little worried about this heat too much and putting a lot of water out there. It’s awfully soft. We’ve got another putting contest this week. I’ll come out tomorrow and try to birdie every hole; that’s what you do on the Korn Ferry Tour.”
Bigger picture, Saunders is playing in the 158th Korn Ferry Tour event of his career to go along with 158 PGA Tour starts — most of which came in the period from 2014-19. He owns a runner-up and three top-5s on the PGA Tour and three second places on the Korn Ferry Tour.
But this year has been frustrating for the former Clemson golfer as he’s missed 10 cuts in 13 starts, with only one showing in the top 40 (14th place in the UNC Health Championship in early June). Saunders has until the completion Korn Ferry Tour Championship (Oct. 3-6) — which is limited to 75 players — to climb into the top 75 on the season-long points list, or at least the top 100.
“It is what it is,” Saunders said. “The year has gone terribly. I feel great. I’m healthy. I’m hitting the ball well. I know how to do it, but my patience has worn thin I think. The game has changed a lot. Golf courses are getting easier and easier, the way they set them up. These guys are getting better and better as well. I know I’m still good enough to compete. We haven’t played many courses that suit the style of game that I like to play. I tend to do well when courses get really firm and fast and difficult, and the winning score is more around 10-12 under par and not 30 under par like it is week in and week out here.
“If professional golf is a putting contest, I’m not going to win it and my career is going to come to an end real quickly. And if that’s the way it goes, that’s the way it goes. I’ve been very fortunate — I’ve played my five years on the PGA Tour. I really enjoyed it. I made a lot of friends out here. But if it’s over after this year, then that’s what it is. I’m certainly going to try my best each week I tee it up and try to get back to the PGA Tour.”
Notable: Lightning in the area stopped play for roughly an hour, starting at 3:51 p.m. …. Turk Pettit, the 2023 Inspirato Colorado Open champion and former LIV Golf player, opened with a 3-under-par 69 after Monday qualifying to get into the field. … Finn Meister of Tucson, who earned the 18-and-under sponsor exemption through qualifying on Saturday, posted a 10-over-par 82 on the 8,029-yard layout on Thursday, carding nines of 46 (back nine) then 36 (front). … The field will be cut to the low 65 players and ties after Friday’s second round.
Some of the bunkers at TPC Colorado can be very formidable.
Local Scores: Here are The Ascendant scores for players who have significant Colorado and area ties:
6. Former CU golfer Jeremy Paul 66
13. Cheyenne native Josh Creel, who started his college golf career at CU before completing it at Central Oklahoma 67
37. Former Air Force Academy golfer Kyle Westmoreland 69
37. Part-time Denver resident Kevin Stadler 69
101. Fort Collins resident AJ Ott, a former CSU golfer 72
121. Fort Collins and Steamboat Springs resident Sam Saunders 73
For all the scores from The Ascendant, 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