July 13th 2024.
The second round at The Ascendant certainly had its fair share of excitement, with players battling it out under sweltering heat and some gusty winds. The stakes were high as everyone vied to make the cut and secure a spot in the tournament's championship round.
At TPC Colorado, both rookies and seasoned veterans made their way up the leaderboard, hoping to keep their scores low enough to make the cut, which ended up being at 3-under par. One of the rookies who stood out was Cole Sherwood, a first-year Korn Ferry Tour player fresh out of Vanderbilt University. After an impressive 67 on Thursday, he followed it up with a solid 68 on Friday, briefly holding the lead at one point. However, a couple of bogeys on the 17th and 18th holes dropped him a few spots, leaving him at 9-under going into the final round.
For Sherwood, it has been a whirlwind few weeks since turning pro. The Ascendant is only his third Korn Ferry event, having also played in the PGA Tour's John Deere Classic last week. While he didn't make the cut there, Sherwood believes the experience of playing on the top Tour has helped improve his game this week at TPC Colorado.
Reflecting on his experience at the John Deere Classic, Sherwood shared, "It was really cool being out there. It was an incredible experience. I learned a lot just from watching how those guys go about their business. When I first turned pro, I was being really aggressive. I was firing at every pin and I just wasn't in control of my round. But now, I'm not doing anything different than I did in previous weeks. I'm hitting my shots the same, putting the same, and driving the same. The only difference is that I'm managing my game a lot better, thanks to what I've learned the last couple of weeks, especially last week."
While Sherwood may be a rookie, Korn Ferry veteran Thomas Walsh also made his presence known near the top of the leaderboard. Having played four years on the Korn Ferry Tour, including the past three in a row, Walsh tied for 10th at The Ascendant last year. He had a strong start on Thursday with a 64, putting him in a tie for second place. Despite battling the wind on Friday, Walsh managed to stay in contention for the title with a 71, leaving him at 9-under going into the weekend.
After starting his round on the 10th hole, Walsh had a bit of an up-and-down round. A bogey on the 18th hole put him at 1-over for the day, but he bounced back with three consecutive birdies at the start of the front nine. Reflecting on his round, Walsh shared, "I feel good. It was tough out there. The last seven holes, the wind was blowing at 35-30 miles per hour for a bit. It was crazy, but overall, I played well. I just let a few slip on the back nine. On the 18th hole, I missed the fairway by just five yards and I had no chance to hit the green. That's just a one-shot hole, and if you miss the fairway, it's a bogey. But then we got to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd holes, which were all downwind, so it was pretty straightforward. I made a good putt on the 1st and then another on the 2nd, and I hit it close on the 3rd. It was nice to have the wind on my side for those holes."
The morning's best round came from another Korn Ferry rookie, Christo Lamprecht, who was looking to make his first cut of the season after missing his previous three. After a solid 2-under-par 70 on Thursday, Lamprecht knew he needed a big day to secure his spot in the last two rounds of the tournament. And that's exactly what he did, starting his round with two eagles in his first five holes and finishing strong with an 8-under 64. He was tied for the lead at 10-under after the first wave of golfers finished their rounds. Lamprecht shared his admiration for the TPC Colorado course, and on Friday, the course showed him some love back. He also believes his game is on the rise, and his second round proved just that.
"I've always said that this is probably the first golf course that I really like and that suits my game," Lamprecht said. "It's long, at high altitude, and you have to hit some big drives, which works in my favor. With a good amateur career and playing in a lot of pro events, this is exactly what I expected. It's nice to know that I was ready for it, mentally and everything. My game hasn't been great the past three weeks, so it's nice to see it trending in the right direction."
Heading into the third round on Saturday, the lead is shared by Peter Kuest and Matt McCarty, both at 11-under par. They are closely followed by a group of five players, including Lamprecht, just one stroke behind, and a group of six players, including Sherwood and Walsh, sitting two strokes behind. With the competition heating up, the players will tee off early in the morning, with the leaders scheduled to start at 1:20 p.m., all vying for the top spot heading into the final round on Sunday.
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