Evan Brown and Aman Gupta, Colorado State Alum Zahkai Brown and 17-year-old Braydon Forte Earn Tournament Sponsor Exemptions to The Ascendant presented by Blue via Saturday Qualifier
Final Eight Spots to be Determined Today via Monday Qualifier
The Ascendant to Feature 156-Player Field Competing for a $1 Million Overall Purse
Tickets on Sale at www.TheAscendant.com
BERTHOUD, Colo., July 7, 2025 – The tournament field is taking shape for The Ascendant presented by Blue, July 10-13 at TPC Colorado in Berthoud. On Saturday, four tournament sponsor exemptions were awarded via the Saturday Qualifier at TPC Colorado.
In the PGA TOUR / Korn Ferry Tour member division qualifier, Evan Brown and Aman Gupta took the top-two spots to earn tournament sponsor exemptions. Brown carded a 9-under 63, while Gupta turned in a 7-under par 65. Brown will make his Korn Ferry Tour debut at The Ascendant, while Gupta will make his second Korn Ferry Tour start of the 2025 season, and sixth Korn Ferry Tour start overall.
2013 Colorado Open champion Zahkai Brown earned a tournament sponsor exemption via winning the open division qualifier by one stroke with an 8-under par 64. Brown, 34, from Westminster Colo., and a Colorado State University alum, will be making his fourth appearance in The Ascendant, his first since 2022 and his first Korn Ferry Tour start since 2023.
The final tournament sponsor exemption was awarded to 17-year old Braydon Forte of Auroa, Colo., who captured the 21-and-under division with a winning score of 8-under par 64. Forte, a rising high-school senior, has committed to Xavier University in 2026.
They will join a 156-player field competing Thursday-Sunday, July 10-13 competing for a share of the $1 million overall tournament purse. The field is headlined by nine of the top-10 players field on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List, including Austin Smotherman (1), Johnny Keefer (2), Hank Lebioda (3), S.H. Kim (4), Pierceson Coody (5), Davis Chatfield (6), Emilio Gonzalez (7), Mitchell Meissner (9), and Neal Shipley (10).
The field also features United States Air Force alums Kyle Westmoreland and Tom Whitney. Westmoreland captured his first Korn Ferry Tour win in 2025 at the Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard in February of this year.
Several PGA TOUR winners are entered into the championship as early commitments, including Cameron Champ, Austin Cook, Ben Crane, Russell Knox, Andrew Landry, Adam Long, Scott Piercy, Robert Streb and Nick Watney.
The field also includes:
· All 16 winners during the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour season to date.
o Austin Smotherman is one win away from earning an immediate promotion to the PGA TOUR via the Three-Victory Promotion.”
· Three Olympians
o Adrien Dumont da Chassart (Belgium, 2024)
o Zecheng “Marty” Dou (China, 2024)
o Fabian Gomez (Argentina, 2024)
On Monday, the tournament will host its annual Monday Qualifier at the Colorado National Golf Course and Walnut Creek Golf Preserve, where four spots each will be available.
The final field will be announced on Monday following the conclusion of the Monday Qualifiers.
Tickets are on sale for The Ascendant presented by Blue at www.theascendant.com, including hospitality and general admission tickets offering a wide degree of entertainment and access. All 2025 tournament tickets purchased online are completely digital and will be emailed after purchase. Tickets can be viewed on either a mobile device or printed out to be scanned at the main gate.
All military personnel (active, retired, reserve and veteran), first responders (police, fire, EMS) and their families will receive complimentary admission to the 2025 The Ascendant presented by Blue. Complimentary tickets for competition rounds (July 10-13) will be available on- site at the admissions gate. In addition, all firstresponders and members of the military will also receive complimentary access to aspecial viewing deck – the Military Outpost presented by Blue Federal Credit Union. Proper identification will be required for access to the tournament as well as admission to the Military Outpost.
Children 15 years of age and younger also will receive complimentary admission with a paid adult.
There are four ticket options for fans interested in attending The Ascendantpresented by Blue (**Ticket prices do not include sales tax**).
· Daily Grounds
o General admission daily grounds, valid Thursday through Sunday, July 10–13
§ Thursday: $25
§ Friday: $25
§ Saturday: $25
§ Sunday: $25
· Weekly Grounds
o General admission daily grounds, valid Thursday through Sunday, July 10-13
§ $60 (valid all days Thursday – Sunday)
· Summit Club 15th Green Hospitality Deck
o Semi-private luxury suite offering exclusive views of the 15th and 16th greens and is the ideal area for patrons to enjoy an upgraded VIP experience. Includes a lunch buffet, afternoon snacks, water and Pepsi products and alcoholic beverages. Valid competition rounds, Thursday-Sunday.
§ Thursday: $225
§ Friday: $225
§ Saturday: $250
§ Sunday: $250
§ Weekly: $900
· TPC Colorado Clubhouse Ticket
o Grounds admission plus exclusive access to the TPC Colorado clubhouse offering air-conditioned space and a pay-as-you-go tournament exclusive menu. Seating on a first come basis with access to a full bar and views of the 16-tee box.
§ Thursday: $40
§ Friday: $40
§ Saturday: $50
§ Sunday: $50
§ Weekly: $100
Cypress Ascendant has been title sponsor for The Ascendant presented by Blue since 2022. Cypress Ascendant Services, a Cypress Ascendant company, is proud to be the Official Title Insurer of the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions.
Blue Federal Credit Union (Blue FCU) has served as presenting sponsor for The Ascendant presented by Blue since 2022. Blue FCU is a not-for-profit financialinstitution serving eight Wyoming locations and 19 Colorado locations, as well as members worldwide.
The Ascendant presented by Blue is entering its seventh year as Colorado’s signature professional golf tournament and one of Northern Colorado’s largest sporting events.Cristobal Del Solar captured the 2024 event with a tournament-record 22-under par, securing his PGA TOUR card for the 2025 season. The 2025 edition of the tournamentwill feature a field of 156 players from around the world competing over 72 holes for ashare of the $1 million purse. The tournament will be the 17th of 26 events on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour schedule.
For more information about The Ascendant presented by Blue, visitwww.TheAscendant.com as well as on social media @AscendantGolf on X,@AscendantGolf on Instagram and The Ascendant presented by Blue on Facebook.
About Korn Ferry Tour
Founded (1990), owned and operated by the PGA TOUR, the Korn Ferry Tour identifies and develops golf’s next stars, preparing them to compete and win on the game’s biggest stage. The Korn Ferry Tour, which has served as a path to the PGA TOUR since its inception, annually awards 20 PGA TOUR cards based off its points list, with the No. 1 player earning exemptions into the following year’s PLAYERS Championship and U.S. Open. With more than 700 PGA TOUR titles, 34 major championships and eight FedExCup champions, Korn Ferry Tour alumni make up 82 percent of the PGA TOUR’s current membership. To learn more about the PGA TOUR, the Korn Ferry Tour and to follow the season-long quest for PGA TOUR cards, visit PGATOUR.COM or follow the Korn Ferry Tour on social media. Nine Korn Ferry Tour events in 2025 are televised on Golf Channel in the United States, with tournament coverage available internationally in more than 170 countries and territories via 23 media partners.
About Cypress Ascendant
Cypress Ascendant is a dynamic investment partner uniquely positioned to drive impactful, sustained growth for high-potential companies. With a distinctive blend of strategic capital and deep operator expertise, Cypress Ascendant actively guides companies through every stage of their growth journey. At the core of their success lies an unparalleled network spanning entertainment, technology, sports, hospitality, consumer brands, and experiences. By leveraging this expansive ecosystem, Cypress Ascendant unlocks exclusive opportunities, builds strategic alliances, and fosters collaborations that multiply value exponentially. Their hands-on approach, combined with tailored investments and seasoned leadership, ensures that capital deployment translates directly into measurable, accelerated growth.
About Blue Credit Federal Union
Blue Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial institution serving eightWyoming
locations and 19 Colorado locations, as well as members worldwide. Our purpose isto create a true cooperative connected to and inspired by the communities we serve and to help discover new pathways to realize your possibilities. To learn more about Blue FCU, visit www.bluefcu.com/join.
About The Ascendant presented by Blue
The Ascendant presented by Blue first joined the Korn Ferry Tour in September, 2018 and has donated nearly $100,000 to local charities throughout Northern Colorado.Scheduled for July 7- 13, the tournament will host a field of 156 professional golfers competing for a share of the $1 million purse. As the pathway to the PGA TOUR, the Korn Ferry Tour annually produces talented professional golfers who are ready tocompete and win on golf’s biggest stage. The tournament is hosted at TPC Colorado, an Arthur Schaupeter Golf Course Architects designed course with the picturesque mountain views of the Front Range. The Ascendant presented by Blue is managed byOutlyr, a global sports marketing and event management agency. For more information on The Ascendant presented by Blue, visit www.TheAscendant.com.
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Media Contact:
Jeremy Friedman
The Ascendant presented by Blue
Outlyr
407-721-9752
Payton Walker
The Ascendant presented by Blue
Outlyr
469-626-2199