Sunday Contenders: TPC Colorado Championship
A look at all of the Sunday contenders at the Colorado Open. Will Tyson Alexander have what it takes this week?
Tyson Alexander Age: 32 Turned pro: 2010 College: University of Florida One of the better stories on KFT if he goes on to win the TPC Colorado Championship this week and move inside of the top 25 in points. Tyson struggled for years at Q school, and his record after turning pro was:
'11: Missed at 1st stage by 4
'12: Missed at 1st by 10
'13: Missed at 1st by 12
'14: Missed at 1st by 15
'15: Missed at 2nd by 3
'16: Missed at 1st by 4
'17: Missed at 1st by 1
'18: Made it through
I think a lot of players would have stopped playing, but Tyson continued to chase it and now has a chance at a Tour card with a strong finish at the TPC Colorado Championship. On top of that, he started this season with seven consecutive missed cuts. He is the son of legendary University of Florida coach Buddy Alexander.
Taylor Moore Age: 27 Turned pro: 2016 College: University of Arkansas Not many players playing better than Moore right now. He has had seven top-10s in his last 12 events, four of those being top-5’s. On Friday he tied the course record of 63 and will be looking for his first career win at the Colorado Open.
Last time he was in contention I told this story but it’s worth repeating. In 2019 Moore had some chest pains after a bout of the flu the previous week. On his way to a flight, he decided at the last minute to go to a local hospital: They diagnosed him with a collapsed lung. He was out for three months after that. It’s great to see him playing well after going through that.
Tag Ridings Age: 46 Turned pro: 1997 College: University of Arkansas This is why I love the Korn Ferry Tour. Imagine what a win at the TPC Colorado Championship would mean to Ridings, 19 years after his only KFT (Buy.com at the time) win. Ridings is a true grinder with 15 trips to Q school and more than 230 starts on both KFT and PGA. Sitting at 138th, he needs a win or multiple high finishes in a row to get into the KFT Finals, so he has a big final round today. A favorite random fact: Ridings was sponsored by Tyson Chicken for a long time during his career.
Taylor Pendrith Age: 30 Turned pro: 2014 College: Kent State Torn ligament in his wrist. Torn tendon in his forearm. Shoulder issues. A palm injury. Those are just some of the injuries Pendrith has dealt with in his career. His health has always been the only issue in his career. When he is healthy, he is among the most talented players on the KFT and has shown it this year. In a four-event stretch he lost to a total of five players, and finished T3, 2nd, T2, T2. With his Tour card locked up, I hope he stays healthy so we can see what he can do out on the big tour.
Adam Svensson Age: 27 Turned pro: 2015 College: Barry University Another Canadian like Pendrith, he has his Tour card locked up. Currently 11th in points, another win would be a cherry on top of a great season that already includes one win. Svensson has made 14 of the last 15 cuts, which included his win and a runner-up finish. Svensson had a great college career at Division II Barry, where he was a two-time All-American. He won nine times there before turning pro after his junior year.
Kevin Yu Age: 22 Turned pro: 2021 College: Arizona State University Part of the Tour U program, Yu has proven his talent in just the few starts he has so far after his graduation from ASU. In his three KFT starts, he has a T20, T5 and T25 and is already 148th in points. Yu has played as an amateur in three U.S. Opens, the first one at age 19. His 70.46 career scoring average at ASU is second only to Jon Rahm, who had a 70.21. He finished 103 of his 151 college rounds with a score of par or better. A very promising start to what should be a very long career.
The Chasers:
Greyson Sigg The most consistent player on KFT over the extended season is in contention again. It’s no surprise as Sigg has had 17 top-25s in 29 events.
Vince India For the first time in his eight-year career, he won’t have to go to Q school if he has a really low one on Sunday. That would have him close to the top 25 and a Tour card.
Brandon Wu With his card locked up, he can fire at some pins with not much to lose. The former Stanford standout will be a force on Tour next year.
Blayne Barber: He has struggled this year, so it’s great to see him near the top of the leaderboard of the TPC Colorado Championship. Currently 180th in points with only one top-25, a good Sunday would be a huge boost of confidence.