Day 1 Report

In his first Korn Ferry Tour start — after Monday qualifying — former CU golfer Justin Biwer opens with 69 in ‘homecoming’ at Blue Championship; Tommy Morrison matches tourney record with 63; Taylor Montgomery posts 68 after skipping a PGA Tour event this week

By Gary Baines 

BERTHOUD — Justin Biwer has been climbing the rungs of professional golf quite rapidly over the last several months, and the former University of Colorado player aims to take another step this week at TPC Colorado.

A little more than three months ago, Biwer didn’t have any playing status on a PGA Tour-affiliated circuit. Then came a fifth-place finish at the final PGA Tour Americas Q-school tournament, which gave him a spot on that circuit.

Since then, he’s made six of seven cuts on the Americas tour, posting two top-10 finishes. The top 10 players on the Americas points list at season end will earn Korn Ferry Tour status for 2027, and Biwer sits in 24th place currently.

On Monday, Biwer returned to his home away from home — Colorado, where he played his college golf from 2021-25 — and qualified for his first Korn Ferry Tour statr, at the Blue Championship at TPC Colorado.

Then on Thursday, despite a three-putt bogey on his final hole, Biwer shot a 3-under-par 69 at TPC Colorado, a course he’s played “hundreds” of times during his CU days. That leaves him in the top 30 after day 1 of the 72-hole event. Should he finish in the top 25 and ties, he’ll earn a spot in the next KFT tournament, the Evans Scholars Invitational July 23-26 in Glenview, Ill.

“Obviously the goal here is to play well enough to get into the next tournament, “ Biwer said after Thursday’s round. “If I just go out and do my job, that feels very attainable.

“This is more or less a homecoming for me. It’s worth skipping a (PGA Tour Americas) event this week for what this could lead to potentially. You have a good event, and you could boost yourself up super easily. To get this opportunity to play here is much more worth my while than going (to an Americas tournament) and skipping this event.”

Biwer, who owns the lowest career stroke average in CU men’s golf history (70.95), on Thursday recorded six birdies and three bogeys for his 69, which leaves him six strokes out of the lead, held by PGA Tour University grad Tommy Morrison, who matched the tournament record at TPC Colorado after making an eagle and nine birdies to go along with two bogeys.

“It’s obviously good to (finish in) red figures,” said the 24-year-old Biwer, who now resides in San Diego. “I wish it was a little lower — I definitely had a couple just dumb mistakes; three putts are so avoidable — but I played the par-3s in 2 under, hit the ball well and did a lot of good things. So I’m happy with it.

“We’ve played this course hundreds of times. I feel very comfortable out here. What you see is what you get for the most part. And with my experience on Americas so far, I feel like I’ve gotten to a place where I’m able to feel comfortable and kind of just block out the negative thoughts or whatever there might be. I’m in a good headspace to play well.”

Hunter Swanson (left) is caddying for his former CU teammate, Biwer, this week at TPC Colorado.

Helping the cause on Thursday was former CU teammate Hunter Swanson, who caddied for Biwer. The two helped lead CU to two NCAA national championship appearances during their time together as Buffs.

Swanson, a former two-time Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado boys player of the year, wrapped up his CU playing career in May, but just turned pro and now is expected to be named a CU golf assistant coach, joining the staff of head coach Roy Edwards.

After Swanson failed to Monday qualify for the Blue Championship, he and Biwer agreed on Swanson looping this week

“It’s always nice when you have someone familiar on the bag to just be able to talk to and keep yourself calm in between shots,” Biwer said. “He kept me in a good headspace. He’s been a big help for sure.”

Former Air Force Academy golfer Kyle Westmoreland posted a 70 after a bogey-bogey finish.

In all, there are nine players with significant Colorado/areas ties in the Blue Championship field, and of the four who finished their first round during a Thursday interrupted by lightning in the area, two others ended up under par.

After playing the first 16 holes of the day bogey-free, former Air Force Academy golfer Kyle Westmoreland bogeyed his final two holes on Thursday to shoot a 2-under-par 70.

Also ending up at 70 was Littleton native and Regis Jesuit and University of Denver graduate Chris Korte, winner of both a CGA Amateur and CGA Match Play during his amateur days.

Chris Korte watches his putt on the 15th hole.

Korte is trying to round back into form after missing roughly two months of the season with a wrist injury and returning to action in late May. Back on March 1, he tied for second in the Argentina Open, but the injury was a setback. While the putter didn’t do him any favors on Thursday, a 2-under-par round with just one bogey at TPC Colorado was a positive sign.

“It’s been tough — a ton of hours with (physical therapists),” he said. “I’ve been wearing this little wrist widget they call it, just kind of stabilizing all those tendons in there. It’s been a challenge for sure. So seeing a great ball-striking day was definitely an important thing to draw back on in these next few days.

Today was an “awesome ball-striking day — one of the better complete ball-striking rounds I’ve had in a while.”

Korte started the week 46th on the season-long points list for the KFT. Ideally, he’d like to finish in the top 20, which would earn him a PGA Tour card for next season. But placing 21st through 60th would allow him to keep full status on the KFT.

Though Korte now lives in the Scottsdale area, he’s been “home” in Colorado since July 4, and family and friends were out at TPC Colorado supporting him on Thursday.

“It’s awesome,” he said of returning to Colorado. “It’s really cool having people from high school, people that live out here that wanted to come support my parents, my girlfriend. … a tight-knit group of people out here supporting. It’s just a blast kind of reconnecting with some people.”

Korte is playing in the KFT event at TPC Colorado for the third time. He’s looking to make the 36-hole cut for the first time.

Tommy Morrison set the standard on Thursday.

Tommy Morrison Goes Low: Even though he didn’t know it at the time, 21-year-old Tommy Morrison was on track for the lowest tournament round in the history of the Korn Ferry Tour event at TPC Colorado.

The former University of Texas golfer was 10 under par through 15 holes on Thursday. Had he finished there — or better — he’d be the proud solo owner of the best score in tournament history.

Alas, he three-putted his 16th hole (No. 7) and made bogey, missing an 11-foot par attempt after “one of the worst lag putts I’ve ever hit.” And with pars on his final two holes, he had to settle for a 9-under-par 63 and a two-stroke lead after day 1.

He becomes the eighth competitor at the KFT event at TPC Colorado to fire a 63, with five of them coming since 2024.

“I didn’t know about the (record), but there’s three more days to give me another shot,” he said after a day that included an 8-foot eagle on the par-4 third hole, nine birdies and two bogeys.

“I was definitely in a groove,” he said. “I definitely felt like I had a low one in me. But to go out there and do it is obviously another thing.”

The 2024 European Amateur champion is making just his third Korn Ferry Tour start after earning a spot on the circuit by finishing sixth in the 2026 PGA Tour University rankings. And he’s made some hay with those KFT starts, placing 10th and fifth, and now leading this week.

In addition to what Morrison did, there were some spectacular stretches of golf on Thursday. For example, RJ Manke was 6 under for his first six holes; Phichaksn Maichon went 7 under in a six-hole stretch from his 11-16th holes (No. 2-7); and Austin Hitt made six straight birdies on hole 3-8.

At the end of the day, Cole Sherwood, Robby Shelton, Manke and Maichon shared second place at 7 under par.

However, not all players completed round 1 on Thursday as there were two lightning delays, totaling more than three hours. Play is scheduled to resume at 6:45 a.m. on Friday.

Taylor Montgomery was bogey-free and 6 under through 17 holes, but suffered a double bogey on No. 18.

For Now, Taylor Montgomery Skipping PGA Tour Events for Korn Ferry: For a guy who could have been playing on the PGA Tour the last two weeks, Taylor Montgomery seemed perfectly happy to spend the time in Colorado instead.

That’s whether fishing and getting a little golf practice in in Grand Junction — like last week — or competing in the Blue Championship Korn Ferry Tour event this week as he opened with a 4-under-par 68 on Thursday despite a double bogey on the final hole.

Montgomery is a lifelong Las Vegas resident, but he certainly doesn’t lack for connections to Colorado.

His dad, Monte, grew up in Grand Junction and won a state high school title — as well as three Rocky Mountain Open championships in Grand Junction. And his grandmother still lives there. (Monte himself is the longtime general manager at posh Shadow Creek in Las Vegas.)

In fact, at some point Taylor Montgomery would like to buy a place in Colorado, especially for use during the summer.

Montgomery likes Colorado enough that he turned down a spot in last week’s John Deere Classic PGA Tour stop to spend some time visiting Grand Junction in a Korn Ferry Tour off week.

“We were there last week,” Montgomery said. “I went fishing a couple of days and practiced a little bit (at Tiara Rado Golf Course). I love Colorado. I try to get back there as much as I can with my family. It’s always a good reset to get back there and have some fun. Hopefully I’ll get a place in Colorado sometime — especially for the summers.”

Montgomery also skipped a PGA Tour event this week — the opposite-field ISCO Championship in Louisville, Ky. — to instead concentrate on trying to move into the top 20 on the Korn Ferry Tour points list. (The top 20 at season’s end earn PGA Tour status for 2027. Montgomery currently sits 50th in points).

Montgomery is certainly no stranger to the PGA Tour. He’s played 85 event son golf’s top circuit, including five this year, the U.S. Open being one of them. He’s posted a third place and seven top-10s on that circuit, where he basically played full-time from 2022 through ’25. He’s earned almost $5.3 million on the PGA Tour overall.

But with the stretch run on the Korn Ferry Tour coming up, Montgomery is focusing on that circuit for the time being.

“It’s really hard to go back and forth to both tours,” the 31-year-old said. “I’ll probably stick to Korn Ferry unless I have like two really good weeks out here. and just play the rest of the Korn Ferry schedule. So it’s kind of a week-to-week type thing, depending on how I play. We’ll see how the rest of the year shakes out.”

And, mind you, this coming from a player who tied for eighth last year at the ISCO Championship PGA Tour event.

“I played well there last year, but the (FedExCup) points are so small in that event; it’s kind of worthless, to be honest,” he said.

On Thursday, Montgomery was bogey-free through 17 holes, but a drive into the left rough on 18 — some of the gnarliest grass on the course — and a three-putt led to a closing double bogey and a 68.

“It sucks” finishing that way, he said. “The left rough there is thicker than U.S. Open rough,” noted the man who has teed it up in four U.S. Opens. “You know you can’t hit it there, and, of course, I hit it there. Then I advanced it about 25 yards (with his second shot).”

Lighning in the area delayed play for a total of more than three hours on Thursday.

Notable: For the first time, the tee box on the par-5 first hole has been moved back to the right side of the 16th tee, adding about 31 yards to the opening hole, which played 655 yards on Thursday. … The 156-man field will be cut to the low 65 and ties after 36 holes. … Blades Brown, who shared medalist honors at the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills as a 16-year-old, opened with a 69. He pitched in for eagle from 84 feet on the 388-yard, par-4 third hole, but also 3-putted from 5 feet on No. 6 for a double bogey.

The already-long first hole was lengthened on Thursday.

Day 1 scores for players with strong Colorado/area ties at the Blue Championship:

30. Former CU golfer Justin Biwer 69

49. Former Air Force Academy golfer Kyle Westmoreland 70

49. Regis Jesuit High School and University of Denver alum Chris Korte 70

49. Amateur Miles Kuhl of Boulder -2 through 12 holes

69. Former Air Force Academy golfer Tom Whitney -1 through 16 holes

69. Cheyenne native and former CU golfer Josh Creel -1 through 16 holes

95. Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins Even through 14 holes

135. Colorado native and former Colorado School of Mines golfer Jim Knous 74

146. Rhett Johnson of Littleton +3 through 12 holes

For all the results from the Blue Championship, CLICK HERE.

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2026 The Blue Championship: The Essentials

What: The eighth annual Blue Championship, a Korn Ferry Tour event.

Where: TPC Colorado in Berthoud, a par-72 course expected to play about 8,022 yards.

When: Championship rounds Thursday-Sunday, July 9-12. Gates are expected to open to the public at 6 a.m. each day.

Note: The Folds of Honor ceremony is Friday at 7:30 a.m. on the first tee. A junior clinic is set for 1:30-2:30 on Saturday. The trophy ceremony will follow the conclusion of play on Sunday on the 18th green.

Tee Times: Championship tee times are expected to start at 6:30 a.m. each day. The final tee time this weekend is tentatively scheduled for about 12:45 p.m.

Cut: The 156-player field will be cut to the low 65 players and ties after 36 holes.

Purse: $1 million, with the winner receiving $180,000.

Tickets: Tickets start at $10 per day. For ticket information, CLICK HERE. Kids 17 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult and do not require their own ticket for grounds-only access. Active-duty U.S. military and retirees — as well as first responders — and their families receive free admission when a valid military ID is presented at a ticket sales window. Tournament proceeds support Children’s Hospital Colorado.

Additional Information: For more information regarding The Blue Championship, 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