Cristobal Del Solar is #TOURBound with victory at The Ascendant presented by Blue

BERTHOUD, Colorado – Cristobal Del Solar is #TOURBound and headed to the PGA TOUR next season. The 30-year-old Chilean trailed by three strokes after 54 holes of The Ascendant presented by Blue, but Del Solar made two eagles as he closed with a final-round 6-under 66, earning a four-stroke victory at TPC Colorado and becoming the fifth player to achieve #TOURBound status this season.

“I can say a bunch of words, but it's in there,” Del Solar said as he pointed to his heart. “I can think of a bunch of words to describe it, but it's really deep. All the work we put in and just very happy it's paying off.

“I called my wife when I was signing the scorecard. She was bawling,” Del Solar continued. “She was crying, and she's taking care of my daughter, so I didn't know if she was crying because of her or because of me, but, yeah, they're all very happy.”

Del Solar’s winning total of 22-under 266 – comprised of three 66s and a 4-under 68 – broke the previous 72-hole tournament scoring record of 20-under 268 established by 2023 champion Nicholas Lindheim.

Del Solar stood at 18-under par and tied for the lead with Korn Ferry Tour rookie Matthew Riedel when play was suspended due to lightning in the area. The only storm that hit the closing stretch of holes, though, was Del Solar after play resumed a little over two hours later.

Del Solar drained a 40-footer for eagle at the par-5 15th, chipped in for birdie at the par-3 16th, and curled in a birdie putt of just under 20 feet from the fringe at the par-4 18th as he stormed to a four-stroke win and his first Korn Ferry Tour title.

“I was just trying to keep it on the green,” Del Solar said of his eagle putt at No. 15. “All I was trying to do is just have good speed. If it went in, amazing. If not, just have something near the hole, and I hit it perfect and just went in dead center. It was just crazy. My caddie said it was going with pretty good speed, but then my competitor was telling me that it was rolling pretty hard, so I don't really know who to believe. I thought it was a great putt.”

Del Solar joined Benjamin Alvarado (2013 Brasil Classic) and three-time winner Mito Pereira as only the third Chilean to win on the Korn Ferry Tour. Upon conclusion of the season-ending Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance in October, Del Solar will join Alvarado (Class of 2013) and Pereira (Class of 2020-21) as one of three Chileans to earn a PGA TOUR card through the Korn Ferry Tour.

A native of Vina del Mar, Chile, Del Solar’s earliest golf memories were rounds at Granadilla Country Club around the time he was eight years old. Del Solar remembered how he asked the older members for coins to buy ice cream for he and his friends.

As Del Solar excelled at golf and entered his teenage years, his parents saw an opportunity in the United States. Del Solar left his native Chile for Bradenton, Florida, and IMG Academy, and later Florida State University, where he played five seasons and earned a 2017 All-America Third Team selection as a redshirt senior.

“I came here by myself and my family stayed back home," Del Solar said. "Grew up pretty quick, and I think that definitely helped. My family is very goal-oriented, they're very hard workers… They raised us that way, very disciplined. I've talked about (playing on the PGA TOUR) with my family forever, since playing on my home course, joking around, making a putt, fist pumping or, you know, thinking you're going to win a PGA TOUR event or major.”

The victory moved Del Solar to No. 5 on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List, putting him firmly in the chase for the No. 1 spot with nine events remaining in the season. While the top 30 players on the final Points List will earn PGA TOUR membership for 2025, the No. 1 player earns fully exempt status, as well as coveted exemptions for THE PLAYERS Championship 2025 and 2025 U.S. Open.

“Everything is just kind of coming together, and that's what I've been wanting to happen for a while,” Del Solar said. “I'm just happy that all the work that I've put in is paying off. (My) career is just starting from this point on. I want to be on the PGA TOUR, I want to stay on the PGA TOUR, I want to be one of the best players in the world, so this is just a start.”