BERTHOUD — Connor Jones knows how to play golf in Colorado.

The Colorado State and Mountain Range High graduate is showing that skill at TPC Colorado in Berthoud at the Korn Ferry Tour’s The Ascendant presented by Blue.

Jones shot a third-round 69 to sit in a tie for 20th going into Sunday’s final round. The 2022 CGA Player of the Year is making his Korn Ferry Tour debut this week in his home state.

“It’s fun. I love TPC,” Jones said after the round. “We played up here a bunch when I was at CSU. So, it’s great playing here. I love having my parents here.”

There was plenty of CSU green and gold cheering on Jones from the crowd in Berthoud. He was All-Mountain West in 2023 and finished fifth at the Mountain West Championship that same year. He began his college career at the University of Denver.

“Everybody is throwing up the ‘Go Rams’, it’s comfortable and familiar for me,” Jones said.

Jones’ amateur career was full of accolades. He made the Round of 32 at 2023 U.S. Amateur played at Cherry Hills Country Club. He also played in the 2024 U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club where he missed out on match play.

In 2024, he won the Men’s Elite Amateur Cup and placed fourth in both the Pacific Coast Amateur and the Southern Amateur. By winning the Men’s Elite Amateur, Jones qualified to play on the PGA Tour at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship where he missed the cut.

He officially turned pro after the 2024 U.S. Amateur and now is trying to make it to the PGA Tour by way of the Korn Ferry. With a three-day score of 9-under, Jones knows he has work to do on Sunday.

“To win, I’d have to shoot something really low,” he said. “I think if I just go out there and play my game and see what adds up at the end.”

Jones was witness to a low score on Saturday as Kevin Dougherty fired a course-record tying 63 to vault himself into second place, three shots behind Ross Steelman who also shot a 63. Dougherty went out in 30 on the front nine with a chip-in eagle on No. 6. He added three more birdies on the back nine to close out the day and play in the final group Sunday.

“It was kind of a day of patience,” Dougherty said. “I probably got off to the slowest start of the guys in our group.”

“Then I kind of was just plodding away, and then I chipped in for eagle on 6 and that kind of got me off to the races. Had a beautiful birdie on 7, had a beautiful birdie on 9. Kind of just from there I just rode the wave and finished off nicely.”

Steelman, who led after Thursday’s first round, had a chance to break the course record heading into the 18th hole, but made a bogey to finish with the 63.

“It was a good day,” he said. “Started out with an eagle on one, so that was good. And then honestly, I hit the ball really well all day.”

Air Force graduate Tom Whitney led going into the weekend, but struggled on Saturday. He made a bogey on the par-5 first hole and a double bogey on the fifth hole to derail his round. He was never able to get it going and finished with a 74, tied for 20th.

The weather finally played nice after two rough days of storms and delays. The sunny skies helped keep the scores low for most of the field.

“It’s been a long couple days. I’ve had a couple 4 a.m. wake-up calls,” Dougherty said. “I had one Thursday, and then I thought I was going to have a little bit of a rest day today getting to finish yesterday, I thought I was going to but then I had a 6:45 restart and then finished that up and then played another 18. It will be nice to sleep in tomorrow (Sunday) and have some good weather.”