The inaugural Colonial Life Charity Classic is already making a strong impression on the Korn Ferry Tour, combining elite competition with a larger mission focused on giving back to the Midlands community. The tournament is taking place May 14-17 at The Woodcreek Club in South Carolina.
As one of the newest stops on the Korn Ferry Tour schedule, the Colonial Life Charity Classic is positioning itself as more than just another tournament. Organizers have highlighted community engagement and philanthropy as central pillars of the event.
The primary beneficiary of the Colonial Life Charity Classic is the United Way of the Midlands, a nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking cycles of poverty through programs focused on health, education, and financial stability. Tournament proceeds will support the organization’s mission of addressing both immediate needs and long-term community solutions throughout the region.
Beyond the competition itself, tournament officials emphasized the importance of building lasting relationships within the Midlands community. The event has been designed to bring fans, sponsors, volunteers, and local organizations together while generating support for causes that extend well beyond the golf course.
Another major highlight of tournament week came through the event’s partnership with Synovus, which was named the official sponsor of Folds of Honor Friday for the 2026 tournament. The collaboration helped create a special day dedicated to honoring military members and their families.
While the charitable mission has been a key storyline, the action on the course delivered plenty of excitement during the opening round. Bryce Lewis stole the spotlight Thursday by firing a career-low 8-under 62 to set the course record at The Woodcreek Club and take the first-round lead.
Lewis delivered one of the best rounds of his professional career by hitting 15 of 18 greens in regulation while ranking second in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green at 3.379. The 62 marked the lowest round Lewis has recorded on the Korn Ferry Tour, improving on his previous career-best score of 64.
The third-year professional entered the week searching for momentum after a difficult stretch that included two missed cuts and a withdrawal in his previous three starts. Earlier this season, Lewis opened with four consecutive made cuts, including a T23 finish at The Panama Championship, before sliding to No. 94 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List.
Lewis spent five seasons at the University of Tennessee from 2019-24 and finished No. 22 in the 2024 PGA Tour University Ranking, earning PGA Tour Americas membership. He later advanced through Final Stage of PGA Tour Q-School in December 2024 to secure Korn Ferry Tour status for the 2025 season. As a rookie, Lewis finished No. 67 on the Points List with two top-10 finishes in 21 starts, allowing him to retain full status for the 2026 campaign.
The leaderboard tightened considerably after the second round, with Blades Brown, Trent Phillips, and Paul Peterson sharing the lead at 8-under heading into the weekend. Brown followed his opening-round 66 with another 66 on Friday, while Phillips backed up his first-round 65 with a steady 67. Peterson, meanwhile, remained in contention after rounds of 64 and 68.
Veteran Martin Laird surged into a tie for fourth at 7-under after carding one of the best rounds of the day, a 6-under 64. Zac Blair, who opened the tournament with a 63, also remained near the top despite an even-par second round. Chez Reavie made one of the biggest moves Friday, firing a 7-under 63 to climb into a tie for sixth at 6-under overall.
Several notable names remain within striking distance entering the weekend rounds. Carson Young, who won the South Carolina Amateur at The Woodcreek Club in 2013, sits tied for 14th at 5-under after posting an even-par 70 on Friday. Young has continued his strong 2026 campaign with multiple top-five finishes on the Korn Ferry Tour while also making five cuts in six PGA Tour starts this season.
Lewis struggled to maintain momentum during the second round. He carded a 5-over 75 and dropped into a tie for 32nd at 3-under overall. Conditional member Jacob Solomon also fell back after a second-round 72, placing him alongside Lewis at 3-under entering the weekend.
Elsewhere on the leaderboard, several former PGA Tour players and collegiate standouts remain firmly in contention, including Cameron Champ, Nick Hardy, Justin Suh, Adam Hadwin, Taylor Montgomery, and Matt NeSmith.
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