Andrew's Colonial Life Charity Classic (KFT) Preview

This is a big week in golf. We finally have the HPT and the KFT running events in the same week. That’s the first time since I covered the Cape Town Open and the Astara Golf Championship back at the beginning of February. So naturally the focus of the week is on… some event for club pros in Philadelphia? Oh, c’mon!

Look, the attention of the golfing world is rightly on the second major of the season, but I would urge you to spend at least a few minutes looking at the alternative events this week. The KFT brings us to a new course and a new event and has a strong field, and I for one will be keeping a close eye on proceedings down in the Carolinas even as the big noises come from Newtown Square. Let’s get into it.

The Tournament

We’ve got an unusual week here in which the HotelPlanner Tour takes on a course with which we’re all very familiar, whilst the Korn Ferry players head for an entirely new event. Elgin, South Carolina hosts this week, at the Woodcreek Club – we’re inland and a bit north of Columbia. Early indications are that the weather will be kinder than was the case up and down the Carolinas coast last week but do keep an eye on the forecast. Sunday looks like it is going to be mighty hot.

With this being a new course, there isn’t much to work on from a history perspective, but I would first and foremost direct you to this video, which you may have already seen as TitanicGambler also posted it. What you’ll see from that flyover is a fairly typical course for South Carolina – tree-lined, classical and with plenty of doglegs. It doesn’t look as claustrophobic as some (this certainly isn’t Harbor Town off-the-tee) and the reviews I can see suggest fairly light rough. We do have plenty of water in play. This is Tom Fazio design which suggests that it won’t have the most challenging green complexes, and whilst we don’t have professional results to peruse that does seem to be the consensus.

So, on paper we’re looking for a tee-to-green plotter, and we’re less worried than usual about putting, scrambling and length off-the-tee. I think that’s broadly right, but I would say that there are few places where being able to combine length with accuracy from the tee box could be a considerable advantage – players who can cut corners or take on the longer par-fours with confidence will have an advantage, while both of the par-fives (this is playing as a 7,032 yard par-70 with the par-fives as the 14^th and 17^th) are highly reachable. Total driving, that much-maligned old-fashioned statistic, is worth a look this week.  My other suspicion is that this won’t be difficult. I think we’re into the part of the season on the KFT where -20 is a starting point for contention, but as it is a new course (and with water brining doubles into play on plenty of holes) that is a risky statement.

The field is pretty representative of this year on the KFT. The PGA Championship continue with their (welcome) policy of inviting the top-ranked KFT player to their event, so Ian Holt won’t play, but the next-highest ranked to miss the event is Chris Korte at 29, which isn’t going to distress the sponsors unduly. The big attraction is undoubtedly Blades Brown, fresh off another top ten at PGA level and continuing to look like a future star. Surely his win is coming at this level soon?

The Selections

Brown is unsurprisingly favourite and I did think long and hard about his chances here. The key statistics that I’ve mentioned (total driving and greens in regulation) paint a picture, however, of a player who may lack the accuracy on approach to thrive on this sort of track (he’s 101^st in SG: Approach, albeit on a small sample – and he did gain strokes against a stronger field in Myrtle Beach.) Still, 12/1 is too short for my money at a track that might feel a bit claustrophobic, for a player who is yet to win at this level. I also need to mention that, once again, I turned down Sandy Scott which feels like a risk for a player I adore – this is a good statistical fit for him but my suspicion is that he’ll be winning when the courses are more challenging than this.

So my first selection, rather to my surprise, is Jeremy Gandon. The Frenchman won two starts ago at Lakewood on a course with some similarities, and his other win was at The Landings in 2025 – again, a low-scoring and accuracy-based track. There’s a lot to make me think this will suit him and a win here would all but guarantee him a place on the PGA Tour next year. Aged 29, he’s clearly reached a prime in the last couple of seasons and is proven to be good enough to thrive at this level. He’s particularly strong from the tee and whilst putting may not be a priority here, he’s a good and streaky putter who’ll take advantage of any chances he can give himself.

Secondly, I can’t stay away from Adam Hadwin for long, on a tour where he simply has to be good enough to win. He’s ranked third in greens in regulation and tenth for total driving so the statistical fit is strong, and he’s seen his greatest success at Copperhead which is a similar sort of course again. His returns on the Korn Ferry have been disappointing this year, no doubt, but that’s reflected in a price that could look very silly if this 38-year-old PGA winner plays to his abilities at an event that suits him ideally.

Finally, I’m taking another PGA veteran with a penchant for second-shot golf courses, Ben Kohles. He teamed up with Ben Griffin for a decent finish in the Zurich and putted his way to a 32^nd place at Myrtle Beach last week, an eye-catching result when he was hitting his approach shots below his usual standard. A good week with the irons here can see him back into contention and, ranked 32^nd on the money list he needs a good week or two to get back towards regaining his card. He won twice at this level in 2023 on his last go-round on this circuit and can add a third win this week.

• Jeremy Gandon, 33/1

• Adam Hadwin, 75/1

• Ben Kohles, 40/1 All 1pt e/w, 1/4 odds 5 places, Bet365.