Andrew's Knoxville Open (KFT) Preview

After surprising us with a new event and a new course, the KFT heads back to very familiar turf for the Knoxville Open. The Colonial Life last week saw a first win for Cole Sherwood, with his third top ten of a promising season after he had weeks of both great promise and mediocrity last year, in what was his first full season on the KFT. The former Vanderbilt Commodore was a top-20 amateur and is one of the many highly promising young players on the KFT. It’ll be interesting to see if he can back this win up and push towards winning a card next season. He’s showing a well-rounded game highlighted by power off-the-tee and good putting, which is a recipe for success, especially during the dog days of the KFT summer. For our picks, it was inconsistency that cost us returns, with both Adam Hadwin and Ben Kohles making top 15 finishes but neither putting together enough good rounds to threaten anything serious. Let’s head for Tennessee.

The Tournament

As I said, this is a regular stop for the KFT, and this will be the sixth time that Holston Hills Country Club has played host. I previewed the event last year. Pleasingly, there’s no reported changes in par (71) or distance (7,267 yards, though they mess about with some hole lengths over the week.) As last year, we’re expecting plenty of rain, so a softer course and potentially some disruption to play. It’ll be warm and not too windy throughout.

Given that the fans and the established players on this tour will be familiar with every aspect of this tournament, it is surprisingly difficult to use that knowledge to lower down likely winners. Last year we saw success from a bomber in Pontus Nyholm, followed by the star in Johnny Keefer, a short hitter in S.H. Kim, players seeing a seasonal high (Andrew Kozan) and players who’d win PGA cards (Jeffrey Kang.) Going back over previous years doesn’t really help; the four-day tournament record is held by 2016-era J.J. Spaun who was notoriously short from the tee, whilst Rico Hoey won in 2023 when he was an even more pronounced bomber than he is today. The best I can figure out, and this is borne out by the records as well as the eye-test, is that you need to be proficient at something from tee-to-green – whether that’s hitting with power and playing well with a wedge, or playing with mid-irons from further back in the fairway. Certainly, putting seems significant and certainly scrambling seems less or a determining factor than usual. 

We’re on a Donald Ross design, on undulating ground – we’re on the edge of the Smokey Mountains – and we’re probably looking at a winning score around -20. So I’m focusing on players who have course success, ideally, or failing that, can demonstrate success on similar courses, whether that’s in terms of region, course style or suitability. My guess is that birdie conversion will be key and it is certainly a statistic I’ve kept an eye on. As to the field, it’s a shame (though entirely understandable) that Tennessee native Blades Brown heads for the Byron Nelson, but the rest of the KFT top ten are here. Indeed, this is a fairly representative field for the Tour and, as we start to establish the real rhythm for the rest of the year – low-scoring, U.S.-based events happening every week – it may well be indicative of coming successes.

The Selections

As I’ve laboured the point of how tricky it is to establish the identity of this course, it won’t be a surprise that I’ve similarly struggled to find players who I was keen to back. After a lot of work, however, I am happy with my trio, and first on the list is Cooper Dossey, who I believe I have never backed before. Mine will not be the only head turned by his recent form. The 28-year-old is enjoying his best season, building on a strong finish to 2025 (he finished 44^th overall, but was 11^th in the KFT Championship and had six top 20 finishes in his last ten events.) This year he was second – some distance behind Doc Redman – in Chile with two further top tens and 7/9 finishes in the top 30. He’s achieving that with a blend of great putting, where he is ranked first for average, fourth for birdie conversion and sixth for one-putt percentage, and a good all-round game highlighted by great accuracy from the tee. He was ninth in this event last year which to that point was the best result in his career, and he can pick up a maiden professional win this week.

My next pick is Ross Steelman, who, unlikely Dossey, I have a long history of backing, though not for a while. The Georgia Tech grad is still only 25 and it was 2023 when he came second in the NCAAs as the Yellow Jackets won the team event, but it feels like he’s been a pro for a long time. In truth, I don’t think I’m the only one disappointed by his transition to the professional ranks, but many before him have taken a while to find their feet at this level. A Missouri native with SEC college experience, he’s very familiar with the region and the challenges posed by courses like this, and his fifth place here last year represents one of his best performances yet. He’s had a solid enough start to the season, with a 16^th in Panama his best yet, but a return to these climes is hopefully going to see him move on to better things. He’s one of the best drivers on this tour and can certainly use that to his advantage here, as he did in Panama.

Finally, I’m picking another old friend, and long-term readers won’t be surprised to see Petr Hruby on my list again at a very generous price. The Czechia native wasn’t able to retain full KFT status after a spotty season last year but did finish 35^th here. More than anything else, however, he’s a form pick – third in the Brazil Open on the PGA Tour of the Americas was a professional highlight for the ex-Washington collegiate star, and he followed that up with an eye-catching week in Myrtle Beach where he Monday qualified before finishing 31^st. That week highlighted his prowess with the driver (eighth in SG: OTG and seventh in driving distance) and in putting (gaining 0.55 shots per round against a stronger field than this.) I’ve long believed in his talent, and I hoped to see a generous price now his form has turned around, and here we have it. I think this week will see plenty more joining me in his fan club.

• Cooper Dossey, 28/1

• Ross Steelman, 90/1

• Petr Hruby, 140/1

All 1pt e/w, ¼ odds 5 places, Bet365.  As ever, you might be able to find better prices by waiting, but I wanted to get this posted.