Andrew's Korn Ferry Tour Championship Preview

Welcome, friends, to the last preview of the Korn Ferry Tour season. Despite a brief summer break it feels like a very long time since this column first looked at the KFT, back in January when we picked Christo Lamprecht as a lead selection for the Panama Championship. Given that he missed the cut, let’s focus on last week, when S.T. Lee and Chandler Blanchett both finished seventh and just missed places, but Adrien Dumont de Chassart (and his bizarre voice that makes him sound like a Disney cartoon dog) not only won but set a scoring record. Yes, the course was stupid and no, it didn’t feel like a playoff, but that was as comfortable a romp to a 40/1 winner as I can imagine.  Let’s have one last spin with the KFT class of 2025.

The Tournament

Last week may not have felt like a playoff but this week certainly will. It seems cruel that there isn’t a cut here as the weakest of the 75 are likely to shoot some very big numbers (for the last two years, +16 has taken the wooden spoon.) Yes, the best 75 players make their way to Southern Indiana (think Louisville not Indianapolis) to take on the long and immensely tough Pete Dye course at French Lick. This can play to 8,100 yards, though it probably won’t. Last year the declared length was 7,458 yards, and they’re currently saying this year will be 7,791. That’s plenty for a par-72 without much altitude. 

Other challenges come from elevation changes and uneven lies, as we’re up and around the top of Mount Airie. There’s a huge number of deep bunkers and plenty of very penal native rough – don’t think Sawgrass, think Whistling Straights – but with Indiana hills and no great lake vistas. Water is in play, however. You know what? Look at the photos.

If you’re back with your appetite whetted, I can tell you that this is the second time we’ll see this course hosting the championship, which was won last year by Brandon Thornberry. He was a surprise winner but it is noteworthy that the top three all succeeded with accuracy and nous (Brian Campbell and Doc Redman were among the most experienced in the field) rather than raw power. Despite the length, this is still Pete Dye country so thinking golf will work. We need more data, but my suspicion is that we’ll see something like the DLF course used for the Hero Indian Open – length is key on paper, but in reality the accurate types may prove more successful. At least wind won’t be much of a factor.

For this iteration, I’m looking for total driving as a useful indicator of both power and accuracy, for high greens in regulation, and for signs that golfers can think their way around difficult courses. Whilst not everyone has played this course before, I will take last year’s scores seriously for golfers who were here. Although it is a long time since Panama, I think that course is a useful point of comparison.

I have been chatting to a fellow gambler (not a million miles from this site and the discord) about motivation this week. I’ve ignored it. Not because I don’t think it matters, but because I don’t know how to judge it. Will people be helped or hurt by needing to fight for a result just to get a card? How much does a higher position (and more likely starts) matter? There are just so many unknowns that I’ve thrown the whole thing out and treated the field as equally motivated. But if you’ve found a guy, you like his moxie, and he’s on the bubble for a card – you’ve found a tiebreaker in your selection process.

I’ll also note that, as I write this, Trace Crowe and the favourite Taylor Montgomery have recently pulled out, so you may get better prices than should be the case if the market still accounts for Montgomery.

The Selections

For my first pick I’m once again taking Johnny Keefer, simply because I believe he is the best golfer in this year’s KFT class and this tough test will give him the chance to prove it. He is second in total driving and ninth in greens in regulation, he’s won twice (and was second at useful comparison Panama) and he’s good enough on tough courses to make the cut in the US Open. There are others with great chances, but I want to be with Johnny this time around.

Of those who took part last year and are back, my eye is drawn to Alistair Docherty, who I’ve been thinking about for this event all season. He was second last year alongside Campbell and Redman and this year was sixth in Panama. He’s returning to form after a lull midseason and managed third last week in a shootout that won’t have suited him ideally. This test will; he’s fourth in greens in regulation and tenth in total driving.

Finally, I’m taking a risk on Sandy Scott, who I believe will see echoes of his homeland’s links courses in this event – certainly few will know better than he the importance of avoiding the many bunkers and plotting a route around.  He’s above average (61^st) for driving length but

36^th for accuracy, and 15^th for greens in regulation, so if I’m right in my theory that accuracy counts he’s ideal – without being a short hitter. Scott had his best result of the season just over the Indiana border at Panther Creek and I believe his class and rounded game are likely to be shown to better effect on these tougher courses than on the bulk of the KFT tracks.

• Johnny Keefer, 14/1, 2pts win only, Unibet

• Alistair Docherty, 40/1, 1pt e/w, 1/5 odds 6 places, SportingIndex

• Sandy Scott, 125/1, 1pt e/w, ¼ odds 5 places, Bet365