Part of Korn Ferry Tour Finals again, Boise Open begins Thursday. Expect exciting golf
Idaho golf fans will once again be treated to a field of rising stars and PGA Tour veterans as the 33rd annual Albertsons Boise Open begins Thursday and concludes Sunday at Hillcrest Country Club.
The tournament marks the start of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, which make 25 PGA Tour cards available during the three-tournament event. Players ranked No. 1 through 75 on the Korn Ferry Tour and those ranked No. 126 through 200 on the PGA Tour are eligible to compete.
The top 25 players at the end of the Korn Ferry Tour’s regular season — which concluded Sunday in Omaha, Neb. — have already secured their PGA Tour cards, and 22 of those golfers are in this week’s field.
Carl Yuan, a native of China and a University of Washington alum, finished as the No. 1 Korn Ferry player after posting one win and three-second place finishes during the regular season.
The defending champion is Greyson Sigg, whose par on the final hole gave him a one-shot win over Aaron Rai, who made a double bogey on the 18th. Both Sigg and Rai made the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs this year.
Sigg’s winning score last year was 19-under par, and there’s a history of players going low at Hillcrest. The highest winning score since 2010 was Chesson Hadley’s 16-under par in 2017, and 10 of the past 16 champions have shot 20 under or better, highlighted by Martin Piller’s 28-under total in 2015.
Five golfers to watch
1: Taylor Montgomery (1:14 p.m. tee time Thursday): Named the top player in the Korn Ferry Tour power rankings this week by PGATour.com. The former UNLV golfer has finished in the top 10 in five of his past six tournaments. He finished in a tie for second and a tie for third in his two most recent events.
2: Bill Haas (7:52 a.m. Thursday). The 40-year-old has won six times on the PGA Tour and has more than $30 million in career earnings. He was the 2011 FedEx Cup champion and has competed on three Presidents Cup teams.
3: Jonas Blixt (9:31 a.m. Thursday): Longtime and avid Boise Open fans will remember that Blixt led the tournament after two rounds in 2011. The native of Sweden has won three times on the PGA Tour since then and has more than $10 million in career earnings. But will he be thinking this week about 2011, when he finished in third place behind eventual Boise Open champ Jason Kokrak?
4: Scott Gutschewski (12:41 p.m. Thursday): The journeyman won’t have to look as far back in his memory bank as Blixt for his “What if?” moment at the Boise Open. The 45-year-old held the lead going into the final round last year before posting a 2-over 73 and finishing in a tie for 10th place.
5: Camilo Villegas (1:36 p.m. Thursday): The four-time winner on the PGA Tour is worth following if for no other reason to get a glimpse of his unique way of reading the greens. He has been compared to Spider-Man as he leans himself all the way to the putting surface while balancing on his right leg. Villegas has more than $20 million in career earnings and has played on a Presidents Cup team.
IF YOU GO
What: Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron
When: Thursday-Sunday. Golfers tee off at 7:30 a.m. Thursday and Friday and approximately 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Where: Hillcrest Country Club, Boise
Tickets: Thursday tickets (which include the Midland concert on the grounds after golf) are $25. Sunday tickets are $10. Friday, Saturday and four-day passes are sold out. Children 15 and younger get in free with a ticketed adult.
Parking: Free parking is available for all ticket holders at the Brady Street Garage at 2204 W. University Drive on the Boise State campus. Shuttles will drop spectators off at the tournament entrance.
Concerts: Tickets remain to Thursday night’s Midland show. The Billy Idol show Friday and the Train show Saturday are both sold out.
TV: Golf Channel will air coverage from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, 8 to 10 p.m. Friday, 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday and 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Tee times and live scores: Visit PGATour.com.
