Welcome to the opening event of the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour season!

For this week and the next 25 events, I will help set the stage for the next crop of PGA TOUR hopefuls chasing their dreams of playing at the highest level. Yes, you are seeing Power Rankings on FRIDAY because both events of the season-opening Bahamas Swing will run Sunday through Wednesday, so thanks for adjusting!

The new season commences at this week’s The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay, kick-starting a 23-event Regular Season that will conclude at the Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna in early August, with The 25 PGA TOUR cards to be awarded upon the conclusion of play in Omaha.

The Regular Season will be followed by the three-event Korn Ferry Tour Finals, awarding The Finals 25 PGA TOUR cards upon the conclusion of play at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing and Finance.

One major change for 2022: the player with the most accrued Points after the 26 events (combining Regular Season and Finals Points) will earn a spot in the 2023 U.S. Open (in addition to the previously awarded spot in THE PLAYERS Championship).

The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay marks the Korn Ferry Tour’s first excursion to the Bahamas since the 2020 season, as the pandemic wiped out international travel in 2021.

Greg Norman's Sandals Emerald Bay GC will apply the test again, as it has been the only host in the event’s four prior iterations (2017-2020).

POWER RANKINGS

The examination this week (and next) in the Bahamas will test the patience of the youngsters and question the sanity of the older members. When the wind blows, Sandals Emerald Bay GC can shrink enough to make the crustiest of veterans question any and all decisions. Read this about the event's 2017 iteration, arguably the toughest four days of golf on the Korn Ferry Tour.

With only 25 acres of fairway and greens averaging just 4,500 square feet, controlling the golf ball tee-to-green will the first order of business. The first nine holes run through the dunes and mangroves and can create a false sense of security. The final nine holes run exposed along the Atlantic, and that's when the fun really begins.

Finding GIR and taking advantage of scoring situations will provide some cover on the scorecard. Grinding out pars from around the greens never hurts, either. The biggest hurdle this week will be enduring the breezes that will blow from four different directions over the four rounds around 15 miles per hour.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out through Twitter or email me mikeglasscott@gmail.com.