Ten players to watch at Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron

It’s a historic week on the Korn Ferry Tour, as the Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron marks the first leg of the reimagined, four-event Korn Ferry Tour Finals.

The new Korn Ferry Tour Finals format features reduced fields in each event, with eligibility determined via the Korn Ferry Tour Points List. For the first time, the FedExCup standings will not be used to determine Finals eligibility.

This week’s 156-player field will face a venerable test at par-71 Hillcrest Country Club, which plays to 6,880 yards and has hosted the Korn Ferry Tour since 1990. Birdies will be required – in bunches – for those who look to move atop the leaderboard into the weekend at the first event of the new Korn Ferry Tour Finals era.

Korn Ferry Tour Finals events, which offer elevated point totals (600 points to the winner), will utilize the following field sizes:

• 156 players (Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron)
• 144 players (Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation)
• 120 players (Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship)
• 75 players (Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance)

For the first three Finals events, the field can drop below the corresponding spot on the Points List, based on eligible players who do not enter. However, the field for the Korn Ferry Tour Championship will not extend below the No. 75 player on the standings after the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship. The top 30 on the cumulative standings after the Korn Ferry Tour Championship will earn 2024 PGA TOUR membership.

Six players have been declared #TOURBound, which means 24 PGA TOUR cards are available across the four Korn Ferry Tour Finals events. There will be no shortage of emotional moments in the weeks to come.

In the meantime, here are 10 players to watch at the Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron:

1. Pierceson Coody: Already a two-time Korn Ferry Tour champion this season, the 23-year-old has proven without question that he can make birdies in bushels and win at this level. He’s fifth on the Points List, one win away from an instant Three-Victory Promotion to the PGA TOUR (he’s already #TOURBound for 2024).

2. Parker Coody (pictured above): Not to be outdone, the twin brother of Pierceson Coody has produced a strong 2023 campaign after entering the season with conditional status. He has moved to No. 16 on the Points List with three top-five finishes in his last five starts.

3. Kevin Dougherty: The Oklahoma State alum has been on the verge of PGA TOUR membership before, and he’s doing his best not to leave things in doubt to the final weeks. He’s No. 14 on the Points List; a strong showing in Boise could cement his first TOUR card.

4. Taylor Dickson: After a career-best runner-up finish at last week’s Magnit Championship, the Winthrop alum should carry confidence to Idaho. He’s No. 31 on the Points List, one spot shy of the all-important top 30.

5. Chan Kim: Can’t ignore last week’s winner at the Magnit Championship, who moved to No. 12 on the Points List to move to the verge of his first TOUR card. Kim, 33, is an eight-time Japan Golf Tour winner and won’t be scared at the prospect of back-to-back titles if he finds contention once again.

6. Chris Gotterup: The Korn Ferry Tour rookie has been a picture of consistency this season, with 17 made cuts in 20 starts. He has accrued 11 top-25s, but just two have been top-10s. At No. 35 on the Points List, Gotterup could use a couple more big finishes to crack the top 30. Boise, where he finished T18 in 2022, would be a good place to start.

7. Tom Whitney: The Air Force veteran has paid his dues on the Korn Ferry Tour, with a runner-up and three third-place finishes among 113 starts, but he’s still chasing his first victory. Whitney enters the week at No. 19 on the Points List; a win would cement his first PGA TOUR card.

8. Ben Kohles: The Virginia alum, a two-time winner this season, has led the Points List for the majority of 2023. He was passed by Ben Silverman two weeks ago but regained the No. 1 spot at the Magnit Championship. With the end-of-year Points Leader earning exemptions into next year’s U.S. Open and THE PLAYERS, he’ll be plenty motivated to solidify that spot.

9. Scott Gutschewski: The savvy vet is set for his 11th appearance at the Albertsons Boise Open. Five times, he has finished T33 or better. He enters the week at No. 17 on the Points List, on the precipice of a TOUR return.

10. Rico Hoey: The University of Southern California alum has produced a banner season, with 10 top-25s in 21 starts to cement his first TOUR card. He’s second on the Points List heading into Boise, hungry to chase down Kohles for the No. 1 spot and all its perks.