Power Rankings: Albertsons Boise Open presented by Kraft Nabisco

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- Power Rankings: Albertsons Boise Open presented by Kraft Nabisco
  August 19, 2019
  By Kevin Prise , PGATOUR.COM Follow @PGATOURKevin
- Viktor Hovland has recorded five straight top-16 finishes in TOUR-sanctioned starts. (Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)
After Scottie Scheffler’s victory at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship to move atop The 25, the Korn Ferry Tour Finals heads out west for the 30th Albertsons Boise Open presented by Kraft Nabisco, contested at venerable Hillcrest CC in Boise, Idaho.

This marks the fourth consecutive year that Boise will host a Finals event, with past Finals winners including Michael Thompson (2016), Chesson Hadley (2017) and Sangmoon Bae (2018).

Players who finished inside the top-25 on the Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season Points List (The 25) are competing in hopes of improving their position on the 2019-20 TOUR Priority Ranking, as the Points List extends through the Finals to comprise a 27-event Order of Merit (24 Regular Season events; three Finals events).

The remainder of the field -- comprised of Nos. 26-75 on the Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season Points List; Nos. 126-200 on the TOUR’s 2018-19 FedExCup; non-members who would’ve finished between Nos. 126-200 on the FedExCup; and players on medical extensions -- is jockeying for position on The Finals 25, with another 25 TOUR cards awarded upon the conclusion of next week’s Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance.

Players to already reach our 200-Point fail-safe threshold via last week’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, thereby cementing their place inside The Finals 25, include Ben Taylor, Brendon Todd, Beau Hossler, Brandon Hagy and Robert Streb.

Taylor will be a TOUR rookie in 2019-20, while the other four players entered the Finals with preexisting conditional TOUR status, and have successfully achieved the base goal of bettering their status. The winners of The 25 and The Finals 25 will receive fully exempt PGA TOUR status in 2019-20, and invitations to THE PLAYERS Championship in 2020.

Players arrive in Boise knowing that plenty of birdies will be needed in order to contend on the 6,880-yard, par-71 track. The winning score has been 16-under or lower in nine consecutive tournament iterations, including six scores of 21-under or lower in that span.

Who’s positioned for a big week in the Gem State? Here are 10 players to watch.

1. Viktor Hovland. Has recorded five straight top-16 finishes in TOUR-sanctioned starts, including a T11 last week in Columbus, and will be motivated to cement a spot in The Finals 25 with low scores in Idaho.

2. Scottie Scheffler. Has been a top-10 machine in 2019 (nine in 18 starts), including two wins and two runners-up. Leads Tour in birdie average, and birdies will be needed in bushels this week.

3. Scott Harrington. After an emotional runner-up in his hometown of Portland that secured his first TOUR card, kept the strong play rolling with a T14 in Columbus, where he contended throughout the weekend.

4. Beau Hossler. After finishing 145th in FedExCup to lose full TOUR status, refocused quickly en route to T2 in Columbus. Now freed up to chase No. 1 spot on The Finals 25.

5. Brendon Todd. Redemption story in Columbus, finishing T2 to earn back strong PGA TOUR status after battling full-swing yips for three years. Four top-25s in 11 TOUR starts this season.

6. Kristoffer Ventura. Oklahoma State teammate of Hovland and fellow Norwegian, has proved himself a threat to contend any given week. Four top-3s in nine Korn Ferry Tour starts this season, including two wins.

7. Justin Harding. Finished T7 in Columbus to move to the precipice of a TOUR card via The Finals 25. South Africa native won the European Tour’s 2019 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, and placed T12 at this year’s Masters.

8. Harry Higgs. The 2018 PGA TOUR Latinoamerica Order of Merit winner has demonstrated his staying power with three top-3s this season to earn his first TOUR card, and is striving to make a move up The 25.

9. Anders Albertson. Finished runner-up in Boise a year ago, punctuated with a final-round 62, and will look to channel the good vibes into a similar showing.

10. Stewart Cink. The 1996 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year makes his first Tour start in 23 years, aiming to better his TOUR status. He finished top-20 at The Open Championship last month.