Coming into the day as the 18-hole outright leader, Philip Knowles extended his lead on the field to four strokes as he sits atop the leaderboard heading into the weekend at the Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron. After a career-low 61 in the first round, Knowles followed up with a 7-under 64 Friday to claim the first 36-hole lead of his Korn Ferry Tour career.
“Yesterday felt very easy. Today, it was a little bit up and down, honestly,” said the 24-year-old Knowles. “I wouldn't say that it was super easy today, but there were stretches where I executed really good golf shots and made the putts and kind of built momentum there.” While he felt his play was “up and down” in the second round, Knowles’ scorecard said otherwise as the Bradenton, Florida native recorded eight birdies against just one bogey. His 17-under 125 through two rounds marks the lowest 36-hole score in a Korn Ferry Tour event since Alex Prugh’s 124 at the 2018 Ellie Mae Classic at TPC Stonebrae. Knowles’ 18 total birdies (16 birdies and two eagles) are the most in the field and three more than the next best – Japan’s Satoshi Kodaira has 15 birdies and sits T2. Knowles’ second round started on the front nine at Hillcrest Country Club, where he tallied six birdies at Nos. 2-4 and 7-9. Through two rounds, Knowles has played holes 1-9 at 13-under par total, shooting a 7-under 29 on the front in the first round followed by Friday’s 6-under 30. On the back, Knowles rolled in another pair of birdies at the 11th and 18th, along with his lone bogey of the day on the par-3 13th. “I kind of dinked it around that back nine and just tried to stay patient, stay patient,” Knowles said. “Making that 12, 13 footer on the last hole for birdie was the epitome of patience. I didn't have it for five holes (Nos. 13-17). I was able to kind of get that to go on the last. It was a good step into tomorrow's round.” This week’s 18-hole lead marked the second-consecutive week where Knowles was the solo leader after the first round as he achieved the same feat at last week’s Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna. Last week marked the first time Knowles held a lead of any kind on the Korn Ferry Tour and Friday marked the first 36-hole lead for him. Knowles is in his first full season on the Korn Ferry Tour and making his 17th start of the year this week in Boise. He played in two events, the 2020 and 2021 LECOM Suncoast Classic, during the 2020-21 season as a sponsor exemption but missed the cut in both starts. He began this season with conditional status after a T73 finish at Final Stage of last year’s Qualifying Tournament and once again was a sponsor exemption at the LECOM Suncoast Classic, this time finishing T22 which saw him rise on the priority list. After a string of four missed cuts in April and May, Knowles season turned around at the AdventHealth Championship, where he placed T23. Since then, he has played in nine events and logged five top-30 finishes and three top 15s, while only missing the cut one time. Knowles, who originally turned professional in 2018, has also tallied 19 starts on PGA TOUR Canada, where he earned his only win in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event at the 2021 Auburn University Club Invitational, which propelled him to a No. 7 finish on the Order of Merit, granting him an exemption to Final Stage last November. Prior to entering the professional level, Knowles played four seasons at the University of North Florida where he was a 2019 All-America Third Team selection and 2018 All-America Honorable Mention. He was named the 2019 Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year and was a three-time All-Atlantic Sun First Team selection (2017, 2018, 2019). “I was streaky in junior golf,” said Knowles when discussing his amateur career. “I got to my freshman year of college and I realized I was pretty bad at golf and I got better every year. (Head Coach) Scott (Schroeder) helped me really my first two years go from an average player to a pretty good player. (Assistant Coach) Jeff (Dennis) almost took the next step and helped me become, what I felt like, really competitive. I owe them a ton.” After his opening round Thursday, Knowles said that reminding himself to be patient has been a main focus of his recently and it’s been rewarding to, “see that patience pay off.” Despite having the outright lead for the second-consecutive day, he refuses to pay much attention to the leaderboard or get comfortable until the tournament comes to a close. “I haven't seen my name at the top of the leaderboard yet, I haven't looked. But as a golfer, you have an idea.” Third-round tee times will run from 8:10 a.m. through 2:00 p.m. local time off the first tee. Playing out of the next to last group of the afternoon wave, University of North Florida alum Philip Knowles swooped in and took the outright 18-hole lead from Min Woo Lee with a 7-under 29 on his second nine holes at the Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron. Knowles carded a career-low round of 10-under 61 that included two eagles and eight birdies against two bogeys.
“It's my lowest round in competition,” the 25-year-old Knowles said. “Honestly, I wish I wearing some type of heart rate monitor because I never felt like my heart rate really got that elevated. It felt like I was supremely in control of everything that I was doing and so there was no need to be fearful.” Knowles’ day started on the back at Hillcrest Country Club, where he got off to a solid start with birdies at the par-4s 10 and 11. He carded two bogeys on the day at Nos. 13 and 17, which bookended a trio of birdies at the 14th, 15th and 16th. After making the turn at 3-under par, the 25-year-old climbed the leaderboard late in the afternoon with the 29 on his second nine holes. “I just kept telling myself to stay patient, stay aggressive,” Knowles said of his mentality. “The golf course can lend itself to a lot of birdies if you put yourself in good positions and you can get a good feel with the putter.” Knowles played Nos. 1-3 at 5-under par after a birdie-eagle-eagle stretch. On the three par 5s, Knowles was 5-under par with two eagles (Nos. 2, 3) and a birdie (No. 16). He rolled in two more birdies at the fifth and eighth to finish at 10-under, securing his second-consecutive 18-hole lead after he achieved the same feat at last week’s Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna. “The bones of my game have been so good for months now, and it seems like I'm just catching fire all of a sudden at this peak time,” said Knowles. “Honestly, it just feels like this has been coming for me. Not to say that I'm going to go shoot 10-under every day, but it's been really rewarding last week and this week to see that patience pay off.” Knowles, who is in his first full season on the Korn Ferry Tour, entered last week’s regular season finale No. 87 on the Eligibility Points List, which would have left him out of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. Powered by an opening-round 65 and a third-round 64, Knowles finished T10 and jumped 19 spots to 68th, earning him fully-exempt status for the 2023 season, but more importantly, access to the Korn Ferry Tour Finals and another opportunity to chase his first PGA TOUR card. Knowles began the season with conditional status after a T73 finish at Final Stage of last year’s Qualifying Tournament. His year got off to a slow start as he missed the cut in four of his first six starts. Since then, Knowles has logged five top-25 finishes in 10 events, including the first top-10 of his Korn Ferry Tour career last week. “I've been playing really good, solid golf for a few months and the scores hadn't really been actualizing,” Knowles said when reflecting on his season. “I've been telling myself to stay patient for months now. It's not like I just caught fire in two weeks. You can go back – I was playing well in Greenville three months ago. I was right there near the lead in the middle of the front nine and ended up finishing 12th or 13th. It was there, but I made a couple of bogeys, a couple of mistakes. That's kind of been the story for the past few months.” Knowles prepped at Bradenton Christian School, where his now wife, Olivia, played alongside him on the boys golf team since it did not have a girls team. Olivia went to Clemson University and was a cheerleader, while Knowles played golf at University of North Florida in Jacksonville. The two wed in December 2018, midway through Knowles’ senior season and roughly two years after the couple reconnected. Knowles capped his four-season career at UNF with a 2019 All-America Third Team selection and Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year honors. Knowles turned professional that summer, played a full season on PGA TOUR Canada, and reached Final Stage of the 2019 Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament. A T105 at Final Stage left him buried on the priority ranking for what became the 2020-21 season, so Knowles played predominantly on PGA TOUR Canada. A victory at the 2021 Auburn University Club Invitational propelled him to a No. 7 finish on the Order of Merit, which granted him an exemption to Final Stage last November. Second-round tee times will run from 7:30 a.m. through 2:31 p.m. local time off the first and 10th tees. The 33rd Annual Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron kicked off tournament week tonight at The Hershey Company Pro-Am Dinner at Hillcrest Country Club. In front of over 150 tournament sponsors, local media partners and special guests, Albertsons and Chevron executives announced a record-breaking charity donation of $3 Million for charity. The donation is the largest by any event in the 33-year history of the Korn Ferry Tour and takes the event’s 33-year charity donation total to nearly $33 Million.
“Thanks to the amazing support of Albertsons, Chevron, our treasured sponsors, the great fans of Boise and our 800 hard-working volunteers, we are thrilled to announce this record contribution to deserving charities,” said Jeff Sanders, CEO of Jeff Sanders Entertainment, the event’s management company. “Setting the charity record was a great way to kick off the week and we have a lot of fun ahead showcasing PGA TOUR golf by day and sold-out concerts each night starting on Thursday.” The Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron is the first of three Korn Ferry Tour Finals events to featuring 75 PGA TOUR players and the top 75 Korn Ferry Tour players as they compete to earn their PGA TOUR cards for the 2022-2023 PGA TOUR season. So far this PGA TOUR season, 36 tournaments have been won by players who came through Boise on the Korn Ferry Tour in recent years including the top ranked player in the world Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Wil Zalatoris, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Sam Burns, Sungjae Im, Victor Hovland and more. Again this year, the event will feature three nights of concerts after golf on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, August 18-20 at Hillcrest CC. The concerts will kick off following golf on Thursday, August 18th with 2018 ACM New Vocal Group of the Year, Midland. Launching in 2017 with rave reviews, Midland’s album ON THE ROCKS was declared “the year’s best Country album” by The Washington Post. Their 2x Platinum-certified chart-topping debut “Drinkin’ Problem,” which offers an intentional nod to Country music reminiscent of the 1970s and 80s, earned the band their first GRAMMY® Awards nominations for Best Country Song and Best Country Duo/Group Performance. Following golf on Friday night, rock and roll legend Billy Idol will perform as part of his global tour, The Roadside. Decades after releasing his first 45, Billy Idol still makes gliding, thumping, cinematic songs about sin, redemption and the love of rock’n’roll. Produced by Butch Walker (Green Day, Weezer, amongst many others), The Roadside takes Billy Idol into new but familiar waters full of color, power, atmosphere, attitude, and mystery. Billy Idol is joined by his friend and collaborator since 1981, guitarist and co-songwriter Steve Stevens. On Saturday night, multi-GRAMMY and Billboard award-winning band Train will rock the Chevron stage performing their hits “Drops of Jupiter,” “Hey, Soul Sister,” “Meet Virginia” and many more. With 14 songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 since the release of their debut album, Train has sold more than 10 million albums and 30 million tracks worldwide while earning three GRAMMY Awards and dozens of other honors. The concerts will be held at Hillcrest CC on the 18th fairway and will start immediately after golf concludes. Concert admission is included with the purchase of daily tickets and four-day passes - there will not be any additional charges or upgraded tickets needed to enjoy the concerts after golf on the night our fans purchase their daily ticket. The concerts are sponsored by Smithfield Foods on Thursday, Tyson Foods on Friday and Sanderson Farms on Saturday. In addition to the great golf and concert admission, all tickets will include admission to two on-course hospitality venues - the Albertsons Fan Pavilion on the 16th green featuring Michelob Ultra Beers Fore Birdies and Albertsons Signature Café, and the Coors Light Fan Deck behind the 18th green. Sunday’s Final Round will feature Junior Day sponsored by Pacific Office Automation. Junior Day will include a free tournament logo’d hat and lunch for the first 500 kids in attendance as well as free golf games and golf lessons for juniors of all skill levels. For more information, please visit www.AlbertsonsBoiseOpen.com · Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron is 7 weeks away
· Friday tickets are already sold out, Thursday and Saturday sellouts expected soon · 100% of ticket sales will go to local charities via Mondelez Tickets Support Charity · Sunday tickets for the Final Round and Junior Golf Day presented by Pacific Office Automation are only $10 BOISE, IDAHO – Today at Hillcrest Country Club, the Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron hosted 145 members of the media, tournament sponsors, media partners and Albertsons Executives for the official 2022 Media Day hosted by Coca-Cola. The event included tournament and charity updates from Albertsons CEO, Vivek Sankaran and Jeff Sanders Entertainment (JSE) CEO, Jeff Sanders as well as a Q&A with World Golf Hall of Fame Member and former NBC Golf Analyst, Johnny Miller. As part of the exclusive interview for those in attendance, Miller discussed the PGA TOUR level golf at the Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron. “It’s fun to follow guys who competed here in Boise, Scottie Scheffler for example, who go right out on the PGA OTUR and in no time, he’s won four tournaments including the Masters and is the number one player in the world,” said Miller. “It’s not only PGA TOUR level on the course but it looks like a PGA TOUR event with the large crowds that come out to support the golf tournament, the concerts and other things they have going on at the event… I admire how this has become a fun event that is more than just golf.” So far this PGA TOUR season, 28 of the 35 tournaments have been won by players who came through Boise on the Korn Ferry Tour in recent years including World Number 1 Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Wil Zalatoris, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Sam Burns, Sungjae Im, Victor Hovland and more. The Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron will be the first of three Korn Ferry Tour Finals events to feature 75 PGA TOUR players and the top 75 Korn Ferry Tour players as they compete to earn their PGA TOUR cards for the 2022-2023 PGA TOUR season. Albertsons CEO, Vivek Sankaran discussed the Albertsons Boise Open’s rich history of supporting charity, raising over $30 Million since 1990. He explained that once again a portion of the money raised for charity will come from the Mondelez Tickets Support Charity Program, where 100% of all ticket sales support local charities. Through the Mondelez Tickets for Charity program, all ticket purchasers will select one of 40 local charities that their ticket purchase will support. Following Sankaran, Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron Executive Director and JSE CEO, Jeff Sanders, spoke to the crowd about the new fan enhancements at the event this August 19-22. “We are excited to announce that Friday tickets for the golf tournament and Billy Idol concert are already sold out and we expect Thursday and Saturday sellouts soon,” said Sanders. “The support for the event continues to grow every year setting charity and attendance records at the highest levels on the Korn Ferry Tour.” Again this year, the event will feature three nights of concerts after golf on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, August 18-20 at Hillcrest CC. The concerts will kick off following golf on Thursday, August 18th with 2018 ACM New Vocal Group of the Year, Midland. Launching in 2017 with rave reviews, Midland’s album ON THE ROCKS was declared “the year’s best Country album” by The Washington Post. Their 2x Platinum-certified chart-topping debut “Drinkin’ Problem,” which offers an intentional nod to Country music reminiscent of the 1970s and 80s, earned the band their first GRAMMY® Awards nominations for Best Country Song and Best Country Duo/Group Performance. Following golf on Friday night, rock and roll legend Billy Idol will perform as part of his global tour, The Roadside. Decades after releasing his first 45, Billy Idol still makes gliding, thumping, cinematic songs about sin, redemption and the love of rock’n’roll. Produced by Butch Walker (Green Day, Weezer, amongst many others), The Roadside takes Billy Idol into new but familiar waters full of color, power, atmosphere, attitude, and mystery. Billy Idol is joined by his friend and collaborator since 1981, guitarist and co-songwriter Steve Stevens. On Saturday night, multi-GRAMMY and Billboard award-winning band Train will rock the Chevron stage performing their hits “Drops of Jupiter,” “Hey, Soul Sister,” “Meet Virginia” and many more. With 14 songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 since the release of their debut album, Train has sold more than 10 million albums and 30 million tracks worldwide while earning three GRAMMY Awards and dozens of other honors. Friday tickets for golf and the Billy Idol concert are already sold out and Thursday and Saturday tickets are expected to sell out soon. The concerts will be held at Hillcrest CC on the 18th fairway and will start immediately after golf concludes. Concert admission is included with the purchase of daily tickets and four-day passes - there will not be any additional charges or upgraded tickets needed to enjoy the concerts after golf on the night our fans purchase their daily ticket. The concerts are sponsored by Smithfield Foods on Thursday, Tyson Foods on Friday and Sanderson Farms on Saturday. In addition to the great golf and concert admission, all tickets will include admission to two on-course hospitality venues - the Albertsons Fan Pavilion on the 16th green featuring Michelob Ultra Beers For Birdies and Albertsons Signature Café and the Coors Light Fan Deck behind the 18th green. Sunday’s Final Round will feature Junior Day sponsored by Pacific Office Automation. Junior Day will include a free tournament logo’d hat and lunch for the first 500 kids in attendance as well as free golf games and golf lessons for juniors of all skill levels. Daily tickets are $25 for Thursday, Friday (sold out) and Saturday and just $10 for Sunday’s final round and Junior Day. Kids 15 and under get in free with a paid adult all week. For more information, please visit www.AlbertsonsBoiseOpen.com Train, Billy Idol and Midland to Perform After Golf on the 18th Fairway The 33rd Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron announced the concert lineup today for this year’s event to be held August 18 – 21 at Hillcrest Country Club. The first event of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals, the Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron features four days of PGA TOUR golf with three concerts in the evenings following the first three tournament rounds.
Last year, the Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron set the Korn Ferry Tour charity record donating $2.9 Million to charities. The event will continue its rich history of supporting charity by adding to the $30 Million raised since the inaugural event in 1990. A portion of the money raised for charity will once again come from the Mondelez Tickets Support Charity Program where 100% of all event ticket sales support local charities. Through the Mondelez Tickets Support Charity program, all ticket purchasers will select the local charity their ticket purchase will support. The concerts will kick off following golf on Thursday, August 18th with 2018 ACM New Vocal Group of the Year, Midland. Launching in 2017 with rave reviews, Midland’s album ON THE ROCKS was declared “the year’s best Country album” by The Washington Post. Their 2x Platinum-certified chart-topping debut “Drinkin’ Problem,” which offers an intentional nod to Country music reminiscent of the 1970s and 80s, earned the band their first GRAMMY® Awards nominations for Best Country Song and Best Country Duo/Group Performance. Following golf on Friday night, rock and roll legend Billy Idol will perform as part of his global tour, The Roadside. Decades after releasing his first 45, Billy Idol still makes gliding, thumping, cinematic songs about sin, redemption and the love of rock’n’roll. Produced by Butch Walker (Green Day, Weezer, amongst many others), The Roadside takes Billy Idol into new but familiar waters full of color, power, atmosphere, attitude, and mystery. Billy Idol is joined by his friend and collaborator since 1981, guitarist and co-songwriter Steve Stevens. On Saturday night, multi-GRAMMY and Billboard award-winning band Train will rock the Chevron stage performing their hits “Drops of Jupiter,” “Hey, Soul Sister,” “Meet Virginia” and many more. With 14 songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 since the release of their debut album, Train has sold more than 10 million albums and 30 million tracks worldwide while earning three GRAMMY Awards and dozens of other honors. “We are very excited to bring in three amazing bands to perform for our fans this year,” said Jeff Sanders, CEO of Jeff Sanders Entertainment, the company that promotes and operates the event. “Thanks to the tremendous support of Albertsons, Chevron, over 100 major sponsors and 800 loyal Boise volunteers, we are able to host an incredibly fan friendly and affordable event here in Boise while raising millions of dollars for charities.” The Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron will be the first of three Korn Ferry Tour Finals events to feature 75 PGA TOUR players and the top 75 Korn Ferry Tour players as they compete to earn their PGA TOUR cards for the 2022-2023 PGA TOUR season. The tournament has hosted many of the best golfers in the world over the years on their way to PGA TOUR stardom including: Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, Victor Hovland, Will Zalatoris, Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele, and many more. The concerts will be held at Hillcrest CC on the 18th fairway and will start immediately after golf concludes. Concert admission is included with the purchase of daily tickets and four-day passes - there will not be any additional charges or upgraded tickets needed to enjoy the concerts after golf. The concerts are sponsored by Smithfield Foods on Thursday, Tyson Foods on Friday and Sanderson Farms on Saturday. Tickets go on sale today, May 3rd at 10:00 am and include admission to the golf tournament by day and concerts at night. Daily tickets are $25 for Thursday, Friday and Saturday and just $10 for Sunday’s final round. A limited number of 4-day passes will also be available for $65 that include admission to all four days of the golf tournament and all three evening concerts. In addition to the great golf and concert admission, all tickets will include admission to two on-course hospitality venues - the Albertsons Fan Pavilion on the 16th green featuring Michelob Ultra Beers Fore Birdies and Albertsons Signature Café and the Coors Light Fan Deck behind the 18th green. For more information, please visit www.AlbertsonsBoiseOpen.com The Albertsons Companies Foundation along with Albertsons Executives announced today the distribution of charity dollars from the Mondelez Tickets Support Charity Program by which 100% of all ticket sales from the 32nd annual Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron were given to local charities.
More than 35 local Treasure Valley charities received donations from the event thanks to the Mondelez Tickets Support Charity Program which allowed ticket purchasers to choose which local charity would receive 100% of the money from their ticket purchase. Albertsons Intermountain Division President, John Colgrove, met with five of the benefitting charities today to hand deliver their donations:
In total, the 2021 Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron generated a Korn Ferry Tour Charity record $2.9 million for Charities. The Albertsons Companies Foundation will continue to distribute funds from the 2021 Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron throughout the year. “We are thrilled to support local Treasure Valley charities in such a big way,” said John Colgrove, Intermountain Division President. “Albertsons and the Albertsons Foundation are very excited about the success of last year’s Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron and the huge amount of money it raised for charities thanks to the support of our local fans and amazing sponsors. We look forward to another great event this year and adding to our 32-year charity total of almost $30 Million.” The 33rd annual Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron will take place August 18 – 21, 2022 at Hillcrest Country Club in Boise. For more information, please visit www.AlbertsonsBoiseOpen.com. A closing par at the 18th was enough for Greyson Sigg to clinch his second Korn Ferry Tour title at the Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron, edging playing partner Aaron Rai and J.J. Spaun by a stroke at 19-under 265. Rai came to the final hole with a one-stroke lead, but a double bogey at the last allowed Sigg the win at Hillcrest Country Club.
“Nobody wants to win a golf tournament that way to be honest, but it was a hard shot and I guarantee you he wasn’t trying to get it all the way to the hole,” said Sigg after Rai’s chip from next to the green rolled downhill off the front of the green. “He was probably trying to get it on the green and let it roll down…but the ball just never stopped rolling. From there I knew it was going to be a tough up and down from down. I was ready for more golf but luckily I didn’t have to do that.” Sigg is one of 25 players who earned their PGA TOUR card through the season-long points standings last week after the regular season finale. He described his mindset in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals as “playing with house money.” With the win and his new ascension to No. 1 in the points standings, Sigg can focus on another goal: earning full exempt status on the PGA TOUR in 2021-22 and an exemption into THE PLAYERS Championship by earning the top spot in the season-long points standings. “It’s been my goal ever since I won to become No. 1, so I was actually going to go home and see my family and my dog tomorrow morning, but I think I’m going to have to change my flight and go to Columbus now,” laughed Sigg. “That’s a big deal and I’m super happy to be headed there…That’s my goal moving forward and I have a busy two weeks ahead of me.” Sigg got off to a quick start with birdies on two of his first three holes and tacked on three more on the front nine to turn in 5-under 31. He bogeyed the 11th hole but bounced back with birdies at the 14th and 16th for a closing 6-under 65. Rai, an Englishman making his debut on the Korn Ferry Tour, looked to be in control throughout the back nine before stumbling at the 72nd hole. The 26-year-old is a two-time winner on the European Tour who notably defeated Tommy Fleetwood in a playoff at the 2020 Scottish Open. He entered the week No. 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Despite the disappointing finish, Rai secured his first PGA TOUR card with a top-five finish. “It definitely hasn’t set in yet,” said Rai. “When I was playing I was obviously just focusing on the win. And the overriding emotion right now is disappointment after finishing that way. It was very tough. But to have status on the PGA TOUR after the first event of the Finals is incredible really if I take a step back.” Rai joined Spaun at 18-under as Spaun returns to the PGA TOUR where he has competed full time since 2017. In addition to the duo that finished T2, Lucas Herbert and Matthias Schwab have also likely earned their way to the PGA TOUR with their T4 finishes. Both will likely be PGA TOUR members in 2021-22 for the first time. Stephan Jaeger joined Herbert and Schwab at T4 as well, though he locked up his 2021-22 PGA TOUR status already through the regular season. The Korn Ferry Tour will head to Columbus, Ohio, next week for the second leg of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship. Final-Round Notes
Final-Round Course Statistics
Less than a week after dropping his son off to college to start his collegiate golf career, Scott Gutschewski has put himself in position to earn a “graduation” of sorts from the Korn Ferry Tour to the PGA TOUR. The 44-year-old carded a 63 on moving day at the Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron to take a two-stroke lead into the final round at Hillcrest Country Club in Boise, Idaho.
The Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron is the first of three tournaments in the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour Finals. The top-25 players in the Finals points standings at the conclusion of the three tournaments will earn PGA TOUR membership for the 2021-22 season. A win, or potentially even just a top-five finish, would lock up a return to the PGA TOUR for Gutschewski. The University of Nebraska product last competed full-time on the PGA TOUR in 2011 and has since endured a decade of injuries and doubt as he tries to make it back to the highest level. “I feel like everybody out here probably thinks about hanging it up every week or two,” laughed Gutschewski. “Every time you miss a cut and you’re on the road in the middle of nowhere, you think what am I doing here. But we do it for the good weeks. I do love playing. I love being out here and competing. It’s hard to be out here if you don’t want to be out here, almost impossible, to be successful. But I love it. There’s nothing better.” On Monday, Gutschewski helped move his son, Luke, into Iowa State University where he will compete on the golf team. The elder Gutschewski flew to Boise on Tuesday morning to begin prep for the week. “Monday – this has been a really emotional week – Monday we moved him into Ames. we moved him into Iowa State,” said Gutschewski. “He’s been there all week hanging out with the team and practicing and getting ready. I think they start qualifying next week for their fall season. My daughter is playing for her high school team. My 14-year-old started high school last Thursday. They were upset actually, they started school last Thursday so they couldn’t come out to Omaha the first two days [last week]. My 5-year-old is going to Kindergarten. It’s very busy. Just ask my wife.” After rounds of 67-66 to start the week, Gutschewski carded seven birdies, a bogey and an eagle on Saturday for a 63. While he will be seeking his third career Korn Ferry Tour victory – and first since 2008 – Gutschewski will also have an eye towards the Finals points list as he attempts a return to the TOUR. “I’ve had three nice days, it would be nice to have another nice day tomorrow,” said Gutschewski. “I think I can speak for everyone here, or that has played there, that you don’t want to leave it on the line at Victoria National [in two weeks]. It would be nice to be able to relax and have a nice calm week there. That’s not a place where you want to go having to play well. But we’re in a great spot and hopefully can go out and play well tomorrow.” Gutschewski leads a trio of players at 15-under: Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Kelly Kraft and Ben Taylor. For Aphibarnrat, the third-round 63 was his lowest career round in any PGA TOUR-sanctioned start, a stat which includes 85 starts on the PGA TOUR and four on the Korn Ferry Tour. “I feel really comfortable with the way I’m swinging,” said Aphibarnrat. “It’s a lot of positive thinking and a lot of positive stuff that has carried on to the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. Ball-striking was in the top-10 at the 3M Open, putting was in the top-10 at the Wyndham. There’s a lot of good stuff in there. I just want to come out here and enjoy the golf game again.” The final round will run from 8:35 a.m. to 3:05 p.m. off of the first tee on Sunday at Hillcrest Country Club. Third-Round Notes
Third-Round Course Statistics
Seven players sit tied for the lead after 36 holes at 10-under 132 at the Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron, a record-high number of players sitting equal after the second round dating back to at least 2008. Second-round co-leaders at Hillcrest Country Club include: Mark Hubbard, John Huh, Ben Kohles, Patrick Rodgers, Chad Ramey, Hayden Buckley and J.J. Spaun.
The Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron is the first of three tournaments in the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour Finals. The top-25 players in the Finals points standings at the conclusion of the three tournaments will earn PGA TOUR membership for the 2021-22 season. While Kohles and Ramey have each already earned their 2021-22 PGA TOUR card via finishing in the top-25 of the regular season Korn Ferry Tour points standings, the other five players are looking to regain their TOUR status or reach the PGA TOUR for the first time. “I think these three Finals events, nothing against them, but it’s probably the easiest way to get your [TOUR] card,” said Hubbard, a 32-year-old who has competed full-time on both the Korn Ferry Tour (three seasons) and PGA TOUR (five season). “I think finishing in the top-25 on the Korn Ferry Tour [regular season], especially in this mega-season, has got to be the hardest, and then I think finishing inside the top-125 on TOUR is in the middle. Obviously I’d rather be in New Jersey right now, but I feel good about my chances out here, I’ve been playing well over the last couple of months and all it takes is one good – not even amazing – week among these three and you have your card back.” Hubbard, who finished 143rd in the FedExCup this season, joins Huh (153rd), Rodgers (128th) and Spaun (174th) in trying to regain PGA TOUR status after an underwhelming season at the highest level. Rodgers in particular noted the three-tournament stretch as an opportunity to rebound and enter the 2021-22 PGA TOUR season with some momentum. “Yeah, I really tried to do as much as I could to get off to a fresh start for these three events,” said Rodgers. “One positive that I can take from being here is that I felt like my recent form has been trending in the right direction. I didn’t feel like I was playing poor golf to end up here. I’m trying to be as confident as I can in my golf game and realize that these are amazing opportunities to win golf tournaments. I’m excited about that, that’s why I play.” Buckley, a University of Missouri alum who won the LECOM Suncoast Classic in February, is attempting to reach the PGA TOUR for the first time. The 25-year-old is nearing the end of a strong rookie campaign on the Korn Ferry Tour that included a win and a runner-up finish, the latter of which came two weeks ago at the Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank. Kohles and Ramey officially locked up PGA TOUR membership through their finish inside The 25 after the regular season finale last week. Kohles will return to the TOUR full-time for the first time since his rookie season in 2013 after finishing 23rd in the standings last week. Ramey will compete on TOUR as a rookie next season after a dominant season that has included a win, 21 top-25s and 37 of 40 made cuts. Ramey, a Mississippi State alum, finished third in the regular season standings last week. The highest recorded number of players tied after 36 holes (dating back to at least 2008) previous to this week was five at the 2020 Korn Ferry Challenge at TPC Sawgrass. The third round will run from 7:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. off of the first tee on Saturday at Hillcrest Country Club. Second-Round Notes
Second-Round Course Statistics
Today in a statement, REO Speedwagon announced the cancelation of their show this Friday night, August 20, because members of the REO touring family are still recovering from Covid-19: Unfortunately, while we have been practicing CDC and locally recommended COVID-19 protocols on tour, members of the REO touring family tested positive for COVID-19. Fortunately, everyone was vaccinated, so only experienced mild symptoms and are recovering more and more every day. However, for the safety of our band, crew members, venue staff, our families, and our awesome fans, we will regrettably need to cancel our upcoming show in Boise, Idaho. Once everyone affected observes the recommended quarantine, tests negative, and feels up to it, we’ll be back on the road again! Stay safe & get vaccinated everyone! Replacing REO Speedwagon on Friday night will be Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Sammy Hagar and his Supergroup The Circle featuring Michael Anthony, Jason Bonham and Vic Johnson. Grammy-winning musician Rick Springfield will also make a special appearance at the concert. “We thank our brothers Sammy and the Circle, and Rick Springfield for having our back Friday in Boise. We will miss playing for our awesome fans, but guarantee that Sam and Rick will rock them, big time,” said REO lead singer, Kevin Cronin. Both Thursday’s sold out Old Dominion concert and Saturday’s sold out Sammy Hagar & The Circle concert will go on as planned. All Friday tickets are still valid, and ticketholders can still use their same tickets to attend the show on Friday night to see Sammy Hagar and Rick Springfield. Ticket holders who no longer wish to attend on Friday can receive a refund at the event website: www.albertsonsboiseopen.com The Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron will be conducted within local health and safety guidelines as well as PGA TOUR COVID-19 testing policies and strongly encourages the use of masks at the event. For more information, please visit www.AlbertsonsBoiseOpen.com |