Andrew's Simmons Bank Open (KFT) Preview

After a long old gap, we welcome back the Korn Ferry Tour with a final sprint to the finish. There are four events to go, with a sort of semi-playoff feel to the first three before a season-ending championship. The last four events have a pool of 600 points (it was 500 for the events before the playoffs) and there is no way in other than the points list - that is, no exemptions, invitations, whatever. The first 150 who elect to play are here for this event - we go down to Hunter Eichorn at 154 as there are four with alternative arrangements, led by number six ranked S.H. Kim who is in his hometown event on the Asian tour. Fields reduce for the next two weeks before the top 144 and 120 play in the next two events, and the top 75 battle it out for cards in the KFT Championship which is again in French Lick a month from now. So that's the future, what about this week?

The Tournament

The longstanding Simmons Bank Open (previously Nashville Bank Open) has been running since 2016 and supports the Snedeker Foundation. It was played at The Grove until LIV took that course, so last year was the first to be held at the Vanderbilt Legend's Club. We're there again, which puts us in Franklin, just outside Nashville, Tennessee. If you're thinking "that sounds unpleasantly warm and sticky," then you'll get no arguments here - it looks very sweaty indeed but there's no sign of wind or thunder so we should have an undisturbed tournament. What we'll get in terms of competition is harder to say.

To be clear, this is not a good golf course. By all accounts it is a friendly, well-run and well-attended event and I'm delighted that money is being raised for the Snedeker Foundation. However, Nashville isn't a hotbed of championship golf courses and with LIV taking the best one, this is ordinary. It is undulating, there are some trees and some water, but there's no meaningful threat, not much history and not much to remember. When Paul Peterson wins by a stroke from Matt Atkins, you can't claim it is the most selective course in the world, either.

Those two players, and the rest of the leaderboard, do give some good clues though - of all the courses we see this year, this might be the one where putting is most important, and it is not a course where length matters hugely. That's partly because it is a less than 7,000 yard par 70 but also because the trees and doglegs limit the ability of the longer players to hit driver. That is the sole similarity between this course and Wentworth, the Colt masterpiece that we'll see in the same week. So I'm looking at course form, obviously, I'm looking at players on the various "bubbles" but mostly I'm looking for accuracy and course management and for putting, putting, putting.

The Selections

First on my list is Emilio Gonzalez. I've backed him before this season but wasn't on when he won last time out in Boise. I'm not usually a fan of backing players back-to-back, but the weeks off make it more palatable, and so too does his apparent maturity; the 27 year-old Mexican seems to be a very steady young man and highly professional, and I think he'll be ready. He's also returning to a course where he was third last year, his best performance to that point. Oh, and he's top ten for both putting average and greens in regulation.

I'm also returning to Trace Crowe, another of whom I'm very fond. Crowe didn't play this event last year (he was on the PGA Tour) but was fifth over at the Grove two years ago. Playing his collegiate golf at Auburn means that the heat of the Southeast is nothing new to this South Carolina resident, who was fourth alongside Taylor Dickson in the Zurich Classic and has a fifth and a second among his last three KFT starts. He ranks 13th with the putter on the KFT and is above average from the tee and approaching the green.

Finally, I'm surprising myself by picking Pierceson Coody, simply because I didn't think I'd be able to justify both him and Gonzalez at the prices, Coody, however, looks like real value to me, having drifted because of two weak starts recently. That was on the back of a 3rd place finish on the PGA Tour in the 3M Open and I'm sure that a break has been beneficial after a long and successful summer. Statistically the best putter on the KFT, if anyone can dominate this field and outclass the opposition it is this man.

• Emilio Gonzalez, 20/1, 2pts win only

• Trace Crowe, 45/1, 1pt e/w

• Pierceson Coody, 35/1, 1pt e/w
  

All with Bet365. E/w bets are 1/4 odds 5 places.