Andrew's Veritex Bank Championship (KFT) Preview (2025)

A mixed week for our selections, but more weak than strong. Once again, an American pick over in the Hotel Planner Tour went nicely - this week it was Davis Bryant at 50/1 - and once again Renato Paratore won, leaving us to be satisfied with a small profit on the places. I do have a few eye-catchers who will make up the bulk of my shortlist when the HPT returns after a short break to begin the European events with the Challenge de Espana, on the 8th May. The Korn Ferry will continue to pick up the slack until then, and we’re certainly hoping for a better showing than our boys managed this week. In one of several tight finishes, it was impressive from Neal Shipley who is certainly going to pick up a well-earned PGA card and is an exciting prospect. On to Texas!

The Tournament

This might be my least-favourite tournament of the year for which I’m compelled to provide coverage. The Texas Rangers Golf Course in Arlington hosts this week, and this is the sort of course that gives this tour a bad name. Remember all that stuff about Scottie Scheffler’s team being confident he could make it on the PGA Tour, but unsure if he’d ever get there because the KFT didn’t suit him? This is the sort of event they were (rightly) complaining about. Tim Widing won this last year and his third round 65 (-6) was his weakest round. He finished in -31 and although it was a comfortable win, you were cut at -6 and outside the top twenty at -18. 

So, low-scoring, then. Whilst last year was unusually low it wasn’t freakily so (previous winners have been between -20 and -23, and this will be the fifth year on the same track.) At around 7,100 yards it will play slightly longer than the last couple of years but that length isn’t much of a defence. We are likely to see some Texas wind coming into play but nothing beyond a breeze (it may get up to around 15 mph on Sunday) and more importantly the course will get a dousing of rain on Wednesday to make dart-throwing approaches even more significant. 

Before Tim Widing, Spencer Levin won this, and so did Tyson Alexander, twice. That brings us onto the next problem – it isn’t easy to see who this course suits. This isn’t necessarily a course that gives up eagles on the par 5s – a lot of the scoring holes are par 3s and 4s – and whilst Widing is a bomber, and there are others on the leaderboards, Levin is noticeably short from the tee, as is Myles Creighton, who finished second last year (ahead of long-hitters like Frankie Capan, Quate Cummins and the like.) Whilst Widing was winning for the second week running, none of the other winners had shown much form coming in – and the change in grass type and climate mean that a marked turnaround in form won’t be a shock from anyone. 

What we are looking for is players who’ve shown the ability to go low. There’s an art to shooting multiple rounds in the mid-60s, just as there’s an art to grinding out pars on a tough course. Ideally I’ll find players who’ve scored heavily on easy tracks, can putt the lights out when they’re on form, and either have a great approach game or can smack the logo off the ball. Honestly, though, in a week with a poor PGA and a poor DPWT event, this isn’t picking up the slack. We’ve got a women’s major and a decent LIV event – I’d focus your attention and your betting on them.

Selections

That said, I do have three picks and the first and most confident is Adrien Dumont de Chassart. The aristocratically named Belgian was in the mix at the Argentina Open (16th) on the lowerst scoring event of the KFT season,and was 26th in Puerto Rico on the main tour. He’s playing all over the place (two good finishes early on the DPWT, including 8th in Qatar) but his game is still defined by long driving and great putting, which is a recipe for success here. The return to Bermuda grass will suit this former Illinois college superstar, who is going for his second KFT win (he won the BMW Charity Pro-Am in 2023 with -21, a week before losing a playoff to Ricky Castillo in Wichita (-19, again thriving in low-scoring competition.) Whilst he found the PGA Tour too much too soon last year it would be silly to ignore his exceptional talents and this is the first tournament this year that has suited his game so nicely. Ranks fifth for birdie average.

I’m following up with a couple of players at much longer odds, beginning with another low-scoring prodigy from the college ranks, Rayhan Thomas. The young Indian has more local experience than you might expect after four years at Oklahoma State, where he outplayed his hype to win a decent event an play a significant role in a good college team. After graduating last summer he won the Coimbatore Open back home in India, finished 7th in the International Series event in Thailand, and then missed out on his DPWT by two strokes at q-school and by five strokes at the PGA version. It was a heck of a start to his professional career and whilst in 2025 he’s been very inconsistent, he did start well in the Bahamas (7th and 27th) and with a return to the sorts of courses he knows well, he can thrive again.  

Finally, I’m abandoning youth to support the vastly experienced Rob Oppenheim, who is somehow playing the best golf of his career at the age of 45. His 18th last week was one of four top 25 finishes from eight events (he’s made every cut) and he’s notable for going well on low-scoring courses, as befits a streaky putter with a great short game. He was fourth here in 2022 and is in better shape this year. He ranks tenth in putting average on the tour.

• Adrien Dumont de Chassart, 33/1, 1pt e/w, Bet365 (1/4 odds 5 places).

• Rob Oppenheim, 75/1, 1pt e/w, Sporting Index (1/5 odds 6 places).

• Rayhan Thomas, 100/1, 1pt e/w, Bet365 (1/4 odds 5 places).