BOISE, Idaho — A combination of veteran golfers and rising competitors teed off in the first round of the 33rd Annual Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron Thursday morning, eyeing a slot on next year's PGA TOUR.
The four-day event at the Hillcrest Country Club is the first of three Korn Ferry Tour Finals. Following the Pinnacle Bank Championship last week, the eligibility points list determined 25 cards on next year's PGA TOUR.
25 more 2022-2023 tour spots will be decided by the Korn Ferry Tour's three final events -- starting with this weekend in the City of Trees.
The Boise Open features a total purse of $1 million, with a winner's share of $180,000.
Competitors are grouped in threes for Thursday and Friday's first two rounds at Hillcrest. Tee times began at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, with the final Boise Open group hitting the tee box at 2:31 p.m.
Following competition on the course, the Boise Open's 18th fairway will transition into an entertainment venue Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.
The Academy of County Music Awards' 2018 New Vocal Group of the Year, Midland, takes center stage Thursday.
Classic rocker Billy Idol's global tour, 'The Roadside,' makes its way to the Gem State Friday night, followed by Grammy-winning band Train on the Chevron stage Saturday night.
Those who purchased Boise Open daily tickets and four-day passes get free admission to the performances. With the final trio teeing off at 2:31 p.m. Thursday and Friday, the Hillcrest concerts will likely start shortly after 7:30 p.m.
Each year, the Albertsons Boise Open event donates all ticket sales to charities through the Mondelez Rickets Support Charity Program.
At The Hershey Company Pro-Am Dinner at Hillcrest Tuesday evening, tournament officials announced a record-breaking $3 million donation for charity.
The $3 million donation sets a new record in the 33-year history of the Korn Ferry Tour.
“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,” CEO of Jeff Sanders Entertainment, Jeff Sanders said. “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.”
In an Aug. 14 interview with KTVB's Doug Petcash, Sanders explained the impressive growth of the Boise Open's golf quality and charitable efforts.
"In 1990, the Ben Hogan Boise Open presented by Albertsons [prize money] was $100,000," Sanders said. "First place was 18%, so $18,000, and we gave $25,000 to charity and thought we hit a grand slam home run."
Fast forward to 2022 and the Hillcrest tournament is now breaking Korn Ferry Tour records, while giving Boise residents the opportunity to watch the next generation of standout PGA golfers.
According to the PGA TOUR, there are five players to watch for in the developmental tour's three-event finals:
- Min Woo Lee - 24, Australia
- Chris Gotterup - 23, New Jersey
- Pierceson Coody - 22, Texas
- Akshay Bhatia - 20, North Carolina
- Chris Naegel - 39, Missouri
Thursday and Friday's first and second round Boise Open pairings and tee times are available here.
Scottie Scheffler -- the world's top-ranked player and the 2022 Masters Champion -- competed in the 2019 Boise Open. Scheffler is one of 36 players to win a tournament on this year's PGA TOUR after teeing off at Hillcrest Country Club in recent years.
For more information on the 33rd Annual Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron, click here.
Watch more Sports:
See all of our sports coverage in our YouTube playlist:
