What do golf and banking have in common? 

Just ask anyone at Simmons Bank, and they will enthusiastically tell you about The Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation! This exciting event is scheduled as the second out of four events in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals on September 14 through 17 at The Grove Club in College Grove, TN. 

The Korn Ferry Tour was originally formed in 1989 by PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beaman and was first named the Ben Hogan Tour. Since then it has changed names and sponsors several times until it was taken over in 2019 by a Los-Angeles based consulting firm, Korn Ferry, as a ten year deal.

This tournament is known as a developmental tour for the PGA tour, and it features professional golfers who have not yet reached the PGA tour or who have done so but failed to reach enough FedEx Cup points to stay at that level. The Korn Ferry tour has been known as a pathway for golfers looking to earn their PGA golf card since 2013. 

The Korn Ferry Tour announced in August that it would move to a four-tournament Finals, each with a tournament purse of $1.5 million. The Finals will have an elimination format similar to the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs. The first Finals tournament will have a 156-player field, the Simmons Bank Open (second Final) will have 144 players, the third event 120 players, and 75 players will advance to the finale in late September. Then 30 PGA Tour cards will be awarded at the end of the Finals.

The Simmons Bank Open once again benefits The Snedeker Foundation, which was founded in 2012 by Nashville native, nine-time PGA Tour winner and 2012 FedExCup champion, Brandt Snedeker and his wife Mandy. The foundation supports initiatives that impact the lives of children through medical evaluations, crisis counseling, and after school activities. 

One of the primary goals of the Simmons Bank Open is to benefit the surrounding community and local charities. “Foundation Friday” features local nonprofits who specialize in providing support for children and families in the community. Participating nonprofits are Kulture City, the Jordan Thomas Foundation, Safe Haven Family Shelter, Our Kids, First Tee of Tennessee, Soles4Souls, and The Store. These nonprofits will set up in The Sandtrap on Friday of tournament week and engage with fans while also raising awareness for their respective missions. 

The White House Simmons Bank Branch Manager, Kate Key, finds fulfillment in being part of a company that cares so much about giving back. “The fact that Simmons Bank has such a large focus on community involvement and support is one of the many reasons why I love working here. Simmons Bank encourages us to get involved locally with charities and organizations that are right here in the communities we serve,” she explains. “In addition, Simmons Bank also looks at how to make a bigger impact, and the Simmons Bank Open that benefits the Snedeker Foundation is one way that they do that.”

A company that truly cares and wants to make an impact, indeed. Back in 2020 when the Simmons Bank Open was canceled due to COVID-19, the company stepped up and made a $75,000 donation to the Snedeker Foundation to offset the loss of funds the foundation felt from the tournament being canceled. “To me this shows how committed Simmons Bank is to improving the communities we serve,” says Kate.

Tickets for the 2023 Simmons Bank Open go on sale on July 11 at www.simmonsbankopen.com. Active and retired U.S. military, first responders and healthcare workers will be admitted free with proper identification, courtesy of Servpro. 

Volunteer opportunities for the event are still available. Be a part of the magic and join the Simmons Bank White House associates by visiting SimmonsBankOpen.com for more information.