Nissan #ProJackets Golf Report

July 18, 2017

THE FLATS – Georgia Tech will be well-represented at this week’s Open Championship, the third major of the 2016-17 season, with two former champions in Stewart Cink and David Duval joining Matt Kuchar and Roberto Castro at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England.

Cink, the 2009 champion, and Duval, the 2001 champion, are both exempt as former champions. The Open exempts its champion from the last 10 years, and for champions aged 60 and under. Castro and Kuchar are exempt based on their finish in the top 30 of last year’s FedEx Cup. Kuchar also qualified as a member of the 2016 Ryder Cup team and as one of the world’s top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Cink won his title at Turnberry in 2009, Duval in 2001 at Royal Lytham & St. Anne’s. Cink, who did not play last year while tending to the health issues of his wife, Lisa, is competing in his 19th Open. He tied for 20th at St. Andrews in his last try in 2015, and has made the cut in five of six championships since his victory.

MC at @AAMScottishOpen stinks but not a terrible consolation: played nearby Royal Troon with @_TFORD. #foreright! pic.twitter.com/d6V5EJRzjU

— Stewart Cink (@stewartcink) July 17, 2017

Duval is playing in his 21st Open Championship. He won his 2001 title with closing rounds of 65 and 67 and ascended to No. 1 in the World Golf Ranking. He tied for 49th at St. Andrews in 2015, his only made cut in the last seven Opens.

Kuchar is playing in his 13th Open Championship, having missed the cut the last time it was held at Royal Birkdale. He has made the cut each of the last five years, with a high finish of ninth in 2012 at Royal Lytham & St. Anne’s. Twice a runner-up on the PGA Tour, Castro is in the Open for the second time, having missed the cut at Royal Liverpool in 2014.

Kuchar and Cink tuned up last weekend by playing in the Scottish Open, where Kuchar tied for fourth place at 8-under-par 280, and Cink missed the cut by one stroke.

Only one good reason to pack sweaters and vests in July. #theOpen @hbgolfusa @SilverStoneGrp pic.twitter.com/mEJMLmxrfm

— Roberto Castro (@cicioCASTRO) July 11, 2017

PGA Tour: Stateside, five former Jackets made the cut at the John Deere Classic, including Richy Werenski and Chesson Hadley, who tied for 25th (-11 each), and Ollie Schniederjans, who tied for 39th (-10). Werenski recorded his third-best finish of the season after missing five consecutive cuts, while Hadley capitalized on his victory the week before on the Web.com Tour to make a PGA Tour start. Cameron Tringale tied for 50th place, and Troy Matteson, playing for only the second time this season, tied for 60th.

Hadley and Matteson will both make another PGA Tour start this week at the Barbasol Championship in Opelika, Ala., joining Tringale and Werenski at the Grand National Course on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

Following his opening-round 63 at the 2017 John Deere Classic, Ollie Schniederjans talks about his strong finish and recent recovery from injury.

Following a second-round 64, Chesson Hadley reflects on his play in the 2017 John Deere Classic with Mark Zecchino from PGA TOUR Radio.

Web.com Tour: Anders Albertson and Nicholas Thompson shot a lot of low numbers last weekend at the Utah Championship, but with scores generally being low across the board, neither finished high enough to make a move upward in the Web.com Tour standings.

Albertson fired four rounds in the 60s to finish at 15-under-par 269, but tied for 29th place, six shots off the lead, and Thompson opened with a 65 and added a 62 on Saturday, but tied for 60th at 11-under-par 273. Four players finished at 20-under-par or better.

They move to Omaha, Neb., this week for the Pinnacle Bank Championship. With six events left in the regular season, Thompson stands No. 32 in earnings, Seth Reeves 44th and Albertson 50th. The top 25 earn PGA Tour cards for 2017-18. Chesson Hadley, by winning two weeks ago, moved up to fourth and assured himself of earning a card.

Following his third-round 62 at the 2017 Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank, Nicholas Thompson talks about his low-scoring morning.

PGA Tour Champions: Larry Mize tied for 35th place at last week’s Constellation Senior Players Championship, the third major on the senior circuit this summer, and remains in the top 50 in the season-long Schwab Cup race. Mize, an Augusta native and 1987 Masters champion, blistered Caves Valley Golf Club during the first round of the Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship to take the lead after an 8-under 64.

Mize nine birdies and just one bogey. Known as one of the best putters in history, Mize said the flatstick was the difference on Thursday. He had 12 one-putts and 22 total putts. He was unable to keep up that pace, however, shooting 76-73-71 to finish the weekend.

“Obviously to shoot 64 you always have to get the putter going, and the putter was working really well today,” Mize said. “I made a (50-foot) bomb on No. 9 that if you would have told me I could two-putt, I’d have picked up my ball and not putted it. Things just went well for me today.”

In the opening round of the 2017 Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship, some of the game’s greats were all in the mood to go low as Larry Mize set an impressive lead at 8-under par.

Mackenzie Tour: James White continues to enjoy a solid rookie season on the PGA Tour’s Canadian circuit, tying for 28th place (5-under 283) at the Staal Foundation Open in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The 2012 Tech graduate stands 20th in earnings on the Mackenzie Tour, and the top five at the end of the regular season (eight events remaining) earn status on the Web.com Tour.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Major championships: Open Championship • July 20-23, 2017 • Royal Birkdale Golf Club • Southport, England • Purse: $10,250,000 • FedExCup Points: 600
PGA Tour: Barbasol Championship • July 20-23, 2017 • Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail-Grand National Course • Opelika, Ala. • Purse: $3,500,000 • FedExCup Points: 300
Web.com Tour: Pinnacle Bank Championship • July 20-23, 2017 • The Club at Indian Creek • Omaha, Neb. • Purse: $600,000
PGA Tour Champions: The Senior Open Championship • July 27-30, 2017 • Royal Porthcawl Golf Club • Bridgend, Wales • Purse: $1,700,000
Mackenzie Tour: Mackenzie Investments Open • July 20-23, 2017 • Club de Golf Quatre Domaines • Mirabel, Quebec City • $175,000
Swing Thought Tour: Riverchase Country Club • July 19-20, 2017 • Hoover, Ala.