June 5, 2013
THE FLATS – Former Georgia Tech All-Americans Nicholas Thompson and Matt Weibring punched their tickets to play in the 2013 U.S. Open Championship by advancing out of sectional qualifying tournaments Monday, two of 67 individuals to accomplish that at various sites around the country.
Official Sites for U.S. Open | PGA Tour
Thompson, who graduated from Tech in 2005 and is currently exempt on the PGA Tour, tied for second place at 10-under-par 134, one shot out of the lead, earning one of 15 spots available in a field of 120 golfers at Columbus, Ohio. Charley Hoffman was the medalist at 11-under 133. Weibring, a 2002 graduate currently playing on the Web.com Tour, was co-medalist in Dallas, Texas, earning one of four spots available from a field of 68 with an 8-under-par score of 134.
They join 1995 graduate Stewart Cink, the 2009 British Open Champion, and 2000 graduate Matt Kuchar, who won The Memorial Tournament last weekend and has established himself as one of the favorites, who are among 77 players exempt into the field at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa.
Kuchar One of Four Alums to Succeed at The Memorial
Matt Kuchar wasn’t the only Georgia Tech alumnus to fare well at The Memorial Tournament last weekend. The 2000 Yellow Jacket graduate earned his second PGA Tour victory of the year and the sixth of his career, boosting his career earnings over $25 million.
Kuchar moved up to second place behind Tiger Woods in FedEx Cup points for the 2013 season and to second in earnings with more than $4.3 million. He also is No. 4 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Cameron Tringale tied for 16th place, while Roberto Castro tied for 21st and Stewart Cink tied for 29th. Tringale moved up five positions to 49th in FedEx cup points, Cink rose five spots to 67th and Castro moved from 104th to 95th.
Hadley Moving Up Web.com Tour Ranks
Chesson Hadley, a 2010 Georgia Tech graduate, earned his third consecutive top-10 finish on the Web.com Tour last weekend by finishing second at the Mid-Atlantic Championship.
The 2010 Atlantic Coast Conference Champion tied for sixth at the Mexico Championship and tied for third at the BMW Charity Pro-Am in the two weeks prior. He has made the cut in eight of 10 events and accumulated $137,284 in earnings, which ranks eighth on the tour. The top 25 at the end of the season earn PGA Tour cards for next year.
Seven Alums Playing in Memphis This Week
Seems like there is no PGA Tour event this year that doesn’t have a large Georgia Tech presence in it. Seven former Yellow Jacket stars are teeing it up at the FedEx St. Jude Classic this week at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tenn. – Roberto Castro, David Duval, Paul Haley II, Troy Matteson, Bryce Molder, Nicholas Thompson and Cameron Tringale.
Combined official earnings this year on Tour for those seven players – $2,259,083.
Dragoo, Song Playing in Canada
Former Tech stars David Dragoo and Chan Song are exempt this year in the inaugural season of the PGA Tour Canada, which begins this week with the Times Colonist Savings Open in Victoria, British Columbia.
Dragoo, from Carefree, Ariz., graduated from Tech in 2009. Song, a 2005 graduate who makes his home in Cartersville, Ga., three times earned All-America honors and was the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2002. He was a member of the cast for Golf Channel’s Big Break Greenbrier series which aired last year.
