Georgia Tech #ProJackets Golf Report

THE FLATS – Matt Kuchar clinched the Presidents Cup for the United States … Stewart Cink is Down Under at the Australian PGA Championship … Jackets fall short in Korn Ferry Tour qualifying finals … more in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.

Matt Kuchar made his fifth appearance for the United States team in the Presidents Cup memorable, earning three half-points and clinching the cup for the Americans with a birdie on the 17^th hole at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia. The U.S. made up a two-point deficit on the final day, winning six of the 12 singles matches and halving three others.

The nine-time PGA Tour winner halved three matches, including his singles contest against Louis Oosthuizen, and is now 6-9-5 in his five Presidents Cup appearances (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019).

Kuchar led for only one hole in his singles match with Oosthuizen. Each played won six holes, but the former Yellow Jacket fell behind by three holes before rallying for the tie. Oosthuizen won the first two holes with birdie. He took a 3-up lead with an eagle at the drivable par-4 sixth, and was still 3 up at the turn. Kuchar birdied the first two holes on the back nine, though. After winning just one hole on the front nine, Kuchar won five on the back. He clinched the Cup with a birdie on the 17th hole, where he knocked his approach to 6 feet. Oosthuizen won the last to tie the match, but the Cup had been claimed.

PGA Tour: Matt Kuchar’s birdie to win hole and secure victory for the U.S. in Presidents Cup

Kuchar sat out the first day of four-ball matches, then lost his foursomes match with Dustin Johnson on day 2 to Oosthuizen and Adam Scott. He teams with Tony Finau to earn two half-points on day 3, tying Byeong Hun An and Scott in four-ball, and tying An and Joaquin Niemann in foursomes.

KORN FERRY TOUR

None of the five Georgia Tech alumni in the final stage of the Korn Ferry Tour qualifying tournament finished in the top 40 last weekend in Winter Garden, Fla., but they all will have varying degrees of status when the 2020 schedule begins Jan. 12 in The Bahamas.

J.T. Griffin and Paul Haley II each tied for 41^st at 11-under-par 275. Ollie Schniederjans and Nicholas Thompson each tied for 53^rd (276, -10), and Seth Reeves tied for 105^th place (283, -3).

The top 40 finishers and ties are guaranteed entry into the first eight events of the 2020 Korn Ferry Tour season (11 through 40 are entered in first 12 events). The remainder receive conditional status.

Anders Albertson, as a previous winner on the tour, is full exempt for 2020 after playing last season on the PGA Tour.

ELSEWHERE

Stewart Cink, who was named one of six recipients of the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award on Tuesday, has followed Cameron Tringale Down Under to compete in the Australian PGA Championship this weekend. Tringale tied for fifth place last week in the Australian Open, which preceded the Presidents Cup.

The Australian PGA Championship begins Thursday and runs through Sunday at the RACV Royal Pines Resort and has a purse of $1.5 million. Cink is one of six Americans in the field.

Read his lengthy press conference transcript

View this post on Instagram

Sinus Surgery this morning, and recovering on schedule. Looking forward to breathing again! Won’t affect upcoming tournament schedule @auspgachamps or 2020 @pgatour.

A post shared by Stewart Cink (@stewartcink) on Nov 27, 2019 at 3:43pm PST

UPCOMING EVENTS

• PGA Tour:  Sentry Tournament of Champions • January 2-5, 2020 • Plantation Course at Kapalua • Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii • Purse: $6,600,000 • FedEx Cup points: 500
• Web.com Tour:  The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic • January 12-15, 2020 • Sandals Emerald Bay Golf Club • Great Exuma, Bahamas • Purse: $600,000
• PGA Tour Champions:  Mitsubishi Electric Championship • January 16-18, 2020 • Hualalai Golf Club • Ka’upulehu-Kona, Hawaii • Purse: $1,800,000
• Mackenzie Tour:  qualifying schools in United States • March-April, 2020
• PGA Tour China:  Mainland China qualifying tournament • January 7-10, 2020
• All Pro Tour:  Cypresswood Open – Tradition • January 6-7, 2020 • Cypresswood Country Club • Spring, Texas
• SwingThought Tour:  Eagle Creek Golf Club • January 16-17, 2019 • Orlando, Fla.
• G Pro Tour:  season ended