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 17th 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 41st at 11-under-par 275. Ollie Schniederjans and Nicholas Thompson each tied for 53rd (276, -10), and Seth Reeves tied for 105th 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
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
PLAYER PLAYER LAST WEEK DATA ANDERS ALBERTSON
Hometown: Woodstock, Ga.
Turned pro: 2015
Years at Georgia Tech: 2011-15
Status: PGA TourDid not play FedEx Cup points ranking: 233
YTD earnings: $8,760
KFT points ranking: 126
YTD earnings (KFT): $14,525
Career earnings (PGAT): $556,905
Career earnings (KFT): $929,956 STEWART CINK
Hometown: Florence, Ala.
Residence: Duluth, Ga.
Turned pro: 1995
Years at Georgia Tech: 1991-95
Status: PGA Tour/PGA Tour ChampionsPGA Tour Champions
SAS Championship
T-11 (-5)Schwab Cup points ranking: 16
YTD Earnings (Champions): $273,786
Career earnings (Champions): $1,364,145
FedEx Cup points ranking: 173
YTD earnings (PGA Tour): $273,786
Career earnings (PGA Tour): $43,800,650 WILL DICKSON
Hometown: Providence, R.I.
Residence: Atlanta, Ga.
Turned pro: 2021
Years at Georgia Tech: 2017-21
Status: Developmental toursDid not play GPro Points ranking: 20
YTD Earnings (GPro): $4,797
Career earnings (GPro): $59,704
Points ranking (KFT): 193
YTD earnings (KFT): $4,538
Points ranking (FET): 154
YTD earnings (FET): $2,571 DAVID DUVAL
Hometown: Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Residence: Denver, Colo.
Turned pro: 1993
Years at Georgia Tech: 1989-93
Status: PGA Tour ChampionsPGA Tour Champions
SAS Championship
WDSchwab Cup Points ranking: 53
YTD earnings (Champions): $356,865
Career earnings (Champions): $650,155
Career earnings (PGAT): $18,983,931 J.T. GRIFFIN
Hometown: Wilson, N.C.
Residence: Marietta, Ga.
Turned pro: 2011
Years at Georgia Tech: 2007-11
Status: Korn Ferry TourDid not play Fortinet Cup points: n/a
YTD earnings (Canada): n/a
Career earnings (Canada): $29,836
Career earnings (KFT): $187,056 CHESSON HADLEY
Hometown: Raleigh, N.C.
Turned pro: 2010
Years at Georgia Tech: 2006-10
Status: PGA TourPGA Tour
Black Desert Championship
T-64 (-3)FedEx Cup points ranking: 142
YTD earnings: $596,746
Career earnings: $12,320,806 SHUN YAT HAK
Hometown: Hong Kong
Turned pro: 2013
Years at Georgia Tech: 2012-13
Status: PGA Tour ChinaDid not play GPro Tour points ranking: n/a PAUL HALEY II
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Turned pro: 2011
Years at Georgia Tech: 2007-11
Status: PGA TourDid not play FedEx Cup points: 204
YTD earnings (PGA Tour): $9,160
KFT points ranking: 203
YTD earnings (KFT): $9,160
Career earnings (PGAT): $837,353
Career earnings (KFT): $1,098,205 CONNOR HOWE
Hometown: Ogden, Utah
Residence: Atlanta, Ga.
Turned pro: 2023
Years at Georgia Tech: 2018-23
Status: PGA Tour CanadaPGA Tour Qualifying
1st stage - Lincoln, Neb.
T-7 (advanced)KFT points ranking: 159
YTD earnings (KFT): $32,406
Fortinet Cup points ranking: n/a
YTD earnings (Canada): $n/a MATT KUCHAR
Hometown:
Lake Mary, Fla.
Residence: Sea Island, Ga.
Turned pro: 2000
Years at Georgia Tech: 1997-2000
Status: PGA TourDid not play FedEx Cup points ranking: 102
YTD earnings: $1,260,037
Career earnings (PGAT): $60,018,727 CHRISTO LAMPRECHT
Hometown: George, South Africa
Turned pro: 2024
Years at Georgia Tech: 2000-24
Status: Korn Ferry TourDid not play KFT points ranking: 140
YTD earnings: $42,504
Career earnings (KFT): $42,504 ANDY MAO
Hometown: Johns Creek, Ga.
Turned pro: 2024
Years at Georgia Tech: 2020-24
Status: developmental toursDid not play GPro points ranking: 72
YTD earnings: $1,215 LARRY MIZE
Residence: Columbus, Ga.
Turned pro: 1980
Years at Georgia Tech: 1975-79
Status: PGA Tour ChampionsDid not play Schwab Cup points ranking: 112
YTD earnings: $10,863
Career earnings (Champions): $5,166,866
Career earnings (PGAT): $7,947,092 ANDY OGLETREE
Hometown: Little Rock, Miss.
Residence: Roswell, Ga.
Turned pro: 2020
Years at Georgia Tech: 2016-20
Status: Asian TourDid not play LIV standings: 34
YTD earnings (LIV): $2,432,833
Order of Merit (Asian Tour): 52
YTD earnings (Asian Tour): $20,300
Career earnings (LIV): $3,543,875 CHRIS PETEFISH
Hometown: Danville, Calif.
Turned pro: 2018
Years at Georgia Tech: 2014-18
Status: Korn Ferry TourDid not play KFT Points ranking: 162
YTD earnings (KFT): $20,239
Career earnings (KFT): $342,455
Career earnings (PGA Tour Canada): $21,118 SETH REEVES
Hometown: Duluth, Ga.
Turned pro: 2014
Years at Georgia Tech: 2010-14
Status: Korn Ferry TourDid not play KFT points ranking: 43
YTD earnings (KFT): $227,620
Career earnings (PGAT): $233,065
Career earnings (KFT): $859,183 LUKE SCHNIEDERJANS
Hometown: Powder Springs, Ga.
Residence: Alpharetta, Ga.
Turned pro: 2020
Years at Georgia Tech: 2016-20
Status: MacKenzie Tour/Forme TourPGA Tour Qualifying
1st stage - Lincoln, Neb.
6th (advanced)Fortinet Cup points: 121
YTD earnings (Americas): $4,736
Career earnings (Canada): $46,844 OLLIE SCHNIEDERJANS
Hometown: Powder Springs, Ga.
Turned pro: 2015
Years at Georgia Tech: 2011-15
Status: Korn Ferry TourDid not play KFT Points ranking: 100
YTD earnings: $85,403
Career earnings (KFT): $651,113
Career earnings (PGAT): $3,879,653 BEN SMITH
Hometown: Novi, Mich.
Residence: Atlanta, Ga.
Turned pro: 2022
Years at Georgia Tech: 2018-22
Status: developmental toursDid not play GPro points ranking: 39
YTD earnings: $6,976 ROSS STEELMAN
Hometown: Columbia, Mo.
Residence: Atlanta, Ga.
Turned pro: 2023
Years at Georgia Tech: 2021-23
Status: Korn Ferry TourDid not play KFT points ranking: 56
YTD earnings (KFT): $172,746
Career earnings (KFT): $196,867 TYLER STRAFACI
Hometown: Davie, Fla.
Residence: Davie, Fla.
Turned pro: 2020
Years at Georgia Tech: 2016-20
Status: noneDid not play Fortinet Cup points: 219
YTD earnings (Canada): $789
Career earnings (PGAT Americas): $45,681
YTD earnings (GPro Tour): $1,112
Career earnings (PGA Tour): $21,111
Career earnings (Canada): $12,970 CAMERON TRINGALE
Hometown: Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Turned pro: 2009
Years at Georgia Tech: 2005-09
Status: LIV Golf/Asian TourDid not play LIV standings: 28
YTD Earnings (LIV): $2,727,625
YTD earnings (Asian Tour): n/a
Career earnings (LIV): $9,599,325
Career earnings (PGAT): $17,310,004 RICHY WERENSKI
Hometown: South Hadley, Mass.
Turned pro: 2014
Years at Georgia Tech: 2011-14
Status: Korn Ferry TourDid not play KFT points ranking: 55
YTD earnings (KFT): $65,960
YTD earnings (PGA Tour): $57,000
Career earnings (KFT): $632,504
Career earnings (PGAT): $6,765,035 VINCENT WHALEY
Hometown: McKinney, Texas
Residence: Alpharetta, Ga.
Turned pro: 2017
Years at Georgia Tech: 2013-17
Status: PGA TourPGA Tour
Black Desert Championship
67th (-1)FedEx Cup points ranking: 125
YTD earnings (PGA Tour): $859,868
Career earnings (PGA Tour): $3,505,677
KFT points ranking: 107
YTD earnings (KFT): $206,369
Career earnings (KFT): $350,642