Georgia Tech #ProJackets Golf Report

THE FLATS – Stewart Cink returns to the Tour Championship for the first time since 2009, playing on his home course … Vincent Whaley has his PGA Tour card all but locked up after two high finishes in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals … More details below in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.

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CINK RETURNS HOME TO PLAY TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Back at East Lake Golf Club for first time in 12 years after becoming the fourth player to have a multiple-win season after turning 47, Stewart Cink enters his first Tour Championship since 2009 in 23^rd place in the FedEx Cup points list. As such, he will start among a group of five players at 1-under-par, chasing top-ranked Patrick Cantlay from nine shots back in the PGA Tour’s starting strokes system.

Cink has been in position to play in the Tour Championship from the beginning of the 2020-21 season, when he won the Safeway Open in Napa, Calif., and then added another victory at the RBC Heritage in April. He has eight top-25 finishes altogether this season, earning nearly $3.6 million, the third-highest total of his career, and he is exempt on the Tour through his age 50.

He landed at 23^rd on the FedEx Cup list after his tie for 38^th last week at the BMW Championship, where he shot 69-74-66-69 on the way to a 10-under-par total of 278 at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Md.

Cameron Tringale, who was 34^th in points entering the BMW Championship, tied for 52^nd place and fell back, coming up short of making his first Tour Championship since 2014.

PGA Tour leaderboard

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PGA TOUR Q&A WITH RESURGENT STEWART CINK

Stewart Cink was ready for battle when he faced Collin Morikawa at the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head in April. Granted, he had a five-shot lead, but Cink was on the doorstep of PGA TOUR Champions eligibility, while Morikawa, half his age, was one of the hottest players on the planet.

It turned into a mismatch, all right, but not in the way some might have imagined. Cink carded a bloodless 70 and win going away, while Morikawa, after starting with a birdie, fell back and ultimately signed for a 72 (T7).

Underestimate Cink, a two-time winner this season, at your peril. He’s cagey. He’s crafty. And today might just be the day he shoots the fur off the course (a Cinkism). Here, he sits down with the PGA TOUR to talk about sharing his prime years with Tiger Woods; his pro shop management career that wasn’t; and what exactly it did for him to win the Mexican Open – twice.

Read more

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WHALEY HAS PGA TOUR CARD ALL BUT LOCKED UP

Sitting in fourth place after two of the three events in the Korn Ferry Tour finals, Vincent Whaley is on track to regain his PGA Tour card for 2021-22 after finishing outside the top 125 of the FedEx Cup in 2020-21. He’ll join Seth Reeves, who finished 18^th in the regular season, and five other Yellow Jackets on the PGA Tour next season.

The 2017 Tech grad, who played on the PGA Tour the last two seasons after finishing 25^th in Korn Ferry Tour points in 2019, tied for fourth place at last weekend’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, posting a 14-under-par 270 at the Ohio State University Scarlet Course.

The Finals comes to an end this weekend with the Korn Ferry Tour Championship in Newburgh, Ind., with Paul Haley II (No. 47 in the Finals) needing a very high finish to vault into the top 25. Haley just missed earning his card in the regular season, finishing 27^th.

Whaley delivered the shot of the tournament in round 3 at the par-4 14th on the way to a 65 and a share of the 54-hole lead. Whaley had 142 yards to the flag at the 473-yard par 4; he landed a pitching wedge within two feet of the hole, and watched from the fairway as it spun back into the cup for an eagle.

“I was kind of stalled at that point, so that was helpful,” Whaley said. “I knew I was somewhat up (the leaderboard), but I needed a few more coming in to really get towards that final group, so that was huge.”

Korn Ferry Tour leaderboard

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MIZE TIES FOR 30^TH AT ALLY CHALLENGE

A near ace on the 17^th hole of the final round last weekend helped Larry Mize turn in a 6-under-par score of 210 and tie for 30^th place at the Ally Challenge in Grand Blanc, Mich. With his best finish since the end of May, Mize is No. 69 in Charles Schwab Cup points.

Champions Tour leaderboard

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UPCOMING EVENTS

• PGA Tour:  Tour Championship • September 2-5, 2021 • East Lake Golf Club • Atlanta, Ga. • Purse: $15,00,000 • FedEx Cup points: 0
• Korn Ferry Tour:  Korn Ferry Tour Championship • September 2-5, 2021 • Victoria National Golf Club • Newburgh, Ind. • Purse: $1,000,000
• PGA Tour Champions:  Ascension Charity Classic • September 10-12, 2021 • Norwood Hills Country Club • St. Louis, Mo. • Purse: $2,000,000
• Forme Tour:  Rolling Green Championship • September 1-4, 2021 • Rolling Green Golf Club • Springfield, Pa. • Purse: $120,000
• All Pro Tour:  Oakwing Championship • October 18-20, 2021 • Oakwing Golf Club • Alexandria, La. • Purse: $48,000
• G Pro Tour:  2021 schedule completed
• SwingThought Tour:  ST43 Blacksburg Country Club • September 14-16, 2021 • Blacksburg Country Club • Blacksburg, Va.

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#PROJACKETS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Swinging into Sunday.

👈@VinceWhaley @SJ_sedl_Golf 👉@NCHC_Golf pic.twitter.com/EwmmFNG0no

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) August 29, 2021

And a birdie to follow.

🦅on 14.
🐦 on 15.

Solo leader @VinceWhaley (-15) @NCHC_Golf. pic.twitter.com/kKCUV1KLPV

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) August 28, 2021

Prettttty pretty good for the Tour Championship! @playofffinale pic.twitter.com/C2tB6iNT86

— Roberto Castro (@cicioCASTRO) August 30, 2021

That’s why you never bet against @PGA_JohnDaly 😳. Just ask @CharlieRymerPGA! #MyrtleBeachGolf pic.twitter.com/LSokPRFx5w

— Myrtle Beach Golf (@MyrtleBeachGolf) August 25, 2021