THE FLATS – Matt Kuchar returns to action with a solid finish where he’s won before … Jackets come up short in Korn Ferry Q-School finals, come away with conditional status … More details below in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.
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KUCHAR RETURNS TO ACTION WITH SOLID FINISH AT MAYAKOBA
Matt Kuchar returned to action for the first time in a month and at an event he has won before, tying for 22nd with a 12-under-par 276 last weekend at the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba. The nine-time winner on the PGA Tour won this event in 2019, when it was called the Mayakoba Classic.
The finish comes following his abandonment of an experiment in increasing his clubhead speed (see story below), his 207th career top-25 finish, and jumped to No. 86 in FedEx Cup points. He also surpassed $53 million in career earnings, and ranks 10th all-time on the PGA Tour.
Vincent Whaley also made the cut at Mayakoba, tying for 64th place, while Cameron Tringale and Richy Werenski missed the cut.
Two more events are on the schedule before the PGA Tour breaks for the holiday season, including this weekend’s visit to Houston for the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open. Stewart Cink returns to action along with Chesson Hadley, Tringale, Werenski and Whaley.
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MATT KUCHAR’S SPEED CHASE
Matt Kuchar has been a model of consistency over the past decade-plus. Perhaps no one in modern golf has squeezed more achievement out of their natural gifts than the shorter-hitting 43-year-old, who has plodded his way around golf courses to the tune of nearly $53 million in career earnings. He’s 10th all-time in that department.
And yet, even he took the bait. The bait refers to Bryson DeChambeau’s seismic speed chase, which has reverberated throughout the PGA Tour over the past two years. Rory McIlroy has tried it. So has Dylan Frittelli. But Matt Kuchar? The man known for his metronomic tempo and playing within himself? Surely he could resist the allure of 180 ball speed.
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GRIFFIN IS TECH’S TOP FINISHER AT Q-SCHOOL FINALS
Neither J.T. Griffin, Andy Ogletree nor Chris Petefish were able to gain better status on the Korn Ferry Tour with their performances in the Q School finals last weekend. Everyone in the field has conditional status for the 2022 season, which begins in January in the Bahamas. The top 40 finishers received guaranteed entry into the first events of the season.
All three players struggled to high scores in round 2, which featured rain and windy conditions that ultimately postponed the final two rounds until Sunday and Monday. Griffin wound up the Yellow Jackets’ highest finisher, a tie for 63rd after he rallied with rounds of 69-64 to finish. Ogletree opened with a 66, but followed with an 80 and tied for 115th. Petefish tied for 91st.
Tech’s only holdovers on the Korn Ferry Tour from 2020-21 with full status are Anders Albertson are Ollie Schniederjans.
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THIS AND THAT
May graduate Will Dickson picked up a top-10 finish in his first professional event with a ninth-place finish at the Savannah Quarters Open on the GPro Tour, cashing a check for $1,965 with a 8-under-par score of 208. Tyler Strafaci finished 31st in the same event. Dickson will return to action in the GPro Tour’s Harbor Classic event the week after Thanksgiving.
Matt Kuchar will team up once again with former Georgia All-American Harris English in an attempt to win their third title together at the QBE Shootout, an unofficial PGA Tour event which will be held Dec. 8-12 at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla. The duo won the event in 2013, 2014 and 2016, and finished second in 2015.
Kuchar, Stewart Cink and David Duval are all entered in the field for the annual PNC Father-Son championship at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Fla. Cink and Duval (and their sons) have both won this event.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
- PGA Tour: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open • November 11-14, 2021 • Memorial Park Golf Course • Houston, Texas • Purse: $7,500,000 • FedEx Cup points: 500
- Korn Ferry Tour: The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic • January 16-19, 2022 • Sandals Emerald Bay Golf Club • Great Exuma, The Bahamas • Purse: $750,000
- PGA Tour Champions: Charles Schwab Cup Championship • November 11-14, 2021 • Phoenix Country Club • Phoenix, Ariz. • Purse: $2,500,000
- Forme Tour: 2021 schedule completed
- All Pro Tour: Houston Classic • November 8-10, 2021 • The Clubs of Kingwood • Kingwood, Texas • Purse: $48,000
- G Pro Tour: Harbor Classic • November 30-December 2, 2021 • Club at Savannah Harbor • Savannah, Ga.
- SwingThought Tour: ST 50 Sanctuary Golf Golden Isles • November 13-14, 2021 • Golden Isles • Waverly, Ga.
#PROJACKETS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Way to go, Will! MB Class of 2017! https://t.co/t1hW4cLUn4
— Moses Brown School (@MosesBrown) October 29, 2021
.@StewartCink might be an eight-time PGA Tour winner, but he also has a huge passion for barbecue.
He grills ribs with @HallyLead while discussing his career, cooking and more in this episode of “The Main Course” presented by @BlazeGrills: https://t.co/B0MvZGhAcP #sponsored pic.twitter.com/iWkiDkgOvk
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) October 13, 2021
We talk to Jesse about how Mass Golf came through the Pandemic by collaborating with other golf associations. Big value in having peers to lean on in unprecedented times. https://t.co/xgymMSirHO
— Roberto Castro (@cicioCASTRO) November 8, 2021
Time for some @CharlieRymerPGA Golf Show bloopers! #MyrtleBeachGolf #CharlieRymerGolfShow pic.twitter.com/ei9fS5ymrj
— Myrtle Beach Golf (@MyrtleBeachGolf) November 4, 2021
Enjoy part 2 of @CharlieRymerPGA‘s interview with Joe Namath.
Watch more of the Charlie Rymer Golf Show here ➡️ https://t.co/KjFUkvQOOx.#CharlieRymerGolfShow #MyrtleBeachGolf pic.twitter.com/nOAurnZZcR
— Myrtle Beach Golf (@MyrtleBeachGolf) November 4, 2021
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: 236
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
The Ally Challenge
WonSchwab Cup points ranking: 19
YTD Earnings (Champions): $144,315
Career earnings (Champions): $787,185
FedEx Cup points ranking: 171
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
The Ally Challenge
T-5Schwab Cup Points ranking: 47
YTD earnings (Champions): $251,181
Career earnings (Champions): $545,141
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 TourDid not play FedEx Cup points ranking: 136
YTD earnings: $515,103
Career earnings: $12,239,163 SHUN YAT HAK
Hometown: Hong Kong
Turned pro: 2013
Years at Georgia Tech: 2012-13
Status: PGA Tour ChinaDid not play Fortinet Cup points: n/a
YTD earnings: n/a
Career earnings: ¥251,305 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 CanadaDid not play 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: 103
YTD earnings: $1,028,556
Career earnings (PGAT): $59,787,247 CHRISTO LAMPRECHT
Hometown: George, South Africa
Turned pro: 2024
Years at Georgia Tech: 2000-24
Status: Korn Ferry TourKorn Ferry Tour
Albertsons Boise Open
missed cutKFT points ranking: 138
YTD earnings: $32,300
Career earnings (KFT): $32,300 ANDY MAO
Hometown: Johns Creek, Ga.
Turned pro: 2024
Years at Georgia Tech: 2020-24
Status: developmental toursDid not play GPro points ranking: 95
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: 33
YTD earnings (LIV): $1,897,317
Order of Merit (Asian Tour): 52
YTD earnings (Asian Tour): $20,300
Career earnings (LIV): $2,724,375 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 TourKorn Ferry Tour
Albertsons Boise Open
T-4KFT points ranking: 37
YTD earnings (KFT): $154,619
Career earnings (PGAT): $649,622
Career earnings (KFT): $780,736 LUKE SCHNIEDERJANS
Hometown: Powder Springs, Ga.
Residence: Alpharetta, Ga.
Turned pro: 2020
Years at Georgia Tech: 2016-20
Status: MacKenzie Tour/Forme TourDid not play 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 TourKorn Ferry Tour
Albertsons Boise Open
missed cutKFT Points ranking: 101
YTD earnings: $70,649
Career earnings (KFT): $636,359
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: 36
YTD earnings: $4,490 ROSS STEELMAN
Hometown: Columbia, Mo.
Residence: Atlanta, Ga.
Turned pro: 2023
Years at Georgia Tech: 2021-23
Status: Korn Ferry TourKorn Ferry Tour
Albertsons Boise Open
T-19KFT points ranking: 45
YTD earnings (KFT): $145,141
Career earnings (KFT): $169,262 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: 26
YTD Earnings (LIV): $2,169,975
YTD earnings (Asian Tour): n/a
Career earnings (LIV): $8,550,825
Career earnings (PGAT): $17,310,004 RICHY WERENSKI
Hometown: South Hadley, Mass.
Turned pro: 2014
Years at Georgia Tech: 2011-14
Status: Korn Ferry TourKorn Ferry Tour
Albertsons Boise Open
T-36FedEx Cup points ranking: n/a
KFT points ranking: 54
YTD earnings (KFT): $65,960
YTD earnings (PGA Tour): $57,000
Career earnings (KFT): $560,426
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 TourDid not play FedEx Cup points ranking: 121
YTD earnings (PGA Tour): $282,284
Career earnings (PGA Tour): $2,928,093
KFT points ranking: 107
YTD earnings (KFT): $206,369
Career earnings (KFT): $350,642