Georgia Tech #ProJackets Golf Report

THE FLATS – Matt Kuchar loves Hawai’i and shows it with another top 10 finish at the Sony Open … Vincent Whaley and Stewart Cink post strong finishes as well … Paul Haley II and Ollie Schniederjans get the Korn Ferry Tour slate started in the Bahamas … David Duval makes his PGA Tour Champions debut this weekend … More details below in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.

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KUCHAR FINDS HIS BEACH AT SONY OPEN

From Golf Digest:  Matt Kuchar’s last two seasons on tour were decidedly un-Matt Kuchar like. This human ATM machine went from backdoor top-10-ing regularly and mixing in the occasional win to barely eeking out top-30s in the PGA Tour’s COVID era.

This week, though, Kuchar has found his beach, literally. The 43-year-old has taken up part-time residency in Hawaii, though even if that wasn’t the case he’d be playing in this tournament anyway.

“Love the golf course. Love the environment. I can’t recall last time I’ve skipped Sony Open,” said Kuchar, who won here in 2019. “It’s one I look forward to every year. Mainly the golf course, but you throw in the state of Hawaii as well. Just kind of me it’s a paradise and always excited to come here.”

That might explain Kuchar’s hot start. He backed up Thursday’s 64 with a second-round 65, putting him at 11 under, four back of Henley.

“We love it. The boys love it,” he said of Hawaii. “They stay busy, stay in the water and on the land doing every activity you can hope for. It’s a place we think so fondly of, and try to spend as many days as we can here.”

Kuchar, who won this event in 2019, went on to shoot 67-67 on the weekend and tie for seventh place with a 17-under-par total of 263 and move up to 55^th on the FedEx Cup points list. After going bogey-free for 54 holes for the first time in his career, Kuchar bogeyed No. 5 in the final round, ending a streak of 60 consecutive holes without a bogey on Tour (58 this week); his career-best streak is 62 holes. It was his first top-10 of 2021-22 and the 109^th of his long career.

Kuchar proves to be a scrambling man at Sony Open (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

Vincent Whaley and Stewart Cink also made the cut at Waialae Country Club. Whaley shot four rounds in the 60s, including a closing 64, to tie for 17^th place and leap to No. 46 on the FedEx Cup list. Cink tied for 36^th in the back end of his Hawai’i double dip, posting an 11-under 269 that included a 63 in the second round. Four Jackets missed the cut, including Andy Ogletree, who earned a spot in the field through Monday qualifying, Chesson Hadley, Seth Reeves and Richy Werenski.

The Tour comes back to the mainland to begin the California swing at The American Express in LaQuinta, Calif. Cameron Tringale makes his calendar 2022 debut, while Hadley, Reeves, Werenski and Whaley are also competing.

Full leaderboard

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TRINGALE IS WINLESS BUT LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK

Golf Digest writer E. Michael Johnson noted at the end of last season that Jack Nicklaus, still regarded by many as the greatest PGA Tour performer ever, slipped to 314^th on the all-time earnings list. It reflected the fact that Nicklaus played in an era of much smaller tournament purses. His $5,734,031 pile of money would have rivaled Tiger Woods’ $120-plus million had Nicklaus been born 25 years later.

It’s one thing for Woods, also regarded by many as the best golfer ever, to dwarf Nicklaus in prize money. It’s quite enough for Cameron Tringale to be more than $9.7 million ahead of The Golden Bear.

If you’re asking, “Who?” you are not alone. Tringale, a 34-year-old California native, entered the current season holding the distinction of making a record $15,398,001 on the PGA Tour without winning.

Tringale began playing on the PGA Tour in 2010 and makes an above-average 26.5 appearances per season. Though he doesn’t win, Tringale steadily cashes checks, twice making $2 million in a season.

Tringale nearly broke through last season at the Zozo Championship, starting the final round one stroke off the lead and settling for a tie for second.

More from Sportscasting.com

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DAVID DUVAL MAKING CHAMPIONS TOUR DEBUT THIS WEEK

The 2022 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai field will feature seven first-timers at the event, including the PGA TOUR Champions debut of former World No. 1 David Duval.

“One of the things that makes this tournament special is rewarding players who have won on PGA TOUR Champions,” said Tournament Manager Kelly Fliear. “This year, seven players will get to experience Hualalai for the first time, and we look forward to giving them an Aloha welcome to this wonderful event.”

Duval, who turned 50 on November 9, won 13 times on the PGA TOUR and held the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking for 15 weeks in 1999. One of his four victories in 1999 came in Hawaii, when he won the Sentry Tournament of Champions by nine strokes. Duval also won the 1999 PLAYERS Championship and 2001 Open Championship.

One week from today, @david59duval makes his Champions Tour debut!

“I expect to succeed.” pic.twitter.com/GNNNHeF7c0

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) January 13, 2022

Duval at 20
Duval at 50

Debut week for @david59duval at @MEC_golf! pic.twitter.com/I6z4fYXGWC

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) January 16, 2022

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HALEY, SCHNIEDERJANS KICK OFF KORN FERRY TOUR SEASON IN THE BAHAMAS

Paul Haley II and Ollie Schniederjans are kicking off the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour this week with the Great Exumas Classic in the Bahamas. The first two events of the 2022 schedule at being contested in the Bahamas, both starting on Sunday. The Great Exuma Classic is through 36 holes with Haley tied for 13^th place at 3-under-par 141, and Schniederjans tied for 44^th at 145 (+1).

Haley missed earning his PGA Tour card by one spot in last year’s Korn Ferry Tour points list, finishing 26^th in the regular season, while Schniederjans kept full status by finishing 34^th.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• PGA Tour:  The American Express • January 20-23, 2022 • Pete Dye Stadium Course • LaQuinta, Calif. • Purse: $7,600,000 • FedEx Cup points: 500
• Korn Ferry Tour:  The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic • January 23-26, 2022 • The Abaco Club on Winding Way • Great Abaco, The Bahamas • Purse: $750,000
• PGA Tour Champions:  Mitsubishi Electric Championship • January 20-22, 2022 • Hualalai Golf club • Ka’upulehu-Kona, Hawai’i • Purse: $2,000,000
• Forme Tour:  to be announced
• Mackenzie Tour:  to be announced
• All Pro Tour:  Coke Dr. Pepper Open • March 9-12, 2022 • Oak Wing GC/Links on the Bayou • Alexandria, La. • Purse: 162,500
• G Pro Tour:  Daytona Open • February 22-24, 2022 • LPGA International • Daytona Beach, Fla.
• SwingThought Tour:  Okefenokee Country Club • March 2-3, 2023 • Okefenokee Country Club • Waycross, Ga.

#PROJACKETS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

30 consecutive par-or-better rounds @SonyOpenHawaii for @StewartCink.

63
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69 pic.twitter.com/NJbEtbB0o8

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 15, 2022

Stewart Cink birdies five of his last six holes for a 7-under 63, his 30th consecutive par-or-better score at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

Here’s a look at his last four second-round scores at Waialae CC:

2022 – 63
2021 – 63
2019 – 62
2018 – 64

— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) January 15, 2022

Finished the job. 💪

Former Masters low am @Andy_Ogletree got it done with a 67 to qualify for @SonyOpenHawaii. pic.twitter.com/fEFsnCHgNU

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 11, 2022

At my club in Dallas today. Great spot! @MaridoeGolfClub The club had a replica of my 1985 USGA Junior Amateur trophy commissioned and displays it proudly. First time seeing it today. I’m honored and very grateful. Mr. H is THE BEST!!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/d9Hk5U1ER5

— Charlie Rymer (@CharlieRymerPGA) January 13, 2022