Georgia Tech #ProJackets Golf Report

Oct. 3, 2017

THE FLATS – The Web.com Tour Finals turned out to be fruitful for both Chesson Hadley and Cameron Tringale, and both Georgia Tech alumni will be back on the PGA Tour when the 2017-18 schedule commences this week with the Safeway Open in Napa, Calif.

For Hadley, who had locked up his PGA Tour card by finishing ninth in Web.com Tour earned during the regular season, kept up the pace in the finals, winning one event and earning enough money to finish No. 1 in combined earnings for the regular season and finals ($562,475). That allows him a full exemption on the PGA Tour, and he enters the new season riding some momentum.

The 2010 Tech graduate and three-time All-American won twice this year, including the LECOM Health Challenge in early July to assure himself of PGA Tour status. He was able to enter four PGA Tour events after that, making the cut in two, before returning to the Web.com Finals, where he finished 10th at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Challenge, won the Alberton’s Boise Open and lost a playoff for the DAP Championship. He earned $290,000 in the Web.com Finals, more than he won during the regular season.

I'm the 1, yeah. 🏆 🏆@ChessonHadley won the #WebTour Regular Season and Finals money lists, securing full @PGATOUR status for 2017-18. pic.twitter.com/6JOTZiIhB1

— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) October 2, 2017

Tringale, meanwhile, finished 133rd in FedEx Cup points on the PGA Tour this season, forcing him to try and regain his status in the Web.com Finals. He tied for 50th and 25th in the first two events, then missed the cut at the DAP Championship, yet his fifth-place finish at the Web.com Tour Championship was enough to lift him to 18th in Finals money.

Three other former Jackets were not as fortunate. At No. 172 on the FedEx Cup list, Castro also had to go the Web.com Finals route and came up just short. Despite missing the DAP Championship last weekend to attend his Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame induction, Castro looked like he had enough to get into the top 25 with opening rounds of 65-64 at the Web.com Tour Championship. But the four-time All-American shot 69-70 on the weekend and slipped to 30th on the money list.

Anders Albertson also made a strong run over the weekend, tying Castro for eighth place at the Web.com Tour Championship with rounds of 68-66-67-67, but finished 34th in money. Nicholas Thompson (63rd in the Finals, 32nd in the regular season) and Seth Reeves, a rookie on the tour in 2017, also fell short and remain with Web.com Tour status.

The PGA Tour begins the eight-event fall portion of its 2017-18 schedule this weekend with the Safeway Open in Napa, Calif. Ollie Schniederjans and Richy Werenski are set to make their 2017-18 debuts there, and Tringale, a California native, is an alternate.

Presidents Cup: The United States rolled to a 19-11 victory over the Internationals last weekend at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J. Matt Kuchar participated in three matches, teaming with Dustin Johnson for victories in foursomes on Thursday and Saturday. He lost his singles match, 1-up, to Charl Schwartzel Sunday, leading him with a 6-8-2 all-time record in Presidents Cup competition.

Elsewhere: Bryce Molder, a veteran of eight full seasons on the PGA Tour and parts of four others, announced his retirement Thursday night upon his induction into the Arkansas State Golf Hall of Fame. Molder, a four-time All-American and still Georgia Tech’s record holder for career scoring average, earned more than $11 million on Tour and won the 2011 Frys.com Open.

Molder did not qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs this season, finishing 190th in the standings, and elected not to enter the Web.com Finals.

“I had put every bit of myself, physically, mentally and emotionally into this game but I wasn’t getting the results,” he told his hometown paper, the Log Cabin Democrat. “I began to look at the journey. How long could I continue to be a world-class golfer? I felt I had peaked as far as what I could do on a world stage, that there was more a downside than an upside. It was just time to go a different direction.”

Molder says it was time to begin a new journey https://t.co/ScKyy3gbH3 pic.twitter.com/6zVIpEts3C

— Georgia Tech Golf (@GT_GOLF) October 2, 2017

Georgia Tech finished the 2016-17 PGA Tour season No. 7 in cumulative earnings among its alumni at $10,082,996, continuing a strong run of excellent performance at golf’s highest level. Tech finished No. 2 on the Web.com Tour in collective earnings in 2017 at $986,712, boosted primarily by Hadley’s excellent season.

Since 2011, @GT_GOLF has not finished outside top 10 #NCAA #collegegolf programs on @PGATOUR and they've earned +$50M in last 5 years.

— Rivals Cup (@RivalsCup) October 3, 2017

UPCOMING EVENTS

PGA Tour: Safeway Open • October 5-8, 2017 • Silverado Resort and Spa North • Napa, Calif. • Purse: $6,200,000 • FedExCup Points: 500
Web.com Tour: The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic • January 13-16, 2018 • Sandals Emerald Bay • Great Exuma, Bahamas • Purse: $600,000
PGA Tour Champions: SAS Championship • October 13-15, 2017 • Prestonwood Country Club • Cary, N.C. • Purse: $2,000,000
Mackenzie Tour: season over