THE FLATS – Five Yellow Jackets are in position to advance to FedEx Cup Playoffs as regular season concludes … Anders Albertson continues push to regain PGA Tour card … PGA Tour announces it will award 30 tour cards following next Korn Ferry Tour season … More details below in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.
*****
FIVE JACKETS POISED FOR FEDEX CUP PLAYOFFS
Five of the seven Yellow Jackets competing on the PGA Tour this season are poised to advance to the FedEx Cup Playoffs as the PGA Tour concludes its 2021-22 regular season this weekend at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C.
Cameron Tringale (No. 26), Matt Kuchar (No. 51), Vincent Whaley (No. 93), Stewart Cink (No. 116) and Chesson Hadley (No. 121) all currently reside inside the top 125 in points necessary to advance, and for all but Cink, retain their full PGA Tour privileges for 2022-23. Cink remains exempt for 2022-23 based on his victory at the 2021 RBC Heritage.
The Wyndham Championship is critical for two Jackets on the outside looking in, however. Seth Reeves (No. 163) and Richy Werenski (No. 176) both need high finishes this week in order to reach the top 125, or at least the top 150, which would give them some conditional status and perhaps avoid having to compete in the Korn Ferry Tour finals as a way to retain their cards.
Both players turned in solid performances at the Rocket Mortgage Classic – Werenski tied for 30th (277, -11) and Reeves tied for 37th (278, -10). but need much higher finishes this week in Greensboro.
A year ago, Chesson Hadley assembled a miraculous closing stretch to sneak into the Playoffs at No. 125. His last 10 holes that Sunday included six birdies and a hole-in-one at the par-3 16th that pushed him past Justin Rose by a single point for the final postseason spot. Hadley shouldn’t need a back-nine 29 to get in this season – a 10th-place finish two weeks ago at the 3M Open likely punched his ticket to advance – but two strong rounds to start his week in North Carolina wouldn’t hurt. Hadley, a North Carolina native, enters this week with 16 consecutive rounds of par or better at the Wyndham Championship, with a scoring average of 67.9 in that span.
Though seemingly safe, Cink, Whaley and Hadley, who hails from nearby Raleigh, are all competing this week. Only Tringale, who is inside the top 30 necessary to compete in the Tour Championship in Atlanta, and Kuchar are taking the week off.
Whaley played an excellent weekend of golf (274, -14) to tie for 17th last weekend at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, while Tringale and Cink also made the cut. Kuchar and Hadley did not.
PGA Tour has a roulette wheel full of Camerons at the moment – Golf Digest
Chesson Hadley hopes strong final round will clinch spot on tour – Minneapolis Star-Tribune
*****
KORN FERRY TOUR TO AWARD 30 PGA TOUR CARDS IN 2023
The Korn Ferry Tour wraps up its 2022 regular season at the Utah Championship this week and the Pinnacle Bank Championship next week. Paul Haley II has already guaranteed his return to the PGA Tour for 2022-23, while Anders Albertson is in position to do so if he can remain among the top 25 in points. Each player has won a tournament this season.
Beginning next year, an unprecedented 30 PGA Tour cards will be awarded to the top players on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List at season’s end, reaffirming the quality of the competition on the circuit and the importance of rewarding season-long performance.
The additional five PGA Tour cards available via the Korn Ferry Tour were announced Tuesday in concert with widespread changes to the PGA Tour’s qualification process. It was also announced that 10 Tour cards would be awarded to the top performers on the DP World Tour and Q-School would award PGA TOUR cards to the top five finishers and ties. It will mark the first time in a decade that Q-School will offer PGA TOUR status.
It was also announced Tuesday that the Korn Ferry Tour Finals will no longer be a competition for TOUR cards between the top 75 on the Korn Ferry Tour and Nos. 126-200 in the FedExCup standings. The Finals will now refer to the final four events of the season, where members will compete for increased purses and points allocations. The four Finals events will feature $1.5 million purses and award 600 points to each winner. The preceding 22 events on the schedule will have a minimum purse of $1 million – a 67% increase from 2021 to 2023 – and award 500 points to winners. The 2023 Korn Ferry Tour season is scheduled to run from January to October.
Back in the winner’s circle at last 🏆
Paul Haley II wins for the first time in 10 years and is heading back to the @PGATOUR. #TOURBound pic.twitter.com/6E6Cg89Zkx
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) July 17, 2022
*****
SCHNIEDERJANS MAKES WEEKEND IN CANADA
Luke Schniederjans was the only one of the three Yellow Jackets to make the cut last weekend at the Sotheby’s International Realty Canada Ontario Open, tying for 22nd place at 5-under-par 279. The youngest Schniederjans brother moved himself into contention with a 63 on Saturday and entered the final round in second place, but faded after shooting 76.
J.T. Griffin, who had a T-5 finish the week before, missed the cut and dropped to 25th in the Fortinet Cup standings, still the highest among the three Jackets playing the Canadian circuit. Schniederjans is No. 36, and Tyler Strafaci is No. 11 after missing the cut last weekend.
Five events remain on the 2022 schedule, beginning this week with the Quebec Open.
Sotheby’s International Realty Canada Ontario Open round 3️⃣ in the 📚
Round 🔴🔴🔴⚪️@PGATOURCanada | @Canada_SIR
-13 @NoahGoodwinGolf
-10 Luke Schniederjans
-9 Cameron Sisk
-8 @JacobCSolomon
-8 @JaredduToit
-8 @JDoeden11
-8 @DJ_DFunk pic.twitter.com/XNcbA5juvk— Ontario Open (@OntarioOpenGolf) July 30, 2022
*****
RYMER GRATEFUL TO PLAY GOLF AGAIN AFTER CANCER BATTLE
Charlie Rymer wasn’t sure he could swing a golf club with that port imbedded in his chest near his collarbone. Not to mention, the chemotherapy it delivered into his body made his hands shake so badly he joked that he might take a divot with his putter.
But last Wednesday, he was hitting balls and getting ready for a member-guest – barely four months after doctors had resected a foot of his colon and 14 days after ringing the bell at M.D. Anderson in Houston to signal his last infusion of those life-saving drugs.
“There’s no chance I can break 85, but I’m going to be out there with my buddies, having a good time and enjoying every minute of it,” Rymer said.
The last two years haven’t been much fun for the former PGA TOUR pro turned broadcaster, though, after doctors discovered a polyp during a routine colonoscopy.
So good to catch up with @CharlieRymerPGA after his recent battle with colon cancer. He’s doing well now, and he’s got an important message of early detection to share. https://t.co/Co3OnJhdqL
— helen ross (@helen_pgatour) July 27, 2022
UPCOMING EVENTS
- PGA Tour: Wyndham Championship • August 4-7, 2022 • Sedgefield Country Club • Greensboro, N.C. • Purse: $7.3M • FedEx Cup points: 500
- Korn Ferry Tour: Utah Championship • August 4-7, 2022 • Oakridge Country Club • Farmington, Utah • Purse: $750,000
- PGA Tour Champions: Shaw Charity Classic • August 5-7, 2022 • Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club • Calgary, Alberta • Purse: $2.35M
- PGA Tour Canada: Quebec Open • August 4-7, 2022 • Club de Golf Le Blainviller • Indonesia • Purse: $200,000
- Asian Tour: Mandiri Indonesia Open • August 4-7, 2022 • Pondok Indah Golf Course • Blainville, Quebec • Purse: $500,000
- G Pro Tour: Greenville Open • August 10-12, 2022 • Brook Valley Country Club • Greenville, N.C.
#PROJACKETS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
The Motor City!!! pic.twitter.com/gWrVTZqIz4
— Stewart Cink (@stewartcink) July 28, 2022
Closing out his front nine in style 💯@StewartCink sticks it to 3 feet to secure his second birdie of the day. pic.twitter.com/NXuPpJJvSz
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 29, 2022
They secured the belts! 🏆 Matt Kuchar’s squad takes the AREA 313 Celebrity Scramble presented by @PriorityHealth! @MSU_Basketball | @ChildrensFndn | #RocketMortgageClassic pic.twitter.com/UD25mqFYy8
— Rocket Mortgage Classic (@RocketClassic) July 27, 2022
Thanks so much to all our #BeeKeeperSociety Tour Dept #NFT holders that came out for our first #BKS tour event in Detroit this week!
Our Bee Keepers received the exclusive opportunity to golf, attend the #RocketMortgageClassic, and get some putting tips from Matt Kuchar. 🐝🐝🐝 pic.twitter.com/XPOrUl65Qv
— Bettinardi Golf (@BettinardiGolf) July 29, 2022
Tuesday Tap-Ins – Would you play golf in VR? #CourseRecordShow #BusinessOfGolf
— Roberto Castro (@cicioCASTRO) July 26, 2022
.@CharlieRymerPGA is at @MonAfterMasters and is catching up with his old friends in this episode of the Charlie Rymer Golf Show! Make sure you tune into ESPN 2, Saturday August 13th to watch! #MyrtleBeachGolf #CharlieRymerGolfShow pic.twitter.com/5MLeZgy2El
— Myrtle Beach Golf (@MyrtleBeachGolf) July 28, 2022
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 ChampionsDid not play Schwab Cup points ranking: 9
YTD Earnings (Champions): $1,258,156
Career earnings (Champions): $1,726,795
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 ChampionsDid not play Schwab Cup Points ranking: 61
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 TourDid not play FedEx Cup points ranking: 143
YTD earnings: $628,066
Career earnings: $12,352,126 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 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: 104
YTD earnings: $1,469,667
Career earnings (PGAT): $60,228,357 CHRISTO LAMPRECHT
Hometown: George, South Africa
Turned pro: 2024
Years at Georgia Tech: 2000-24
Status: Korn Ferry TourPGA Tour
Butterfield Bermuda Championship
T-23 (-7)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
Butterfield Bermuda Championship
missed cutFortinet 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 TourPGA Tour
Butterfield Bermuda Championship
T-42 (-6)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
Butterfield Bermuda Championship
T-5 (-14)FedEx Cup points ranking: 113
YTD earnings (PGA Tour): $1,235,266
Career earnings (PGA Tour): $3,881,075
KFT points ranking: 107
YTD earnings (KFT): $206,369
Career earnings (KFT): $350,642