Georgia Tech #ProJackets Golf Report

THE FLATS – There is plenty to play for at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship for Chris Petefish … Ross Steelman joins four other Yellow Jackets at this weekend’s Sanderson Farms Championship … Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar possible U.S. captains for next Ryder Cup? … More details below in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.

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MUCH AT STAKE FOR CHRIS PETEFISH AT KORN FERRY TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

With a tie for second at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, Chris Petefish made an 11-spot jump in the Korn Ferry Tour points standings and assured himself a tee time at the season-ending Korn Ferry Tour Championship, which will be played this weekend in Newburgh, Ind.

It was Petefish’s second runner-up finish this year – he also was runner-up at the Utah Championship in August – and third in the top-10. After a string of seven missed cuts in nine events early this season left him at No. 88 in the points standings, he has fought his way back up to No. 44.

The top 30 players on the season-ending Korn Ferry Tour Points List will earn 2024 PGA TOUR membership (Nos. 2-30 will begin the 2024 season in a Korn Ferry Tour graduates category, which is subject to reshuffle). The remainder of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship field (Nos. 31-75 on the Points List) will be fully exempt on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour.

Nos. 31-60 on the season-ending Korn Ferry Tour Points List will earn direct access to Final Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry. The top five finishers (and ties) at Final Stage of Q-School will earn 2024 PGA TOUR membership. The remainder of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship field (Nos. 61-75 on the Points List) will begin Q-School at the Second Stage unless otherwise exempt to Final Stage via an alternate category.

What’s at stake in the Korn Ferry Tour Championship?

The fish is bringing the mojo 🐠

Ever since @petefish7 put on his old fish head cover in Oklahoma, his game has been trending, including a second-place finish last week @UTChampionship. pic.twitter.com/7y2xNBsBnD

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) August 9, 2023

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FIVE YELLOW JACKETS IN THE FIELD AT SANDERSON FARMS

With the Ryder Cup in the rearview mirror, the PGA Tour resumes its fall finish this weekend with the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Miss., and five former Yellow Jackets are in the field looking to remains or move into the FedEx Cup top 125 in points, which will ensure their exempts status for 2024.

Chesson Hadley (No. 122) is the only one of the four currently inside the top 125, while Paul Haley II (No. 135), Richy Werenski (No. 144) and Vincent Whaley (No. 208) are looking for top performances to secure their 2024 privileges. Hadley, Haley and Werenski have more missed cuts than made, but each has at least three top-25 finishes. Whaley has played in just nine events after rehabbing a wrist injury.

Ross Steelman, who finished second to Biondi at the NCAA Championship and finished fourth on the PGA TOUR U ranking, is playing on a sponsor exemption. The 2023 Tech All-American has played eight Korn Ferry Tour events this summer. This is his third TOUR start since turning pro (he missed the cut at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and John Deere Classic).

Matt Kuchar is across the pond this weekend to play in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which is contested over Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and St. Andrews Old Course in Scotland.

Full field

“This is awesome, I’m playing golf for a living.”

Ross Steelman reflects on the same dream he had in junior golf with his dad on the bag.

The @PGATOURU alum now gets to bring his dad along for the ride @PriceCutterCC. pic.twitter.com/uk8qWIYkkT

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) July 19, 2023

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WHO WILL BE THE NEXT RYDER CUP U.S. CAPTAIN?

Golf Monthly takes a look at possibilities for who might assume the captaincy of the United States team at the next Ryder Cup in 2025. Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar are among them.

After the quality and excitement of the 2023 Ryder Cup, plenty of attention and focus is already being directed towards the 2025 version in the USA. We know the location – Bethpage Black in New York – and it looks like most of the current crop of players will return for another go at each other, but who will lead them?

“One of Zach Johnson’s vice-captains in Rome, the next logical step for the 2009 Open champion would be to assume the high chair on home soil.

“Cink is a steady personality who would surely deal well with the extraordinary circumstances of a Ryder Cup, and becoming captain would allow him to exorcise his demons from his playing days. The Alabama native was a member of five Ryder Cup teams but only won once, in 2008, as Europe enjoyed a purple patch during the early 2000s.”

“One of the nicest, most polite men ever to pull on the stars and stripes at a Ryder Cup, Kuchar could be the perfect antithesis to the undoubted chaos and carnage of this titanic tussle east of Philadelphia and New York City.

“He has already fulfilled vice-captain duties at Le Golf National in 2018, while four Ryder Cups as a player means the 45-year-old is hardly short on experience.

“Zach Johnson is of similar ilk, in terms of personality, and he managed to find a decent tune out of the American team once they had recovered from a slow start at Marco Simone.”

Rest of the story

27 years ago, Stewart Cink was #TOURBound thanks to a victory at the 1996 @tourchampulf.

This week, he’s in Rome serving as Vice Captain of the @RyderCupUSA squad 🇺🇸#TOURVault pic.twitter.com/keQuVI51nB

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) September 28, 2023

UPCOMING EVENTS

• PGA Tour: Sanderson Farms Championship • October 5-8, 2023 • Country Club of Jackson • Jackson, Miss. • Purse: $8.2M • FedEx Cup points: 500
• Korn Ferry Tour:  Korn Ferry Tour Championship • October 5-8, 2023 • Victoria National Golf Club • Newburgh, Ind. • Purse: $1.5M
• PGA Tour Champions:  Constellation Furyk & Friends • October 6-8, 2023 • Timuquana Country Club • Jacksonville, Fla. • Purse: $2.1M
• PGA Tour Canada: season concluded
• Asian Tour: International Series Singapore • October 5-8, 2023 • Tanah Merah Country Club • Singapore • Purse: $2M
• LIV Golf Series: Jeddah • October 13-15, 2023 • Royal Greens Golf and Country Club • Saudi Arabia • Purse: $25M
• G Pro Tour: Cardinal Classic • October 10-12, 2023 • The Cardinal by Pete Dye • Greensboro, N.C. • Purse: $66,525

#PROJACKETS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

A little perspective on golf and life here. https://t.co/c3ctiuHyF3

— Charlie Rymer (@CharlieRymerPGA) October 2, 2023

Went to my first race this summer – great fan experience.

Excited to partner with NASCAR going forward! #sports #business