Georgia Tech #ProJackets Golf Report

THE FLATS – At least one former Yellow Jacket, Andy Ogletree, will be in the field for the second major of 2024, next month’s PGA Championship in Louisville, Ky. … Watch how Anders Albertson got help getting around physical limitations resulting from back problems … More details below in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.

OGLETREE QUALIFIES FOR THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

It has been a swell ride the last 18 months for Andy Ogletree, who won twice on the Asian Tour’s International Series, finishing at the top of the tour’s Order of Merit and the International Series rankings in 2023. He earned a spot in the LIV Golf Series for 2024 and last weekend finished tied for third in the LIV Golf event in Adelaide, Australia.

The cherry on top, however, is that in Monday’s International Federation Official World Golf Ranking List, Ogletree is listed No. 2 (No. 1 on the Asian Tour), qualifying him for a tee time at the next golf major, the PGA Championship, which will be played May 16-19 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.

The PGA Championship takes the top three listed as of April 29, in the International Federation Ranking.

Keita Nakajima, Andy Ogletree and Ryan Van Velzen have qualified for the PGA Championship via the OWGR federation ranking. This is a big result for Andy in particular, who proves it’s possible for LIV players to qualify for majors via the Asian Tour and the International Series.… pic.twitter.com/iLWPYnSPS2

— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) April 29, 2024

Our reigning Order of Merit champion Andy Ogletree has qualified for his first PGA Championship after finishing second in the OWGR’s Federation Ranking system. 🙌 ⛳#whereitsAT pic.twitter.com/Ydda0zLMGd

— Asian Tour (@asiantourgolf) April 30, 2024

ALBERTSON RETURNS TO COMPETITION AFTER BACK PROBLEMS

We recently had the opportunity to work with PGA TOUR and KFT veteran Anders Albertson.  Anders turned pro in 2015 after a decorated career at Georgia Tech.  He’s won multiple times on the Korn Ferry Tour, but has recently taken a medical extension after he started to experience lower back pain.

Our experience with Anders offers a good example of how golfers can develop multiple strategies for working around physical limitations, the importance of distinguishing real vs feel and how feedback can be a powerful tool in directing swing changes.

When we screened Anders, we found that he had several mobility restrictions, especially on his trail side.  Limitations in the hip or thoracic spine are extremely common in golfers who are experiencing back pain.  When golfers don’t rotate well through their “mobile joints,” they often compensate by trying to turn through “stable segments.”  This can cause excessive stress on the joints, potentially contributing to his injury.

Screening doesn’t necessarily tell us what a golfer is going to do in their swing, but it can help explain why they do it the way they do.  Movement patterns are often developed around physical limitations, but sometimes a golfer’s compensation is not what we’d expect it to be.

https://youtu.be/oFJX862GNms?si=5CibISLM4_rqg7ha

One of the most powerful benefits of data is helping athletes distinguish between real and feel.

During a recent assessment, Anders Albertson told us that he felt he thought he was “hanging back” in his golf swing. When we put him on force plates, it was clear that this was… pic.twitter.com/aYLF99tSh8

— TPI (@MyTPI) April 22, 2024

COMPETITION ROUND-UP

PGA Tour

Chesson Hadley and his Georgia Bulldog teammate Greyson Sigg partnered for a tie for eighth place in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans last week. The duo shot 63 and 65 in the better-ball format, and a 66 in Sunday’s alternate-shot round for a 22-under-par 266 at TPC Louisiana.

The finish moved Hadley back into the top 125 (123) on the FedEx Cup points list.

Tech’s other three competitors, Matt Kuchar, Vince Whaley and Paul Haley II, missed the cut.

Stewart Cink returns to the PGA Tour for this week’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson event in McKinney, Texas, where Hadley, Kuchar, Whaley and Richy Werenski are all in the field. Haley is an alternate.

PGA Tour leaderboard

*****

Korn Ferry Tour

PGA Tour members Anders Albertson and Richy Werenski were not in the field for last week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, so both competed on the Korn Ferry Tour at the Veritex Bank Open in Arlington, Texas. Both made the cut, with Albertson tying for 16^th place at 19-under-par 265 and Werenski tying for 55^th position at 13-under-par 271. Both players shot in the 60s all four rounds, and the winning score was 31-under-par.

Korn Ferry Tour regulars Chris Petefish, Seth Reeves, Ollie Schniederjans and Ross Steelman all missed the cut.

The Korn Ferry Tour takes this week off and resumes next week in Kansas City with the AdventHealth Championship.

Korn Ferry Tour leaderboard

*****

PGA Tour Champions

Stewart Cink played the gracious host at one of his home courses, TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Ga., last weekend at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic on the PGA Tour Champions, where he tied for 35^th place at even-par 216. Larry Mize, from Columbus, Ga., took the opportunity to compete for the first time this season, as did David Duval, a regular on the circuit in his second season.

Duval and Mize are both competing this weekend at the Insperity Invitational in The Woodlands, Texas, while Cink is in the field for the PGA Tour’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson.

PGA Tour Champions leaderboard

Right at it🎯

Tournament host @StewartCink sticks it within a foot 💪 @MEClassicGolf pic.twitter.com/kALEE4o66G

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) April 26, 2024

A cross-handed delight.

Atlanta local Stewart Cink with a touch of class @MEClassicGolf. pic.twitter.com/TRJIISnBnH

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) April 26, 2024

*****

PGA Tour Americas

Luke Schniederjans was the only one of the three Yellow Jackets alums on PGA Tour Americas to make the cut last weekend at the Diners Club Peru Open, tying for 25^th place at 6-under-par 282. J.T. Griffin and Tyler Strafaci did not play the weekend.

Two events remain in the South American portion of the schedule before the tour moves to Canada beginning in June, beginning with this weekend’s KIA Open in Quito, Ecuador. Griffin and Schniederjans are both competing.

PGA Tour Americas leaderboard

*****

LIV Golf Series

Andy Ogletree turned in his best finish yet in the LIV Golf Series, tying for third place in Adelaide, Australia last weekend with a 16-under-par score of 200, two strokes behind winner Brendan Steele. Ogletree passed $1 million in earnings this season with his $920,000 check.

Cameron Tringale continued his solid play on the circuit with a 21^st place finish at 12-under-par 204.

They compete again this week in Singapore at Sentosa Golf Club.

LIV leaderboard

 

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UPCOMING EVENTS

• PGA Tour: The CJ Cup Byron Nelson • May 2-5, 2024 • TPC Craig Ranch • McKinney, Texas • Purse: $9.5M • FedEx Cup points: 500
• Korn Ferry Tour:  AdventHealth Championship • May 16-19, 2024 • Blue Hills Country Club • Kansas City, Mo. • Purse: $1M • KFT points: 500
• PGA Tour Champions: Insperity Invitational • May 2-5, 2024 • The Woodlands Country Club • The Woodlands, Texas • Purse: $2M
• PGA Tour Americas: KIA Open • May 2-5, 2024 • Quito Tenis y Golf Club • Quito, Ecuador • Purse: $225K • Fortinet Cup points: 500
• Asian Tour/International Series: GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship • May 2-5, 2024 • Namseoul Country Club • Korea • Purse: $1.3M KSW
• LIV Golf Series: Singapore • May 3-5, 2024 • Sentosa Golf Club • Singapore • Purse: $20M
• GPro Tour: Forest Oaks Classic • May 8-10, 2024 • Forest Oaks Country Club • Greensboro, N.C. • Purse: $68,125

#PROJACKETS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Ogletree hits form ahead of this week’s LIV Golf Singapore

Read here ⬇️#whereitsAT #LIVGolf

— Asian Tour (@asiantourgolf) April 29, 2024

 

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A post shared by Andy Ogletree (@andyogletree)

With a career spanning across four decades, @StewartCink has had no shortage of looks through the years.

Hear his thoughts on some of the best 🤣 pic.twitter.com/vyxZ8wG9q3

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) April 25, 2024