Georgia Tech #ProJackets Golf Report

THE FLATS – It’ll be a Yellow Jacket foursome in Pinehurst after three #ProJackets make it through final qualifying Monday … Matt Kuchar tries out 0-degree putter to fit his reverse-armlock style … David Duval delivers career-best finish on PGA Tour Champions … More details below in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.

THREE JACKETS MAKE IT THROUGH FINAL U.S. OPEN QUALIFYING

Georgia Tech sophomore Hiroshi Tai will have company in Pinehurst next week after three Yellow Jacket pros made it through final qualifying tournaments Monday for the 124^th U.S. Open championship.

Tai earned an exemption last week as a result of winning the NCAA Championship in Carlsbad, Calif., but that made him only the first Jacket in the field. Thirteen Tech pros entered final qualifying at five different sites Monday, and Matt Kuchar, Chris Petefish and Chesson Hadley all qualified.

Kuchar was the medalist at Bear’s Best in Jupiter, Fla., pacing the field with rounds of 70-67 (137, -7) and earning one of the five available spots. The nine-time PGA Tour winner will compete in his 21^st U.S. Open next week.

Petefish, in his second full season on the Korn Ferry Tour, was one of six Yellow Jackets competing at the team’s home course, the Golf Club of Georgia in Alpharetta. He came away with one of the three available spots there as co-medalist (13-under-par 131), and was the only professional to qualify at that site, joining amateurs Jackson Buchanan and Frederik Kjettrup.

Hadley tied for fourth and grabbed one of the seven spots available at the Duke University Golf Club in Durham, N.C., posting a 4-under-par total of 136. The Raleigh, N.C., native will compete in his fourth U.S. Open.

Among the Jackets who came up short Monday were Korn Ferry Tour player Connor Howe (-11), who finished fourth in Alpharetta and is the first alternate. Ollie Schniederjans (-9), Andy Ogletree (-7), Christo Lamprecht (even) and Aidan Kramer (+1) also failed to qualify.

Cameron Tringale and Tyler Strafaci were among those who did not advance in Jupiter, Fla., while Stewart Cink came up short in Ridgeway, Ontario and Vince Whaley didn’t make it in Columbus, Ohio.

Ticket punched 🎟️

Chris Petefish will tee it up in his first @USOpenGolf after successfully qualifying today in Alpharetta. pic.twitter.com/uL4RlT2IME

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) June 4, 2024

#TeamPM’s Ryan Gerard and Chesson Hadley are playing together in the longest day of golf. Coming down to the final holes as they look to qualify for the @usopengolf. pic.twitter.com/GftBbqx5kc

— Peter Millar (@petermillar) June 3, 2024

That was a close one!

Matt Kuchar remains as the solo leader. pic.twitter.com/8f0tAnuF4e

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) November 5, 2023

KUCHAR TRIES OUT 0-DEGREE PUTTER

Golf is a game of trends, especially as it relates to putting. Over the last several years, the armlock putting style has soared in popularity.

But Matt Kuchar is reversing the trend, and now he has a putter to match his style.

Kuchar is using a unique Bettinardi prototype putter specifically designed for Kuchar’s reverse-armlock putting style, meaning his hands sit behind the golf ball at address. That grip and stroke style necessitates a putter with zero degrees of loft because Kuchar adds loft with his stroke. A standard putter is lofted between two and five degrees, but if Kuchar used that much loft with his hands positioned behind the golf ball, the putter would have far too much effective loft, launching the ball in the air and causing it to bounce too much. A putter with zero degrees of loft helps him offset the stroke style and achieve a quicker roll.

Kuchar, who has deployed a reverse-armlock style since 2021, wanted a putter that measured 40.5 inches so the end of the grip nestled against his inner right forearm. He also wanted to boost stability, feel and acoustics with the putter.

With that in mind, Kuchar looked to Bettinardi, who has built his putters since the early 2000s.

Matt Kuchar and @BettinardiGolf have been working on a prototype putter he’ll debut at Colonial. Aluminum core places more mass towards the perimeter to mitigate face rotation. pic.twitter.com/cz9PtOmGix

— Jonathan Wall (@jonathanrwall) May 22, 2024

COMPETITION ROUND-UP

PGA Tour

Stewart Cink, Vince Whaley and Chesson Hadley played the weekend North of the border at the RBC Canadian Open. Cink tied for 27^th place with a 2-under-par score of 275, while Whaley tied for 33^rd at 276 (-4) and Hadley tied for 51^st at 279 (-1).

Matt Kuchar missed the cut in Canada, but is the only Yellow Jacket with a spot in the field for this week’s signature event, the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio.

There are no former Jackets currently within the top 125 on the FedEx Cup points list.

PGA Tour leaderboard

Cink-ing it from WAY downtown! 💥@StewartCink is T6 after a 52-foot birdie putt @RBCCanadianOpen. pic.twitter.com/C9rIfxekK4

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 30, 2024

*****

Korn Ferry Tour

Richy Werenski and Seth Reeves delivered solid performances last weekend at the UNC Health Championship in Raleigh, N.C. Werenski, playing events on both the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour in2024, tied for 29^th place at even-par 280, while Reeves tied for 48^th place at 282 (+2).

Ross Steelman, who remains Tech’s highest-ranked player on the tour at No. 31, missed the cut as did Paul Haley II, Connor Howe and Chris Petefish.

All but Steelman are in the field for this week’s BMW Charity Pro-Am in Greer, S.C.

Korn Ferry Tour leaderboard

*****

PGA Tour Champions

David Duval turned in the highest finish of his PGA Tour Champions career last weekend, tying for third place at the Principal Charity Classic in Des Moines, Iowa. At one point tied for the lead in the final round Sunday, the 13-time PGA Tour winner posted a 17-under-par score of 199, four strokes behind winner Ernie Els.

PGA Tour Champions leaderboard

What a week for @David59Duval!

His T3 in Iowa is the best finish of his PGA TOUR Champions career 💪 pic.twitter.com/Sx3fjZZJJ5

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) June 3, 2024

*****

PGA Tour Americas

Several Yellow Jackets took part in various qualifying tournaments to gain eligibility for the second half of the 2024 tour, all of which will take place in Canada.

GPro Tour member Ben Smith and Andy Mao, who competed as an amateur after concluding his eligibility at Tech in May, both failed to qualify in Dothan, Ala., while GPro Tour member Will Dickson came up short in Ocala, Fla. Luke Schniederjans, who closed the Latin America swing with two top-25 finishes in his last three events, was unable to qualify in Litchfield Park, Ariz.

PGA Tour Americas leaderboard

UPCOMING EVENTS

• PGA Tour: The Memorial Tournament • June 6-9, 2024 • Muirfield Village Golf Club • Dublin, Ohio • Purse: $20M • FedEx Cup points: 700
• Korn Ferry Tour:  BMW Charity Pro-Am • June 6-9, 2024 • Thornblade Club • Greer, S.C. • Purse: $1M • KFT points: 500
• PGA Tour Champions: American Family Insurance Championship • June 7-9, 2024 • University Ridge Golf Club • Madison, Wis. • Purse: $2.4M
• PGA Tour Americas: The Beachlands Victoria Open • June 20-23, 2024 • Uplands Golf Club • Victoria, British Colombia • Purse: $225K • Fortinet Cup points: 500
• Asian Tour/International Series: Kolon Korea Open Golf • June 20-23, 2024 • Woo Jeong Hills Country Club • Korea • Purse: $1.4M KSW
• LIV Golf Series: Houston • June 7-9, 2024 • Golf Club of Houston • Houston, Texas • Purse: $25M
• GPro Tour: Colonial Classic • June 11-13, 2024 • Colonial Country Club • Thomasville, N.C. • Purse: $68,125

#PROJACKETS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

“This is what I used to do.”@David59Duval reflects on his T3 last week and shares what a win would mean to him @AmFamChamp. pic.twitter.com/fL4SCfL2Yn

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) June 5, 2024

51 years old and still grinding!

Looking to earn his 24th #USOpen start, Stewart Cink is one of 66 players competing for 7 spots at Cherry Hill Club in Canada.

Scores: https://t.co/KWQ4ZGLTHc pic.twitter.com/zwYW88N2Cm

— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 3, 2024

The pride of South Africa 🇿🇦

Aldrich Potgieter and Christo Lamprecht take on golf’s longest day with a shot in play @usopengolf. pic.twitter.com/9vhd8CyOPf

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) June 3, 2024