THE FLATS – Four Yellow Jackets competing in the 124th U.S. Open this week in Pinehurst … Stewart Cink named assistant captain for 2024 President’s Cup … David Duval has another strong showing on the senior circuit … Cameron Tringale posts top-10 in LIV Golf … More details below in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.
YELLOW JACKETS WELL-REPRESENTED AT U.S. OPEN
Thanks to some successful final qualifying efforts, Georgia Tech will have four representatives in the 156-player field for the 124th United States Open Championship this week in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C.
Veteran PGA Tour pros Matt Kuchar and Chesson Hadley qualified last week, as did second-year Korn Ferry Tour pro Chris Petefish. They join rising Tech junior Hiroshi Tai, who earned an exemption by winning the NCAA Championship.
Kuchar was the medalist at Bear’s Best in Jupiter, Fla., and will compete in his 21st U.S. Open. Hadley tied for fourth at the Duke University Golf Club in Durham, N.C., to earn a spot in his home state, his fourth U.S. Open.
Petefish, 29, in his second full season on the Korn Ferry Tour, took advantage of being able to play Tech’s home course, the Golf Club of Georgia in Alpharetta, in final qualifying and came away with medalist honors to punch his first ticket to the U.S. Open.
Tai became the first player to earn an exemption by winning the NCAA Championship, which he did by one stroke two weeks ago in Carlsbad, Calif.
Kuchar, 46, has made 11 cuts in 20 U.S. Open starts, finishing in the top 20 in seven of those, including s best tie for sixth place in 2010 at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Hadley, 36, tied for ninth in 2019, also at Pebble Beach, for his best performance.
“I’m hoping I get first dibs in the merchandise tent because it’s going to be ugly in there”
North Carolina native @chessonhadley spoke with Taylor Zarzour after qualifying for the @usopengolf at @PinehurstResort pic.twitter.com/0Rf8qAtynZ
— U.S. Open Radio on SiriusXM (@SiriusXMPGATOUR) June 4, 2024
Hiroshi Tai is an Individual Champion!
He speaks on what the accomplishment means to him.@GTGolf | #NCAAGolf pic.twitter.com/mcsSvrGnhW
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) May 28, 2024
CINK NAMED CAPTAIN’S ASSISTANT FOR 2024 PRESIDENTS CUP
U.S. Team Captain Jim Furyk announced Stewart Cink, Justin Leonard and Kevin Kisner as captain’s assistants for the 2024 Presidents Cup, which will be played at The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Canada, Sept. 24-29. Furyk has the option to name up to two additional assistants prior to the competition.
“I am excited to announce Stewart, Justin and Kevin as my captain’s assistants for the 2024 Presidents Cup in Montreal,” said Furyk. “The three of them have a tremendous history with this event, but more importantly, they will be trusted voices in the team room and on the course for our guys. I look forward to working with them closely as we build a 12-man U.S. Team that is ready to compete at Royal Montreal this fall.”
Cink, an eight-time PGA TOUR winner, has appeared in four Presidents Cups (2000, 2005, 2007, 2009), compiling a 9-7-2 record in four U.S. Team victories, including a 4-0-0 performance in his debut in 2000. The only time Cink and Furyk were paired together in Presidents Cup competition was in 2007 at Royal Montreal, where they notched a 2-up victory over Angel Cabrera and K.J. Choi during Saturday’s fourball matches. The 51-year-old will be making his first appearance as a captain’s assistant in 2024.
“Jim is a longtime friend and it’s an honor to be named as a captain’s assistant for the 2024 Presidents Cup. This event has meant so much to my career and it’s a thrill to get to return to Montreal, where I have such great memories from 2007,” said Cink.
Captain @JimFuryk names three assistants to his lineup for 2024.
Capitaine Furyk nomme trois assistants à son équipe pour 2024. pic.twitter.com/hMeuKXRi8b
— Presidents Cup (@PresidentsCup) June 4, 2024
COMPETITION ROUND-UP
PGA Tour
Matt Kuchar got a chance last weekend to return to the site of one of his nine PGA Tour victories, tying for 33rd place at the Memorial Tournament on Dublin, Ohio. One of the tour’s signature events, Kuchar won the title in 2023. Last weekend, the 46-year-old held his own against some of the world’s top players and shot 75-71-74-74 at Muirfield Village, good prep for this week’s U.S. Open, where he is one of four Yellow Jackets in the field.
*****
Korn Ferry Tour
Seth Reeves is making a run at winning back his PGA Tour card. The 2014 Tech graduate turned in a runner-up finish last weekend at the BMW Charity Pro-Am with a 20-under-par score of 265. The left-hander took the 36-hole lead by carding back-to-back 64s, but fell back with a 73 on Saturday, leaving him too far back to win despite another 64 on Sunday.
Reeves has one win on the Korn Ferry Tour and 10 top-5 finishes. This was his best finish of 2024 and moved him to No. 26 on the Korn Ferry points list.
Meanwhile, Richy Werenski tied for 21st at 14-under-par 271, and Connor Howe tied for 51st at 8-under-par 277.
Christo Lamprecht makes his Korn Ferry Tour debut this week in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita, Open, competing alongside Werenski, Paul Haley II and Ollie Schniederjans, as well as former Tech teammates Howe and Ross Steelman.
Approaching the end of his medical exemption, Seth Reeves’ solo 2nd at @BMWCharityProAm moves him inside the top 30 of the points list and keeps his season going
pic.twitter.com/dxTGYM2AdN
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) June 11, 2024
*****
PGA Tour Champions
David Duval followed up his highest finish of his PGA Tour Champions career – a tie for third place at the Principal Charity Classic – with a tie for 14th place at last weekend’s American Family Championship in Madison, Wis. The 13-time PGA Tour winner was looking at another top-5 finish after 36 holes with rounds of 69-68, and was 1-under for his front nine Sunday before running into trouble on the back nine to post a 74.
PGA Tour Champions leaderboard
*****
LIV Golf Series
Cameron Tringale delivered his best finish of the 2024 LIV Golf Series, tying for ninth place last weekend at the Golf Club of Houston. The third-year member of the circuit posted a 9-under-par score of 207. Andy Ogletree stumbled in the opening round with a 77, but finished strong (70-70) to tie for 42nd).
The series moves to Nashville in two weeks.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
- PGA Tour: S. Open • June 13-16, 2024 • Pinehurst Resort and Country Club • Village of Pinehurst, N.C. • Purse: tba • FedEx Cup points: 750
- Korn Ferry Tour: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open • June 13-16, 2024 • Crestview Country Club • Wichita, Kan. • Purse: $1M • KFT points: 500
- PGA Tour Champions: DICK’S Open • June 21-23, 2024 • En-Joie Golf Club • Endicott, N.Y. • Purse: $2.1M
- 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 21-23, 2024 • The Grove • Nashville, Tenn. • Purse: $25M
- GPro Tour: Colonial Classic • June 11-13, 2024 • Colonial Country Club • Thomasville, N.C. • Purse: $68,125
#PROJACKETS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Ready for the home game
We followed @chessonhadley as he qualified for the @usopengolf in Pinehurst. pic.twitter.com/lNT4fb0fEJ
— Peter Millar (@petermillar) June 6, 2024
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