Georgia Tech #ProJackets Golf Report

Top photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images | Front page image by Clyde Click

THE FLATS – Four Yellow Jackets are in the field this week at the Wyndham Championship, long shots to grab a spot in the FedEx Cup Playoffs … Connor Howe improves odds of making Korn Ferry Tour playoffs in his home state … Christo Lamprecht inks an apparel deal … Ross Steelman posts top-10 finish on the Korn Ferry Tour … More details below in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.

FEDEX CUP PLAYOFFS ON THE LINE

After a week off for the Olympics, FedEx Cup Playoff spots are on the line this week at the PGA Tour closes its 2024 regular season at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C. Four Yellow Jackets – Stewart Cink, Chesson Hadley, Matt Kuchar, Vince Whaley – are in the field at Sedgefield Country Club, where a victory would be necessary for either of them to vault into the top 70 that qualify for the playoffs.

Kuchar, who sits at No. 113 in the FedEx Cup standings, came close two weeks ago after leading in the final round of the 3M Open, where he tied for third place. He is the only PGA Tour player to have competed in every FedEx Cup Playoffs (17 straight years) since the format debuted.

Kuchar and Whaley (No. 123) are the only Yellow Jackets sitting inside the top 125, who maintain full status on the Tour for 2025. Hadley is No. 137, and Cink is No. 173.

Anders Albertson is an alternate as of Monday and was in the field of the Monday qualifier.

HOWE GIVES PRO CAREER A BOOST IN UTAH    

Ogden native Connor Howe has had a hit-or-miss golf season on the Korn Ferry Tour, professional golf’s equivalent of Triple-A baseball.

Coming into this weekend’s Utah Championship at Oakridge Country Club down in Farmington, the Weber High School and Georgia Tech graduate had missed the cut in his last five tournaments following a 17th-place finish at the Wichita Open in June.

But not only did Howe make the cut in Farmington, he also gave himself a big boost for the remainder of the season.

Howe carded a bogey-free, 7-under-par 64 in Sunday’s final round with one eagle, finishing 15-under overall and tied for 36th place in the tournament.

It was a sorely needed good outing for Howe, who improved his odds of qualifying for the end-of-season playoffs.

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LAMPRECHT SECURES APPAREL DEAL

South Africa’s Christo Lamprecht, the former World Number One ranked amateur, who consistently cranks drives 325 yards, is literally golf’s next big thing. Standing 6-8, the lanky Georgia Tech alum, only a half inch shorter than NBA first overall draft pick Zaccharie Risacher, turned pro in mid-June and has since been teeing it up on the Korn Ferry circuit.

Lamprecht’s size and wingspan gives him a larger swing radius than most golfers. The irons he uses are an inch and a half longer than standard length and his driver shaft is 46 inches—the maximum length allowed. In the tee box, with the force he summons, he can send a golf ball on a 200mph ride on impact. But Lamprecht does dismiss other expected advantages beyond ball speed ease, like being able to see over berms and lock into pin flags that would be otherwise blind to other players lacking his lofty vantage point.

“You would think that, but my eyes aren’t great. So, the seeing further than other people, I don’t do that. [My height] helps create a lot of power, it helps having that leverage and that width but with everything else, I don’t think there’s that big of a difference than anybody else in golf. My height just gives me a little bit of extra length and the ability to create a little more power,” he said.

More from Forbes.com

Under the hood with one of the most powerful swings in golf.

The future is fast.

🏌️‍♂️: Christo Lamprecht pic.twitter.com/c5QF3N6Rwe

— TPI (@MyTPI) July 30, 2024

COMPETITION ROUND-UP

Korn Ferry Tour

Ross Steelman snapped a streak of three straight missed cuts and posted his highest finish since January by tying for eighth place last weekend at the Utah Championship. The 2023 Tech graduate shot four rounds in the 60s and posted a 20-under-par score of 264, which was five strokes off the pace.

Ollie Schniederjans continued his climb back to relevance with an opening 63 and an eventual tie for 19^th place at 17-under-par 267, his third top-20 finish of 2024. Connor Howe closed with a 64 and tied for 36^th at 15-under-par 269.

Two events remain in the Korn Ferry Tour regular season, beginning with this week’s Pinnacle Bank Championship, with Seth Reeves (No. 40), Steelman (42) and Richy Werenski (51) holding the top positions of the seven Yellow Jackets competing on the Korn Ferry Tour in the points standings.

Korn Ferry Tour leaderboard

UPCOMING EVENTS

• PGA Tour: Wyndham Championship • August 8-11, 2024 • Sedgefield Country Club • Greensboro, N.C. • Purse: $7.9M • FedEx Cup points: 500
• Korn Ferry Tour:  Pinnacle Bank Championship • August 8-11, 2024 • The Club at Indian Creek • Omaha, Neb. • Purse: $1M • KFT points: 500
• PGA Tour Champions: Boeing Classic • August 9-11, 2024 • The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge • Snoqualmie, Wash. • Purse: $2.2M
• PGA Tour Americas: Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open • August 15-18, 2024 • Elk Ridge Resort • Waskesiu Lake, Sask. • Purse: $225K • Fortinet Cup points: 500
• Asian Tour/International Series: International Series England • August 8-11, 2024 • Foxhills (Longcross Course) • England • Purse: $2M
• LIV Golf Series: Greenbrier • August 16-18, 2024 • The Old White Course at The Greenbrier • White Sulfur Springs, W.Va. • Purse: $25M
• GPro Tour: Greenville Open • August 7-9, 2024 • Brook Valley Country Club • Greenville, N.C. • Purse: $68,125

#PROJACKETS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

“I got a new body and a new swing … I hit it a lot straighter than I ever did.”@ollie_gt is stronger than ever after having to go through hip surgery last year. Today @UTChampionship, he is the early leader after shooting 8-under 63. pic.twitter.com/qU571yLv6H

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) August 1, 2024

Driver, pitching wedge, or putter for an entire hole…what are you choosing?

Daniel Summerhays, @peter_kuest and Connor Howe go head to head in the one club challenge @UTChampionship💪 pic.twitter.com/se0ncIsshJ

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) July 31, 2024

Ollie 🤝 birdie

Ollie Schniederjans is in the No. 1 spot through 16 @UTChampionship. pic.twitter.com/rI96ZMr1UX

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) August 1, 2024