Georgia Tech #ProJackets Golf Report

Top photo by Clyde Click  |  Front page image by David Berding/Getty Images

THE FLATS – How Tiger Woods helped Matt Kuchar early in his golf career … Christo Lamprecht earns a spot in the Nedbank Golf Challenge … Bartley Forrester wins a PGA Tour Q-school pre-qualifying event … More details below in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.

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HOW TIGER WOODS HELPED MATT KUCHAR IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE

Matt Kuchar peeled off his white golf gloves, tugged at his white baseball cap, then wiped a stream of sweat from his brow.

His walk on the blacktop path between the practice putting green and the 10th hole at the Country Club of Jackson late Tuesday afternoon was both pragmatic and purposeful.

And included a conversation about Tiger Woods.

The 46-year-old from Winter Park, Florida, the guy with nine PGA Tour wins to his name, was preparing to try to turn that nine into 10 at the Country Club of Jackson during this week’s Sanderson Farms Championship.

“These events are meant to be kind of a chase for the card, so the guys that didn’t finish in the top 50 are kind of jockeying for those positions,” Kuchar said during that walk. “And then there is a race for (the) top 125 and keeping your card.”

For Matt Kuchar, whose golf career has everything from Tiger Woods to losing his PGA Tour card, the Sanderson Farms Championship is part of the job. https://t.co/HhurGFOem2

— Clarion Ledger (@clarionledger) October 3, 2024

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LAMPRECHT EARNS SPOT IN NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE

South African golf sensation Christo Lamprecht has earned a coveted spot in the prestigious Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted at the iconic Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, from December 5-8, 2024.

This opportunity follows Lamprecht’s historic recognition as the inaugural recipient of the Gary Player International Golfer of the Year Award presented by FlightScope, an accolade that is now closely tied to the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

The Gary Player International Golfer of the Year Award, established in partnership with the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) and FlightScope, recognises the top international collegiate golfers from outside the United States. The award is presented annually to five athletes across NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, as well as NAIA and NJCAA levels.

Lamprecht, a standout in NCAA Division I, is the first-ever winner of this prestigious award, which is set to become a hallmark in identifying future global golf stars, with a clear pathway to competing in the Nedbank Golf Challenge and the professional golf tours.

More from EuropeanTour.com

South African golfing sensation Christo Lamprecht earns a spot at the 2024 Nedbank Golf Challenge 🚨⛳@AfricasMajor | #NGC2024

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) October 2, 2024

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PGA TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL UNDERWAY

Several Georgia Tech pros competed last week in PGA Tour Q-School pre-qualifying and are in the fields for Q-School first stage events this week.

Bartley Forrester, competing as an amateur, won the pre-qualifying event Sept. 28-20 in Brunswick, Ga., posting a 16-under-par score of 194 to win that event by three strokes. He will compete in a first stage event Oct. 22-25 in Semmes, Ala.

Will Dickson tied for 20^th and advanced from a pre-qualifying tournament in Kannapolis, N.C., while Andy Mao also advanced from Brunswick, tying for 29^th.

Dickson, Connor Howe, Luke Schniederjans and Ben Smith are competing this week in a first stage qualifier in Lincoln, Neb.

Schedule and leaderboards

COMPETITION ROUND-UP

PGA Tour

Vince Whaley shot four rounds in the 60s and tied for 16^th place last weekend at the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Miss. He posted a 17-under-par score of 271, six strokes off the lead at the Country Club of Jackson, and moved up to No. 121 in the FedEx Cup points list.

Chesson Hadley opened with a 66, but followed with 71-70-71 and tied for 55^th, moving up to No. 137 on the points list. Matt Kuchar missed the cut and sits at No. 104.

The PGA Tour plays in Utah this weekend for a first-time event, the Black Desert Championship, with Hadley, Whaley and Anders Albertson in the field. Christo Lamprecht will attempt to Monday qualify.

Sanderson Farms Championship leaderboard

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Korn Ferry Tour

The Korn Ferry Tour’s 2024 season came to a close last weekend with the Korn Ferry Tour Championship in French Lick, Ind., with Richy Werenski turning in the highest finish of the three Yellow Jackets in the field, a tie for 25^th place at 287 (-1). Ross Steelman finished 62^nd, and Seth Reeves tied for 63^rd in the limited 75-player field for the final event.

All three players retain their playing status on the tour for 2025, but none were able to finish among the top 30 and earn PGA Tour cards.

Korn Ferry Tour Championship leaderboard

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PGA Tour Champions

David Duval remains No. 53 on the Schwab Cup points list, safely inside the top 70 that advance to the PGA Tour Championship playoffs, after thing for 55^th place last weekend at the Constellation Furyk & Friends event in Jacksonville, Fla.

He and Stewart Cink are in the field for this week’s SAS Championship in Cary, N.C., the final regular-season event before the three-tournament playoff begins.

PGA Tour Champions leaderboard

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GProTour

Ben Smith tied for 14^th place at last week’s Sanctuary Open in Waverly, Ga., posting an 8-under-par score of 136.

GPro leaderboard

UPCOMING EVENTS

• PGA Tour: Black Desert Championship • October 10-13, 2024 • Black Desert Resort Golf Course • Ivins, Utah • Purse: $7.5M • FedEx Cup points: 500
• Korn Ferry Tour:  The Bahamas Great Exuma Championship • January 14-17, 2025, 2024 • Sandals Emerald Bay Golf Club • Great Exuma, Bahamas • Purse: $1M • KFT points: 500
• PGA Tour Champions: SAS Championship • October 11-13, 2024 • Prestonwood Country Club • Cary, N.C. • Purse: $2.1M
• PGA Tour Americas: season concluded
• Asian Tour/International Series: Black Mountain Championship • October 17-20, 2024 • Black Mountain Golf Club • Thailand • Purse: $2M
• LIV Golf Series: Riyadh • February 6-8, 2025 • Purse: $25M
• GPro Tour: Cardinal Classic • October 8-10, 2024 • The Cardinal by Pete Dye • Greensboro, N.C. • Purse: $68,125

#PROJACKETS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Two new faces are coming to Cary next week!

2009 @TheOpen Champion Stewart Cink and 2018 @RyderCupEurope Captain Thomas Bjorn will be making their SAS Championship debuts!

Get your tickets now to see these legends and more!

🎟️https://t.co/HEp9xtz5RS pic.twitter.com/XvpHD9jgga

— SAS Championship (@SASChampionship) October 3, 2024

Good night from @The_McLemore

The Moon and Venus with the last bit of sun over Lookout Mountain. You gotta see this place to believe it.

Come see us. https://t.co/CDYd1kgNRW pic.twitter.com/oFuvbEABnO

— Charlie Rymer (@CharlieRymerPGA) October 7, 2024

Good morning from #TheKeep @The_McLemore Nothing better than golf #AboveTheClouds

NW Georgia is absolutely spectacular! Come see us. pic.twitter.com/Qbd0zKhssR

— Charlie Rymer (@CharlieRymerPGA) October 5, 2024

Nothing better than life on Lookout Mountain! Especially after 9 holes toting it on #TheKeep

BTW. The hole you see there is #6. It’s a par 4. I made 3!!!@The_McLemore @WeberGrills pic.twitter.com/PnQGOVGrre

— Charlie Rymer (@CharlieRymerPGA) October 5, 2024

Man I would like to watch Christo Lamprecht during this Monday Q.. He hits it straight off the tee with his length and scoring could be so low https://t.co/iejK0BRlid

— LUDVIG ÅBERG TRACKER (@LudvigTracker) October 5, 2024