Top photo by Clyde Click | Front page photo by Chris Keane/USGA
THE FLATS – Five Yellow Jackets competing in the final stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School this week … Matt Kuchar participating in the Grant Thornton Invitational … Schniederjans brothers have a chance to earn spots in LIV Golf League … More details below in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.
FIVE JACKETS COMPETING IN PGA TOUR Q-SCHOOL FINAL STAGE
Three recent Georgia Tech grads, including 2024 grad Christo Lamprecht and a pair of Korn Ferry/PGA Tour veterans are in the field for the final stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School this week, beginning Thursday at Dye’s Valley Golf Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Lamprecht, joined in the field by Connor Howe, Seth Reeves, Ross Steelman and Richy Werenski, will try to either earn his first PGA TOUR card or secure guaranteed Korn Ferry Tour starts in 2025. The lanky, long-hitting Lamprecht finished No. 2 on the 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking to earn Korn Ferry Tour status this past summer and a direct ticket to Final Stage; he finished No. 140 on the season-long Korn Ferry Tour Points List and then made three TOUR starts during the FedExCup Fall. Lamprecht’s elite game should be plenty to finish inside the top five at Final Stage – he has featured as No. 1 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking and won the 2023 British Amateur.
Howe, who played in 14 Korn Ferry Tour events with one top-25 finish last season, advanced to the final stage by tying for seventh place last week at the second stage event in Dothan, Ala. Reeves (43rd), Steelman (56th) and Werenski (55th) all were exempt until the final stage by finishing between No. 31-60 in Korn Ferry Tour points in 2024.
Reeves, who has 52 career PGA Tour events under his belt, had four top-25 finishes among 23 Korn Ferry Tour starts in 2024. Steelman, had 23 Korn Ferry Tour starts last summer, finishing in the top 25 seven times. Werenski, with more than 200 career PGA Tour starts, had seven top-25 finished out of 19 tournaments played on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2024.
Players who finish outside the top 125 in the FedExCup Fall standings can earn or improve their status for 2025 through Final Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry, with the top five players (and ties) earning PGA TOUR cards for 2025.
Exempt categories for Final Stage include the top 40 available players below No. 125 in the FedExCup Fall standings and non-members whose FedExCup points are greater than or equal to No. 150 in the FedExCup Fall standings. Players in the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking published on Monday, November 18 are also exempt for Final Stage.
The top five finishers (and ties) at the Final Stage will earn TOUR cards, giving players without status an opportunity to earn or re-gain TOUR membership and players in the 126-150 category or below a chance to improve their status.
KUCHAR COMPETING IN GRANT THORNTON INVITATIONAL
Matt Kuchar is teaming with LPGA star Megan Khang to compete in the the second iteration of the Grant Thornton Invitational, starting Friday at the Tiburón Golf Club in Naples, Florida. The event features a 32-player field evenly comprised of PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour professionals playing on 16 mixed teams that will compete for an equal purse of $4 million.
The tournament’s field includes 24 of the top 50 in the world from the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour in a unique and exciting approach during the three-day professional competition will include Scramble, Foursomes and a Modified Four-Ball format. More information on the format can be found here: Grant Thornton Invitational golf tournament unveils three distinct formats for mixed-team play.
SCHNIEDERJANS BROTHERS RECEIVE BERTHS INTO LIV GOLF PROMOTIONS EVENT
Former Georgia Tech stars Ollie and Luke Schniederjans are among 64 players in the field for the second annual LIV Golf Promotions, teeing off at Riyadh Golf Club from Dec. 12-14. The tournament presents exciting pathways for elite players from across the globe to earn their place in the first-ever global golf League and The International Series for 2025.
Beginning Thursday, the three-day, four-round competition will feature 93 rising stars and accomplished pros including Ryder Cup and Walker Cup standouts, former top-ranked amateurs and NCAA champions, and winners on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, Asian Tour, Korn Ferry Tour, and Sunshine Tour among other global tours. Open exemption criteria provided accomplished players from around the world the opportunity to enter LIV Golf Promotions, where the top finisher will earn a place in the LIV Golf League next season. In addition, the top 10 finishers, including ties, will earn full exemption into all 2025 events on The International Series schedule, sanctioned by the Asian Tour.
Ollie Schniederjans played three seasons on the PGA Tour before losing his card in 2019, and he has battled numerous injuries in recent years. He had surgeries on both hips, three months apart, in 2022 and missed over a year of action. He returned last year, making eight starts, and in 14 starts this year, he notched one top-10 and ended up No. 100 in KFT points, losing full status. Luke Schniederjans, who at 26 years old is five years younger than Ollie, has only logged nine career starts between the PGA Tour and KFT. Neither player was able to advance to the final stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School.
Two former Tech players – Andy Ogletree and Cameron Tringale – are members of the HyFlyers team in the LIV Golf Series. Tringale was the team’s most consistent performer in 2024, fashioning a couple of competitive stretches during the season, including a tie for sixth in the UK. He remains one of LIV Golf’s top match-play performers, winning both his singles matches in Dallas to move his career record to 5-0. Ogletree, the 2023 International Series champion, was slowed by injuries for much of the season and never really found his footing until LIV Golf UK, when he led after two rounds and showed the promise of future stardom.
UPCOMING EVENTS
- PGA Tour: PGA Tour Qualifying School Final Stage • December 12-15, 2024 • Dye’s Valley Golf Club • Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. • Purse: $510K • FedEx Cup points: n/a
- PGA Tour: Grant Thornton Invitational • December 13-15, 2024 • Tiburon Golf Club • Naples, Fla. • Purse: $4M • FedEx Cup points: n/a
- 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: PNC Championship • December 20-22, 2024 • Ritz-Carlton Golf Club • Orlando, Fla. • Purse: $1.1M
- PGA Tour Americas: season concluded
- Asian Tour/International Series: PIF Saudi International • December 4-7, 2024 • Riyadh Golf Club • Saudi Arabia • Purse: $5M
- LIV Golf Series: LIV Golf Promotions • December 12-14, 2025 •Riyadh Golf Club • Saudi Arabia
- GPro Tour: Augusta Open • December 3-5, 2024 • Belle Meade Country Club • Thomson, Ga. • Purse: $68,125
#PROJACKETS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Congrats to @GTGolf great Matt Kuchar on being a 2025 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award recipient https://t.co/ck81dNQAyE pic.twitter.com/Y3PqbJaWRH
— College Golf Book (@CGolfBook) December 4, 2024
A look back at this 418 yard drive by 🇿🇦 Christo Lamprecht during the 2023 #DunhillChamps 🤯🚀#ADC2024 #GreatnessBeginsHere #SunshineTour pic.twitter.com/snMubi9CXl
— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) December 9, 2024
A dynamic lower body is a superpower for generating clubhead speed with a driver, but it can be death for consistency with finesse shots.
Full video with South African phenom, Christo Lamprecht, is on our YouTube channel 👉 https://t.co/BhlUAwLij2 pic.twitter.com/EPQ8ZNymKp
— TPI (@MyTPI) November 11, 2024
Oh yeah! Over the top smoked chili on the @WeberGrills Searwood XL pellet grill. Recipe and seasoning by @MeatChurch .
Sausage and ground beef meatball smokes over the chili with drippings falling in the pot.
Yummy! pic.twitter.com/TxD7JssZyF
— Charlie Rymer (@CharlieRymerPGA) December 8, 2024
PLAYER PLAYER LAST WEEK DATA ANDERS ALBERTSON
Hometown: Woodstock, Ga.
Turned pro: 2015
Years at Georgia Tech: 2011-15
Status: PGA TourDid not play FedEx Cup points ranking: n/a
YTD earnings: n/a
KFT points ranking: n/a
YTD earnings (KFT): n/a
Career earnings (PGAT): $556,905
Career earnings (KFT): $929,956 STEWART CINK
Hometown: Florence, Ala.
Residence: Duluth, Ga.
Turned pro: 1995
Years at Georgia Tech: 1991-95
Status: PGA Tour/PGA Tour ChampionsDid not play Schwab Cup points ranking: n/a
YTD Earnings (Champions): $n/a
Career earnings (Champions): $1,726,795
FedEx Cup points ranking: n/a
YTD earnings (PGA Tour): n/a
Career earnings (PGA Tour): $43,905,340 WILL DICKSON
Hometown: Providence, R.I.
Residence: Atlanta, Ga.
Turned pro: 2021
Years at Georgia Tech: 2017-21
Status: Developmental toursDid not play GPro Points ranking: n/a
YTD Earnings (GPro): n/a
Career earnings (GPro): $59,704
Points ranking (KFT): n/a
YTD earnings (KFT): n/a DAVID DUVAL
Hometown: Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Residence: Denver, Colo.
Turned pro: 1993
Years at Georgia Tech: 1989-93
Status: PGA Tour ChampionsDid not play Schwab Cup Points ranking: n/a
YTD earnings (Champions): n/a
Career earnings (Champions): $650,155
Career earnings (PGAT): $18,983,931 J.T. GRIFFIN
Hometown: Wilson, N.C.
Residence: Marietta, Ga.
Turned pro: 2011
Years at Georgia Tech: 2007-11
Status: Korn Ferry TourDid not play Fortinet Cup points: n/a
YTD earnings (Canada): n/a
Career earnings (Canada): $29,836
Career earnings (KFT): $187,056 CHESSON HADLEY
Hometown: Raleigh, N.C.
Turned pro: 2010
Years at Georgia Tech: 2006-10
Status: PGA TourKorn Ferry Tour
Panama Championship
missed cutFedEx Cup points ranking: n/a
YTD earnings: n/a
Career earnings: $12,352,126 SHUN YAT HAK
Hometown: Hong Kong
Turned pro: 2013
Years at Georgia Tech: 2012-13
Status: PGA Tour ChinaDid not play GPro Tour points ranking: n/a PAUL HALEY II
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Turned pro: 2011
Years at Georgia Tech: 2007-11
Status: PGA TourKorn Ferry Tour
Panama Championship
T-44 (+3)KFT Points ranking: n/a
YTD earnings (KFT): $9,160
Career earnings (PGAT): $837,353
Career earnings (KFT): $1,098,205 CONNOR HOWE
Hometown: Ogden, Utah
Residence: Atlanta, Ga.
Turned pro: 2023
Years at Georgia Tech: 2018-23
Status: PGA Tour CanadaDid not play KFT points ranking: n/a
YTD earnings (KFT): n/a
Fortinet Cup points ranking: n/a
YTD earnings (PGAT Americas): n/a MATT KUCHAR
Hometown:
Lake Mary, Fla.
Residence: Sea Island, Ga.
Turned pro: 2000
Years at Georgia Tech: 1997-2000
Status: PGA TourDid not play FedEx Cup points ranking: 59
YTD earnings: n/a
Career earnings (PGAT): $60,228,357 CHRISTO LAMPRECHT
Hometown: George, South Africa
Turned pro: 2024
Years at Georgia Tech: 2000-24
Status: Korn Ferry TourKorn Ferry Tour
Panama Championship
missed cutKFT points ranking: 8
YTD earnings: $49,433
Career earnings (KFT): $91,937 ANDY MAO
Hometown: Johns Creek, Ga.
Turned pro: 2024
Years at Georgia Tech: 2020-24
Status: developmental toursDid not play GPro points ranking: n/a
YTD earnings: n/a LARRY MIZE
Residence: Columbus, Ga.
Turned pro: 1980
Years at Georgia Tech: 1975-79
Status: PGA Tour ChampionsDid not play Schwab Cup points ranking: n/a
YTD earnings: n/a
Career earnings (Champions): $5,166,866
Career earnings (PGAT): $7,947,092 ANDY OGLETREE
Hometown: Little Rock, Miss.
Residence: Roswell, Ga.
Turned pro: 2020
Years at Georgia Tech: 2016-20
Status: Asian TourAsian Tour
International Series India
missed cutLIV standings: n/a
YTD earnings (LIV): n/a
Order of Merit (Asian Tour): n/a
YTD earnings (Asian Tour): n/a
Career earnings (LIV): $3,543,875 CHRIS PETEFISH
Hometown: Danville, Calif.
Turned pro: 2018
Years at Georgia Tech: 2014-18
Status: Korn Ferry TourDid not play KFT Points ranking: n/a
YTD earnings (KFT): n/a
Career earnings (KFT): $342,455
Career earnings (PGA Tour Canada): $21,118 SETH REEVES
Hometown: Duluth, Ga.
Turned pro: 2014
Years at Georgia Tech: 2010-14
Status: Korn Ferry TourDid not play KFT points ranking: 104
YTD earnings (KFT): $3,720
Career earnings (PGAT): $233,065
Career earnings (KFT): $862,903 LUKE SCHNIEDERJANS
Hometown: Powder Springs, Ga.
Residence: Alpharetta, Ga.
Turned pro: 2020
Years at Georgia Tech: 2016-20
Status: MacKenzie Tour/Forme TourDid not play Fortinet Cup points: n/a
YTD earnings (PGAT Americas): N/a
Career earnings (Canada): $46,844 OLLIE SCHNIEDERJANS
Hometown: Powder Springs, Ga.
Turned pro: 2015
Years at Georgia Tech: 2011-15
Status: Korn Ferry TourAsian Tour
International Series India
Won (-10)Asian Tour Order of Merit: 1
YTD earnings: $360,000
Career earnings (KFT): $651,113
Career earnings (PGAT): $3,879,653 BEN SMITH
Hometown: Novi, Mich.
Residence: Atlanta, Ga.
Turned pro: 2022
Years at Georgia Tech: 2018-22
Status: developmental toursDid not play GPro points ranking: n/a
YTD earnings: n/a ROSS STEELMAN
Hometown: Columbia, Mo.
Residence: Atlanta, Ga.
Turned pro: 2023
Years at Georgia Tech: 2021-23
Status: Korn Ferry TourKorn Ferry Tour
Panama Championship
missed cutKFT points ranking: 16
YTD earnings (KFT): $29,375
Career earnings (KFT): $226,214 TYLER STRAFACI
Hometown: Davie, Fla.
Residence: Davie, Fla.
Turned pro: 2020
Years at Georgia Tech: 2016-20
Status: noneKorn Ferry Tour
Panama Championship
missed cutFortinet Cup points: n/a
YTD earnings (PGAT Americas): n/a
Career earnings (PGAT Americas): $45,681
YTD earnings (GPro Tour): $1,112
Career earnings (PGA Tour): $21,111
Career earnings (Canada): $12,970 CAMERON TRINGALE
Hometown: Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Turned pro: 2009
Years at Georgia Tech: 2005-09
Status: LIV Golf/Asian TourAsian Tour
International Series India
T-19 (+4)LIV standings: n/a
YTD Earnings (LIV): n/a
YTD earnings (Asian Tour): n/a
Career earnings (LIV): $9,599,325
Career earnings (PGAT): $17,310,004 RICHY WERENSKI
Hometown: South Hadley, Mass.
Turned pro: 2014
Years at Georgia Tech: 2011-14
Status: Korn Ferry TourKorn Ferry Tour
Panama Championship
missed cutKFT points ranking: 44
YTD earnings (KFT): $12,210
YTD earnings (PGA Tour): $57,000
Career earnings (KFT): $644,714
Career earnings (PGAT): $6,765,035 VINCENT WHALEY
Hometown: McKinney, Texas
Residence: Alpharetta, Ga.
Turned pro: 2017
Years at Georgia Tech: 2013-17
Status: PGA TourDid not play FedEx Cup points ranking: 103
YTD earnings (PGA Tour): $88,134
Career earnings (PGA Tour): $4,208,156
KFT points ranking: 107
YTD earnings (KFT): $206,369
Career earnings (KFT): $350,642