Former champions David Duval and Stewart Cink are among four former Yellow Jackets vying to be Champion Golfer of the Year … Richy Werenski earns another top-25 finish on the PGA Tour … Anders Albertson remains steady on the Web.com Tour … more in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.
The third major championship of 2018 – the 147th playing of the Open Championship at Carnoustie Golf Links in Angus, Scotland – will feature four former Yellow Jackets, including 2001 champion David Duval and 2009 champion Stewart Cink, as well as 2017 runner-up Matt Kuchar and Chesson Hadley, who qualified for the field by virtue of his current standing at 17th in the FedEx Cup race.
Cink, Duval and Kuchar all are veterans traveling across the pond. Cink, 45, who defeated Tom Watson in a playoff at Turnberry in 2009, ranks 67th in the FedEx Cup race this season and is playing his 20th Open Championship. The 46-year-old Duval, whose closing 65-67 earned him a three-stroke victory Royal Lytham and St. Anne’s in 2001, is competing for the 22nd time.
Kuchar, 40, playing the Open for the 14th time, led last year’s open at Royal Birkdale with five holes to play, but Jordan Spieth snatched the victory with a spectacular finish. Kuchar still looks for his first major title after posting 10 top-10 finishes in those championships.
Hadley, 31, claimed one of five spots offered to non-exempt players on the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup points list on June 24. He missed the cut in his only previous Open opportunity in 2014 at Hoylake.
Only Arizona State, with six, and Texas, with five, have more alumni players competing in the Open this week.
Georgia Tech’s Open Champions
Bobby Jones – 1926, Royal Lytham and St. Anne’s<br>
Bobby Jones – 1927, Old Course at St. Andrews<br>
Bobby Jones – 1930, Royal Liverpool (read more)<br>
David Duval – 2001, Royal Lytham and St. Anne’s (read more)<br>
Stewart Cink – 2009, Turnberry (read more)
Tech player profiles and opening-round tee times (local time) for Tech players this week
Stewart Cink – 8:36 a.m. with Brandon Stone, Hideto Tanihara<br>
Chesson Hadley – 9:03 a.m. with Ernie Els, Adam Hadwin<br>
David Duval – 9:25 a.m. with Scott Jamieson, Kevin Na<br>
Matt Kuchar – 9:47 a.m. with Anirban Lahiri and Peter Uhlein<br>
A lovely dinner this evening in Scotland with the Mrs!!! pic.twitter.com/6cnTXA8k1A
— Stewart Cink (@stewartcink) July 15, 2018
#Feherty is kicking off #TheOpen week with an all-new episode! @Fehertwit sits down with @stewartcink and @PaulGoydosPGA Monday at 9pm ET ✨ pic.twitter.com/XTtONnwIN5
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) July 14, 2018
<b>PGA Tour:</b> Meanwhile, Cameron Tringale and Richy Werenski are competing this week in the PGA Tour’s alternate event, the Barbasol Championship in Nicholasville, Ky. This is the event where Werenski made his PGA Tour debut, earning an exemption after winning Golf Channel’s “Big Break The Palm Beaches” in 2015 and tying for 72nd place. Last year, as a rookie on the PGA Tour, he briefly held the lead in the event and tied for 18th place (13-under-par 271).
Werenski currently stands 116th in FedEx Cup points following a solid weekend at the John Deere Championship, where he tied for 23rd place with four rounds in the 60s (68-69-67-67).
<b>Web.com Tour:</b> All but Roberto Castro are taking the this week off as the Web.com Tour travels to Omaha, Neb., for the Pinnacle Bank Championship. Castro, currently 19th in earnings on the Tour and positioned to regain his PGA Tour card for 2018-19, missed the cut by one stroke in last weekend’s Utah Championship, snapping a streak of 24 consecutive cuts made on the tour that dated back to 2011.
J.T. Griffin, who has split time on three tours in 2018, has been able to get in the field for the last two Web.com events (four altogether this year), and tied for 39th place with a 13-under-par total of 271 (66-68-68-69). Anders Albertson, 10th on the Web.com Tour earnings list, tied for 33rd place at 270 (-14), continuing an excellent run of play over the last eight weeks in which he won the Lincoln Land Championship and averaged 67.88 strokes per round.
<b>Elsewhere:</b>
- Larry Mize posted his third-best finish of the 2018 season last weekend with a tie for 17th place at the Constellation Senior Players Championship in Highland Park, Ill, finishing strong with rounds of 66-69 on the weekend for a 12-under-par total of 276. <br>
- Shun Yat Hak tied for 49th in the Yantai Championship last weekend on the PGA Tour Series in China, and ranked 23rd on that tour’s order of merit. <br>
- The Adams Pro Tour resumes this week in Manhattan, Kan., with the Colbert Charity Classic. Vincent Whaley is Tech’s top earner on the circuit this season, in 12th place through seven events. <br>
- Bo Andrews, Drew Czuchry and Chris Petefish all finished among the top 17 players at the G Pro Tour’s Kannapolis (N.C.) Open last week. This week’s event is at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga., with Tyler Joiner joining those three in the 50-player field.
UPCOMING EVENTS
PGA Tour: The Open Championship • July 19-22, 2018 • Carnoustie Golf Links • Angus, Scotland • Purse: $10,500,000 • FedExCup Points: 600<br>
PGA Tour: Barbasol Championship • July 19-22, 2018 • Keene Trace Golf Club • Nicholasville, Ky. • Purse: $3,500,000 • FedExCup Points: 300
Web.com Tour: Pinnacle Bank Championship • July 19-22, 2018 • The Club at Indian Creek • Omaha, Neb. • Purse: $700,000
PGA Tour Champions: The Senior Open Championship • July 26-29, 2018 • The Old Course at St. Andrews • St. Andrews, Scotland • Purse: $2,000,000
Mackenzie Tour: Osprey Valley Open • July 19-22, 2018 • Osprey Valley Golf Club • Caledon, Ontario • Purse: $200,000
PGA Tour China: Qingdao Championship • July 19-22, 2018 • Tiger Beach Golf Club • Qingdao, China • Purse: n/a
Adams Pro Tour: Colbert Charity Classic • July 18-21, 2018 • Colbert Hills Golf Club • Manhattan, Kan. • Purse: $132,000
G Pro Tour: Georgia Open • July 17-19, 2018 • Callaway Gardens (Mountain View Course) • Pine Mountain, Ga. • Purse: n/a
| PLAYER | LAST WEEK | SEASON STATS | |
 | ANDERS ALBERTSON Woodstock, Ga. Turned pro: 2015 Career earnings: $373,289 Years at Georgia Tech: 2011-15 High School: Etowah Status: Web.com Tour | Last Week T-33 65-70-65-70—270 (-14) | Money rank 10 Earnings $182,780 |
 | BO ANDREWS Raleigh, N.C. Turned pro: 2014 Career earnings: n/a Years at Georgia Tech: 2010-14 High School: Fike Status: G Pro Tour | Last Week T-10 67-69-69—205 (-8) | Money rank 17 Earnings $8,627 |
 | ROBERTO CASTRO Alpharetta, Ga. Turned pro: 2007 Career earnings: $7,266,242 (PGA + Web) Years at Georgia Tech: 2003-07 High School: Milton Status: Web.com Tour | Last Week missed cut 72-66—138 (-4) | FedEx Cup Rank 19 Earnings $141,467 |
 | STEWART CINK Duluth, Ga. Turned pro: 1995 Career earnings: $36,684,053 Years at Georgia Tech: 1991-95 High School: Bradshaw (Florence, Ala.) Status: PGA Tour | Last Week did not play n/a | FedEx Cup Rank 67 Earnings $1,268,748 |
 | DREW CZUCHRY Auburn, Ga. Turned pro: 2015 Career earnings: n/a Years at Georgia Tech: 2010-14 High School: home schooled Status: G Pro Tour | Last Week T-12 69-70-67—206 (-7) | Money rank 21 Earnings $7,976 |
 | DAVID DUVAL Denver, Colo. Turned pro: 1993 Career earnings: $19,196,243 Years at Georgia Tech: 1989-93 High School: Jacksonville (Fla.) Episcopal Status: no status | Last Week did not play n/a | FedEx Cup Rank 248 Earnings n/a |
 | J.T. GRIFFIN Wilson, N.C. Turned pro: 2011 Career earnings: $4,383 Years at Georgia Tech: 2007-11 High School: Fike Status: Web.com Tour | Last Week T-39 66-68-68-69—271 (-13) | Money rank 182 Earnings $4,383 |
 | CHESSON HADLEY Raleigh, N.C. Turned pro: 2010 Career earnings: $6,137,704 Years at Georgia Tech: 2006-10 High School: North Raleigh Christian Academy Status: PGA Tour | Last Week made cut-DNF 69-67-74—210 (-3) | Money Rank 17 Earnings $2,712,658 |
 | SHUN YAT HAK Hong Kong, China Turned pro: 2013 Career earnings: ¥251,305 Years at Georgia Tech: 2012-13 High School: Lake Mary (Fla.) Prep Status: PGA Tour China | Last Week T-49 74-72-75-75—296 (+8) | Money rank 23 Earnings ¥134,962 |
 | PAUL HALEY Dallas, Texas Turned pro: 2011 Career earnings: $348,201 Years at Georgia Tech: 2007-11 High School: Highland Park Status: Adams Pro Tour | Last Week did not play n/a | Money Rank 67 Earnings $2,995 |
 | MATT KUCHAR Sea Island, Ga. Turned pro: 2000 Career earnings: $43,312,877 Years at Georgia Tech: 1997-2000 High School: Seminole (Lake Mary, Fla.) Status: PGA Tour | Last Week missed cut (Scottish Open) 68-69—137 (-3) | FedEx Cup Rank 79 Earnings $1,324,997 |
 | TROY MATTESON Austin, Texas Turned pro: 2003 Career earnings: $10,111,266 (PGA+Web) Years at Georgia Tech: 2000-03 High School: L.C. Anderson Status: no status | Last Week missed cut (John Deere) 71-74—145 (+3) | FedEx/Money Rank 216 Earnings $39,000 |
 | LARRY MIZE Columbus, Ga. Turned pro: 1980 Career earnings: $12,623,560 (PGA + Champions) Years at Georgia Tech: 1975-79 High School: unknown Status: PGA Tour Champions | Last Week T-17 69-72-66-69—276 (-12) | Schwab Cup Rank 67 Earnings $126,239 |
 | CHRIS PETEFISH Danville, Calif. Turned pro: 2018 Career earnings: n/a Years at Georgia Tech: 2014-18 High School: Scottsdale [Ariz.] Christian Academy Status: G Pro Tour | Last Week T-12 68-71-67—206 9-7) | Money Rank 56 Earnings $3,388 |
 | MICHAEL PISCIOTTA Alpharetta, Ga. Turned pro: 2018 Career earnings: n/a Years at Georgia Tech: 2014-18 High School: Alpharetta Status: G Pro Tour | Last Week did not play n/a | Money Rank 118 (GPro) Earnings $700 |
 | SETH REEVES Duluth, Ga. Turned pro: 2014 Career earnings: $134,780 Years at Georgia Tech: 2010-14 High School: Peachtree Ridge Status: Web.com Tour | Last week missed cut 74-67—141 (-1) | Money rank 83 Earnings $43,793 |
 | OLLIE SCHNIEDERJANS Powder Springs, Ga. Turned pro: 2015 Career earnings: $3,297,514 Years at Georgia Tech: 2011-15 High School: Harrison Status: PGA Tour | Last Week did not play n/a | FedEx Cup rank 84 Earnings $1,133,153 |
 | NICHOLAS THOMPSON Coral Springs, Fla. Turned pro: 2005 Career earnings (PGA + Web.com): $6,537,666 (PGA + Web) Years at Georgia Tech: 2001-05 High School: Stoneman Douglas Status: Web.com Tour | Last Week did not play n/a | Money Rank 163 Earnings $6,612 |
 | CAMERON TRINGALE Laguna Niguel, Calif. Turned pro: 2009 Career earnings: $9,879,598 Years at Georgia Tech: 2005-09 High School: Mission Viejo Status: PGA Tour | Last Week missed cut 74-74—148 (+6) | FedEx Cup Rank 187 Earnings $179,459 |
 | RICHY WERENSKI South Hadley, Mass. Turned pro: 2014 Career earnings: $1,703,147 Years at Georgia Tech: 2011-14 High School: Heritage Academy (Hilton Head, S.C.) Status: PGA Tour | Last Week T-23 68-69-67-67—271 (-13) | FedEx Cup rank 116 Earnings $806,060 |
 | VINCENT WHALEY Fayetteville, Ga. Turned pro: 2017 Career earnings: n/a Years at Georgia Tech: 2013-17 High School: McKinney Boyd Status: Adams Pro Tour | Last Week did not play n/a | Money Rank 12 Earnings $25,725 |
