Richy Werenski comes within a stroke of his first PGA Tour victory … Matt Kuchar earns spot next year at Royal Portrush with T9 finish at The Open Championship … Albertson, Castro holding firm in Web.com Tour top 25 while J.T. Griffin earns late-season status … more in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.
While most of the golfing world was watching events unfold at Carnoustie Golf Links last weekend, Richy Werenski nearly pulled off his first PGA Tour victory at the Barbasol Championship in Nicholasville, Ky. The 2014 Tech graduate, in his second full season on the PGA Tour, shot rounds of 66-66-68-66 and held a share of the lead in the final round before finishing in a tie for second place at 266 (-22). It was the second straight year Werenski has held at least a share of the lead in this event, which has been held four years. Last year, he finished in a tie for 18th place.
Ultimately, however, the runner-up performance was the best of his career, beating his tie for fourth at the FedEx St. Jude Classic seven weeks ago. Coupled with his tie for 23rd at the John Deere Classic last week, Werenski has broken 70 in eight consecutive rounds and rose from 116th to 88th in FedEx Cup points after the Barbasol event.
The Open: Matt Kuchar got within two shots of the lead after 54 holes last weekend at The Open Championship, firing rounds of 70-68-70 to stand at 5-under-par heading into the final round. But he was one of seven players among the top 11 unable to break par Sunday, posting a 1-over 72 to tie for ninth place at 280 (-4). It was his 12th top-10 finish in a major championship in his career and guaranteed him a spot next year at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. The performance also boosted Kuchar to 64th in FedEx Cup points, which would allow him to play into the third week of the FedEx Cup Playoffs if he can hold there.
Stewart Cink, the 2009 Open Champion at Turnberry, put together a solid and steady performance at Carnoustie last weekend, tying for 24th place after rounds of 72-70-71-70 (283, -1) in his 20th Open appearance.
Web.com Tour: Roberto Castro closed with a 65 and tied for fourth place last weekend at the Pinnacle Bank Championship, posting his fifth top-10 finish this season and his best since a runner-up performance at the Savannah Golf Championship in April. The finish was most significant coming after a three-week stretch in which he tied for 58th at the Lincoln Land Championship, took a week off and then missed the cut at the Utah Championship. It bumped him from 19th to 15th in the Web.com Tour earnings race, keeping him solidly inside the top 25 for a return to the PGA Tour.
Meanwhile, 2011 graduate J.T. Griffin quietly continues to earn late-season status on the Web.com Tour after bouncing around other mini-tours for several years. He Monday-qualified for the Knoxville Open in May and the Rex Hospital Open in June, and when he made the cut in the Rex Hospital event, he moved into the tour’s reshuffle category. That allowed him into the field at the LECOM Health Challenge, where he missed the cut, the Utah Championship, where he shot four rounds in the 60s and tied for 39th place, and last weekend’s Pinnacle Bank Challenge, where he finished 68-69-66 to tie for 14th place. With the strong week in Omaha, which boosted him to 145th in earnings, he earned a spot in this week’s Price Cutter Charity Championship in Springfield, Mo., and strengthened his bid to get into the final reshuffle category following that event.
Great following @cicioCASTRO today at the @pinnbankgolf tourney at @IndianCreekCrse with friends from @SilverStoneGrp pic.twitter.com/8AbWh1zZ6E
— Dan Schneider (@DanVideo47) July 21, 2018
Elsewhere:
● Shun Yat Hak tied for 43rd in the Qingdao Championship last weekend on the PGA Tour Series in China, and ranked 26th on that tour’s order of merit.
● Chris Petefish came up a stroke short of his first professional title, tying for second place at 11-under-par 205 last weekend at the Georgia Open, played at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga. He picked up $3,450 and moved up to 30th on the money list in just four events. Drew Czuchry tied for 17th place, and Tyler Joiner tied for 23rd.
● Bo Andrews, who has spent the summer playing on the G Pro Tour, made a career change this week after accepting the position of assistant golf coach at Tennessee, where he will work with new head coach Brennan Webb, an assistant coach at Georgia Tech from 2012-15 during Andrews’ playing career as a Yellow Jacket.
UPCOMING EVENTS
PGA Tour: RBC Canadian Open • July 26-29, 2018 • Glen Abbey Golf Club • Oakville, Ontario • Purse: $6,200,000 • FedExCup Points: 500
Web.com Tour: Price Cutter Charity Championship • July 26-29, 2018 • Highland Springs Country Club • Springfield, Mo. • Purse: $675,000
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: Syncrude Oil Country Championship • August 2-5, 2018 • Edmonton Petroleum Golf and Country Club • Edmonton, Alberta • Purse: $200,000
PGA Tour China: Beijing Championship • July 26-29, 2018 • Topwin Golf and Club • Beijing, China • Purse: n/a
Adams Pro Tour: Bogey Hills Invitational • July 25-28, 2018 • Bogey Hills Golf Club • St. Charles, Mo. • Purse: $170,000
G Pro Tour: Lexington Open • July 24-26, 2018 • Sapona Ridge Country Club • Lexington, N.C. • 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 did not play n/a | 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 did not play n/a | Money rank 18 Earnings $8,627 |
 | ROBERTO CASTRO Alpharetta, Ga. Turned pro: 2007 Career earnings: $7,292,642 (PGA + Web) Years at Georgia Tech: 2003-07 High School: Milton Status: Web.com Tour | Last Week T-4 71-68-68-65—272 (-12) | FedEx Cup Rank 15 Earnings $167,867 |
 | STEWART CINK Duluth, Ga. Turned pro: 1995 Career earnings: $36,768,053 Years at Georgia Tech: 1991-95 High School: Bradshaw (Florence, Ala.) Status: PGA Tour | Last Week T-24 72-70-711-70—283 (-1) | FedEx Cup Rank 65 Earnings $1,352,748 |
 | 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-17 73-67-72—212 (-4) | 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 withdrew 80-WD | FedEx Cup Rank 253 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-14 72-68-69-66—275 (-9) | Money rank 145 Earnings $13,683 |
 | 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 missed cut 73-74—147 (+5) | Money Rank 18 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-43 75-70-76-76—297 (+9) | Money rank 26 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 missed cut 72-75—147 (+3) | Money Rank 67 Earnings $2,995 |
 | TYLER JOINER Leesburg, Ga. Turned pro: 2018 Career earnings: n/a Years at Georgia Tech: 2015-18 High School: Home schooled Status: G Pro Tour | Last Week T-23 74-67-73—214 (-2) | Money Rank n/a Earnings n/a |
 | MATT KUCHAR Sea Island, Ga. Turned pro: 2000 Career earnings: $43,531,877 Years at Georgia Tech: 1997-2000 High School: Seminole (Lake Mary, Fla.) Status: PGA Tour | Last Week T-9 70-68-70-72—280 (-4) | FedEx Cup Rank 64 Earnings $1,543,997 |
 | 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 did not play n/a | FedEx/Money Rank 217 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 did not play n/a | 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-2 70-67-68—205 (-11) | 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 did not play n/a | Money rank 85 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 85 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 174 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 72-69—141 )-3) | FedEx Cup Rank 191 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-2 66-66-68-66—266 (-22) | FedEx Cup rank 88 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 |
