Georgia Tech #ProJackets Golf Report

Richy Werenski during sectional qualifying for the 2018 U.S. Open at The Bear’s Club in Jupiter, Fla. on Monday, June 4, 2018. (Copyright USGA/Scott A. Miller)

THE FLATS – Three former Yellow Jackets get through the “longest day in golf” to join Chesson Hadley and Matt Kuchar in the U.S. Open … Kuchar has another strong performance at the Memorial Tournament … This and more in this week’s edition of the Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.

Chesson Hadley and Matt Kuchar, already exempt by virtue of their place in the top 60 in the Official World Golf Ranking, will have a lot of Yellow Jacket company when they arrive in Southampton, N.Y., next week for the 118th U.S. Open Championship. Three more former Tech stars on the PGA Tour – Roberto Castro, Ollie Schniederjans and Richy Werenski – endured what is known as the “longest day in golf,” each making it through a 36-hole sectional qualifier Monday to help fill the last half of the field – 78 players – at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.

Schniederjans and Werenski, both in their second full year on the PGA Tour, left nothing to chance. Schniederjans tied for 10th place among 120 golfers with a 6-under-par total of 138 to grab one of 14 spots available in Columbus, Ohio, while Werenski fired a 4-under-par 140 to finish second and take one of the three positions available in the 48-player field at The Bear’s Club in Jupiter, Fla. For Castro, the longest day lasted an extra hole, which he birdied to win a 2-for-1 playoff to grab the third and final position in the 43-player field in Roswell, Ga. Castro, playing on the Web.com Tour this year and in good position to earn back his PGA Tour card, tied for third after posting a 1-under-par 143 score at Ansley Golf Club-Settindown Creek.

The sixth Tech representative in the U.S. Open is junior-to-be Tyler Strafaci, who prevailed in a 6-for-1 playoff to secure the last spot at The Bear’s Club, which is just an hour away from his hometown of Davie, Fla. He becomes the first amateur from Tech to play in the U.S. Open since Bryce Molder in 2001, who remained an amateur following his senior year to play for the USA team in the Walker Cup. Molder was the low amateur and tied for 30th place at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Okla.

Other Tech pro golfers came up short in Monday’s qualifying. Stewart Cink missed qualifying by one stroke in Columbus, Ohio, Cameron Tringale missed the cut in Jupiter, Fla., J.T. Griffin, Troy Matteson and Vincent Whaley failed to quality in Memphis. Rising Tech junior Andy Ogletree missed by two shots in Roswell, Ga.

#USOpen qualifying: @werenskir finishes 2nd at 140 (-4) at Jupiter, Fla., captures 1 of 3 spots available, Ty Strafaci among six players tied for 3rd at 141 (-3), will playoff for final spot. https://t.co/VqTK4bOlRl pic.twitter.com/XzqKkQWgVq

— Georgia Tech Golf (@GTGolf) June 4, 2018

And @cicioCASTRO makes 6 Jackets in the #USOpen – wins playoff to earn final spot at Ansley GC-Settindown. pic.twitter.com/u4L9lmojhg

— Georgia Tech Golf (@GTGolf) June 5, 2018

Chesson Hadley surprised two volunteers at THE PLAYERS 2018 with a PLAYERS PRIDE pin for their hard work and dedication to the tournament.

Web.com Tour: Tech went 3-for-3 in cuts made at last weekend’s Rex Hospital Open in Raleigh, N.C., with Anders Albertson tying for 55th and Seth Reeves tying for 59th. Wilson, N.C., native J.T. Griffin, in the field via Monday qualifying, tied for 78th. Albertson and Reeves are back in action this week along with Roberto Castro, who has taken the last two weeks off but ranks 13th in earnings this season, at the Rust-Oleum Championship in Ivanhoe, Ill.

UPCOMING EVENTS

PGA Tour: FedEx St. Jude Classic • June 7-10, 2018 • TPC Southwind • Memphis, Tenn. • Purse: $6,600,000 • FedExCup Points: 500
Web.com Tour: Rust-Oleum Championship • June 7-10, 2018 • Ivanhoe Club • Ivanhoe, Ill. • Purse: $600,000
PGA Tour Champions: Principal Charity Classic • June 8-10, 2018 • Wakonda Club • Des Moines, Iowa • Purse: $1,750,000
Mackenzie Tour:Bayview Place DCBank Open • June 7-10, 2018 • Uplands Golf Club • Victoria, British Columbia • Purse: $200,000
PGA Tour China:Guilin Championship • June 7-10, 2018 • Guilin Landscape Golf Club • Kinming, China • Purse: ???
Adams Pro Tour:Cooper Communities NWA Charity Classic • June 6-9, 2018 • Bella Vista Village • Bella Vista, Ark. • Purse: $145,000