THE FLATS – Matt Kuchar is back in the winner’s circle with four-shot triumph in Hawai’i … Web.com Tour season underway in The Bahamas with three former Jackets competing … This and more in the Georgia Tech #ProJackets Golf Report.
Matt Kuchar got a four-year monkey off his back in November when he captured the champion’s trophy at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico, his eighth career PGA Tour victory. But it took him only two more starts to pick up victory No. 9. The former Georgia Tech All-American, with the exception of the front nine in Sunday’s final round, went wire-to-wire to become a multiple winner for the first time since 2013.
Kuchar took control of the tournament with opening rounds of 63-63, tying his career-low 36-hole score, then finished 54 holes with a four-stroke lead after posting a 66 on Saturday. He ran into some trouble Sunday, making bogey three times in his first five holes to fall two shots behind runner-up Andrew Putnam. But Kuchar pulled even with birdies at 9 and 10, then took the lead for good with another birdie at 12. He made three more birdies on the back nine (15, 16, 18) to pull away.
- Kuchar won his ninth PGA TOUR event in his 430th career start on TOUR and moved from ninth to second in the FedExCup standings. It is the first time since week 33 of the 2013 PGA TOUR season where he has ranked inside the top two of the FedExCup.
- Since 2009 Kuchar is the seventh player to win on the PGA TOUR after opening with two consecutive rounds of 63 or lower and first since Jason Day (2015 BMW Championship). Kuchar’s 258 total score marks a career-best and ties the 10th-best on the PGA TOUR in 72-hole stroke play events.
- Kuchar is the 103rd player with 100 or more top 10s in official PGA TOUR events and just the fifth player to reach this mark since 2001.
- 4Kuchar ranked inside the top 10 in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green and Strokes Gained: Putting, becoming the fifth Sony Open in Hawaii Champion to accomplish this feat since 2004.
- Almost three quarters (74-percent) of Kuchar’s total strokes gained for the week came from his approach the green and putting performance. Kuchar hit a field leading 83.33-percent of the greens in regulation, averaging 29 feet, 6 inches in proximity to the hole on all approach shots which was 5 feet, 2 inches closer than the field average. Kuchar made 63.64-percent of his putts from 10 to 15 feet (seven of 11) and each of his made putts were birdies from this distance.
Another former Georgia Tech All-American, Stewart Cink, had a standout weekend of his own at the Sony Open, firing an 8-under-par 62 in Friday’s second round on the way to a tie for 20th place (11-under-par 269). Cink improved to 84th in FedEx Cup points.
Clearly, both of Tech’s veteran PGA Tour players enjoy playing Waialae Country Club, as Cink attests in this Golf Digest story, and Kuchar even referred to his two-tournament stay in Hawai’i a “working vacation” and will stay there two more weeks to vacation with his family before resuming competition.
Neither Kuchar nor Cink will be in the field this week when the PGA Tour begins its West Coast Swing with the Desert Classic in LaQuinta, Calif. But the other seven Yellow Jacket alumni on the Tour will be there. Rookie Anders Albertson (No. 62 in FedEx Cup points) will make his first 2019 start along with Chesson Hadley (No. 24), Richy Werenski (No. 27), Roberto Castro (No. 101) and Cameron Tringale (No. 182). Rookie Seth Reeves and fourth-year pro Ollie Schniederjans, both of whom missed the cut at the Sony Open, also will compete this week.
Web.com Tour/Champions Tour begin this week: With the PGA Tour two events into its calendar 2019 schedule, the Web.com Tour and the PGA Tour Champions both get underway this week. Paul Haley and Vincent Whaley, based on their 2018 qualifying school performances, are guaranteed eight starts as rookies on the Web.com Tour, which began Monday with the Great Exuma Classic, the first of two events scheduled in the Bahamas. Larry Mize, who finished 65th in the Schwab Cup points standings in 2018, is set to begin his 12th season on the Champions Tour in the Mitsubishi Electric Championship this weekend on the Big Island of Hawai’i.
UPCOMING EVENTS
- PGA Tour: Desert Classic • January 17-20, 2019 • Stadium Course • LaQuinta, Calif. • Purse: $5,900,000 • FedExCup Points: 500
- Web.com Tour: The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic • January 20-23, 2019 • The Abaco Club on Winding Bay • Great Abaco, Bahamas • Purse: $600,000
- PGA Tour Champions: Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai • January 17-19, 2019 • Hualalai Golf Club • Ka’upulehu-Kona, Hawai’i • Purse: $1,800,000
- Mackenzie Tour: MacKenzie Tour Q-School – Central • February 26-March 1, 2019 • TPC San Antonio • San Antonio, Texas • Purse: n/a
- PGA Tour China: three global qualifying tournaments set for February and March
- All (formerly Adams) Pro Tour: Coke Dr. Pepper Open • March 13-16, 2019 • Oak Wing Golf Club • Alexandria, La. • Purse: $150,000
- G Pro Tour: The Fox Club • March 5-6, 2019 • Palm City, Fla.
Still here.
This is just the beginning for Matt Kuchar. pic.twitter.com/2cMAoBQ1UR
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 14, 2019
| PLAYER | LAST WEEK | SEASON STATS | ||
 | ANDERS ALBERTSON Woodstock, Ga. Turned pro: 2015 Career earnings: $332,293 Years at Georgia Tech: 2011-15 High School: Etowah Status: PGA Tour | Last Week did not play n/a | 2018 Money rank 50 Earnings $321,013 | |
 | ROBERTO CASTRO Alpharetta, Ga. Turned pro: 2007 Career earnings: $6,805,978 Years at Georgia Tech: 2003-07 High School: Milton Status: PGA Tour | Last Week did not play n/a | 2018 Money Rank 101 Earnings $212,593 | |
 | STEWART CINK Duluth, Ga. Turned pro: 1995 Career earnings: $37,521,778 Years at Georgia Tech: 1991-95 High School: Bradshaw (Florence, Ala.) Status: PGA Tour | Last Week T-20 68-62-70-69—269 (-11) | 2018 FedEx Cup Rank 84 Earnings $219,265 | |
 | 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 did not play n/a | Money rank 29 (G Pro) Earnings $9,832 | |
 | 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 | 2018 FedEx Cup Rank n/a Earnings n/a | |
 | J.T. GRIFFIN Wilson, N.C. Turned pro: 2011 Career earnings: $31,798 Years at Georgia Tech: 2007-11 High School: Fike Status: Web.com Tour | Last Week did not play n/a | Money rank n/a Earnings n/a | |
 | CHESSON HADLEY Raleigh, N.C. Turned pro: 2010 Career earnings: $6,950,703 Years at Georgia Tech: 2006-10 High School: North Raleigh Christian Academy Status: PGA Tour | Last Week did not play n/a | 2018 FedEx Cup Rank 24 Earnings $756,793 | |
 | 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 did not play n/a | 2018 Order of Merit 37 Earnings ¥170,385 | |
 | PAUL HALEY Dallas, Texas Turned pro: 2011 Career earnings (Web.com): $348,201 Years at Georgia Tech: 2007-11 High School: Highland Park Status: Web.com Tour | Last Week at Great Exuma Classic n/a | 2018 Money Rank n/a Earnings n/a | |
 | MATT KUCHAR Sea Island, Ga. Turned pro: 2000 Career earnings: $46,263,570 Years at Georgia Tech: 1997-2000 High School: Seminole (Lake Mary, Fla.) Status: PGA Tour | Last Week WON 63-63-66-66—258 (-22) | 2018 FedEx Cup Rank 2 Earnings $2,555,593 | |
 | 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 | 2018 FedEx cup Rank n/a Earnings n/a | |
 | LARRY MIZE Columbus, Ga. Turned pro: 1980 Career earnings: $12,683,811 (PGA + Champions) Years at Georgia Tech: 1975-79 High School: unknown Status: PGA Tour Champions | Last Week did not play n/a | 2018 Schwab Cup Rank n/a Earnings n/a | |
 | CHRIS PETEFISH Danville, Calif. Turned pro: 2018 Career earnings: $4,180 Years at Georgia Tech: 2014-18 High School: Scottsdale [Ariz.] Christian Academy Status: Web.com Tour | Last Week did not play n/a | 2018 Money Rank 30 (G Pro) Earnings $9,834 | |
 | 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 | 2018Money Rank 154 Earnings $700 | |
 | SETH REEVES Duluth, Ga. Turned pro: 2014 Career earnings: $200,854 Years at Georgia Tech: 2010-14 High School: Peachtree Ridge Status: PGA Tour | Last week missed cut 74-72—146 (+6) | 2018 Money rank 109 Earnings $200,854 | |
 | OLLIE SCHNIEDERJANS Powder Springs, Ga. Turned pro: 2015 Career earnings: $3,507,215 Years at Georgia Tech: 2011-15 High School: Harrison Status: PGA Tour | Last Week missed cut 70-73—143 (+3) | 2018 FedEx Cup rank 179 Earnings $39,244 | |
 | NICHOLAS THOMPSON Coral Springs, Fla. Turned pro: 2005 Career earnings (PGA + Web.com): $6,537,666 Years at Georgia Tech: 2001-05 High School: Stoneman Douglas Status: Web.com Tour | Last Week at Great Exuma Classic n/a | 2018 Money Rank n/a Earnings n/a | |
 | CAMERON TRINGALE Laguna Niguel, Calif. Turned pro: 2009 Career earnings: $9,898,427 Years at Georgia Tech: 2005-09 High School: Mission Viejo Status: PGA Tour | Last Week did not play n/a | 2018 FedEx Cup Rank 182 Earnings $27,829 | |
 | RICHY WERENSKI South Hadley, Mass. Turned pro: 2014 Career earnings: $2,593,178 Years at Georgia Tech: 2011-14 High School: Heritage Academy (Hilton Head, S.C.) Status: PGA Tour | Last Week did not play n/a | 2018 FedEx Cup rank 27 Earnings $614,848 | |
 | VINCENT WHALEY Fayetteville, Ga. Turned pro: 2017 Career earnings: $38,025 Years at Georgia Tech: 2013-17 High School: McKinney Boyd Status: Web.com Tour | Last Week at Great Exuma Classic n/a | Money Rank n/a Earnings n/a |
