Georgia Tech #ProJackets Golf Report

THE FLATS – Matt Kuchar posts best major finish at Bethpage Black … Vincent Whaley stays steady, Chris Petefish makes cut on Web.com Tour … U.S. Open sectional qualifiers on the horizon … Five Yellow Jackets advance from U.S. Open local qualifiers … more in this week’s #ProJackets Report.

Matt Kuchar has not enjoyed much success in two previous major championships at the Black Course in Bethpage State Park, missing the cut in U.S. Open championships held there in 2002 and 2009. But the nine-time PGA Tour winner played consistently well last weekend, tying for eighth place in his 11th PGA Championship start, match or beating par in three of four rounds and closing with a 69 to finish at 1-over-par 281.

It was the 104^th top-10 finish in Kuchar’s career, 12^th in a major championship and his seventh of 2018-19, keeping his position at the top of the FedEx Cup points race. The victory by Brooks Koepka, however, drew the former Florida state All-American to within 254 points.

Chesson Hadley and Richy Werenski, who earned spots in the PGA Championship field but missed the cut, continue action this weekend, along with Ollie Schniederjans, at one of the PGA Tour’s oldest events, the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

Hate to be missing the @PGAChampionship at Bethpage this year. Been dealing with a back issue for a few months. Slow process but hope to be out playing again before too long.

— Stewart Cink (@stewartcink) May 16, 2019

"It has disappeared. Not into the bunker, but in the hole."@CicioCastro dunked it for an ace at Bethpage in the 2012 @TheNTGolf. 🎯#TOURVault pic.twitter.com/hTgz3C8tsU

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 14, 2019

Web.com Tour:  Vincent Whaley maintained his position in the Web.com Tour points race at No. 14 with a 18^th-place tie at last weekend’s Knoxville Open, posting an 8-under-par score of 276. Chris Petefish, who earned a spot for the second time this spring via Monday qualifying, tied for 37^th with a 5-under-par score of 279.

J.T. Griffin, Paul Haley II and Nicholas Thompson missed the cut, but return to action along with Whaley this week at the Evans Scholars Invitational in Glenview, Ill.

U.S. Open qualifying: Ten sectional qualifiers for the U.S. Open will take place around the country Monday, June 3, to fill out the 156-player field for the 119^th championship, which takes place June 13-16 at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif. One of those sectional qualifiers will be contested at Hawks Ridge Golf Club in Ball Ground, Ga.

Five Georgia Tech players, two past, two present and one future, made it through local U.S. Open local qualifiers. Griffin tied for fourth place (67) at Marietta (Ga.) Country Club to advance, current sophomore Noah Norton was the medalist (67) at his qualifier in Chico, Calif., and Tyler Strafaci was co-medalist (66) at his qualifier in Plantation, Fla. Incoming freshman Andy Mao won the local qualifier Thursday at Whitewater Creek in Fayetteville, Ga., while Petefish won the qualifier in Jackson, Tenn.

Kuchar, as a two-time champion and among the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking, and Stewart Cink, due to his T-4 finish at the 2018 PGA Championship, are among 76 players currently exempt into the U.S. Open field.

Players not currently in the field can still become fully exempt by being a multiple winner of a PGA Tour event that awards a full-point allocation for the season-ending Tour Championship or by being in the top 60 of the OWGR as of Monday, June 10.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• PGA Tour:  Charles Schwab Challenge • May 23-26, 2019 • Colonial Country Club • Fort Worth, Texas • Purse: $7,300,000 • FedExCup Points: 500
• Web.com Tour:  Evans Scholars Invitational • May 23-26, 2019 • The Glen Club • Glenview, Ill. • Purse: $550,000
• PGA Tour Champions:  KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship • May 23-26, 2019 • Oak Hill Country Club • Rochester, N.Y. • Purse: $3,250,000
• Mackenzie Tour:  Canada Life Open • May 23-26, 2019 • Point Grey Golf and Country Club • Vancouver, British Columbia • Purse: n/a
• PGA Tour China:  Nantong Championship • May 23-26, 2019 • Nantong Yangtze River Golf Club • Nantong, Jiangsu
• All Pro Tour:  Bravado Wireless Real Okie Championship • May 21-24, 2019 • Muscogee Country Club • Muscogee, Okla. • Purse: $125,000
• SwingThought Tour:  Ravisloe Club • May 30-31, 2019 • Homewood, Ill.
• G Pro Tour:  Biggs Classic • May 23-25, 2019 • The Sound Golf Links • Hertford, N.C.