THE FLATS – J.T. Griffin and Vincent Whaley both finished in the top 10 at last weekend’s Web.com Tour event … Matt Kuchar was the only Yellow Jacket to make the cut at the Genesis Open … more in the Georgia Tech #ProJackets Golf Report.
A week after moving to the top of the FedEx Cup points list, Matt Kuchar tied for 28th place at the Genesis Open and was the only one of four Yellow Jackets in the field to make the cut. He birdied three straight holes to finish his final round for a 71 and posted a 4-under-par total of 280, dropping to No. 2 in the points list. Anders Albertson, Seth Reeves and Ollie Schniederjans all missed the cut in Los Angeles last weekend.
Winner of the Sony Open and the Mayakoba Golf Classic already this season, Kuchar also has a tie for fourth at the Waste Management Phoenix Open on his resume. Kuchar’s top finish in FedEx Cup points in his 19-year career has been No. 2 in 2013. He has already earned nearly $1.2 million more than all of last season.
No. 22 in this week’s Official World Golf Ranking, Kuchar is the only former Jacket in the field for the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship this weekend in Mexico City.
Schniederjans is back in action this week to play in the Puerto Rico Open along with Roberto Castro and Cameron Tringale, as well as a pair of part-time Tour competitors in David Duval and Troy Matteson. Duval makes his second start this season after missing the cut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, while Matteson is making his first start this season after appearing in seven events in 2018.
Web.com Tour: J.T. Griffin got his opportunity to play on the Web.com Tour last year by Monday qualifying, and it appears he is taking a similar route this season. The 2011 Tech graduate made the field for last week’s LECOM Suncoast Classic in Florida in a Monday qualifier, and made the most of it by finishing fifth, a career-best finish which earned him a start at the next event when the tour resumes in March. After firing rounds of 63-65 to grab the 36-hole lead, Griffin shot 71-69 on the weekend to finish at 268 (-20), six shots off the lead and good for a $20,000 payday, almost as much as he earned in six starts last year. The performance put him at No. 42 in the current Web.com points list. Last year, Griffin wound up making six starts on the circuit, but was unable to secure his card for 2019 via qualifying school.
Rookie Vincent Whaley rebounded from his first missed cut to tie for seventh at the LECOM event, holding his No. 8 position in the points standings. The 2017 Tech graduate shot 67-68-67-70 and finished at 16-under-par 272. He has two top-10 finishes in five events and more than $86,000 in earnings.
UPCOMING EVENTS
- PGA Tour: Puerto Rico Open • February 21-24, 2019 • Coco Beach Golf and Country Club • Rio Grande, P.R. • Purse: $3,000,000 • FedExCup Points: 300
- World Golf Championships: Mexico Championship • February 21-24, 2019 • Club de Golf Chapultepec • Mexico City, Mexico. • Purse: $10,250,000 • FedExCup Points: 550
- Web.com Tour: Chitimacha Louisiana Open • March 21-24, 2019 • Le Triomphe Golf and Country Club • Broussard, La. • Purse: $550,000
- PGA Tour Champions: Cologuard Classic • March 1-3, 2019 • Omni Tucson International • Tucson, Ariz. • Purse: $1,700,000
- 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.
