THE FLATS – Ollie Schniederjans was in contention at The Players Championship thanks to a third-round 65 … Stewart Cink to receive Wooden Citizen Cup award … Web.com Tour resumes this week … this and more in the Georgia Tech #ProJackets Golf Report.
Ollie Schniederjans has worked over the past few months to re-tool his entire golf game, taking on a new coach to help re-build his swing and hiring a new caddie among other things. The effort may have begun to produce results as the former Tech All-American and world No. 1 amateur posted his top finish of the 2018-19 season at The Players. Schniederjans tied for 16th place, putting himself into contention with a third-round 65 (see post-round interview below), and he held a share of the lead for a period of time on the front nine Sunday.
“I realized a year and a half ago that I didn’t have the game I needed to be at the level I wanted to be at,” he told Steve Hummer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution following his 65 Saturday. “I was able to put together some good finishes, but these top players in the world are (finishing in the top 10) in half their tournaments and winning three times a year. And I didn’t feel like I was in a place to play any golf course and do that, and ultimately that’s the place I want to be.”
The performance was the best in a standard stroke-play event for Schniederjans, who has missed seven cuts this year, since his third-place finish at the Waste management Phoenix Open in February of 2018 (he finished fifth in the Barracuda Championship, which uses a modified Stableford scoring system).
Matt Kuchar (T-26) and Richy Werenski (T-47) also played on the weekend at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Fla.
Schniederjans and Werenski travel across the state for this week’s Valspar Championship in Palm Harbor, joining Stewart Cink and Chesson Hadley, who both missed the cut at The Players, as well as Roberto Castro, Seth Reeves and Cameron Tringale, who did not play last weekend.
Meanwhile, Cink has been named the professional recipient of the 2019 Wooden Citizen Cup award, which annually recognizes an outstanding role model at all three levels of organized sports – pro, college and high school. Since turning pro, Stewart Cink has established himself as one of the most popular and philanthropic players on the PGA Tour. In 2017, he was awarded the Payne Stewart Award in recognition of his philanthropic endeavors, his commitment to growing the game, his professionalism, and the distinguished manner in which he embraces the values of golf.
Web.com Tour: By finishing fifth at the LECOM Suncoast Classic in mid-February, J.T. Griffin earned a second start on the Web.com Tour, which resumes in Louisiana this week following a month-long hiatus. Griffin is No. 42 on the Web.com points list, while Vincent Whaley is No. 8 after a strong performance in the early season events. They are both in the field this week at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open along with Paul Haley II and Nicholas Thompson.
FedEx Cup update
- Matt Kuchar (3)
- Chesson Hadley (43)
- Richy Werenski (66)
- Anders Albertson (108)
- Roberto Castro (115)
- Stewart Cink (142)
- Ollie Schniederjans (158)
- Seth Reeves (170)
- Cameron Tringale (179)
UPCOMING EVENTS
PGA Tour: Valspar Championship • March 21-24, 2019 • Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead Course) • Palm Harbor, Fla. • Purse: $6,700,000 • FedExCup Points: 500
Web.com Tour: Chitimacha Louisiana Open • March 21-24, 2019 • Le Triomphe Golf and Country Club • Broussard, La. • Purse: $550,000
PGA Tour Champions: Rapiscan Systems Classic • March 29-31, 2019 • Fallen Oak Golf Club • Biloxi, Miss. • Purse: $1,600,000
Mackenzie Tour: MacKenzie Tour Q-School – USA West 1 • March 26-29, 2019 • Carlton Oaks Country Club • Santee, Ca. • Purse: n/a
PGA Tour China: qualifying events in progress
All (formerly Adams) Pro Tour: Paragon Casino Championship • March 20-23, 2019 • Tamahka Trails Golf Club • Marksville, La. • Purse: $125,000
Swing Thought Tour: Sapelo Hammock Golf Club • March 27-29, 2019 • Shellman Bluff, Ga.
