THE FLATS – Six Yellow Jackets in the field for the PGA Tour regular season finale in Greensboro, N.C. this weekend … Kuchar, Tringale both assured of making the FedEx Cup playoffs and will take the week off … more in this week’s #ProJackets Report.
The last stop in the PGA Tour’s regular season comes this weekend at the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C., which represents the last chance for some of the nine Yellow Jackets on the PGA Tour to maintain their status.
Six former Jackets are in the field this weekend at the Wyndham, and only one of them, North Carolina native Chesson Hadley (77th in the FedEx Cup race) is assured of playing next week when the playoffs begin. Richy Werenski sits just two spots outside the top 125, while Roberto Castro is No. 141. Both need high finishes to not only advance to the playoffs but to maintain their PGA Tour status for 2019-20.
Anders Albertson (No. 170), Stewart Cink (No. 177) and Seth Reeves (No. 188) need something close to a victory to leap into the top 125. Ollie Schniederjans, who is No. 180, is not in the field for the Wyndham. PGA Tour players who finish No. 126-200 can regain their cards through the Korn Ferry Tour finals.
Meanwhile, Matt Kuchar will enter the playoffs no higher than No. 3 in FedEx Cup points, comfortably in position to win the FedEx Cup title. After holding the top spot most of the 2018-19 season, the two-time winner was overtaken in the last two weeks by Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy.
Cameron Tringale, like Kuchar, is not in the field this week but has ridden a strong run of play in June and July to rise to No. 95 in FedEx Cup points and is assured of keeping his card for 2019-20.
Tringale, who will enter the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in October, tied for 18th last weekend at the Barracuda Championship, flirting with the lead after 54 holes. It was his fifth top-25 finish in his last eight events, worth a jump of 49 positions in the FedEx Cup race and allowing him to avoid the Korn Ferry finals route to keep his card for the first time in three years.
Werenski (41st) and Reeves (48th) were the only other Jackets to make the cut at the Barracuda last weekend.
Korn Ferry Tour (formerly Web.com Tour): With two events remaining in the regular season, Vincent Whaley remains the only former Yellow Jacket in position to earn a PGA Tour card for 2018-19, sitting at No. 20 in Korn Ferry Tour points after tying for 56th last weekend at the Price Cutter Charity Championship. The top 25 in points at the end of the regular season are awarded PGA Tour privileges for next season, while the top 75 maintain their status on the Korn Ferry Tour and play in the Finals. Paul Haley II, who missed the cut last weekend, sits at No. 70 on the points list.
Nicholas Thompson, who tied for 32nd at the Price Cutter, ranks No. 96, while J.T. Griffin (T-58 at PCCC) is No. 114.
Elsewhere: Larry Mize tied missed the cut (149, +9) at the Senior Open Championship last weekend in Lancashire, England, and stands 80th in Charles Schwab Cup points. The PGA Tour Champions is off until Aug. 16-18 … Shun Yat Hak tied for 56th at last weekend’s weather-shortened Dongguan Open and sits 48th in the PGA Tour China Order of Merit … Chris Petefish earned $7,625 by tying for fourth place last weekend at the CoBank Colorado Open in Denver, Colo., a state open championship that attracts some name pros because of its $100,000 first prize. Petefish shot 17-under-par 271, seven strokes behind PGA Tour pro Sam Saunders. The 2018 graduate has made starts this year on the Korn Ferry and MacKenzie Tours … Michael Pisciotta tied for 32nd at the Texarkana Children’s Charities Open on the All Pro Tour, winning $905 for his first check on that tour. James Clark missed the cut.
