THE FLATS – Four Yellow Jackets made the cut last weekend at the RSM Classic, which concluded the fall portion of the PGA Tour’s wrap-around schedule … Presidents Cup next for Matt Kuchar … Korn Ferry qualifying finals next for Griffin, Thompson … more in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.
Cameron Tringale led four former Yellow Jackets in playing the weekend at the RSM Classic. The recent Georgia Tech Hall of Fame inductee shot bookend rounds of 64 and 65 and tied for 20th place at 11-under-par, improving to 49th in the FedEx Cup standings.
Stewart Cink (T-43, -7), Chesson Hadley (T-50, -6) and rookie Vincent Whaley (T-65, -3) also picked up paychecks last weekend in Sea Island, Ga.
Richy Werenski, who suffered a broken hand in October and will not tee it up again until January, stands 50th in the FedEx Cup standings, followed by Cink (84), Hadley (112), Kuchar (148), Roberto Castro (182) and Whaley (200).
The PGA Tour now takes a break from official competition until Jan. 2-5 with the Sentry Tournament of Champions on the island of Maui in Hawai’i. Kuchar is entered in the Hero World Challenge, hosted by Tiger Woods, Dec. 4-7 in the Bahamas, and then journeys to Australia for the Presidents Cup Dec. 12-15. Tech is not represented in the QBE Shootout, hosted by Greg Norman, which is the same weekend at the Presidents Cup in Naples, Fla.
Cink has committed, along with Smylie Kaufman, to compete in the Australian PGA on Dec. 19-22 on the Gold Coast. Cink, 46, and Kaufman, 27, will both aim to continue the Presidents Cup rivalry in hope of taking the Joe Kirkwood trophy – Australia’s oldest pro golf trophy – home to the US.
KORN FERRY TOUR
The final stage of the Korn Ferry Tour qualifying school is set for Dec. 12-15 in Winter Garden, Fla., and four former Yellow Jackets will be in the field. J.T. Griffin finished eighth in Dothan, Ala., and Nicholas Thompson tied for 13th at Plantation, Fla., in second stage events to advance to the finals. Ollie Schniederjans and Seth Reeves, who spent the 2018-19 season on the PGA Tour, failed to retain their cards and will be attempting to improve their KFT status with a good performance.
Griffin played in 17 events last year on the Korn Ferry Tour, but finished outside the top 75 in season points which would have qualified him for the Korn Ferry Finals and given him status for 2020. Thompson, who has played a full schedule on the KFT the last two years, is attempting to re-qualify after finishing 93rd in the points ranking in 2019. Petefish has 2020 status on the Mackenzie Tour (PGA Tour Canada), having earned enough money in five events in 2019 to finish 58th on the Order of Merit.
ELSEWHERE
Tuning up for his appearance in the final stage of Korn Ferry Tour qualifying, J.T. Griffin turned in a runner-up finish at last weekend’s Savannah Quarters, the season finale event on the GPro Tour, shooting 10-under-par for 36 holes and earning $2,650.
UPCOMING EVENTS
- PGA Tour: Hero World Challenge • December 4-7, 2019 • Albany Golf Club • New Providence, The Bahamas • FedEx Cup points: 0
- Web.com Tour: Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Final Stage • December 12-15, 2019 • Orange County National • Winter Garden, Fla. • Purse: $1,000,000
- PGA Tour Champions: season ended
- Mackenzie Tour: season ended
- PGA Tour China: no events scheduled
- All Pro Tour: Kingood Island Open • December 9-10, 2019 • The Clubs of Kingwood • Kingwood, Texas
- SwingThought Tour: Brunswick Country Club • December 4-5, 2019 • Brunswick, Ga.
- G Pro Tour: season ended
