THE FLATS – It’s FedEx Playoff time on the PGA Tour, and Richy Werenski, Matt Kuchar and Cameron Tringale are set to begin with the top 125 players this weekend at The Northern Trust … Paul Haley II and Seth Reeves have strong performance at the Albertsons Boise Open … Chris Petefish off to solid start in new international series … More details below in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.
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PGA TOUR UPDATE
Richy Werenski, Matt Kuchar and Cameron Tringale have qualified to begin the FedEx Cup playoffs which begin with The Northern Trust this weekend at the TPC Boston in Norton, Mass. All three skipped last weekend’s Wyndham Championship.
The playoffs have been trimmed from four to three events in the revamped schedule created after the Covid-19 shutdown. The top 125 in FedEx Cup points compete this weekend, with the top 70 that emerge from the event playing next weekend at the BMW Championship outside of Chicago. As usual, the top 30 come to Atlanta for the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
Werenski, at No. 41 in FedEx Cup points and the only Tech alum with a victory this year, and Kuchar, at No. 63, are currently in position to advance to the BMW Championship, while Tringale would need a high finish to do so. None are currently in position to advance to the Tour Championship; Kuchar has made it to Atlanta nine of the past 10 years.
PGA Tour rookie Vincent Whaley wrapped up the shortened 2019-20 regular season with his third-highest finish of the year, a tie for 37th at the Wyndham Championship with an 8-under-par score of 272. He finished 183rd in FedEx Cup points, outside the top 125 needed to retain full status for 2020-21. Chesson Hadley also had a solid weekend, tying for 51st at 6-under 274, but needed a top-10 finish to jump into the top 125 and play this weekend. He maintained his position at No. 136 and retains more limited playing status. Veteran Tour pro Stewart Cink also was unable to make a jump in the last regular-season event, missing the cut and finishing at No. 144.
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KORN FERRY TOUR UPDATE
Two former Yellow Jackets remain in the top 25 of the Korn Ferry Tour points list as the tour’s wrap-around season continues.
Paul Haley II posted his third-highest finish of the 2020 season, a tie for 11th at the Albertsons Boise Open (268, -16), and edged up to No. 24, while Seth Reeves tied for 18th (269, -15) and dropped two spots to No. 20. Both players finished strong, Haley firing a 66 Sunday and Reeves closing with a 64. Reeves has made only two cuts in eight events since the return to golf, the second one Sunday and the other a win at the Pinnacle Bank Championship two weeks ago. He shot 64 on Sunday in both events.
Nicholas Thompson tied for 48th, his second highest finish of the year.
Three other Tech players missed the cut, including Ollie Schniederjans, who sits No. 33 in the points list, Anders Albertson (No. 83) and J.T. Griffin (No. 53).
The tour comes back East this week to Columbus, Ohio for the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, with all six Yellow Jackets in the field.
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LOCALiQ SERIES UPDATE
Chris Petefish continued his strong play on the new LocaliQ Series last weekend at Echelon Golf Club in Alpharetta, tying for seventh place after posting a T-23 the week before at the Golf Club of Georgia. Petefish opened with a 7-under 65 to take the first-round lead and finished 71-68. James Clark missed the cut in both events. Former Clemson star Bryson Nimmer won both tournaments.
The U.S.-based tournament series is designed for members of the PGA Tours in Canada, Latino America and China. The series continues Aug. 26-28 at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Aug. 31-Sept. 3 in Auburn, Ala., Sept. 22-25 in Jacksonville, Fla., Sept. 29-Oct. 2 in Lady Lake, Fla., and Oct. 6-9 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A season finale event will be held Oct. 26-30 at a site to be announced.
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PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS UPDATE
Larry Mize tied for 48th at the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship, only the second event since the senior tour resumed competition. The former Master champion is tied for 47th in the Charles Schwab points list.
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CHESSON HADLEY ELECTED TO GEORGIA TECH SPORTS HALL OF FAME
PGA Tour veteran Chesson Hadley has been elected to the Class of 2020 for the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame, joining six other distinguished Yellow Jacket student-athletes and coaches. A first-team All-American by Golfweek, and a second-team choice by the Golf Coaches Association of America in 2008, Hadley earned All-America honors in three of his four years on the Flats, was named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference team in 2008 and 2010. Hadley became a first-team All-American in 2008 after winning the Carpet Capital Collegiate, posting five top-10 finishes and five other top-20 showings, after earning honorable mention All-America honors as a freshman in 2007. Hadley won the ACC individual championship as a senior in 2010 and went on to earn honorable mention All-America honors again. Over his Tech career, the Raleigh, N.C., native posted 11 top-10 finishes in 36 events. He won the ACC title in 2010 after finishing T-9, T-20 and T-3 his first three years, and helped the Jackets win three team titles. In four NCAA regionals, Hadley finished seventh, T-12, T-30 and T-8. He tied for fourth at the NCAA Championship as a freshman and 14th as a senior, helping the Jackets advance to match play, and he helped Tech finish eighth, 10th and third in stroke play at the NCAA Championship during his career. Internationally, Hadley was selected to play for Team USA in the 2008 Palmer Cup. He turned pro following his senior year and has been a member of the PGA Tour since 2014.
