THE FLATS – Richy Werenski and Matt Kuchar are moving on to the second stage of the FedEx Cup playoffs this weekend … Five Jackets play the weekend as Ollie Schniederjans and Anders Albertson post strong finishes … More details below in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.
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PGA TOUR UPDATE
Richy Werenski and Matt Kuchar played well enough last weekend to maintain their positions in the top 70 of the FedEx Cup points, but both have work to do in this week’s BMW Championship to make it to Atlanta for the Tour Championship.
Werenski, who finished just two points out of the top 125 last summer and missed the playoffs, has rebounded well from that disappointment to finish 37th this year, well above the cutoff to advance this week. Since the return to golf from the Covid shutdown, Werenski rose from No. 98 in points as high as No. 32 following his first PGA Tour victory at the Barracuda Championship on Aug. 2. Werenski finished 68th at last weekend’s Northern Trust, played about 90 minutes from his hometown of South Hadley, Mass., posting rounds of 75-74 on the weekend after opening with rounds of 69-67.
Kuchar sits at 55th in points after his tie for 18th last weekend at The Northern Trust, a solid weekend in which he shot 69-69-66-68, but could need a top-5 finish this week at Olympia Fields Country Club in suburban Chicago to lift himself into the Tour Championship. He has made it to East Lake nine of the last 10 years. Since the tour schedule resumes, Kuchar has missed two cuts in seven events, and last weekend was his highest finish.
Cameron Tringale enjoyed a strong weekend by tying for 29th place (274, -10), but advanced just five positions to 82nd in points and saw his 2020 season come to an end.
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KORN FERRY TOUR UPDATE
Ollie Schniederjans continues his rebound from a lost 2019 season on the PGA Tour, posting a 10th place finish last weekend at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship at Columbus, Ohio, while his Georgia Tech teammate Anders Albertson finished 14th.
Schniederjans posted an 8-under-par total of 284 at the Ohio State University Scarlet Course, edging ahead to 32nd in Korn Ferry points, while Albertson shot 278 (-6) and jumped to No. 70. Albertson closed with a bogey-free round of 67 on Sunday, while Schniederjans birdied five holes on the back nine to shoot 68.
J.T. Griffin posted his best performance of the post-pandemic schedule, a tie for 37th, while Seth Reeves tied for 45th and Paul Haley II tied for 58th. Reeves sits at No. 22 in points, while Haley is 26th.
The wrap-around season continues this week with the Korn Ferry Tour Championship in Newburgh, Ind., which does not signal the end of the season. Five events were added to the end of the 2020 schedule in the wake of the shutdown, and the season continues through this time next summer.
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LOCALiQ SERIES UPDATE
The LocaliQ Series, the U.S.-based tournament series is designed for members of the PGA Tours in Canada, Latino America and China, resumes this week at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga. Chris Petefish has posted a pair of strong finishes at the first two events, both of which were held in the Alpharetta area, tying for 23rd at the Golf Club of Georgia and seventh at Echelon Golf Club.
The series continued through a season finale event the weekend of Oct. 26-30 at a site to be announced.
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PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS UPDATE
Larry Mize tied for 35th at the Charles Schwab Series Bass ProShops at Big Cedar Lodge event last weekend, only the third event since the senior tour resumed competition. The former Masters champion posted 4-under-par 209 and sits at 51st in Schwab Cup points.
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