THE FLATS – Seth Reeves, Cameron Tringale challenge for Sanderson Farms title with career-low rounds … Chesson Hadley’s big leap back to competition … Andy Ogletree plays before home crowd five months after hip surgery … Two more Jackets make it to second stage of Korn Ferry Q-School … More details below in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.
*****
REEVES, TRINGALE CHALLENGE FOR SANDERSON FARMS TITLE
Still seeking his first PGA Tour victory in his 311th career start, Cameron Tringale knocked on the door once more last weekend, tying his career-low score of 62 in the third round of the Sanderson Farms Championship, carding six birdies and two eagles. He temporarily held the lead on Saturday, but he shot 1-under-par 71 Sunday to fall back into a tie for 11th place (270, -18)
Seth Reeves, in just his second PGA Tour season, also had a fleeting moment atop the leaderboard Saturday after posting a career-low 63 with eight birdies and an eagle. Reeves followed that with a 69 Sunday to tie for eighth place at 269 (-19), his second-best finish on the PGA Tour behind his T7 at the 2018 Sanderson Farms Championship.
Tringale and Reeves needed just 23 putts each in their Saturday rounds.
Tringale, who has more than $14 million in career earnings on the PGA Tour, still holds the distinction of having the most starts without a victory of any active Tour member since 2009.
Five of the six Yellow Jackets in the Sanderson Farms field played the weekend, as Chesson Hadley tied for 45th, Andy Ogletree tied for 51st playing in his home state, and Vincent Whaley tied for 65th.
T27 ➡️ 1st@CamTringale matches his career-low round and takes the lead @Sanderson_Champ. pic.twitter.com/uOI25CFFh3
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 2, 2021
Career-low round gives @Seth_Reeves the co-lead @Sanderson_Champ. pic.twitter.com/2TBRW7axFN
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 2, 2021
*****
HADLEY MIXES IN HALL OF FAME INDUCTION WITH GOLF
Chesson Hadley needed golf’s version of a Hail Mary to keep his PGA TOUR card last season.
He hopes he won’t need it this time around.
“Last season was not a great ball-striking year, unfortunately,” said Hadley, 34, who made his second start of the new season at the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Miss.
While he probably won’t start in earnest until after Thanksgiving, the 2014 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year is embarking on some changes to shore up those tee-to-green deficiencies. He began working with a new swing coach, Raleigh-based Chase Duncan, 37, in early August.
“I like to try to keep it as simple as possible,” Duncan said. “Initially I’ll help him understand his current pattern, and we’ll work on the takeaway, getting a good feel for the clubface coming back. Not big changes. I’ve been impressed how much he likes to eat for such a skinny guy.”
Indeed, Hadley’s feast-or-famine 2021 suggests he’s not far away. Although he ranked 169th in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green last season, he was 11th in SG: Putting and very nearly won. At the Palmetto Championship at Congaree in June, he was the 54-hole leader by four but bogeyed the last three holes to lose to young South African Garrick Higgo by a shot.
Last weekend, he didn’t let his effort to better compete get in the way of being at Georgia Tech Friday night to be inducted into the Georgia tech Sports Hall of Fame. After firing opening rounds of 69-69, he flew to Atlanta, participated in the induction ceremony and flew right back to Jackson, where he shot 67-73 on the weekend to tie for 45th.
*****
FIVE MONTHS AFTER HIP SURGERY, OGLETREE MAKES HIS MOVE AT SANDERSON FARMS
Five months after hip surgery, Andy Ogletree charged up the leaderboard during the first round of the Sanderson Farms Championship on Thursday.
The Union High School graduate and Little Rock native shot 5-under-par 67 to open the PGA Tour tournament at Country Club of Jackson, putting him in a tie for fifth at the time his round ended. Ogletree followed that with a 69 Friday to make the cut, then stumbled to a 77 Saturday before finishing strong with a 67. His 9-under-par total of 279 tied him for 51st place.
“Regardless of the score, playing pain free that’s most important to me right now,” Ogletree said. “It’s kind of freed me up, I mean, I don’t really have any expectations. This is my first PGA Tour event in six months. Obviously, I’m pleased with the start, but I’m more happy to be pain-free and just to be playing golf.”
The Sanderson Farms Championship was the tournament Ogletree had aimed to make his return to golf after a few months of rehab. It was a homecoming of sorts for the 23-year-old, who left his home state for Georgia Tech after high school and went on to win the 2019 U.S. Amateur. After his media session, he was welcomed by two lines of supporters, whom he greeted.
More from the Mississippi Clarion Ledger
*****
TWO MORE JACKETS ADVANCE TO SECOND STAGE OF KORN FERRY Q-SCHOOL
Noah Norton and Chris Petefish both advanced to the second stage of qualifying for the Korn Ferry Tour with solid performances in first-stage events last week.
Petefish finished fifth at Kannapolis, N.C., with a score of 271 (-13) and was among the 20 players who advanced. Norton, who graduated last May and played in a pair of Korn Ferry events last fall, tied for 18th place (277, -11) and was among the 21 who advanced from the qualifier in Dayton, Nev.
Drew Czuchry made it through the first stage of qualifying two weeks ago, tying for 15th place (282, -6) at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club in Valdosta, Ga.
Second stage qualifying takes place at five sites, the first next week (Oct. 12-15) in Brooksville, Fla., and the other four Oct. 19-22.
Complete Q-School schedule with links to leaderboards
*****
RYMER NAMED EXECUTIVE FOR COURSE ATOP LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN
Charlie Rymer, a former Georgia Tech All-American and PGA Tour player who now hosts his own golf show on the CBS Sports Network, has been named executive vice president of the McLemore golf course and resort development atop Lookout Mountain in Walker County, Georgia.
Rymer, a Cleveland, Tenn., native who was raised in Fort Mill, South Carolina, became the first-ever three-time South Carolina Junior Golf Champion and at the age of 17, he won the USGA Junior Amateur Championship, earning a golf scholarship to Georgia Tech where he was a two-time All-American. Rymer spent more than 10 years playing as a professional, winning the 1994 South Carolina Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour.
*****
