THE FLATS – Former winner Stewart Cink leads a full complement of Yellow Jackets in the season-opening PGA Tour event in wine country, the Fortinet Championship … Trio of Yellow Jackets competing in the season-ending Fortinet Cup Championship on PGA Tour Canada … Will Dickson, Ben Smith tee it up in first stage of Korn Ferry Tour Q-School … More details below in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.
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FULL JACKET CONTINGENT TEEING IT UP IN NAPA
All seven of Georgia Tech’s PGA Tour members are in the field this week as the Tour begins its 2022-23 season at the Fortinet Championship in Napa, Calif. The Silverado Resort is the site of Stewart Cink’s return to the winner’s circle two years ago (known then as the Safeway Open), which was the first of two Tour wins in 2020-21.
Former Tech All-Americans Troy Matteson (2009) and Bryce Molder (2011) also have won this event during its 15-year history.
Paul Haley II, who finished third in the Korn Ferry Tour regular-season standings, returns to PGA Tour competition for the first time since 2013 after posting six top-10 finishes and a victory in the Memorial Health Championship during the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour season. Anders Albertson, who won the Visit Knoxville Open and finished 25th on the Korn Ferry Tour points list in 2022, is back for the first time since 2018.
Cink, Chesson Hadley, Matt Kuchar, Richy Werenski and Vincent Whaley are also in the field for the season-opening event.
Five things to know about the 2022-23 season
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SCHNIEDERJANS, GRIFFIN, STRAFACI CLOSE OUT CANADIAN TOUR SEASON
Luke Schniederjans, J.T. Griffin and Tyler Strafaci are among the top 60 players in the Fortinet Cup standings who qualified to play in the Fortinet Cup Championship, which takes place this weekend at Deer Ridge Golf Club in Kitchener, Ontario. With an increased purse of $225,000 and additional Fortinet Cup points available—600 to the winner vs. the traditional 500—much remains on the line as the PGA TOUR Canada season comes to a conclusion. Here are thumbnail looks at the Yellow Jackets who qualified for the season-ending tournament.
- Fortinet Cup Position: 25
- Tournaments Played: 9
- Cuts Made: 8
- Best Finish: Sixth (GolfBC Championship)
- Season Highlight: He used four rounds in the 60s at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf Club in Kelowna, British Columbia, to finish alone in sixth for his first top-10 of the season.
- Fortinet Cup Position: 40
- Tournaments Played: 8
- Cuts Made: 4
- Best Finish: T5 (Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates)
- Season Highlight: His second top-10 of the season came when he shot a final-round, 8-under 63 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in late-July to tie for fifth. It was his low round of the season.
- Fortinet Cup Position: 59
- Tournaments Played: 9
- Cuts Made: 4
- Best Finish: T11 (GolfBC Championship)
- Season Highlight: By virtue of his tie for 11th, after a 65-66-67 final 54 holes, he moved from 86th in the Fortinet Cup standings to snag the second-to-last playing spot in the Fortinet Cup Championship.
A look at the full field – PGATour.com
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DICKSON TUNES UP FOR KORN FERRY Q-SCHOOL
Will Dickson tuned up for his first stage of Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School last week by finishing third at the Augusta Open, a G Pro Tour event in which he posted an 18-under-par score of 198. Dickson won the G Pro Tour Championship in the 2022 season, his first as a professional, winning two events on the circuit.
Dickson and fellow 2021 Tech graduate Ben Smith are in the field for the first stage even in the Korn Ferry Q-school this week at The Club at Irish Creek in Kannapolis, N.C.
Back in action! Nice 63 today @will_dicksongt to close out the @GProTour Augusta Open.
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Nice momentum for next week’s @KornFerryTour Q. We’re on to Charlotte… pic.twitter.com/pAsMrgZOMV
— Keith Stewart (@KJStewartpga) September 9, 2022
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