THE FLATS – The top-10 machine Matt Kuchar chalks up another one at the Fortinet Championship … Stewart Cink navigates the Silverado Resort hours after scouting trip to Italy with Team USA … More details below in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.
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KUCHAR CONTENDS AT FORTINET CHAMPIONSHIP
One of the most popular players on the PGA Tour is contending in Northern California.
Fresh off a 7-under 65, Matt Kuchar heads into the final round of the Fortinet Championship trailing Sahith Theegala by three strokes.
He did not make a single bogey and made seven birdies, including a chip-in at the par-3 17th.
“It’s an exciting place to be,” Kuchar said when asked about his position on the leaderboard.
“Certainly a great leaderboard, some really good names up there at the top. I’m thrilled to be part of those names and looking forward to having some fun out there. Listen, this is kind of why we all play. You want to have a chance come Sunday, and golf gets a lot more fun when you’ve got a chance to win a tournament on Sunday.”
Kuchar always seems to have fun on the golf course, whether he is in contention or missing the cut. His smile is infectious, his dad jokes are contagious, and seemingly everyone on tour loves him.
Kuchar finished in a tie for seventh place ultimately, after posting a closing 73 on Sunday and securing the 116th top-10 finish of his illustrious career. Vincent Whaley also turned in a solid performance over the weekend, tying for 25th place at 8-under-par 280 to move up 10 positions in the FedEx Cup points race. Six events remain for Whaley and three other Yellow Jackets to climb into the top 125 and keep their PGA Tour status for 2024, including Richy Werenski (No. 144), who tied for 66th, and Paul Haley II (No. 135) and Stewart Cink (No. 166), who both missed the cut. Chesson Hadley sits at No. 122 after tying for 62nd place.
Kuuuuuuuuch!
— Jack Milko (@jack_milko) September 16, 2023
He’s now -7 today, -14 overall and shares a piece of the lead with Sahith Theegala and S.H. Kim!
Love seeing Kuchar play well. One of the fan favorites on tour. pic.twitter.com/o3z7UHBIc6
Kuuuuuuuuch!
He’s now -7 today, -14 overall and shares a piece of the lead with Sahith Theegala and S.H. Kim!
Love seeing Kuchar play well. One of the fan favorites on tour. pic.twitter.com/o3z7UHBIc6
— Jack Milko (@jack_milko) September 16, 2023
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JOHNSON, CINK PLAY DUAL ROLES AT FORTINET CHAMPIONSHIP
Zach Johnson and Stewart Cink were dazed and even a little daffy.
They were doing a press conference at the Fortinet Championship at Silverado Resort in Napa, California, 6,245 miles from Rome. That’s where U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Johnson and Cink, one of his vice-captains, were last weekend for an advance scouting trip, along with nine of the 12 players on the team.
Multi-tasking is the name of the game these days for the two longtime friends, who at Silverado will keep their minds on their own careers – Cink will also play the PGA TOUR Champions’ PURE Insurance Championship next week – while tending to their Ryder Cup duties. For now, that means getting on West Coast time.
Asked about his dual roles, Cink, who calls Napa one of his favorite spots on TOUR, said he’s devised a way to keep them straight. Hint: It involves wine.
“I will be sampling some of the Napa varieties so I can compare it to some of the Italian varieties when we get over there,” he said. “That’s part of my strategy this week to keep my mind compartmentalized.”
He was just getting warmed up.
“I still got to figure out where the holes are,” he said of the rerouted Silverado North. “I know all 18 holes here, but now I don’t know which order they’re going in. Where do I walk after No. 7? I don’t know. I have to probably look at the ropes and the signs to figure all that out. I haven’t played the course yet since I’ve been here.”
