THE FLATS – Chesson Hadley and Vincent Whaley stay in contention until the final round at Shriners Children’s Open … Cameron Tringale posts LIV top-10 finish in Jeddah … David Duval making push for Charles Schwab Cup playoffs … More details below in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.
*****
HADLEY, WHALEY CONTEND AT SHRINERS CHILDREN’S OPEN
Chesson Hadley and Vince Whaley were poised to make significant gains last weekend in their quest for fully exempt PGA Tour status for 2024, remaining in contention for the championship at the Shriners Children’s Open until the final round.
Hadley remained within striking distance Sunday until the final two holes, firing rounds of 67-66 over the weekend, and finished in a tie for seventh place at 17-under-par 267. Whaley posted 65-69 on the weekend, but was unable to keep up with the leaders on Sunday, tying for 13th place for his best finish since a fifth-place showing at the 2022 Barbasol Championship. Hadley has finished higher in only one event in 2023 (T6 at the Barracuda Championship).
Hadley was able to advance five spots to No. 122 in FedEx Cup points, while Whaley is now at No. 184. Tech’s other three competitors – Stewart Cink, Paul Haley II and Richy Werenski – all missed the cut and remain outside the top 125.
The next three events on the FedEx Fall Schedule are outside the United States before the PGA Tour wraps up for 2023 with the RSM Classic Nov. 16-19 at Sea Island, Ga. Only Hadley is in the field for this week’s ZOZO Championship in Chiba, Japan.
Shriners Children’s Open Leaderboard
Driving the green with authority!@ChessonHadley knocks it close on the drivable par-4 15th @ShrinersOpen. pic.twitter.com/KX4mSONQsM
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 14, 2023
*****
TRINGALE SCORES ANOTHER TOP-10 FINISH ON LIV
Cameron Tringale posted his fourth top-10 finish last weekend with a tie for ninth place at the LIV Golf Invitational in Jeddah, posting a 10-under-par total of 200. Tringale has finished 13th or better in nine of 13 events in 2023, accumulating more than $6 million.
*****
DUVAL MAKES RUN AT SCHWAB CUP PLAYOFFS
David Duval is finally back in a post-season playoff in golf.
The Jacksonville native birdied the final hole last week at the SAS Championship in Cary, N.C., on a 5-foot putt to finish in a tie for 11th and move from 78th on the PGA Tour Champions Charles Schwab Cup money list to 71st with $171,001, inside the top-72 that advanced to this week’s Dominion Energy Charity Classic in Richmond, Va., the first leg of the three-tournament Schwab Cup playoffs.
Duval shot 8-under 208 at the Prestonwood Country Club, seven shots behind winner Rod Pampling. He birdied three of his last six holes and shot 71 in the final round, after rounds of 68-69.
“With the way the year has gone, I haven’t gotten to play as much as I wanted to,” Duval said after the round. “So, I shouldn’t be in that position [needing a birdie on the final hole to qualify]. All the work is starting to pay off. I’m starting to see some results, starting to see the golf ball do what I want it to do. That’s what I do it for, controlling the golf ball and I feel like I’m in control of it again.”
More from the Florida Times-Union
With his season on the line, @david59duval battled back @SASChampionship to earn his spot into the Schwab Cup Playoffs.
He’s into @DECCGolf as No. 71 on the standings. https://t.co/jwgi3vTjGH pic.twitter.com/gKU1Icg1B8
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) October 15, 2023
