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Nissan #ProJackets Golf Report

July 25, 2017

THE FLATS – He came within a whisper of becoming the fourth Georgia Tech alumnus to win the Open Championship, but even in defeat, All-American and seven-time PGA Tour winner Matt Kuchar won a lot of hearts across not only Yellow Jacket nation but the United States and the golf world.

Kuchar began the day three shots behind Speith in second place after carding a 66 on Saturday, and quickly made it a two-man race by shaving two shots off the Texan’s lead in the first two holes. He pulled even and then ahead on the back nine when Speith hit his now-legendary wayward drive on the 13th hole and made bogey. And even though Kuchar shot 2-under-par over the closing stretch, he could not stop Speith from his closing fury. Read the final round recap and see highlights of Kuchar’s round here.

“It’s crushing. It hurts. And it’s an excitement and a thrill to have played well, put up a battle, put up a fight,” Kuchar told the media after he shot a closing 69 and finished three shots behind champion Jordan Speith, who captured his third major title. “You work so hard to get to this position, and to have a chance to make history and win a championship. You don’t get that many opportunities. And to be this close, to taste it with five holes to go, it’s a hard one to sit back and take.”

He would have joined a list of Open champions from Georgia Tech that includes Bobby Jones (1926, 1927, 1930), David Duval (2001) and Stewart Cink (2009), and would have been the fourth to win a major championship (Larry Mize, 1987 Masters).

It was Kuchar’s ninth top-10 finish in a major since 2010, and his 10th second-place finish all time in PGA Tour-sanctioned events. He earned an exemption into next year’s Open at Carnoustie no matter how the rest of his 2016-17 season transpires. But he also boosted his standing in the FedEx Cup from No. 34 to No. 17 (top 30 qualify for Tour Championship), received more than $1 million in prize money and is now over $40 million in career earnings on Tour.

Updated #TheOpen leaderboard:
1. Kuchar -8 (13)
2. Spieth -7 (13)
3. Li -6 (F)https://t.co/PelXOpqpFG pic.twitter.com/KSkBTXJH8Y

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 23, 2017

He’s been waiting patiently and Kuchar just wide with his birdie putt at 13th. He’ll be the new leader.#TheOpen 👉https://t.co/ZBw1iLvFn2

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 23, 2017

Matt Kuchar speaks with Golf Channel’s Steve Sands following his third-round 66.

PGA Tour: Meanwhile, in the PGA Tour’s alternate event in Opelika, Ala., Cameron Tringale (T-6), Richy Werenski (T-18) and Chesson Hadley (T-27) all turned in strong efforts at the Barbasol Championship. It was the third top-10 finish for Tringale this year, moving him from No. 132 to No. 120 in FedEx Cup points. Werenski recorded his third top-20 finish of the year at the venue where he got his first PGA Tour start last year, but dropped from 154 to 155 in points. Hadley has tied for 25th and 27th in his two PGA Tour starts since winning the LECOM Health Challenge on the Web.com Tour three weeks ago.

Tech will have its full eligible contingent of PGA Tour alumni in the field for this week’s RBC Canadian Open in Oakville, Ontario – Castro, Cink, Kuchar, Bryce Molder, Ollie Schniederjans, Tringale and Werenski. With his PGA Tour card locked up for next season, Hadley will take this week off rather than play in the Digital Ally Open in Kansas. Nicholas Thompson is listed as an alternate for the Canadian Open, but is in the field for the Web.com Tour event.

Following an opening-round 65, Cameron Tringale reflects on his play in the 2017 Barbasol Championship.

In the second round of the 2017 Barbasol Championship, Cameron Tringale finishes strong coming down the stretch.

Great to be back @BarbasolPGATOUR which was my first tour event in 2015. @galvingreen gear keeping me cool all week. Onward to 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/SMpJ4IW5C0

Richy Werenski (@werenskir) July 24, 2017

Web.com Tour: Only Anders Albertson (54th in Web.com earnings) played on the weekend at last week’s Pinnacle Bank Championship in Omaha, Neb., tying for 63rd place. Seth Reeves (49th) and Thompson (34th) both missed the cut. All three find themselves needing some top-notch performances in the final five weeks of the regular season to move into the top 25 and earn PGA Tour cards for 2017-18.

PGA Tour Champions: Following the thrilling Open Championship finish, the seniors take center stage across the pond with the Senior Open Championship in Bridgend, Wales, where Larry Mize makes his 16th appearance. Mize, who ranks 49th in the Schwab Cup standings, has tied for 42nd (Regions tradition), tied for 11th (KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship) and tied for 52nd (Masters).

Mackenzie Tour: James White missed his first cut in six events in his rookie season on the tour despite shooting a 1-under-par score for the first 36 holes. The 2012 Tech grad had not finished lower than 28th in any of the prior five events. He has a 69.70 stroke average and ranks 26th in the order of merit. The top five at the end of the regular season, which has six events remaining, earn Web.com Tour status for 2018

UPCOMING EVENTS

PGA Tour: RBC Canadian Open • July 27-30, 2017 • Glen Abbey Golf Club • Oakville, Ontario • Purse: $6,000,000 • FedExCup Points: 500
Web.com Tour: Digital Ally Open • July 27-30, 2017 • Nicklaus Golf Club at Lionsgate • Overland Park, Kan. • Purse: $650,000
PGA Tour Champions: The Senior Open Championship • July 27-30, 2017 • Royal Porthcawl Golf Club • Bridgend, Wales • Purse: $1,700,000
Mackenzie Tour: Syncrude Oil Company Championship • August 3-6, 2017 • Windermere Golf & Country Club • Edmonton, Alberta • $175,000
Swing Thought Tour: The Patriot at Grand Harbor • August 2-5, 2017 • Ninety-Six, S.C.

  PLAYER LAST WEEK SEASON STATS
 ANDERS ALBERTSON
 Woodstock, Ga.
 Turned pro:
2015
 Career earnings: 
$151,201
 Years at Georgia Tech: 2011-15
 High School: Etowah
 Status: Web.com Tour
  Last Week
T-63
71-70-70-70—281 (-3)
 Money rank
54
Earnings
$151,201
 BO ANDREWS
 Raleigh, N.C.
 Turned pro:
2014
 Career earnings: 
n/a
 Years at Georgia Tech: 2010-14
 High School: Fike
 Status: no status
  Last Week
did not play
n/a
 Money rank
n/a
Earnings
n/a
 ROBERTO CASTRO
 Alpharetta, Ga.
 Turned pro:
2007
 Career earnings: 
$6,487,931
 Years at Georgia Tech: 2003-07
 High School: Milton
 Status: PGA Tour
 Last Week
missed cut
76-70—146 (+6)
 FedEx Cup Rank
170
Earnings
$216,708
 STEWART CINK
 Duluth, Ga.
 Turned pro:
1995
 Career earnings: 
$35,140,522
 Years at Georgia Tech: 1991-95
 High School: Bradshaw (Florence, Ala.)
 Status: PGA Tour
 Last Week
missed cut
77-73—150 (+10)
 FedEx Cup Rank
64
Earnings
$1,189,140
 DREW CZUCHRY
 Auburn, Ga.
 Turned pro:
2015
 Career earnings: 
n/a
 Years at Georgia Tech: 2010-14
 High School: home schooled
 Status: Mini-Tours
  Last Week
did not play
n/a
 Money rank
n/a
Earnings
n/a
 DAVID DUVAL
 Denver, Colo.
 Turned pro:
1993
 Career earnings: 
$19,196,243
 Years at Georgia Tech: 1989-93
 High School: Jacksonville (Fla.) Episcopal
 Status: no status
 Last Week
missed cut (Open)
79-72—151 (+11)
 FedEx Cup Rank
n/a
Earnings
n/a
 J.T. GRIFFIN
 Wilson, N.C.
 Turned pro:
2011
 Career earnings: 
$52,151
 Years at Georgia Tech: 2007-11
 High School: Fike
 Status: SwingThought.com
  Last Week
did not play
n/a
  Money rank
n/a
Earnings
n/a
 CHESSON HADLEY
 Raleigh, N.C.
 Turned pro:
2010
 Career earnings (PGA + Web.com): 
$4,188,300 (combined)
 Years at Georgia Tech: 2006-10
 High School: North Raleigh Christian Academy
 Status: Web.com Tour
 Last Week
T-27 (Barbasol Championship)
67-69-69-67—272 (-12)
 Money Rank
4 (207 on PGA Tour)
Earnings
$218,450 ($82,208 on PGA Tour)
 SHUN YAT HAK
 Hong Kong, China
 Turned pro:
2013
 Career earnings: 
¥251,305
 Years at Georgia Tech: 2012-13
 High School: Lake Mary (Fla.) Prep
 Status: PGA Tour China
  Last Week
did not play
n/a
 Money rank
n/a
Earnings
n/a
 MATT KUCHAR
 Sea Island, Ga.
 Turned pro:
2000
 Career earnings: 
$40,836,050
 Years at Georgia Tech: 1997-2000
 High School: Seminole (Lake Mary, Fla.)
 Status: PGA Tour
 Last Week
Runner-up
65-71-66-69—271 (-9)
 FedEx Cup Rank
17
Earnings
$3,130,659
 TROY MATTESON
 Austin, Texas
 Turned pro:
2003
 Career earnings: 
$10,072,266
 Years at Georgia Tech: 2000-03
 High School: L.C. Anderson
 Status: no status
 Last Week
missed cut (Barbasol Championship)
70-72—142 (E)
 FedEx/Money Rank
234 (PGA Tour)
Earnings
$12,376
 LARRY MIZE
 Columbus, Ga.
 Turned pro:
1980
 Career earnings: 
$4,433,750
 Years at Georgia Tech: 1975-79
 High School: unknown
 Status: PGA Tour Champions
 Last Week
did not play
n/a
 Schwab Cup Rank
49
Earnings
$212,192
 BRYCE MOLDER
 Scottsdale, Ariz.
 Turned pro:
2001
 Career earnings: 
$11,129,782
 Years at Georgia Tech: 1998-2001
 High School: Conway (Ark.)
 Status: PGA Tour
 Last Week
did not play
n/a
 FedEx Cup Rank
181
Earnings
$204,172
 SETH REEVES
 Duluth, Ga.
 Turned pro:
2014
 Career earnings: 
$71,138
 Years at Georgia Tech: 2010-14
 High School: Peachtree Ridge
 Status: Web.com Tour
 Last week
missed cut
70-72—142 (E)
 Money rank
49
Earnings
$71,138
 OLLIE SCHNIEDERJANS
 Powder Springs, Ga.
 Turned pro:
2015
 Career earnings: 
$1,506,021
 Years at Georgia Tech: 2011-15
 High School: Harrison
 Status: PGA Tour
  Last Week
T-39
63-74-66-71—274 (-10)
  FedEx Cup rank
67
Earnings
$1,277,329
 KYLE SCOTT
 Johannesburg, South Africa
 Turned pro:
2011
 Career earnings: 
$25,946
 Years at Georgia Tech: 2009-11
 High School: Edenglen
 Status: Web.com Tour
  Last Week
did not play
n/a
  Money rank
n/a
Earnings
n/a
 NICHOLAS THOMPSON
 Coral Springs, Fla.
 Turned pro:
2005
 Career earnings (PGA + Web.com): 
$6,473,073
 Years at Georgia Tech: 2001-05
 High School: Stoneman Douglas
 Status: Web.com Tour
 Last Week
missed cut
73-72—145 (+3)
 Money Rank
34
Earnings
$94,461
 CAMERON TRINGALE
 Laguna Niguel, Calif.
 Turned pro:
2009
 Career earnings: 
$9,680,909
 Years at Georgia Tech: 2005-09
 High School: Mission Viejo
 Status: PGA Tour
 Last Week
T-6
65-66-67-68—266 (-18)
 FedEx Cup Rank
120
Earnings
$782,584
 MINGHAO WANG
 Xian, China
 Turned pro:
2013
 Career earnings: 
n/a
 Years at Georgia Tech: 2008-13
 High School: Celebration Academy
 Status: PGA Tour China
 Last week
did not play
n/a
  Money rank
n/a
Earnings
n/a
 RICHY WERENSKI
 South Hadley, Mass.
 Turned pro:
2014
 Career earnings: 
$419,692
 Years at Georgia Tech: 2011-14
 High School: Fike
 Status: PGA Tour
  Last Week
T-18
67-67-69-68—271 (-13)
  FedEx Cup rank
155
Earnings
$412,867
 JAMES WHITE
 Acworth, Ga.
 Turned pro:
2012
 Career earnings: 
$11,377
 Years at Georgia Tech: 2008-12
 High School: Harrison
 Status: MacKenzie Tour
  Last Week
missed cut
68-71—139 (-1)
 Money Rank
26
Earnings
$10,861

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