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.