Nissan #ProJackets Golf Report

June 14, 2016

THE FLATS – Matt Kuchar is the lone Georgia Tech representative in the 116th U.S. Open championship, which begins Thursday at Oakmont Country Club outside Pittsburgh, Pa. Kuchar qualified by advancing to the 2015 PGA Tour Championship and his standing among the top 60 in the Official World Golf Ranking (16th). Kuchar is making his 14th U.S. Open start, having tied for 12th the last two years for his best finishes.

The 1997 U.S. Amateur champion made a memorable U.S. Open debut by finishing 14th in 1998 at The Olympic Club as an amateur. He has seven career PGA Tour victories, the last coming at the 2014 RBC Heritage in Hilton Head, S.C. Other notable wins include the Memorial Tournament and WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in 2013. Kuchar was a member of the 1999 USA Walker Cup Team and 1998 USA World Amateur Team. As a professional, he played on the 2010, 2012 and 2014 U.S. Ryder Cup Teams and 2011, 2013 and 2015 U.S. Presidents Cup Teams. At Georgia Tech, he was twice a first-team All-American and his wife, Sybi was a tennis player for the Yellow Jackets.

Kuchar took last weekend off along with Roberto Castro and Bryce Molder while Stewart Cink, Chesson Hadley and Cameron Tringale took on the TPC Southwind course in the FedEx St. Jude Classic. Cink was the only one to make the cut, making the weekend with a second-round 66 and tying for 66th place at 286 (+6).

Cinks encouraged by cancer patients at St. Jude Hospital – https://t.co/qVS3cmiasS

— Georgia Tech Golf (@GT_GOLF) June 12, 2016

Champions Tour: Larry Mize overcame a poor first round and shot 68-70 on the weekend to tie for 20th at last weekend’s Constellation Senior Players Championship in Philadelphia, Pa., and moved up into the top 50 in Charles Schwab Cup points for the season. Mize has finished T-9, T-16 and T-20 in his last three starts, earning more than $135,000 of his $167,152 season winnings in the process.

Web.com Tour: All four Tech alumni missed the cut in last weekend’s Rust-Oleum Championship in Ivanhoe, Ill. Richy Werenski (2) and Ollie Schniederjans (12) remain among the top 25 in earnings, while Anders Albertson slipped down to 34th. The Web.com Tour continues on this weekend with the Nashville Golf Open in Nashville, Tenn.

MacKenzie Tour: Seth Reeves made it 3-for-3 in cuts made on the PGA Tour Canada, earning his highest finish to date last weekend by tying for 14th place at the GolfBC Championship. The 2013 Tech graduate scored better each day with rounds of 69-69-68-67 for a 72-hole total of 273 (-11), and improved to 20th in Tour earnings. The top five at the end of the season earn Web.com Tour cards for 2017.

SwingThought.com Tour: John-Tyler Griffin led three former Tech golfers with top-20 finishes at last weekend’s Cutter Creek Classic at Snow Hill, N.C., tying for seventh place after a closing 66 and a 72-hole total of 281 (-7). Bo Andrews finished solo 11th, one shot back, and Drew Czuchry tied for 20th (-3).

Rivals Cup: Georgia Tech’s deep roster on the PGA and Web.com Tours continues to keep the Yellow Jackets near the top in collective earnings among alumni rankings compiled by the Rivals Cup. Headed into last week’s action, Tech ranked No. 3 in earnings on the PGA Tour and No. 2 on the Web.com Tour.

Amateur update: Rising senior Vincent Whaley led a group of four Yellow Jackets who participated in last weekend’s Monroe Invitational in Pittsford, N.Y. Whaley tied for eighth place with a 4-over-par score of 284, which included a second-round 68. Only the champion, Sean Crocker from Southern California, broke par for 72 holes. Incoming freshman Tyler Strafaci of Davie, Fla., tied for 27th place, while Michael Hines, another rising senior for Tech, tied for 35th place, and incoming freshman Andy Ogletree of Little Rock, Miss., tied for 60th.

UPCOMING EVENTS

PGA Tour: U.S. Open Championship • June 16-19, 2016 • Oakmont Country Club • Oakmont, Pa. • Purse: $10,000,000 • Winning Share: n/a • FedExCup Points: 600
Web.com Tour: Nashville Golf Open • June 16-19, 2016 • Nashville Golf & Athletic Club • Nashville, Tenn. • Purse: $550,000 • Winning share: $99,000
PGA Tour Champions: American Family Insurance Championship • June 24-26, 2016 • University Ridge Golf Club • Madison, Wis. • Purse: $2,000,000 • Winning Share: $300,000
MacKenzie Tour: SIGA Dakota Dunes Open • June 23-26, 2016 • Dakota Dunes Golf Links • Saskatoon, Saskatchewan • Purse: $175,000 • Winning Share: $31,500
SwingThought.com Tour: National Pro Series • June 16-19, 2016 • The Emerald Golf Club • New Bern, N.C.