Nissan #ProJackets Golf Report

Aug. 23, 2016

THE FLATS – Four Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are set to begin competition in the FedEx Cup Playoffs this weekend at The Barclays, which is being contested at Bethpage State Park’s Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y., beginning Thursday.

#PLAYOFFS pic.twitter.com/youSNbI1Ea

— Roberto Castro (@cicioCASTRO) August 22, 2016

The top 125 PGA Tour players in points following last weekend’s Wyndham Championship make up the playoff field for this weekend’s event – Matt Kuchar is ranked No. 18, Roberto Castro No. 53, Bryce Molder No. 79 and Cameron Tringale No. 107. The top 100 in points following The Barclays will move on to next week’s Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston, after which the top 70 will compete in the BMW Championship in Carmel, Ind.

The top 30 after the BMW come to Atlanta on Sept. 22-25 for the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club.

Molder will be the first of the former Tech stars to tee off at 12 noon Thursday, paired for the first two rounds with Webb Simpson and Spencer Levin. Castro is paired with Colt Knost and Brendan Steele, teeing off at 12:22 p.m. Thursday, and Kuchar has a 12:44 tee time Thursday with William McGirt and PGA Champion Jimmy Walker. Tringale opens on the 10th tee at 1:28 p.m. with Keegan Bradley and Sean O’Hair.

Kuchar is bidding to reach the Tour Championship for the seventh straight year. He has never finished lower than 19th in FedEx Cup points during that time. Castro (21st in 2013) and Tringale (20th in 2014) both hope to make their second trip back to Atlanta. Molder, though consistently good over the last eight seasons, has never finished higher than 60th.

Castro turned in a 20th-place finish last weekend at the Wyndham Championship, closing strong with a final-round 65, and Stewart Cink, playing for the second straight week, earned his best finish of the season (T-14) after a closing 64. Chesson Hadley, playing in his home state, played four solid rounds and tied for 57th place.

Cink’s performance got him to 147th in FedEx Cup points, not good enough to advance to the playoffs but good enough to allow him into a significant number of PGA Tour events in 2016-17. The six-time Tour winner has competed in just 19 events this year while helping his wife, Lisa, through chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer.

Hadley finished the regular season 159th in points, leaving him in a pool of 75 PGA Tour players who are eligible to compete with the top 75 finishers in the Web.com Tour in the Web.com Tour Finals, which begin next week. He will join Richy Werenski and Ollie Schniederjans, who ranked No. 2 and 3 in Web.com Tour earnings this season, and Anders Albertson, who ranks No. 52, in the Finals.

The Web.com Tour closes its regular-season schedule this weekend with the WinCo Foods Portland Open in Portland, Ore.

In the final round of the 2016 Wyndham Championship, Stewart Cink drains a long birdie putt from 45 feet out on the par-4 18th hole to finish.

In the second round the 2016 Wyndham Championship, Roberto Castro makes his 5-foot birdie putt on the par-3 16th hole.

Matt Kuchar still glowing in Olympic aftermath

As you can see from the tweets and Instagram posts below, Matt Kuchar has thoroughly enjoyed his Olympic experience and winning the bronze medal. He received quite a reception from friends and family whyen he returned to Sea Island, and told Tim Rosaforte in Golf Digest magazine he plans to carry his medal to this week’s opening round of the FedEx Cup Playoffs at The Barclays.

Round of his life earns Kuchar the bronze at the Olympics

Matt Kuchar is still proudly showing off his bronze medal from Rio https://t.co/45t2TyZNIq pic.twitter.com/J5vncRmoBY

— Georgia Tech Golf (@GT_GOLF) August 22, 2016

Amazing surprise reception last night. Thanks to everyone who showed up. I was truly moved. Sea Island is such a great place to call home!

A video posted by Matt Kuchar (@mattkuchargolf) on Aug 16, 2016 at 6:25pm PDT

I’m not sure if I was too tired or I just did not want to change last night!

A photo posted by Matt Kuchar (@mattkuchargolf) on Aug 15, 2016 at 3:34am PDT

Finally back to work after 3 days of unpacking. I took the boys and the medal out to Frederica Golf Club for some practice today.

A photo posted by Matt Kuchar (@mattkuchargolf) on Aug 19, 2016 at 12:41pm PDT

UPCOMING EVENTS

PGA Tour: The Barclays • August 25-28, 2016 • Bethpage State Park (Black Course) • Farmingdale, N.Y. • Purse: $8,500,000 • Winning Share: $1,530,000 • FedExCup Points: 2,000
Web.com Tour: WinCo Foods Portland Open • August 25-28, 2016 • Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club (Witch Hollow) • North Plains, Ore. • Purse: $800,000 • Winning share: $144,000
PGA Tour Champions: Boeing Classic • August 26-28, 2016 • TPC Snoqualmie Ridge • Snoqualmie, Wash. • Purse: $2,000,000 • Winning Share: $300,000
MacKenzie Tour: Cape Breton Open • September 1-4, 2016 • Bell Bay Golf Club • Baddeck, Nova Scotia • Purse: $175,000 • Winning Share: $31,500
PGA Tour LatinoAmerica: Flor de Cana Open • September 1- 4, 2016 • Gucalito de La Isla • Gucalito de La Isla, Nicaragua • Purse: $175,000 • Winning Share: $31,500
PGA Tour China: Yulongwan Yunnan Open • September 1- 4, 2016 • Yulongwan Golf Club • Yunnan, Kungming • Purse: n/a • Winning Share: n/a
SwingThought.com Tour: National Pro Series/Woodcreek Classic • Aug. 24-27, 2016 • Wildwood at Woodcreek • Elgin, S.C.