Nissan #ProJackets Golf Report

Dec. 13, 2016

THE FLATS – It is officially off-season on the pro golf tours, but you wouldn’t know it from following last weekend’s competition. For David Duval, Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar, arguably Georgia Tech’s most famous alumni in professional golf, there was plenty of holiday cheer to go around.

Duval, the former No.1 player in the world who last won a professional event in 2001, partnered with his stepson, Nick Karavites, to blister the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club to the tune of 21-under-par PNC Father/Son Challenge over the weekend. They opened with a 61 (-11) Saturday and kept the hammer down Sunday with a 62 in the scramble-format event.

The duo defeated 2013 PNC champions Stewart and Connor Cink, newcomers Retief and Leo Goosen, and Fred and Taylor Funk by one shot to earn the $200,000 first-place check.

Duval, who won the 2001 Open Championship, will now add another piece of golf history to his trophy cabinet. The PNC Father/Son Championship winners receive the Willie Park belts, named for the first father and son duo to win the Open Championship, Willie Park Sr. and Jr.

“This is as good as anything,” said Duval. “It truly is. I know it’s not winning The PLAYERS or something like that, but this is what the progression of life is. To be able to come out in a professional event and win and have the whole family here, I’ll never forget it. I came home and talked with Susan my wife about six weeks ago and said ‘You know if I play like I’m playing and Nick plays like he’s playing, we have a chance.’”

For the Cinks, the weekend was equally special. Stewart and Connor played so well together that Stewart expressed regret Sunday that there would be no third round coming the next day. He also had his wife, Lisa, on his bag for 45 holes (including the pro-am on Friday). After nine rounds of chemotherapy ended in November, the results have been successful enough that Stewart has been able to play four official events this fall as well as the Father/Son event, and plans to be in Hawai’i with his family to resume his Tour schedule on January.

“She (wanted) to be a caddie-caddie, not a wife-caddie,” Stewart said.

What is David Duval's golfing future after his #PNCFatherSon win? It's not entirely clear. https://t.co/M9JHswhbA3 pic.twitter.com/nvIIP18tuq

— Golfweek (@golfweek) December 12, 2016

"I feel completely blessed." @LisaCink's incredible recovery from breast cancer continued at the #PNCFatherSon: https://t.co/zOcZ1RxDmz pic.twitter.com/zn684kzJd9

— Golfweek (@golfweek) December 12, 2016

Meanwhile, over in Naples, Fla., Kuchar teamed up with former Georgia All-American Harris English to capture the Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout for the second time in four attempts (they were runner-ups the last two years) to capture the $385,000 top prize (for each of them) in the mixed-format event.

The pair from Sea Island, Ga., were able to hold off Jerry Kelly and Steve Stricker, who also shot a 65 in the better-ball round on Saturday to post 27 under, and the hard-charging team of Billy Horschel and Charley Hoffman, who had the best round of the day with an 11-under 61 to move into third place at 26 under.

What happens when you pair a Bulldog 🐶 & a Yellow Jacket 🐝?

🏆#FTShootout pic.twitter.com/WsBo5EwzzY

— TOUR Championship (@playofffinale) December 12, 2016

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The last four finishes for this pair at the Franklin Templeton Shootout. pic.twitter.com/CN1MX9iE3b

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 12, 2016

Web.com Tour: Seth Reeves made the successful jump from Mackenzie Tour to the Web.com Tour over the weekend, tying for 42nd place and earning one of the 52 membership cards handed out after the 72-hole qualifying school final in Winter Garden, Fla. Chesson Hadley, who struggled through the PGA Tour schedule in 2015-16 to lose his card, earned his way onto the Web.com Tour for 2017 by tying for 35th place. Both players are guaranteed spots in the first eight events of 2017.

Hadley used a highly successful 2013 season on the Web.com Tour to earn his PGA Tour card, where he competed through the 2015-16 season, in which he finished 159th in FedEx Cup points.

I survived! Very thankful for the opportunities I'll have in the coming future. 2017 will be a great year! pic.twitter.com/5wgZLP6k0S

— Seth Reeves (@seth_reeves) December 12, 2016

UPCOMING EVENTS

PGA Tour: SBS Tournament of Champions • January 5-8, 2017 • Plantation Course at Kapalua • Kapalua, , Maui, Hawai’i • Purse: $3,100,000 • FedExCup Points: n/a
Web.com Tour: The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic • January 8-11, 2017 • Sandals-Emerald Reef Course • Great Exuma, Bahamas • Purse: $6,000,000 • Winning share: n/a
PGA Tour Champions: Diamond Resorts Invitational • January 13-15, 2017 • Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons • Orlando, Fla. • Purse: $750,000
MacKenzie Tour: season over
PGA Tour China: season over
SwingThought.com Tour: season over