This article is part of our PGA Tour Stats Review series.
This week's Wyndham Championship marks the end of the PGA Tour's regular season and the final week for players to qualify for the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Playoffs. And for those trying to keep their PGA Tour card, getting in the top 125 not only gives them job security but also makes them eligible for the $35 million bonus pool. For everyone else fighting for status, it'll soon be off to the Web.com Tour Finals, which you have to be in the top 200 to qualify for. So while there's some looking for cold hard cash, there's others just looking for a fighting shot. Here's our stats preview.
History Lesson
The defending champion is Camilo Villegas, who needs a good finish to make the FedEx Cup Playoffs. He beat Bill Haas and Freddie Jacobson by one. In 2013 Patrick Reed (not here this week) beat Jordan Spieth (not here this week) in a playoff and in 2012 Sergio Garcia (not here this week) beat Tim Clark by two.
We're going to recommend two players…on hunches. Villegas has not had an impressive year and is currently 129th in the FedEx Cup standings. He has zero top-10s and ten missed cuts in 24 starts. But he did win here last year, shooting bookend 63s. That shows a comfort at Sedgefield Country Club.
Haas, meanwhile, is trying to make his dad's Presidents Cup team. He won at what's now the CareerBuilder Challenge back in January, but has played inconsistent since, missing two cuts
This week's Wyndham Championship marks the end of the PGA Tour's regular season and the final week for players to qualify for the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Playoffs. And for those trying to keep their PGA Tour card, getting in the top 125 not only gives them job security but also makes them eligible for the $35 million bonus pool. For everyone else fighting for status, it'll soon be off to the Web.com Tour Finals, which you have to be in the top 200 to qualify for. So while there's some looking for cold hard cash, there's others just looking for a fighting shot. Here's our stats preview.
History Lesson
The defending champion is Camilo Villegas, who needs a good finish to make the FedEx Cup Playoffs. He beat Bill Haas and Freddie Jacobson by one. In 2013 Patrick Reed (not here this week) beat Jordan Spieth (not here this week) in a playoff and in 2012 Sergio Garcia (not here this week) beat Tim Clark by two.
We're going to recommend two players…on hunches. Villegas has not had an impressive year and is currently 129th in the FedEx Cup standings. He has zero top-10s and ten missed cuts in 24 starts. But he did win here last year, shooting bookend 63s. That shows a comfort at Sedgefield Country Club.
Haas, meanwhile, is trying to make his dad's Presidents Cup team. He won at what's now the CareerBuilder Challenge back in January, but has played inconsistent since, missing two cuts in the middle of the year and blowing away a chance to win the Quicken Loans Invitational on the back nine on Sunday before finishing T4. He's got three events left to impress his dad (or make the team on points -- he's 15th) and ranking 28th in strokes gained-tee to green, he's hit the ball well enough this season to get another top finish. That's exactly what he'll need.
Who is Playing
The field is highlighted by Tiger Woods, 292 points behind Charl Schwartzel for spot No. 125 and needing a win or potentially a solo second-place finish to make the playoffs. If not, it's a month off before the Frys.com Open, which he is obligated to play by being one of seven players who went to Turkey to play in an exhibition several years ago. Rory McIlroy will also play the Frys this year for the same reason.
This field is stout, and includes Tiger's playing partners Hideki Matsuyama and Brooks Koepka, Adam Scott, Martin Kaymer, Daniel Berger, George Goetzee, Luke Donald, Jason Dufner, Ernie Els (who won the prestigious Payne Stewart Award this week), Harris English, Bill Haas, Billy Horschel, Davis Love III, Webb Simpson, Justin Thomas and David Toms.
Our picks are Goetzee and Thomas. Goetzee tied for seventh at the PGA Championship, shooting an impressive Sunday 67 in a pressure-packed position and for the week ranking third in strokes gained-putting and T7 in strokes gained-total for the week. About 230 points out of a PGA Tour card off the Non-Member FedEx Cup Points list, a strong finish accomplishes what has to be a lifelong goal.
Thomas, meanwhile, just keeps putting up impressive stats and results for a rookie and we believe continues to be destined for a win before the season is out. Last week at the PGA he finished T18 (off T4 and T5 finishes in his previous two starts), where he ranked 11th in strokes gained-tee to green and T4 in greens in regulation. Great numbers on a Pete Dye golf course.
