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PGA of America Ponies-Up Cash

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BETHPAGE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Payment packages approved by the PGA of America for United States Ryder Cup participants are set at $500,000, including a $200,000 stipend.

Approved in a vote and confirmed Monday, PGA of America also increased the amount awarded to a player’s charity of choice to $300,000 for the total of $500,000.

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“We added the $200,000 stipend out of respect for the players so the players could have a say in where the money goes,” PGA of America president Don Rea said in a letter to previous Ryder Cup captains. “It’s recognition for all the players have done for the Ryder Cup over the years.”

Every player and team captain Keegan Bradley will receive a $200,000 stipend plus expenses starting at Bethpage in 2025, in addition to the charitable donation. Bradley said he is already committed to donating the full amount, stipend included, to charity.

The rule change has been on the table for months, Bradley acknowledged, and diverts from the rules established in the first Ryder Cup competition in 1927.

Cameron Young Leads Hero World

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – After a few months off, Cameron Young was pleasantly surprised to come out to the Bahamas and shoot an 8-under-par 64 at Albany Golf Club for the first-round lead on Thursday at the Hero World Challenge.

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A field of 20 players is in Albany for the exclusive exhibition event hosted by Tiger Woods. Young has a two-shot lead on Justin Thomas after Day 1.

“Yeah, kind of (surprised). I didn’t play great (Wednesday),” Young said. “You always feel like you can shoot a number like that, but I really felt very well in control, which isn’t necessarily surprising but it’s a nice thing to come out and just feel like yourself.

“Yeah, really happy with it. I feel like with the driver I was just really comfortable and that’s a huge key out here.”

Young spread eight birdies across his card without recording a bogey. His 21-foot birdie putt at the par-3 second hole set the tone for his round, and his last birdie was a 14 1/2-footer at another par-3, the 17th.

“I’m sure I missed a fairway or two, but for the most part I was really well in position,” Young said. “Then I made a couple putts early, which was nice. Just kind of got off to a nice start with the putter. There’s a bunch of par 5s and a couple drivable holes, so I feel that if you’re on top of it, especially off the tee, you can make a bunch of birdies.”

Young, 27, is one of the highest-ranked players in the world who’s yet to win on the PGA Tour. If he were to win the Hero, it would not count as an official tour victory nor gain him any FedEx Cup points, but Official World Golf Ranking points are on offer this week.

Thomas shot a blazing 6-under 30 on the back nine after posting one bogey and one birdie through nine holes. He rolled in four birdies in a row at Nos. 14-17.

“It was nice to make that birdie on 7,” Thomas said, “and had good chances there on 8 and 9, but then once 10, 11 happened I felt like I got in a nice
rhythm there on the back nine.”

Tied for third at 5-under 67 are World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Ludvig Aberg of Sweden, Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala.

Scheffler, the defending champion, made a change to his putting grip and rolled in six birdies with one bogey Thursday.

“You know, this year I had thought about it from time to time and it was something that we had just said, ‘Let’s table that for the end of the season, take a look at it,’” Scheffler said. “Took a look at it this offseason and figured this is a good week to try stuff just because you can practice and practice and do all the stuff at home, but there’s just something different about being in competition. I really enjoyed the way it felt, I felt like I’m seeing some improvements in my stroke.”

–Field Level Media

PGA Tour Playing for Butter Balls?

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BUTTERFIELD BERMUDA CHAMPIONSHIP

Location: Southampton, Bermuda, Nov. 14-17
Course: Port Royal Golf Course (Par 71, 6,828 Yards)
Purse: $6.9M (Winner: $1.242M)
Defending Champion: Camilo Villegas
FedEx Cup Champion: Scottie Scheffler

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HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 1-4 p.m. ET; Saturday: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Sunday: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (All times Golf Channel)
X: @Bermuda_Champ

PROP PICKS
–Nico Echavarria to Beat Patrick Rodgers (-110 at DraftKings): Echavarria proved his second career PGA Tour victory was no fluke, nearly going back-to-back last week before slipping to T6. He’s in as good of form as anyone grinding out these final events. Rodgers is trying to maintain his grip on entries into the first two signature events next year as he sits 55th in the standings. He’s coming off a T24 at the WWT, with a best result in five fall events thus far being a T11 in Utah.

–Carson Young Top 30 Finish (+110 at BetRivers): Young is up to a career-high 135th in the Official World Golf Ranking following his T2 last week. Granted, that was on the heels of a T37 and MC in his previous two events, but he did also tie for 11th in Utah. This is one of the weaker fields of the year and Young should be playing somewhat loose. At No. 86, he has secured his card for next year but is a longshot to rise into the AON Next 10.

–Mark Hubbard to Make Cut (-330 at DraftKings): We made a similar play with Austin Eckroat last week and while the made cut payout wasn’t attractive he did go on to win. Hubbard has made 80 percent of his cuts this year, and took a week off after a T41 in Japan. He also finished T20 in Bermuda last year while posting four rounds of 68 or better.

2024 Prop Picks Record: 52-58

BEST BETS
–Seamus Power (+1600 at DraftKings) won the event in 2022, when he set the tournament record with 28 birdies.
–Maverick McNealy (+1600) is ranked 68th as he still seeks his maiden win on tour. He did post a T6 last week. He has been a popular play since opening at +1800.
–Mackenzie Hughes (+2000) is a two-time winner on tour and has posted a pair of top-10s in his only two starts this fall. His odds have lengthened since opening at +1600.
–Lucas Glover (+2500) is among the most accomplished players in the field. In four fall starts so far, he has a pair of T3 finishes and two other top-25s.
–Echavarria (+3000) claimed his second tour title two weeks ago and was in contention to make it two in a row until a 71 last Sunday dropped him into a T6. Recent form has made him one of the most popular plays in the field since opening at +4000.
–Matti Schmid (+3000) is coming off a missed cut last week. However, that followed a pair of top-5s and his best PGA Tour result to date was a solo third in Bermuda last year. Schmid has shifted slightly since opening at +2800.

NOTES
–This is the seventh of eight tournaments on the FedEx Cup Fall schedule, which finalizes the top 125 players who will retain exempt status for 2025. Nos. 126-150 after the fall will retain conditional status. Players who finished Nos. 51-70 in the FedEx Cup have secured their tour cards, but are competing for spots in the first two signature events after the season-opening The Sentry on Jan. 2-5.
–This week’s field includes every player from Nos. 118-135 in the standings other than No. 130 Matt Wallace. Joel Dahmen (+6500) is among the notables battling for full status, having moved up to No. 121 with a T14 last week. Former Top 10 player Daniel Berger (+3000) has climbed to 124th with four consecutive top-40 finishes.
–Villegas’ win last year was his first since 2014.
–Camiko Smith won a local qualifier to earn a sponsor exemption into the event along with fellow Bermudians Nick Jones and Eric West. None of the 14 Bermudians who have played in the event to date have made the cut, including Smith in 2020 and 2021. Each are being offered as +250000 longshots.
–Miles Russell, 16, is in the field on an exemption as the Junior Player of the Year. He shot 74-70 in his PGA Tour debut at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in June.

Rory Thinks Trump Can Solve Anything

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ABU DHABI  – (Wire Service Report) – Rory McIlroy said President elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House “clears the way” for a deal between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

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Trump recently said on the “Let’s Go!” podcast that he could negotiate a deal between the two sides in about “15 minutes.”

Of course, the “15 Minutes” has passed by ten times over.

“He might be able to,” McIlroy said Wednesday when asked about Trump’s remarks. “He’s got Elon Musk, who I think is the smartest man in the world, beside him. We might be able to do something if we can get Musk involved, too.”

McIlroy spoke at a press conference for the DP World Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

“Yeah, I think from the outside looking in, it’s probably a little less complicated than it actually is. But obviously, Trump has a great relationship with Saudi Arabia. He’s got a great relationship with golf. He’s a lover of golf. So, maybe. Who knows?

“But I think as the President of the United States again, he’s probably got bigger things to focus on than golf.”

McIlroy was also asked about a report in the London-based tabloid The Sun that claimed he and Tiger Woods had helped to negotiate a $1.3 billion deal between the rival golf leagues.

“It’s the first that I’ve heard of it,” the Northern Irishman said. “I know (PGA Tour commissioner) Jay (Monahan) was in Saudi Arabia last week … and was having some meetings. But no, I think I would have heard if there was.

PGA Tour: Echavarria Takes the ZOZO

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CHIBA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Nico Echavarria birdied two of his final three holes on Sunday to record a one-stroke victory at the Zozo Championship in Japan.

Echavarria, a 30-year-old Colombian who played at the University of Arkansas, finished 3-under-par-67 on Sunday and set a tournament-record 20-under 260 at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club. He bested Tiger Woods’ total of 261 set in 2019.

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“It’s incredible to win a tournament that Tiger’s won,” Echavarria said. “This is my second victory, so I just need 80 more victories to catch him. I’m on my way, though.”

Echavarria, who also won the 2023 Puerto Rico Open, edged Max Greyserman (65 on Sunday) and Justin Thomas (66) by one stroke. Echavarria pocketed $1.53 million for winning the 78-player, no-cut tournament and is projected to move to No. 65 in the FedExCup standings after beginning the week at No. 113.

“It’s surreal,” he said. “It’s been a good year for me, I just haven’t had that top result. I’ve been very consistent, I’ve learned a lot this year. To finish the year this way is, it’s incredible, especially doing it here in Japan in such an amazing country.”

Echavarria collected five birdies against two bogeys during his final round. He reached the par-5 18th in two strokes, pulled within 3 feet on his next putt before winning the tournament on his final stroke.

Thomas, who joined Greyserman in pocketing $748,000 for his T2 finish, recorded his fourth birdie of the day on the 18th hole to cap his bogey-free round. He fell just short of recording his 16th career title on the PGA Tour and the first one since winning the 2022 PGA Championship.

“Obviously bummed and disappointed, but I played so well,” Thomas said. “I played plenty well enough to win the tournament. Hit so many good putts today that just didn’t go in, that’s the difference.”

Greyserman, who was seeking his first PGA Tour title, carded four of his five birdies on the front nine. Despite strong putting, he finished as a runner-up for the third time in his past five events.

“You know, I didn’t quite execute down the stretch when I needed to,” Greyserman said. “I mean, Nico stepped up there and he hit a great second shot (on 18). He earned it.”

Rickie Fowler shot a bogey-free 64 to finish in fourth place at 17-under, while Kurt Kitayama (65) ended up in fifth at 15-under. Their finishes put four Americans in the top five.

–Field Level Media

PGA Tour: ZOZO Champ in Prime Time

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CHIBA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The PGA Tour’s fall swing heads to Asia for this week’s Zozo Championship, which begins Thursday at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Japan.

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The field is highlighted by two Zozo regulars in Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa, along with Japanese superstar Hideki Matsuyama. Our golf experts preview the event and share their favorite prop picks along with best bets to win this week.

ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP
Location: Chiba, Japan, Oct. 24-27
Course: Accordia Golf Narashino CC (Par 70, 7,079 Yards)
Purse: $8.5M (Winner: $1.53M)
Defending Champion: Collin Morikawa
FedEx Cup Champion: Scottie Scheffler

HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Wednesday-Saturday, 11 p.m.-3 a.m. ET (All times Golf Channel)
X: @ZozoChamp

PROP PICKS (not chosen by DSD)
–Doug Ghim to beat Will Zalatoris (-155 at DraftKings): Ghim has been grinding throughout the fall, with a solo second last week the latest in a string of six consecutive made cuts while his world ranking has improved from No. 137 to a career-high No. 93. Meanwhile, Zalatoris has slid to 60th as he makes his first start of the fall. He did follow four consecutive events in which he didn’t reach the weekend with a T12 and T13 in the first two legs of the playoffs.

–Gary Woodland Top 30 Finish (+105 at BetRivers): With the field limited to 72 players, Woodland only needs to beat 42 for this prop to cash. He’s pressing through the fall to earn critical status for signature events next year, and Woodland is coming off a T9 in Las Vegas following a T16 at the Sanderson Farms Championship.

–Rickie Fowler Top 20 Finish (+190 at DraftKings): This is the third fall event for Fowler, who is similarly trying to secure entry into marquee events for 2025. Following solid finishes at Sanderson (T16) and Las Vegas (T23) he arrives in Japan, where Fowler stumbled to a T64 in 2023. He arrives in better form this year and has a particular fondness for playing in Japan, where his maternal grandfather is from.

Presidents Cup: International Intrigue

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MONTREAL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Adam Scott of Australia notched a milestone as the International team dug out of a big hole on Day 2 of the Presidents Cup, sweeping all five foursomes matches against the United States at Royal Montreal Golf Club on Friday.

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After being swept in the fourball matches on Thursday, the Internationals needed nothing less than a stellar performance in the alternate-shot format to avoid going into the weekend with an almost insurmountable deficit.

And they responded in a manner that captain Mike Weir of Canada could hardly have dreamt of, by turning the tables to even up the score at 5-5.

“I believed in the guys,” Weir said in a greenside interview. “5-0 was obviously a bonus. We just wanted to get back in this and the guys responded incredibly.”

American captain Jim Furyk said: “When I look at the scores, they played a lot of great golf. We’re going to have to get ready for (Saturday). We’ve got a tough match on our hands.

“We got to watch them celebrate. I hope that sticks with everyone (on my team). We’ll regroup, get some good pairs out there in the morning and it’s our turn to come out firing.”

The Internationals completely dominated three matches, including a 5-and-4 rout by Scott and his Canadian partner Taylor Pendrith against Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala.

The match victory earned Scott his 22nd point in the Presidents Cup, an International team record. He is making his 11th consecutive appearance in an event that pits a team of players from countries outside Europe against the U.S.

Scott has never played on a winning team in an event that the Americans have dominated since its inception in 1994, losing only once in 1998, and tying in 2003.

Scott and Pendrith were not the only International pairing to dominate on Friday.

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and South Korean Sungjae Im set the tone with a 7-and-6 dusting of Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay in the opening match.

Canadian duo Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes also won convincingly, 6-and-5 over Wyndham Clark and Tony Finau.

The other two matches were more competitive. Australian Jason Day and South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout outlasted Max Homa and Brian Harman 1-up, thanks in no small measure to a deft pitch shot by Day to gimme range at the last that secured the point.

The U.S. seemed set to avoid being swept when Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley parred the last against Korean duo Si Woo Kim and Byeong Hun An.

But Kim calmly sank a 15-footer to halve the hole and secure a 1-up victory.

–Field Level Media

Presidents Cup: Weir vs Furyk

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MONTREAL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – There are different kinds of pressure on the two captains at this year’s Presidents Cup, whether they let on about it or not.

Jim Furyk’s job is to extend the U.S. team’s dominance in the event to 10 straight victories. Mike Weir is captaining the International squad at Royal Montreal in his native Canada, with three Canadians playing on the team.

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On Tuesday, two days before the competition begins, Furyk and Weir sat side by side at their joint press conference.

“Jim knows how close it’s been the last few years. It’s a tight, intense competition,” Weir said. “Yeah, the score the last bunch of years has gone the U.S.’ way, but they’ve been very competitive matches. … I think it’s heading the right direction no matter what happens. Sure, it’s competitive. We want to win. We’re not putting any of that extra, ‘We need to do this to elevate the event.’

“It’s just a great competition, and we’re not adding any layers on top of that.”

Weir is the first Canadian to captain the International team, and it comes at a fitting venue, Royal Montreal, which hosted the Presidents Cup in 2007. Weir played in that event and led his team with 3 1/2 points, but the Americans won 19 1/2-14 1/2.

Weir said he’s yet to talk with the three Canadian players on his team — Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes and Taylor Pendrith — about what to expect, but that’s not to say that he won’t.

“This is at home in front of your own fans,” Weir said. “I guess for me I used the energy in a positive way when I was here in 2007. I didn’t take it as pressure. I took it as, ‘Just embrace it.’ I don’t know if I’ll ever have this kind of chance again to play in front of my home country fans. So I just tried to embrace it. That will probably be most of the message is enjoy yourself.”

An International win would be just the second since the event began in 1994, and it could re-energize a one-sided event that’s not nearly as popular as the Ryder Cup.

But Furyk was posed with that idea by an American reporter last week and responded with multiple profanities, explaining how important winning is to any competitor.

“I would say it’s just an extremely emotional week as far as there’s ups, there’s downs,” Furyk added Tuesday. “The U.S. Team gets on a run, then the International Team gets on a run. It’s kind of a roller coaster ride all week. These guys expend a ton of energy. … A lot of it’s probably just letting (players) know how much — it’s a marathon. It’s a week long, and make sure that you save some energy for the end and pace yourself on the way.”

Furyk may have something to prove for himself, too. He was the U.S. captain at the 2018 Ryder Cup, where Team Europe steamrolled the Americans in Paris for a seven-point win.

He said he believes the U.S. team plays “a little bit more loose, we play a little more free” at Presidents Cups.

“So I’ll make some different changes,” Furyk said. “I’ll run this team a little different. I’ll draw from some good experiences that we’ve had in the past.

“The biggest question I always get asked from ‘18 is would you — if you had the chance to go back and do something differently, would you? First time I heard the question, I started laughing. My answer was very simple. How arrogant would you have to be to say, ‘Nope, we didn’t win, but I wouldn’t do anything different at all’? Of course I would. I’d go back and change it.”

–Field Level Media

PGA Tour: Kizzire Wins at Procore (Napa)

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NAPA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Patton Kizzire had his most uneven round of the tournament Sunday, but it ended up being more than enough for him to secure his first PGA victory of the season at the Procore Championship.

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Entering the day with a four-stroke advantage, Kizzire made that lead stick by shooting a 2-under-par 70 to finish the tournament 20-under 268, five strokes ahead of his nearest pursuer.

Kizzire, who had last taken home a tournament victory at the 2018 Sony Open in Hawaii, fired an eagle on the par-5 No. 5, increasing his edge. Bogeys on Nos. 9 and 11 might have opened the door, but Kizzire recovered to score birdies on Nos. 12, 13 and 15 to effectively seal the victory.

Sunday’s victory represented a remarkable turnaround for the 38-year-old, who at one point earlier this season missed the cut in six straight events. It also boosted Kizzire’s “FedEx Cup Fall” standings position from No. 132 all the way up to a projected No. 70, a rise of 60 spots and a position that secures him full status for the 2025 PGA Tour season as part of a two-year exemption.

Kizzire, who had last taken home a tournament victory at the 2018 Sony Open in Hawaii, fired an eagle on the par-5 No. 5, increasing his edge. Bogeys on Nos. 9 and 11 might have opened the door, but Kizzire recovered to score birdies on Nos. 12, 13 and 15 to effectively shut the door.

Sunday’s victory represented a remarkable turnaround for the 38-year-old, who at one point earlier this season missed the cut in six straight events. It also boosted Kizzire’s “FedEx Cup Fall” standings position from No. 132 all the way up to a projected No. 70, a rise of 60 spots and a position that secures him full status for the 2025 PGA Tour season as part of a two-year exemption.

He also earned slightly more than $1 million for the victory.

PGA Tour: Fall Swing Begins

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NAPA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The eight-event FedEx Cup Fall slate tees off with this week’s Procore Championship at Silverado Resort in Northern California.

Formerly the Fortinet Championship, the event begins the race to secure PGA Tour cards and status for next season for the majority of the field. There is a smattering of marquee names in the field, and our golf experts preview the event while providing their favorite prop picks and best bets to win this week.

PROCORE CHAMPIONSHIP
Location: Napa, Calif., Sept. 12-15
Course: Silverado Resort, North Course (Par 72, 7,123 Yards)
Purse: $6M (Winner: $1.08M)
Defending Champion: Sahith Theegala
FedEx Cup Leader: Scottie Scheffler

HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday: 6-9 p.m. ET; Friday-Saturday: 6:30-9:30; Sunday: 6-9 p.m. (All times Golf Channel)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m., 6:30-9:30 p.m. ET; Friday: 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
X: @ProcoreChamp

PROP PICKS
–Luke Clanton To Make Cut (-360 at DraftKings): The potential payout isn’t great, especially when considering Clanton is still an amateur. But he’s not your typical amateur on tour, either. Clanton has made six previous starts on tour this year, missing only one cut while posting three top-10s and making the weekend at the U.S. Open. The top-ranked amateur in the world, Clanton should fare well against a relatively soft field.

–Wyndham Clark & Corey Conners Both to Finish Top 20 (+185 at FanDuel): Both are in this week’s field in part to stay sharp for the Presidents Cup. Clark finished 38th here two years ago while Conners missed the cut. But they’re also two of the top three pre-tournament favorites and both enter the week in solid form of late.

–Min Woo Lee Top Oceania Player (-200 at DraftKings): It has been a difficult first full year on tour for Lee, who enters with two missed cuts in his past three stroke-play events. He did make the first round of the playoffs, finishing T22 at the FedEx St. Jude, and tied for second at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. He’s also going against modest competition in this prop pitting him against Aaron Baddeley (+360), Tim Wilkinson (+1000) and Jeffrey Guan (+1000).

2024 Prop Picks Record: 43-50-1

BEST BETS
–Theegala (+1200 at DraftKings) is defending his maiden title on tour, having won by two shots over S.H. Kim. He leads the field with 9 percent of the total bets and 13 percent of the money backing him to win.
–Wyndham Clark (+1200) has six top-15s in his past seven starts, including a T8 at the Tour Championship. He is second with 6 and 10 percent of the action, respectively.
–Corey Conners (+1400) is coming off a T22 at the BMW Championship in his most recent start and is one of the most accomplished players in the field.
–Maverick McNealy (+2000) played less than two hours away at Stanford. He missed the cut here two years ago but does have a decent track record on the West Coast and is third in the field with 8 percent of the money backing him to win his first PGA Tour event.
–Max Homa (+2200) hasn’t posted a top-10 since May, but is a two-time event champion (2021-22) and finished seventh last year. The California native has been backed by 7 percent of the money.

NOTES
–The FedEx Cup Fall schedule finalizes the top 125 players who will retain exempt status for 2025. Nos. 126-150 after the fall will retain conditional status. Players who finished Nos. 51-70 in the FedEx Cup have secured their tour cards, but are competing for spots in the first two signature events after the season-opening The Sentry.
–Theegala will defend his title, but at No. 3 in the FedEx Cup he has already secured his exempt status into all signature events in 2025.
–Top-ranked amateur Luke Clanton is in the field on a sponsor exemption. He has already posted three top-10 finishes in six PGA Tour events this year. Other sponsor exemptions include Neal Shipley, the low amateur at this year’s U.S. Open, along with Wenyi Ding, the fourth-ranked amateur in the world.

–Field Level Media