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Si Woo Kim and J.J. Spaun Lead at FedEx St Jude Championship

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MEMPHIS – Si Woo Kim and J.J. Spaun each shot eight-under (62s) in the opening round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship, to lead the first leg of the 2022 FedExCup Playoffs. Si Woo Kim holed out for eagle on his final hole (No. 18) for career-low nine-hole score (28)

There are 15 other players within three strokes of the lead going into Friday’s second round at TPC Southwind. Another dozen players are four strokes off the lead. Even par (70) was good for only a T-77.

Rickie Fowler, the last man in at No. 125, shot a five-under (65) and is contention not only for a possible tournament win, but also to qualify for the Top 70 and advance to the BMW Championship next weekend in Delaware.

Rookie Sahith Theegala carded a bogey-free (63) in first FedExCup Playoffs appearance.

FedEx St. Jude Leaderboard | After 18 Holes

Si Woo Kim 62 (-8)

J.J. Spaun 62 (-8)

Sahith Theegala 63 (-7)

J.T. Poston 64 (-6)

Tony Finau 64 (-6)

K.H. Lee 64 (-6)

Sepp Straka 64 (-6)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

PGA Tour: FedEx St. Jude Preview

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FedEx Cup Playoffs Begin This Weekend in Memphis

MEMPHIS – The FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first event of the 2022 FedEx Cup Playoffs, will be held at TPC Southwind. The club as hosted PGA Tour events (FedEx St. Jude Classic), a World Golf Championship (WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational) and the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

At the conclusion of the three-week playoff, the 2022 FedEx Cup Champion will receive a bonus of $18 million.

World No. 1 and FedEx Cup leader Scottie Scheffler is making his third appearance in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, advancing to the Tour Championship in each of his first two seasons (No. 5 in 2019-20, No. 22 in 2020-21). Scheffler will make his fifth start at TPC Southwind, having played the FedEx St. Jude Classic twice on a sponsor exemption (MC/2014, T43/2018). Scheffler has won four times this season, including the Masters Tournament, and looks to become the second player to win the Masters and the FedEx Cup in the same season (Jordan Spieth, 2014-15). Scheffler received a $4 million bonus via the Comcast Business Tour Top 10 for holding the top spot in the FedEx Cup standings at the end of the regular season and a $1 million bonus for winning the Aon Risk Reward Challenge. The bonuses do not count towards his official money total of $13,176,910 million, the largest in a single season earnings in Tour history.

Tony Finau has won each of his last two starts on the PGA TOUR and is also the defending champion this week, winning the first event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs in 2021 at Liberty National Golf Club. Finau is one of three players this season to win in back-to-back starts, along with Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele. The last player to win in three consecutive starts on Tour was Dustin Johnson during the 2016-17 season (The Genesis Invitational, WGC-Mexico Championship, WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play).

FedEx St. Jude Championship | Tournament Facts

COURSE: TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tenn.

YARDS/PAR: 7,243 yards/Par 70

ARCHITECT: Ron Pritchard

PRIZE Money – Purse: $15,000,000/$2,700,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Tony Finau

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour#FedExCup @FedExChamp

Kim Earns First PGA Tour Title

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Kim’s Win at the Wyndham Marks End of Regular Season

GREENSBORO – Joohyung “Tom” Kim earned his first PGA Tour title at the Wyndham Championship, gaining full-time membership on the Tour for 2023 and qualifying for the upcoming FedEx Cup Playoffs. He will enter the Playoffs at No. 34 in the FedEx Cup standings.

At age 20 years, 1 month, 17 days, Kim is the second-youngest winner on the PGA TOUR since World War II, the youngest being Jordan Spieth, 2013 John Deere Classic). Kim is the first player born in the 2000s to win on Tour.

Kim made a quadruple bogey on his first hole of the tournament (No. 1 in R-1). He is the first player on record (since 1983) to make a quadruple bogey on the first hole of an event and go on to win and the fifth to record such a score on any hole and go on to win.

Kim joined the PGA Tour as a Special Temporary Member after The Open Championship and is the first Special Temporary Member to win on Tour since Collin Morikawa at the 2019 Barracuda Championship.

Kim’s front-nine (27) tied the second-lowest nine-hole score in PGA Tour history (15th instance of (27) or lower) and his final round (61) tied the fifth-lowest final-round score by a winner on record (since 1983).

Sungjae Im finished in a two-way tie for second place and moved to No. 10 in the FedExCup standings, earning $1 million through the Comcast Business Tour Top 10.

As has been a bit of a tradition, two players who didn’t enter the week in the Top 125 in the FedExCup standings moved-up to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs:

  • Joohyung “Tom” Kim (entered the week as a Special Temporary Member)
  • Max McGreevy (entered the week at No. 126)

As CBS Sports signed-off the air yesterday so came an end to Sir Nick Faldo’s 16-year stint as the network’s lead golf analyst and commentator. Here is the final segment:

Wu, Im Lead in Rain-Delayed Wyndham

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GREENSBORO – There are delays at the airport, delays on the highways, delays for deliveries and a delay, once again, at the Wyndham Championship.

The cause? Inclement weather and then darkness on the edge of Sedgefield.

Play was suspended for the day at the Wyndham Championship with only 12 of 86 players completing the third round. The third round will resume this morning at 7:30am (ET).

At 12-under thru 11 holes, Sungjae Im and Brandon Wu share the lead at the weather-delayed Wyndham with this weekend marking the third straight season experiencing weather delays at the championship.

Two past recipients of the Rookie of the Year Award sit T-3 or better as Im is (T-1) and John Huh at (T-3). Meanwhile, five players within two shots of the lead are seeking their first PGA TOUR victory: Wu (T-1), Joohyung Kim (T-3), Kiradech Aphibarnrat (T-5), Anirban Lahiri (T-5), Davis Riley (T-5).

Wyndham Leaderboard

Sungjae Im 63-69 (-12 thru 11 holes)

Brandon Wu 64-67 (-12 thru 11 holes)

John Huh 61-71 (-11 thru 11 holes)

Joohyung Kim 67-64 (-11 thru 10 holes)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

PGA Tour: Huh Grabs Lead

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GREENSBORO – John Huh carded a career-low (61) and holds a two-stroke lead after the first round of the Wyndham Championship, the final regular season event of the PGA Tour season.

Sungjae Im (2nd), who won the Shriners Children’s Open earlier this season, needs a two-way T-2 or better to have a chance to finish in the Comcast Business Tour Top 10

There are three past recipients of the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Award at T-5 or better: John Huh (1st), Sungjae Im (2nd) and Aaron Wise (T-5).

Joohyung Kim 3-under (67) became the third player in the ShotLink era (est. 2003) to make a quadruple bogey on the first hole of a round and go on to record an under-par score.

Rickie Fowler opened with a 1-over (71) and is projected to fall out of the Top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings. Fowler, who is fully exempt on TOUR through the 2022-23 season, missed the FedExCup Playoffs for the first time in his career in 2021.

Wyndham Leaderboard After 18 Holes

John Huh 61 (-9)

Sungjae Im 63 (-7)

Peter Malnati 64 (-6)

Brandon Wu 64 (-6)

Nine players 65 (-5)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

 

Regular Season Finale for PGA Tour

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GREENSBORO – The 2022 Wyndham Championship is the final regular season event on the PGA Tour schedule. Next week, the FedEx Cup Playoffs begin when the Top 125 ranked players qualify for play. This week, the Donald Ross-designed course in Greensboro has hosted this event since 2008.

The average winning score over that span is 19 under par. Kevin Kisner and five others went 15 under last year as weather disruptions played a role in the outcome. At the events in the previous five years, it took at least 21 under par to win.

This weekend, four of the world’s Top 25 players are competing in the Wyndham Championship field. The top-ranked is No. 14 Will Zalatoris and then Billy Horschel (15th), Sungjae Im (21st) and Shane Lowry (24th).

The 2021 playoff tied the tour record for most players in sudden-death competition, and Kisner won with a birdie on the second playoff hole.

After the weekend, the Top 125 players in the FedEx Cup standings will qualify for the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Aug. 11-14 at TPC Southwind in Germantown, Tennessee. From there, the Top 70 eligible players will qualify for the following week’s BMWChampionship at Wilmington (Delaware) Country Club, with the Top 30 after the BMW earning spots in the field for the season-ending TOUR Championship at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club.

Wyndham Championship | Tournament Facts

COURSE: Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, North Carolina

YARDS/PAR: 7,131 yards/Par 70

ARCHITECT: Donald Ross

PRIZE Money – Purse: $7,300,000/$1,314,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Kevin Kisner

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @WyndhamChamp

Finau, Pendrith Tied for Rocket Lead

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DETROIT – At 21-under (195), Tony Finau and PGA Tour rookie Taylor Pendrith share the 54-hole lead at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

The two player’s records with a 54-hole lead/co-lead: Finau (0-for-5), Pendrith (0-for-1).

Finau, winner of last week’s 3M Open, is seeking to become the first player to win in back-to-back weeks during the FedEx Cup regular season since Brendon Todd in 2019.

Finau is the only player in field bogey-free through 54 holes.

Pendrith (T-1) is one of three PGA Tour rookies at T-7 or better heading into final round today. The others: Cameron Young (3rd), Taylor Moore (T-7). With four runner-up and two T-3 finishes on Tour this season, Young trails by four in bid for first career victory.

Rocket Mortgage Classic | Leaderboard After 54 Holes

Taylor Pendrith 64-65-66—195 (-21)

Tony Finau 64-66-65—195 (-21)

Cameron Young 71-63-65—199 (-17)

Stephan Jaeger 67-68-65—200 (-16)

Patrick Cantlay 70-65-66—201 (-15)

Pendrith to the Lead at Rocket

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DETROIT – PGA Tour rookie Taylor Pendrith set a Rocket Mortgage Classic 36-hole scoring record (career-low 129) and holds a one stroke lead after two rounds over Tony Finau, winner of last week’s 3M Open. Finau stands solo-second.

Finau is attempting back-to-back tournament victories. The last player to win in back-to-back weeks during the FedEx Cup regular season was Brendon Todd in 2019.

Cameron Young (T-4) tied the Rocket Mortgage Classic 18-hole scoring record with a 9-under (63) on Friday.

Four rookies are T-7 or better (Pendrith, Lee Hodges, Young and Sahith Theegala).

Chad Ramey is the only rookie to win this season.

Camilo Villegas withdrew before the start of his second round due to illness

Cameron Percy withdrew during the second round due to a rib injury

Rocket Mortgage Classic | Leaderboard After 36 Holes

Taylor Pendrith 64-65—129 (-15)

Tony Finau 64-66—130 (-14)

Lee Hodges 66-66—132 (-12)

Cameron Young 71-63—134 (-10)

Russell Henley 69-65—134 (-10)

Stewart Cink 68-66—134 (-10)

36-hole Cut: 75 professionals at 3-under (141) from a field of 155 professionals and one amateur.

Full Leaderboard: (link)

Finau, Pendrith Lead at Rocket Mortgage Classic

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DETROIT – For the first time in his PGA Tour career (728 stroke-play rounds), Tony Finau hit 18 of 18 greens in regulation en route to tournament co-leading eight-under (64) in the first round at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Finau, the winner of last week’s 3M Open in come-from-behind fashion, is tied with Taylor Pendrith at eight under par.

Finau became the first player since Dustin Johnson in 2018 to win, then hold the first-round lead/co-lead the following week. He is 0-for-6 in converting prior first-round leads/co-leads.

Defending champion Cam Davis opened with a four-under (68) and sits T-22 while World No. 4 Patrick Cantlay and Will Zalatoris (No. 13), the two highest-ranked players in the field, sit T-53 at 2-under.

Vaughn Taylor withdrew with illness during the first round.

Rocket Mortgage Classic | Leaderboard After 18 Holes

Tony Finau 64 (-8)

Taylor Pendrith 64 (-8)

Michael Thompson 66 (-6)

Webb Simpson 66 (-6)

Cameron Champ 66 (-6)

Lee Hodges 66 (-6)

Matt Wallace 66 (-6)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

 

 

PGA Tour’s Home Stretch

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DETROIT – The Rocket Mortgage Classic, which is being contested for the fourth time since its inception in 2019, is the 43rd of 44 events during the FedEx Cup regular season. With only two weeks remaining until the start of the FedExCup Playoffs, the Rocket Mortgage Classic provides an opportunity for players looking to secure one of the 125 spots in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

Cam Davis returns to the Rocket Mortgage Classic after defeating 54-hole co-leaders Troy Merritt and Joaquin Niemann in a five-hole playoff to earn his first career PGA TOUR victory. At No. 76 in the FedEx Cup standings, the Australian enters the week with three consecutive top-20 finishes (T8/John Deere Classic, 6th/Barracuda Championship, T16/3M Open. Four defending champions have won this season, the most in a season since 2016-17 (4).

Reigning FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 4 in the Official World Golf Ranking and No. 6 in the FedExCup, on the strength of one win (Zurich Classic of New Orleans) and eight top-10s, including his last two starts (T4/Genesis Scottish Open, T8/The Open Championship). Cantlay is making his Rocket Mortgage Classic debut. The seven-time PGA Tour winner has won twice when making his tournament debut (2017 Shriners Children’s Open, 2020 ZOZO Championship).

Four PGA Tour rookies are currently in the top 40 of the FedEx Cup standings, and three of them are in the field this week: Cameron Young (No. 13 in the FedExCup standings) Davis Riley (No. 24) and Sahith Theegala(No. 38). The Rookie of the Year as voted on by PGA Tour membership at the end of the season will receive the Arnold Palmer Award.

Will Zalatoris, the only player inside the Top 10 of the FedEx Cup standings without a win this season (No. 9), will make his first start since The Open Championship (T-28). The reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year has eight Top-10 finishes including three runner-ups, with playoff losses at the Farmers Insurance Open and U.S. Open. Zalatoris finished 77th in his lone start in the 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Rocket Mortgage Classic | Tournament Facts

COURSE: Detroit Golf Club, Detroit, Michigan

YARDS/PAR: 7,370 yards/Par 72

ARCHITECT: Donald Ross

PRIZE Money – Purse: $8,400,000/$1,512,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Cam Davis

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 500