Here’s where SC pros stand in quest to lock up PGA Tour status for next season
The magic number for PGA Tour players is 125, and more than half of the South Carolina contingent need strong finishes to reach that point in order to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs and, more important, lock up full status for the 2019-20 season.
The wrap-around season will be down to 15 pre-playoffs events with the completion of the Wells Fargo Championship on Sunday, and four of those — the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, the Open Championship and the WGC St. Jude’s — require extra layers of qualification.
Going into the Byron Nelson tourney that begins Thursday, four state players are secure, another is pretty sure, and seven others fall into the “work-to-do” category.
Good news: One really good week or perhaps two finishes in the top 15 can propel a golfer up the standings. In addition, with the top guns focusing on majors and the WGC, the strength of fields in remaining events is reduced.
Heading the state performers are Dustin Johnson, No. 1 in the world and fifth in FedEx points; Kevin Kisner, 25th in the world and 13th in the standings; and Lucas Glover, who has continued his resurgence and ranks 30th in points. Scott Brown, at No. 80, is on the safe list, and Kyle Stanley, at 113, looks probable to make the top 125.
Jonathan Byrd, 123rd prior to Wells Fargo, missed the cut in Charlotte and will fall below the cut-off point. The others — Bill Haas (133), D.J. Trahan (143), Russell Henley (144), Roberto Diaz (173) and Sam Saunders (178) — require big finishes. Tommy Gainey, playing in the past champion category that limits opportunities, has not made a cut in three starts.
Wesley Bryan, William McGirt and Ben Martin have missed most or all of the season. On their returns, McGirt and Bryan will have status based on Tour tourney wins. Martin will make “rehabilitation” starts on the Web.com Tour before rejoining the PGA circuit in his quest to regain full status.
The FedEx point distribution emphasis high tournament finishes. The winner of official PGA Tour events receives 500 points, champions in majors and the Players earn 600 points, WGC winner get 550 points and events played opposite majors or WGC tournament award 300 points to the winner. A 10th-place finish in a regular Tour event is worth 75 points.
Players who finish 126-200 in the FedEx standings will have an opportunity to regain status in the Web.com playoffs.
Chip shots. In the NCAA Men’s Regionals scheduled for May 13-15, USC is seeded third in Pullman, Wash., and Clemson is No. 4 in Austin, Tex. Competing as individuals: Zack Taylor (Coastal Carolina) in Murrells Inlet; and Keller Harper (Furman), Logan Sowell (College of Charleston) and Jordan Warnock (USC Upstate) in Athens, Ga. . . . Lexington High standouts Isabella Rawl and Karlee Vardes advanced to the quarterfinals before falling in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball in Jacksonville, Fla. The duo tied for seventh in stroke-play qualifying. . . . In NCAA Women’s Regionals that begin Monday, USC plays in Cle Elum, Wash., and Clemson and Furman compete in Opelika, Ala. College of Charleston’s Victoria Huskey will compete as an individual in Opelika. . . . USC’s men finished advanced to match play in the SEC championship and fell to Auburn in the quarterfinals. . . . Clemson placed senior Alice Hewson and freshman Ivy Shepherd on the All-ACC women’s team.