Gainey gains ground on Web.com Tour
He saved his best for last, zoomed up the earnings list with a third-place finish, assured himself of at least full Web.com status for 2016, secured a place in the Web.com Finals and will compete over the next four weeks for a berth on the 2015-16 PGA Tour.
Pleased? Yes. Satisfied? No.
Tommy Gainey wanted more.
“I wanted to win and get in the top 25 and get that PGA Tour card now,” he said, reflecting on his performance last weekend in the Web.com tourney in Portland, Ore. that ended the regular season.
The top 25 in the Web.com’s regular season earnings advance to golf’s top tour. Those finishing in the top 75 on the money list join PGA Tour players who placed 126-200 in FedEx Cup points in the Web.com Finals — four tournaments — with 25 more PGA berths at stake.
Gainey credited his putting for his 15-under-par 269 that sent him up 36 places to 35th in earnings and provided a jolt of confidence headed into the finals that begin this week in Ft. Wayne, Ind.
“I finally made some putts,” he said. “I have hit the ball well all year and my (poor) putting has been hard to deal with, really frustrating. The way I played in Portland makes me feel good about the opportunities the next few weeks.”
Gainey, son of the South Carolina Pee Dee, remains one of golf’s most endearing stories. He emerged from a job in manufacturing to climb to ladder to golf’s major leagues with an unorthodox swing and wearing two gloves for his trademarks Now 40, he thirsts to return full-time to the PGA Tour, his place for competition in 2008 and 2011-14.
“Everybody in the (Web.com) Finals starts at zero, and I’m like the way I’m playing,” he said. “The only bad thing is we had a week off after I played so well. I would have liked to have kept going.”
Instead, he had time off to be with his family — but only after a side trip that shows another side of the guy called “Two Gloves.” Rather than heading home after the Portland tournament ended last Sunday, he detoured through Boston — to visit with youngsters in the Shriners’ Hospital.
“I visited (the Shriners’ Hospital) in Greenville in December, and now I got to do this in Boston,” he said. “Every kid I saw had a smile on his or her face. They were battling all kinds of illnesses, and they were smiling. To go what they go through ... that says a lot.
“Visiting a hospital like that is something everyone should do. They would realize there is another side of life. Those visits certainly make me understand how fortunate I am to play golf for a living.”
Chip Shots
Steve Liebler (Irmo) fired a 4-under-par 68 at Orangeburg CC to lead qualifying for the U.S. Senior Amateur. Also advancing to the national tournament are Todd Hendley (Greer), John Gibbs (Augusta) and Geno Berchiatti (Greenville). ... Patriot Golf Day continues through Monday at facilities around the country. Players are asked to donate $1 per round to the Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides scholarships for children and spouses of military personnel disabled or killed in service of their country. ... The Lowcountry team won the WSCGA’s inaugural Cross State Shootout at Belfair GC in Bluffton. The competition divides the state into three regions with teams comprised mostly of mid-amateurs. ... Others with state connections eligible for the Web.com Finals include Kyle Thompson (Greenville/USC), Matt Davidson (Furman), Sam Saunders (Clemson), Lucas Glover (Greenville/Clemson), Jonathan Byrd (Columbia/Clemson) and Kyle Stanley (Clemson). ... USC and Clemson’s men’s teams open the season in the Carpet Capital Collegiate, set for Friday-Sunday in Rocky Face, Ga. USC, ranked eighth in preseason polls, is defending champion. Clemson’s women begin their year in the Cougar Classic in Charleston that will be played Sept. 13-15. USC’s women, 10th in pre-season polls, start Sept. 18-20 at the Mason Rudolph Invitational in Nashville, Tenn.