PGA Tour rookie Mitchell is shifting goals yet again
The sensational story of Keith Mitchell’s rookie season on the PGA Tour keeps adding chapters.
By finishing in the top 20 of last weekend’s Dell Technologies Championship near Boston, the former Baylor School and University of Georgia golfer advanced in the FedEx Cup playoffs to this week’s BMW Championship near Philadelphia. The BMW Championship contains the 70 remaining playoff contenders, and a field of just 30 will compete next week at the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta.
Mitchell entered the Dell Technologies ranked 78th in the FedEx Cup standings, but he vaulted 12 spots to 66th and was offered a flight to Philadelphia with three-time major winner Jordan Spieth.
“He let me hop on,” Mitchell said. “He’s awesome.”
It’s hard to find a better description than “awesome” to reflect what Mitchell has experienced during his first season at golf’s ultimate level. He has four top-10 finishes and has earned a whopping $1,615,520.
Having begun his rookie season ranked outside the top 300 in the world, Mitchell is now No. 148 and climbing.
“I’ve had to adjust my goals multiple times this year because of my play,” he said. “Now that I’ve made the BMW Championship, I have to set my sights on Atlanta for next week’s Tour Championship, which would mean about a top-five finish, give or take, to reach that.
“The Tour Championship would be huge, because it exempts you into every tournament in 2019, including all four majors and the World Golf Championship events.”
Harris English, a former Baylor and Georgia teammate of Mitchell, reached the Tour Championship in 2015 and made the cut in all four majors in 2016. English was eliminated in this year’s FedEx Cup playoffs during the opening round at The Northern Trust, but Mitchell and fellow Baylor alum Luke List are still alive in this year’s chase.
“Playing a full schedule, including the Masters and the other majors, is the new goal this week,” Mitchell said. “As much as I want to sit back and celebrate, my caddie and I only have a two-day turnaround to get ready for this last push of the season.”