Taylor, Power make Top 125 cut on last day
The Wyndham Championship represented the end of the regular season for the 2017-18 PGA Tour campaign.
Those who finished in the Top 125 in the FedExCup standings after the event earned spots in the Playoffs, which start Thursday. It was also a weekend when PGA Tour cards were in the balance, as those who had not already secured a 2018-19 Tour card needed to finish the tournament in the Top 125 to get one.
Anyone not already exempt who fell short will have to go to the Web.com Tour Finals to try to earn that 2018-19 card. And for those who didn’t qualify for the Web.com Tour Finals … that PGA Tour card will probably have to wait a year, at least.
A look at the winners and losers from the Top 125 bubble.
Winners
❚ Nick Taylor: The Canadian began last week 129th in the FedExCup standings and needed to make the 125 cutoff to retain his PGA Tour card. He wasn’t in position heading into the last round, but a clutch final 18 holes changed all that. Taylor used an eagle and a birdie in his final four holes Sunday to a fire a closing 7-under-par 63 that saw him jump 21 spots to a tie for eighth. With that showing, Taylor pushed up to No.
119. He will keep his Tour card for 2018
19 and now has a spot in The Northern Trust, the opening event of the FedExCup Playoffs.
❚ Sam Saunders: He was pretty safe, but for good measure he put up a solid
T-45. That ensured Arnold Palmer’s grandson would stay at 120th in the standings and keep his Tour card. Now he heads off to The Northern Trust.
❚ Harris English: A nervous closing day for English, but he held his nerve and his card. English was in position to lose his card at No. 132 to start the week, but he pieced together four sub-70 rounds on his way to a T-11 finish. That jumped him to 124th as held onto his card. The effort included a gutsy finalhole par.
❚ Seamus Power: A missed cut wasn’t what Power was looking for, but it didn’t end up biting him. The Irishman began the week at No. 123 and seemed in position to lose his Tour card after missing the cut at Wyndham. But his point total for the season just held up enough, as he dropped just two spots at the end of the week. That put him exactly at No. 125 … barely what he needed to retain his card and make the Playoffs, but he got it. Maybe Power didn’t pass through in style, but we bet he will take it.
Losers
❚ Martin Piller: A similar story to Power’s except with a much worse fate. Piller followed Power in missing the cut and dropping two spots. Only, he came in at No. 124 and could only afford to drop one spot. His drop to No. 126 means Piller fails to grab his Tour card by a single spot. He will have to go to the Web.com Tour Finals to try to get it back. Brutal.
❚ Tyrone Van Aswegen: Another in the sad, two-spot drop story. Van Aswegen began the week No. 125, but a missed cut meant he fell to 127th by weekend’s end. He has failed to retain his Tour card and also will need a strong showing at the Web.com Tour Finals to get it back.
❚ Sergio Garcia: That was a tough Sunday to watch for Garcia fans. The Spaniard was right in position to jump from No. 131 to inside the top 125 as he sat T-8 through 54 holes. But Garcia never got much going in the final round, and three bogeys early in the back nine doomed him to a lackluster closing 70. That dropped him to T-24, a finish that saw him move up in the standings but only to No. 128. Garcia has his PGA Tour card on lock for a while thanks to that five-year exemption from his 2017 Masters title. So that’s of no concern. But his No. 128 finish means he failed to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs for the first time. That’s a tough blow, especially for a guy looking to make some noise to get a Ryder Cup captain’s pick.
❚ David Hearn: Like Garcia, Hearn can blame a poor final-round 70 for failing to get him into the Top 125. The Canadian looked in line for a miracle push as he was projected inside the top 125 through 54 holes despite starting the week at No. 156. That’s because he sat all the way at T-2 after a third-round 64. But he began his final round bogey-bogey and even a late eagle couldn’t save him. His drop to T-8 by the end meant he instead finished 138th. The Web.com Tour Finals likely awaits for the Canadian.