Koepka in danger of missing Playoffs
Now that the 3M Open has wrapped up, just a few weeks remain until the PGA Tour’s FedExCup Playoffs start. For those who need a refresher, the top 125 golfers in the points race gain admission into The Northern Trust, which is the first of three playoff events.
The top 70 from there advance to the BMW Championship, and finally the top 30 get into the Tour Championship.
The winner of the FedExCup Playoffs earns $15 million.
So here are a few of the names who would be left out of the playoff fun, if the season ended today.
Jhonattan Vegas (currently 126): Missing his last two cuts (Workday and 3M) has dropped Vegas just out of the playoff, although a good showing this week at the Barracuda would push him back in.
Justin Rose (currently 127): Rose has one top-10 finish and two top-25 finishes this season, and he’s trending in the wrong direction, missing each of his last three cuts.
Sergio Garcia (currently 130): Outside of a T-5 at the RBC Heritage, Garcia doesn’t have much to draw from on the 2019-20 schedule. His next-best finish on Tour this season is a T-32, which he’s done twice (Travelers and Memorial).
Stewart Cink (currently 133): Although Cink has made most cuts, his finishes haven’t been much to write home about, many in the 50s and 60s. The 3M Open was a perfect example: Cink was in good position with a 69 and 68 in the opening rounds, and, while he didn’t falter on the weekend, his 70 and 69 pushed him down to a T-46.
Si Woo Kim (currently 134): Kim has made each of his last five cuts and is inching nearer to the playoffs, but a 72 on Sunday at the 3M dropped him down to T-46. He’ll be in the field at the Barracuda.
Danny Willett (currently 136): The 2016 Masters champ finished T-4 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic but hasn’t made enough of his other 10 starts on this side of the pond.
Shane Lowry (currently 149): The British Champion Golfer of the Year is currently 26th in the OWGR (Original World Golf Ranking), but he hasn’t made enough of his nine appearances on Tour.
Brooks Koepka (currently No. 155): Koepka has shown no signs that his knee is improving. He failed to make the cut at the 3M.
Branden Grace (currently 156): The South African has missed four straight cuts, including the 3M.
Jason Dufner (currently 168): Dufner’s best finish of the season was last weekend at the 3M Open, and he finished T-32. He doesn’t seem poised to make a run at the playoff, but it’s not out of the question, either.
Jimmy Walker (currently 171): The six-time PGA Tour champion has made one cut since the return to golf, and the one he did make – the Memorial – saw him shoot 81 and 77 on the weekend.
Luke Donald (currently 187): Donald has always played on multiple continents, but he hasn’t done much in his nine Tour starts this season, outside of a T-11 at the Honda Classic.
Wesley Bryan (currently 198): This is all about chances. Since returning from shoulder surgery, Bryan has looked strong, making all three cuts and finishing twice in the top 25.
Chris Kirk (currently 200): Let’s not worry about this year for Kirk. After taking time off to deal with anxiety and alcohol issues, Kirk again looks like the guy who won four times on Tour.