The PGA Tour is back in North Carolina this week for the Wyndham Championship. This is it. It’s the final chance to make it into the playoffs, and the whole week will feel like Selection Sunday as players duke it out for a shot at making it to East Lake and winning that $25 million prize waiting for the FedEx Cup champion. With stakes that high, let’s jump right in.
If you’ve read my content, especially anything Rocket Classic, you’ll know I love Donald Ross courses. I’m getting spoiled this week with another Ross layout.
Sedgefield Country Club will be celebrating its 100th year of operation next year, and it has all the hallmarks of a classic Ross course: a heavy focus on the approach shot, tricky green complexes, and plenty of turtleback greens. It’s a positioning course rather than a power course, like so many Ross tracks (see: Pinehurst, despite the length). I said it in my Pin Sheet this week, too, but it bears repeating here, especially with a more Ohio-based audience. This course plays a lot like Columbus Country Club, another classic Ross design.
It’s usually one of the lower-scoring venues on Tour, so expect something in the -22 area to come out on top. Every single player in the field will be giving it everything and then some down the stretch on Sunday because nothing is guaranteed, so brace for fireworks late.
I usually do a featured holes section for these, but with all the other implications, I thought it would be better to include a section about how this whole playoff shebang works and what it means for guys in the field.
Obviously, there’s the money component. Making the playoffs means you’re competing for bigger and bigger purses, and it can be life-changing money for a lot of these players.
Making the playoffs also guarantees your status on Tour, providing some welcome stability for the players. Beyond that, if you qualify for the BMW Championship (the second playoff event), you automatically qualify for all Signature events, which promise big money with increased prizes and no cuts (outside of the Genesis, Arnold Palmer, and Memorial Tournament).
Even if you don’t make the playoffs or get bounced early, there’s still hope for you. After the playoffs, an eight-event series called the FedEx Cup Fall is held for every player. Players keep all their accumulated points, and battle to keep their Tour cards. Winning one of these gets you all the standard exemptions (Tour card, Sentry Tournament of Champions, and the PLAYERS), but even if you don’t win, finishing in the top 100 at the end means you’re fully exempt on Tour, and the next 25 are conditionally exempt.
Even with the new FedEx Cup and Tour eligibility rules (which I think are too restrictive, and don’t get me started on the TOUR Championship), there’s a lot for players to look forward to if they miss out on the postseason, so this week can make a huge difference and serve as a springboard for the FedEx Cup Fall.
Here are some guys to keep an eye on this week.
The man is feeling it right now, and both my model and sportsbooks have him as the favorite this week. It’s a great chance for him to pick up momentum before the playoffs.
Vibes: 9/10
If you don’t have Allstate, you may not be protected from mayhem like him. The short game’s still money, though.
Vibes: Good Hands/10
Rickie’s 61st in the FedEx Cup standings, and the top 70 qualify. He could use a big week to ease the stress.
Vibes: 7/10
Scott needs something like a T3 to make it in. In fairness, the Aussie has the game to pull it off.
Vibes: Good Luck/10
Hideki’s been his typically steady self this year, and it would be a fun storyline if he won the first and last events of the regular season. I’m here for it.
Vibes: 8/10
Højgaard is 71st in the FedEx Cup standings, and just four points out of a playoff spot as it stands. With 500 points awarded to the winner, that should tell you how tight the margins are. That said, the Dane ranks well in SG: APP and PUTT, both keys to success on this style of layout. He’s good off the tee as well, so he should have plenty of scoring opportunities this week, and he’ll need them.
After seven months of golf, we’ve finally hit the event that decides everything for so many players. There are more storylines than I can count, and we could see a real Cinderella run from a player like Gary Woodland, ranked 75th right now but making a special comeback after his brain surgery in 2023. This week is going to be filled with drama, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the field shapes up when I see you next week for the first playoff event: The FedEx St. Jude Championship. Until next time.
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